The Sports Frog

Ticked off by an earlier scuffle and taunted by anti-Yankees chants, a 43-year-old mother pulled out of a New Hampshire parking lot last week and rammed into one of the Red Sox fans taunting her, prosecutors said today.

The woman, Ivonne Hernandez of Nashua, had allegedly been drinking and was charged with reckless conduct, aggravated drunken driving, and second-degree murder. She was arraigned in Nashua District Court this morning on charges she used her car to kill Matthew Beaudoin, 29, of Nashua, who died Saturday of head trauma at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington.

Prosecutors would only say that an argument led to the attack. But a relative of Beaudoin's said the scuffle escalated after a group of people that included Beaudoin saw a Yankees sticker on the back window of Hernandez's car. They began chanting "Yankees suck!"

Without policies in sports things could get out of hand. A coach could bring an axe into the clubhouse occupied by a clumsy punter. A Cubs player could sleep with another players wife. A relative of the team President could get caught on tape stealing players money. Sammy could leave early. Rickey could be playing cards. A guy could lie about carrying dear meat or washing his truck.

The reason the Pirates released pitching prospect Olivo Astacio, two sources confirmed yesterday, was that he attacked another player with a bat earlier in the week during extended spring training in Bradenton, Fla.

Astacio and the other player were having an argument, the sources said, and Astacio struck the player's leg with a swing of his bat. He swung again and missed before the incident was broken up.

The other player -- who was not identified -- is not seriously injured, and no charges have been filed. But Pirates management, already wary of Astacio's troubled past throughout his professional career, promptly released him Thursday.

Astacio, 23, was an expensive Latin American signing for Boston in 2002, but the Red Sox suspended him for disciplinary reasons in 2005, and he sat out the entire season.

The Pirates' previous management signed him the following year, and he rose to Class AA Altoona by the final month of last season.

But he pitched only one game for the Curve before breaking his hand during a fight.

The Pirates, who on Thursday described their release of Astacio as a "significant violation of organizational policy," had no further comment yesterday.

That was the title of Dennis Rodman's autobiography written with Jack Isenhour in 2005. He's not a particuarly stable individual.

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has been arrested for allegedly hitting a woman at a Century City hotel.

Los Angeles police say the 46-year-old Rodman was arrested Wednesday night after officers answered a report of a domestic dispute.

Officer Sara Fayden says they learned Rodman had struck a woman, who suffered injuries to her arm.

Rodman was jailed for investigation of felony domestic violence and freed on $50,000 bail early Thursday

Even Jose Canseco was taken by surprise.

Former slugger (couldn't we just say former cheater turned snitch?) Jose Canseco said he was stunned to learn his former teammate had an affair with McCready.

"I found out about it yesterday and it took me completely by surprise," said Canseco, who wrote in his first book, "Juiced," that the legendary pitcher never strayed from his wife.

"I saw none of it. If it is true, he kept it secret."

It wasn't just Mindy McCready and her 15yo tight ass either. The guy who testified before congress as a solid family man apparently had a bevy of babes around the country.

Roger Clemens hung out with several attractive women in his baseball career, including beauties in California and Boston and a former Manhattan bartender named Angela Moyer.

Clemens, 45, flew the women around the country on his private jet and bought expensive jewelry for at least one of them, a source told the Daily News Tuesday.

Here is the most damning statement: "Her mother (McCready's), Gayle Inge, later told The News, "I know Roger was infatuated with Mindy."

I understand drug addiction and I will not make fun of it. Ok maybe a little, but not right at this moment.

Suspended NASCAR driver Aaron Fike now admits that he not only secretly struggled with drug addiction for years but also shot up heroin on some race days.

In his first in-depth interview since being arrested for heroin possession last summer, the 25-year-old said he had been using heroin for eight months and suffered from a dependency on painkillers for six years before that. In the weeks prior to his arrest, his once-a-week experiment with heroin had become a daily routine, including the days he was competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

NASCAR officials, when informed of Fike's admission, said the league has kept an eye on the more proactive random drug testing policies recently ramped up by the "Big Four" major league sports but point to the list of recent suspensions as proof that the current policy is working.

"No system is perfect," said Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice president of corporate communications. "Our current policy has served us extremely well. We do have discussions from time to time regarding possible alternatives, so I wouldn't rule those out. But I think what our policy has allowed us to do up to this certain point in time, it has served us well."

The policy missed a guy shooting up HEROIN on a DAILY basis. But the current policy has served them well. The policy is as much of a joke as the "sport" is. I woud love to see this guy's job description. I assume, idiot son-in-law is contained somwhere within it.

Heroin, the drug to be used socially. Just once a week or so. Try it kids, you can even drive on it. It's barely addictive and you can pass the NASCAR drug test too.

Audible relief, from pretty much every Bengals fan.

It has been said before, and it will be said again, but that must be one of the stupidest human beings on the face of the planet. Forget the waste of talent clucking and focus instead on this thought. Henry is not like, say, Steve Howe or Darryl Strawberry, who threw their careers away over substance abuse. As stupid as doing THAT is, at least we can all understand that addiction can take over and make coming back to sobriety a physical barrier that some can't overcome. We get that.

But Henry? He's thrown his career away because he can't stop committing crimes. He apparently has no filter, or base awareness, that kicks in and causes him to stop and think "Say! I'm about to commit a crime. I probably shouldn't do this". And that can't be blamed on something that causes physical yearnings like an addiction does, it is simply attributable to the fact that he is just plain a stupid and uncaring person. It is pretty much the only explanation left. He isn't able to understand that there will be a consequence for his illegal actions, and he apparently could give a shit about who he hurts as he commits the crimes. The latest Cincy judge to have to deal with him told him he was a one man crime spree. That's about right.

At least the Bengals FINALLY did the right thing and cut bait from this loser. Tj Houshmandzadeh sums it up thusly:

"I thought it was over. I'm sure he is upset. But how upset can you be if you continually put yourself in situations like that?"

Pretty much spot on, that.

Good. Now we Bengals fans can move on to our number one off-season priority: ignoring Chad Johnson.

PORT ORCHARD, Wash. - A fast-food cook and Seattle Seahawks fan has been accused of spitting on a hamburger ordered by a man wearing Pittsburgh Steelers attire.

Kitsap County sheriff's deputies say the 37-year-old customer was with his daughters at the Port Orchard-area eatery last Saturday. He reportedly traded remarks with an employee about Super Bowl XL in which the Seahawks lost to the Steelers.

When the customer opened his food container, he says there was spittle on the burger. He demanded a refund and called the fast-foot outlet's district manager.

The manager told deputies a 24-year-old man might be responsible. The next day, deputies went to his house and smelled marijuana. The man was released after being booked for investigation of fourth-degree assault and possession of marijuana.

I know that masterbation helps prevent prostate cancer. It is a wholesome, fun act especially with a lubricant of some type. When I lived on the road I'd just leave a few extra dollars for housekeeping. But I always left the blinds closed. Set the mood. Soft lighting, soft music, etc....

The Red Sox are deferring comment on Monday's arrest of scout Jesse Levis until looking into the incident that led to two felony counts of committing lewd and lascivious acts in the presence of children under 16 at a Florida hotel.

Levis, who was hired as a professional scout on Nov. 7, 2006, was arrested by police and a U.S. Marshals task force in Melbourne, Fla., following an alleged incident in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Sunday. According to the police report, at least two teenage girls at the hotel claimed to have witnessed him nude and masturbating in his second-floor window while looking down at them in the pool area. Levis told investigators that he was simply walking by the window on the way to the shower.

...Roger Clemens stayed away.

What? Letting a guy who appears to have committed perjury before Congress and who happily tossed his wife to the wolves talk to your minor leaguers ISN'T a good idea?

Well. You learn something new every day.

Being a role model is so fuckin' tough nowadays, what with people kind of, oh, I don't know, thinking that maybe NOT being a known liar and cheat isn't the way to be. Life's hard, Roger.

...Andy Petitte, Chuck Knoblauch, and Kirk Radomsky. Well, get out of jail in the sense that they are spared the public hearing circus.

As you have heard by now, Congress won't make them show up on Wednesday. Now the trick is to figure out exactly why. Maybe in Knoblauch's case Congress didn't want to see him drag his kid before the committee.

Oh, yeah, Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee still have to come. And, for what it is worth, the early word is that what Petitte did testify to behind closed doors backs up McNamee. Portions of the Petitte Affidavit may be made public during the McNamee/Clemens circus.

Enjoy. I guess. If this kind of Congressional fetish is your thing.

Chapter 14: The Congressional Lobbying

---Clemens makes personal visits to the congressional members who will allegedly be giving him difficult questions on Wednesday. Questions arise as to the propriety of those visits, and what the hell the congressional members were thinking in taking those meetings. I almost never agree with Phil Mushnik - ever - but he's got a point here.

---Chairman Henry Waxman criticizes Clemens' lawyer for remarks made by Rusty Hardin about IRS Special Agent Jeff Novitzky. The relevant bits:

"Hardin told The New York Times on Saturday that plans by Novitzky, a special agent for the Internal Revenue Service who has been leading a steroids investigation, to attend the oversight committee's hearing while Clemens testified Wednesday were "unbelievable" and "brazen." He had added, "I can tell you this: If he ever messes with Roger, Roger will eat his lunch." In a letter to Hardin, the committee chairman, Representative Henry A. Waxman, Democrat of California, said his remarks could be interpreted as "an attempt to intimidate a federal law enforcement official in the performance of his official duties." Waxman asked Hardin to clarify his remarks as soon as possible.

Hardin responded to Waxman late Sunday night with a letter saying he regretted the "eat his lunch" remark but that it was Novitzky, not him, who had been trying to intimidate people.

Hmmm. Doesn't sound like Hardin is backing off any.

---What will Andy Petitte testify to? Will he hang Roger Clemens out to dry? Or Brian McNamee? Or neither? And just when the fuck do pitchers and catchers finally report to camps to end the focus on this mess? Oh, soon. Thank G-d.

Hey Brian McNamee? Gross.

"McNamee is due to meet with committee staff Thursday morning to give his own deposition, and his legal team said it will bolster his story with details of the evidence. His side turned over gauze pads and syringes they said had Clemens' blood to IRS Special Agent Jeff Novitzky in early January, a person familiar with the evidence said, speaking on condition of anonymity because McNamee's lawyers did not want to discuss details publicly. The syringes were used to inject Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone, the person said. A second person, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the evidence was from 2000 and 2001."

What kind of freak keeps such a thing? And, seriously, because you were thinking someday you might need to prove allegations? If that is remotely true, that's stalkeriffic.

I want to believe Brian McNamee. Hell, based on Andy Pettitte's corroboration, I do believe Brian McNamee. But this isn't helping. Oh, and understatement of the year right here:

"Doping expert Don Catlin said steroids could still be detected in a sample that old. "But if you don't find it, it doesn't mean it wasn't there before," said Catlin, who added there are sure to be chain of custody issues."

Oh ya think so, doctor?

Good lord.

...an idea whose time has come?

Perhaps Chuck Knoblauch is a visionary. Or a douche. Could go either way, I suppose. I'm leaning toward douche. At any rate Sports Frog founder garyclark has started a thread with a pertinent related question here, and it elicited this wonderful one liner from Swamp all-timer Scottie:

"He must have thought it was "Bring Your Kid To House Oversight And Government Reform Committee Investigating Drugs In Baseball Day".

Heh.

According to the NY Times this morning, yes. Well, at least McNamee's lawyers think he will. And, if so, no matter how many charts and statistical summaries Roger Clemens hands out, his will be forever viewed as a cheat and a liar. That's a lot of pressure on Pettitte come Monday at his sworn deposition.

The trials and tribulations of a man no one in baseball wants. Like a scorned woman still stalking her lover Jose just won't go away.

Jose Canseco offered to keep Magglio Ordonez "clear" in his upcoming book if the Detroit Tigers outfielder invested in a movie project promoted by Canseco, The New York Times reported Wednesday night.

"Clear", that is punny. And Jose aren't you a little overdue to try and run down your wife with a car or something similar.

Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens are no longer BFFs. In fact, they apparently never were. From Newsday:

"Andy Pettitte is said by friends to be upset with Roger Clemens because of Clemens' aggressive defense to the charges leveled against him in the Mitchell Report. Most of all, Pettitte didn't care for Clemens' public airing of his taped phone call with accuser Brian McNamee, which accomplished little. Among its many unexpected consequences, the Mitchell Report has magnified just how different Clemens and Pettitte are. And with the two men set to share a table at Capitol Hill's Rayburn Hall next month, it's as good a time as any to point out that this supposed mentor-protege's relationship has been overblown by the media - with this space as guilty as anyone else.

"They were never as close as they were made out to be," a friend of both said on the condition of anonymity. "They just sort of went along with it in the media, because it was a good story."

Oh PEDs. Will your nefarious reach leave nothing unsullied?

Ok so the title was a bad don't drop the soap prison reference. But it was inspired by the last line of this article. "Leyritz was mostly a catcher during his 11 seasons."

The real news is the boy is in some deep shit. His BAL was .14. If I remember correctly they drew blood which I have heard gives a higher reading than a breatherlyzer, but it is irrelevent here as Florida law is .08.

"Toxicology results show former major leaguer Jim Leyritz's blood-alcohol levels were nearly twice the legal limit the day he was involved in a fatal crash in December.

Leyritz, initially charged with DUI manslaughter and DUI property damage after the crash, will now face an additional manslaughter charge, according to a Fort Lauderdale Police Department news release."

For the love of all that is holy, if it's even close, get yourself a cab. The lead on the Jim Leyritz story this morning:

"His stellar reputation shattered by an alleged drunken-driving crash that killed a hardworking mother, former Yankee slugger Jim Leyritz remained secluded in his Florida home Sunday, distressed and desperate for a good lawyer. With his worried parents, children and ex-wife, Karrie, providing comfort, Leyritz privately contemplated his spiral from pinstripes to the possibility of serving 15 years in prison stripes."

Yeah. Sucks for him.

Oh, and, um, for the woman he killed. More so for her. And her family. She was a 30-year-old mother of two who was returning home from closing at an area steak-house when Leyritz murdered her. That's her in the pic below. Leyritz should count himself lucky the most he can get is 15 years.

Let's just say that the people at PETA don't know too much about football. Vick keeps punting the ball. And his voice. There must not be any brothers at PETA, for this guy's voice sounds less African American than Bryant Gumbel. Of course this will increase traffic to PETA's website and that's their point.

While I am wholly against everything that Vick was involved in, I am still searching for the site concerning the ethical treatment of people.

Mississippi put 20 players on probation Sunday after they twice stole items from hotels.

A news release said the players have paid for the items, which included radios and pillows. Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron said in the release that the players will be on probation indefinitely.

I have never been in a hotel that I have ever seen a radio worth stealing.

It would certainly be easy to take shots at Ole Miss, but allow me to relate a story recently told to me by someone who had visited Jackson, Miss for her job. She was training people to operate a new restaurant. On the food quiz they were asked to name 3 vegetarian dishes. One person did choose spaghetti and meatballs but an amazing percentage also chose chicken parmesan.

So, PETA, what of the rumors that Michael Vick will do some Public Service Announcements for your organization?

Not exactly dead, but PETA apparently has some groundrules. What say you, PETA?

"Nachminovitch, a PETA official who taught the Falcons quarterback during last month's course at the agency's Virginia headquarters, said Thursday there were no plans for him to do a public service announcement. In a statement e-mailed to the Journal-Constitution, PETA said: 'If Michael Vick went on TV and said, 'Look at me. I have lost everything --- my career, my income, respect, friends. I've hurt my family, and I am an object of scorn. My life is ruined. I have gone from being a star to the gutter, and now I'm going to jail. Don't be like me. If you fight dogs, stop. And if you don't, don't start,' we would be very pleased. 'Short of that, it's not happening.'"

Actually, that doesn't seem too onerous all things considered.

While we're on the subject of PSAs and Michael Vick, why stop at PETA? How about one for people living with STDs? Or one for people too stupid not to test positive for pot while awaiting federal sentencing? Frankly, there's a long list of potential causes that Vick now has ample time to lend his voice to.

There are a lot of college players that emulate the NFL pros. Sometimes this does not turn out to be a good thing.

Safety Tony Joiner is the eighth Florida player in the last nine months to get in legal trouble, a growing concern for the defending national champions.

Joiner, a senior captain and defensive leader, was arrested early Tuesday and charged with felony burglary, police said.

Joiner, who ranks fifth on the team with 20 tackles, was arrested around 5 a.m. outside the fenced impound lot of a local towing company, Gainesville police said.

But the owner of the property leased by the towing company, Stan Forron, said Tuesday afternoon that the whole thing is a misunderstanding.

Joiner was accused of pushing a heavy electric gate open to enter the lot in an attempt to retrieve his girlfriend's car, which was being held in lieu of a $76 towing bill, a police report said.

You would think the SEC boosters would have been paying Joiner enough to afford a $76 towing bill. What is wrong with the boosters? Pay these guys what they are worth.

And talk about a stupid crime. 76 must also be his SAT score. They might just notice a car missing.

Investigators questioned O.J. Simpson about a break-in at a casino hotel room involving sports memorabilia, police said Friday.

The break-in was reported at the Palace Station casino late Thursday night, police spokesman Jose Montoya said. He said the break-in involved sports collectibles, but he declined to elaborate.

Simpson was released and is believed to be in Las Vegas, Montoya said.

"We don't believe he's going anywhere," he said.

If he does try to leave town, will they chase him through the airport?

The University of New Hampshire said Friday it suspended a backup quarterback after learning that he faces murder charges in California.

Henri "Hank" Hendricks, 21, is charged with murder, assault and battery in the beating death of a professional surfer in San Diego in May, the university said. He is to be arraigned Monday in California.

Police allege that Hendricks and four other men beat professional surfer Emery Kauanui Jr. of Hawaii at Kauanui's home on May 24. Kauanui, 24, died several days later.

Hendricks was not arrested immediately after the beating, but gave a statement on his involvement to police a few days later.

Prosecutors filed new charges Tuesday against the other four men and named Hendricks, who was not originally identified as a suspect. The latest charges include several assaults, which prosecutors said occurred before the attack.

Police allege the men are members of a gang known as the Bird Rock Bandits, something defense lawyers deny.

There is really no good excuse for bumping GC's sublime Ana Ivanovic pic down to post the pic I have above, but, dammit, Todd Marinovich makes it hard to ignore him sometimes.

Look, the news that he was arrested after being found holding meth is not a big surprise. The somewhat bemusing thing? What he was doing that drew the cop's attention in the first place.

Skateboarding. Where he shouldn't have been. Ran for six blocks before he was found hiding in a carport.

And, yes, Marinovich is old. At least old in the what-the-fuck-is-he-doing-getting-arrested-for-skateboarding sense. He's 38. Thirty-fuckin' eight. 38.

Not sure 38-year-olds should be keeping it real by skateboarding to stick it in the face of the man. But, hey, perhaps now Marinovich will finally decide he has taught his old man enough of a lesson.

But probably not.

Much thanks to swamp all star timgod for the heads up and thread.

Rafer Alston was arrested in the Big Apple yesterday for allegedly stabbing some guy in the neck. We don't have video on youtube yet, but I bet it looked something like this.

As has been leaking out over the last five days as people digest the draft of the plea agreement, Vick will be singing like a canary whenever requested by the feds. Considering this whole enterprise came to light only because of a drug raid at Vick's Virginia house, somewhere, Paul Cicero shakes his head. The drugs. It all comes back to the drugs.

By the way, in case you missed it last week, do yourself a favor and check out the best and most concise and insightful summation of this story you will find on the internets, over at Braves & Birds.

I was a wacky kid in my teens and 20's. Thank g-d for sealed records. But one thing I never, ever did was take photographc evidence anytime I bent or fractured a law. Even if I had pictures of an event the last thing I would do is post it on the internet. But hey that's just me. I grew up in NYC. I didnt's see anything, I didn't hear anything, I wasn't even there. Times have changed.

Gary Barta (Iowa AD) is familiar with the Facebook.com phenomenon.

And he has seen some of the disturbing images some users of the social Web site choose to post on their personal pages.

But the pictures Iowa's director of athletics had land on his desk this week were particularly troubling. In them, four members of the Hawkeyes football team are shown flaunting empty alcohol bottles, flashing apparent gang signs and handling large sums of cash.

All of the players are under 21.

Two of them -- receivers Dominique Douglas and Anthony Bowman -- were arrested Sunday and charged with using stolen credit cards to make more than $2,000 in purchases. A third -- reserve quarterback Arvell Nelson -- posted bond on a warrant out for his arrest for failing to appear at a court date stemming from a July 2 citation for driving with a suspended license.

The fourth, receiver James Cleveland, has not been implicated in any crimes, but the University of Iowa police are continuing the investigation into the credit card thefts.

The photos were posted on the personal sites of Douglas and Bowman but since have been removed.

Youth is truly wasted on the young.

Well, if you are Michael Vick, according to the NY Daily News, somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 million dollars.

Worst. hobby. ever.

Thanks to Michael Wilbon in today's Washington Post for getting it right about Michael Vick, his impending jail time, and how he might be able to play in the NFL again.

"If he says what arrogant athletes in trouble usually say, that this is behind him and it's time to move on, his penitence will be insufficient. He'd better take the approach, and publicly, that his god isn't finished with him yet and there's a better man at the end of this regrettable process than at the beginning. Vick, clearly a man used to taking what he wants without fear of consequence, had better start begging quite literally for mercy and forgiveness. In public. Every chance he gets. We may be a forgiving culture, but only if people believe the sinner is genuinely contrite."

Wilbon goes on to say that he doesn't think Vick has it in him. He isn't sorry he murdered dogs. He's sorry he got caught. Two very different things.

...and we're not talking about Michigan Stadium.

CNN is reporting the embattled Atlanta Falcons quarterback has accepted a plea deal in his federal dogfighting case that will include jail time.

The amount of time remains to be seen, though prosecutors apparently were throwing around 18 to 36 months. The guess here is that for Vick to agree to the deal, it is probably much closer to the low end of that figure. Whatever punishment the NFL then metes out might mean Vick will not play football again until 2009 or 2010, if ever.

We've obviously been talking about this for quite some time in The Swamp. Has justice been done?

And what's next for Vick and the Falcons?

...that you take the plea.

I am guessing that his high-powered legal team has already flat told him that. Presumably there are back-channel commuications underway with Roger Goodell with Vick's lawyers in an attempt to preserve some semblence of a chance at a resumed NFL career after Vick serves some prison time. Assuming he can still talk a team into giving him a second chance a few years from now. The fantastic Braves & Birds blog has a rather good guess on just who might be willing to take a chance, should the prison/suspension scenario play out.

As for the ease of the decision...the chances of Vick skating on the charges against him, given the testimony of the co-conspirators, the presumed testimony of the three still unknown witnesses, and the fact that common sense dictates that the NFL fueled money of Vick's was what seeded the dog fighting operation, I just cannot imagine taking that to trial. Lester Munson on espn.com with a must read piece on just why that is.

Lawyers are paid to advise, first and foremost. Trying to cut significant losses should be the top consideration for Vick at this point in time.

Unreal how fast fame and fortune can all go away.

Perhaps you remember the very first sherriff to have his boot camp on TV, Maricopa County.

In fact the current sherriff is having an issue about some photoshopped photo (we are looking a you SL22). Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is irate over the circulation of a doctored photo that shows him dressed in a Ku Klux Klan outfit and holding a noose with a Hispanic man in the background.

I would never call what the Klan wears an outfit, but shit, I never went to journalism school.

So what does this have to do with sports, talking about the little county that thinks they can?

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas has sent letters to NBA Commissioner David Stern and the head of the FBI in Washington, saying he wants to know whether Tim Donaghy gambled on the two Suns road playoff games, provided inside information to gamblers or helped determine the outcome by making bad officiating calls.

Once again not being the journalism major, I may have skipped the fact that the FBI is in Washington, but today we are learning what I don't know. What I do know is that the layers of law enforcement in this country go Federal, State, County, City. But not in Arizona. In true Judge Roy Bean fashion they just make up shit that sounds good.

Special Assistant County Attorney Barnett Lotstein said Arizona's "long arm statute" allows the county to prosecute in such cases.

"If any element of the crime happened in our county, we have jurisdiction," Lotstein said.

Well Arizonians, good luck with that bit of tax money. The guy is going to get significant time already why do you feel a need to punish him some more? Or did you mommies not suckle you as a child?

I am well aware that the math scores for students in the USA are no longer number #1 in the world. A lot of people can no longer do simple math in their heads. PacMan can't tell the difference between 2 and 6. This should give the Titans a huge advantage in future contract negotiations. Somewhere Dexter Manley feels he has a superior college education. (If you didn't get the reference, look it up, it's a good story too):

From the WWLIS, with video:

Jones appeared on ESPN2's "First Take" and immediately disputed how many times he's been arrested.


"Everybody keeps saying I've been arrested six times," Jones said.


"I haven't been arrested six times.

Unfortunately for PacMan, the damned popo actually keep records.

...being the one in an alleged conspiracy who has others in the alleged conspiracy pointing fingers at you.

"Taylor" from the indictment has cut a deal. Bad news for Mike Vick.

Oh, and Reebok and Nike have decided they don't want to appear to be sanctioning dog murder. Child labor? Still fine by them as far as I know.

From the St Pete Times:

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is asking the State Attorney's Office to file a misdemeanor charge against inactive Devil Rays player Elijah Dukes for allegedly violating his wife's protective order.

A sheriff's deputy was called to the Brandon home of NiShea Gilbert, Dukes' estranged wife, on Monday, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said.

Gilbert told deputies that Dukes called her home Sunday and asked to speak to his children, which she allowed.

"I probably shouldn't have done it," Gilbert told the Times Tuesday, "but my son was right there asking who was on the phone. When I told him it was his father, he pretty much grabbed the phone from me. Dukes wasn't irate or upset like he usually is. He wasn't cursing, so I let him speak to him. It's just sad that the kids are in the middle of this."

But Gilbert then said she got several harassing phone calls the following day from an unknown woman who is believed to be affiliated with Dukes.

"They were violent and threatening," Gilbert said of the caller, who she said called three times in 10 minutes from different phone numbers. "It's happened before. I'm just tired of it."

I wonder if the Times has a "Pedro Gomez" foloowing Dukes around like the WWLIS has with Bonds.

Look, a part of everyone secretly enjoys scandals. I am as guilty of this as the next guy. And yes, there have been better stretches in the American sports scene than we've had of late. But the level of self-importance and self-righteousness that some journalistas are taking it to is unreal. If you go around the sports sections of the newspaper this week, you can find the most pompous writers in the land with ease. They have risen to the top. Instead of covering the games, they've decided that it is time to preach from their pulpit to the ignorant masses:

Leading off the parade of the sky is falling is - who else? - Bill Plaschke. The highlight of Plaschke's column - aptly titled, "The madness never ends" - is that he ends it by complaining about one of his columns getting bumped for the Vick scandal. Then, he turns around and writes a column entirely about scandal. Selfish and hypocritical all in one? Brilliant.

Then we can head to the Chicago Tribune, where Rick Morrissey plays the soul-searching dark role of Morrissey, as he tries to depress/shame us for following sports at all, which in other circles would be known as "paying his mortgage." My favorite line of the column: "If this doesn't bother you, then you have given up. your heart has stoppped beating." Wow. I mean, that is pretty harsh, isn't it? Trying to shame your readers into sharing your outrage is an interesting tactic.

I also found this line hilarious: "Maybe we're looking for purity when its extinct." Please explain to me when sports was absolutely pure and good. I simply love this line of thinking. Maybe back in the good old days when the Aztecs would play the game not for money, but for their lives. When they murdered the losing team and enslaved their wives and families. Oh no, wait, I've got it. When the Romans made the Christians fight to the death, and/or lions, that was pure sport. Or maybe Morrissey's talking about the all-white eras of American pro sports. Or when Ty Cobb stabbed someone and got away with it. Or when Paul Hornung gambled. Or Pete Rose gambled. And here's the thing, Rick. Those are only the ones we know about. Here's a newsflash. The games have never, ever been remotely pure.

Jay Mariotti's Well-Shaped Eyebrows have decided to take a break from their personal crusade to have Ozzie Guillen fired and break up the scandals into four different columns of the sporting apocalypse: Bud Selig not following Barry Bonds, the ref scandal, more about Bonds and streroids, and from a little while back, their rant against soccer (read: "Beckham's attempted hijacking of the American psyche"). What? No room for Michael Vick?

I confess, upon realizing the popularity of these columns, I went straight to the Detroit Free Press to see what the High Prince of Pomp was up to. I found, to my initial disappointment, that Mitch Albom had not yet weighed in with his sky is falling column. Of course, I quickly realized my mistake. Albom is not only a preacher, but a lazy one. He will get around to this topic in the next month or so. But Albom fans need not wait to read his sappy prose. Instead of the scandals, or even sports, Albom has composed a column dedicated to - I shit you not - bemoaning the popularity of Harry Potter at the expense of Winnie the Pooh, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Curious George, and others. Right when you think Albom could not find a less important topic to preach about, he comes up with this gold. Credit him for his consistency.

Reportedly, the US Attorneys heading up the Bonds perjury investigation believe they will be ready to indict this fall. Helps that they have another six months to work on the matter (since they just got their grand jury term extended by that length of time). All of this has Bonds' lawyer fired up:

"I'll outmaneuver them at every turn," Rains told the newspaper Saturday night. "I've kicked their ass in private, I'll continue to kick their ass in public."

Wow. Eye of the Tiger, fella.

Plus, I wonder at this reasoning:

"The lawyer told the newspaper that he believes the government didn't let Bonds look at the evidence because it wanted him to slip up in his testimony. 'It was a perjury trap,' Rains told The Daily News."

Maybe. Or maybe the hope was that Bonds would tell the truth.

Oh, and the NFL, Falcons, and the NFLPA are apparently still trying to figure out what to do.

It's not hard gang.

Paid. leave. of. absence.

That way he still makes his coin, the legal system can "play itself out", and the NFL doesn't have the daily nightmare of appearing to be soft on dog murderers.

Sometime next week, referee Tim Donaghy, lowly regarded as a whistle-blower in some circles but qualified enough (in the NBA's view) to work postseason games, will reportedly surrender to the FBI to face charges that he conspired to make calls that would affect the point spread of games.

Donaghy, who was on duty the night of the infamous Nov. 19, 2004 brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills, has made no comment.

The FBI is reportedly investigating an NBA referee who was allegedly betting on basketball games, including games he worked in the past two seasons.

This doesn't really surprise me, the only surprise being that it doesn't happen more often. Having an intimate knowledge of the league and the greed that lives inside us all, I can understand this behavior.

The New York Post first reported Friday that the year-long investigation is focusing on allegations that the referee bet on games and was making calls that affected the point spread on games. The newspaper reported that according to sources, an arrest of the referee was imminent and that NBA Commissioner David Stern is aware of the investigation.

According to the Post, the referee's name was withheld.

The the head of the referees union said it was aware of the probe, Bloomberg News reported.

"These accusations, if true, are extremely serious and we have been in discussions with the NBA regarding this matter,'' Lamell McMorris, head of the NBA Referees Association, told Bloomberg News. "In light of the fact that this is an ongoing federal criminal investigation, we have nothing further to say at this time."

Bloomberg reported that an NBA spokesman and league executive Stu Jackson, who oversees referees, phone messages seeking comment Friday morning. The Post reported that the FBI declined comment on the investigation.

Of course he would not have bet on the games Mario Soto pitched.

...this column.

Where to begin?

First, he makes the rookie mistake of bleating "innocent until proven guilty". Why yes, Stephen A. Smith. That's true. In a court of law. But employers? They're not so constrained. Drop your name all over a 19-page federal indictment, and even ESPN would suspend you. But, hey, not Roger "let the legal process work" Goodell. Must be Roger "you're suspended even though you've not been convicted of anything" Goodell's seldom seen twin. Or at least seldom seen unless league stars are involved.

Then, if that wasn't already dumb enough, he veers to this bit of stupidity:

"Vick looks guilty as sin. At the moment, no one with sense should bet on his innocence. The hanging and drowning of dogs should have all of us seeking retribution. But forgive me if deep in my soul I pray that someone so many of us have cheered and celebrated would be incapable of such an atrocity. If Vick is, indeed, this cruel, then how blind were the rest of us?"

Huh? What? Is Smith trying to hold fans who cheer for guy wearing laundry to some sort of standard where they can determine by looking at the numbered laundry what their off-field activities are? And the guy who writes something so spetacularly dumb is the guy that ESPN is reportedly strongly considering to replace Dan Patrick for the mid-day radio gig?

Laughable.

Regular readers of the Frog have probably already gone there, but if not, make sure to check out Braves & Birds Blog for a level-headed and shrewd analysis of the situation from the Atlanta perspective. Among the goodness, this note related to potential on-field issues:

"And as for Vick, it's hard to imagine that he'll be able to put a looming criminal trial with significant prison time at stake out of his mind and focus on playing football. The million dollar question is whether the rest of the team will be affected. I'm generally not a big fan of the line of reasoning that any off-the-field issues prevent other players from doing their jobs, as that reasoning treats players like emotionally immature children. The Falcons' players still have every individual incentive to play well. That said, they now have a built-in excuse not to succeed and that could become a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Very worth the read. Enjoy.

So many angles this morning. So much unfocused chatter. So much senseless blathering from Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg in their first hour about how Roger Goodell cannot suspend Vick. Whatever. Star-fuckers. More on that in a minute.

Start with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Mark Bradley juxtaposing Vick's career with the Falcons with dates of some of the alleged misdeeds in the indictment. And in wondering just how heated this issue is in Atlanta, do note that the paper has, as of this morning, still suspended comments on the story.

Linger for a moment on the disingenuosness of the NFL's initial statement on Vick's indictment. Dis. in. gen. u. ous. The money shot in the NFL's statement:

"We are disappointed that Michael Vick has put himself in a position where a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against him," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. "The activities alleged are cruel, degrading and illegal. Michael Vick's guilt has not yet been proven, and we believe that all concerned should allow the legal process to determine the facts."

What. the. fuck? As Matt Mosely points out in Hashmarks' most recent entry, no one much recalls Goodell being all worried about due process with, say, Pacman Jones. If THAT's the way the NFL is going to play this, then, well, hypocrite is as hypocrite does. And if they try some "repeat offense" line of excuse-making to avoid making a decision, that's not going to really make sense either. Goodell in essence suspended Pacman Jones for repeatedly embarrassing the league. Never been convicted of anything. Just generally embarrassing as an employee. Vick recently embarrassed the league with water bottle secret compartment thing. Now the dog thing. Seems repeat to me. And, before you point out Vick wasn't charged on the water bottle thing, Pacman wasn't charged following a few of his celebrated arrests.

Which leads me to this (thanks for the heads up from Peter Edmiston and Ron Tillery on Sports 560 WHBQ in Memphis) from Jason Cole at Yahoo Sports, who has some quotes from unnamed sources in the commish's office that make sense:

"Where (Vick) is in the most trouble is that he lied to the commissioner," a league source said. "He told (Goodell) in April that he didn't know anything about this. The commissioner gave (Vick) every chance to come clean, be straight about what was going on. Instead, he just kept denying it."

And there it is. That meeting was in April. And according to the indictment, that was the same month that Vick was himself executing animals. It's not like any of this was ancient history.

To protect the NFL brand, Goodell has to act. The league is bigger than its individuals. If the league punts, other than showing Goodell to be a supreme hypocrite, it will open up an unreal and overwhelmingly noisy circus at every Falcons game this season and the publicity will be awful and will always be the lead over the game (or equally paramount with the game). There's no need for that. Suspend him under the same conduct policy that the others were suspended under. The NFL through Goodell has already hinted it can do just that. So do it. (Gary Myers in the Daily News all over it with this line: "Vick certainly fits the description of putting at risk the integrity and reputation of the NFL - one of the criteria for discipline in Goodell's new personal conduct policy - even he is found not guilty.")

I am guessing infinite + one words will be spoken and spilled on this in the coming months (years). The discussion is unspooling in the Swamp here. Drop by with a thought or two.

From June 28th:

"What strikes me as amazing is that the WWE knows that steroids were not involved in the murder, even though there were some anabolic steroids found in the home. Just this morning World Wrestling Entertainment owner Vince McMahon on Thursday urged people not to assume that steroids played a role in the murder-suicide of pro-wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and 7-year-old son."

Looks like the Sportsfrog was right and the WWE was wrong. With our small, but determined investigative staff, armed only with common sense, we determined that steroids may have been involved in this tragedy.

Pro wrestler Chris Benoit had more than 10 times the normal level of testosterone in his system when he hanged himself in his home after killing his wife and 7-year-old son last month.

Even Floyd Landis was impressed. Ten times the normal level. But here is some more from the doctor's comments: "Even the high levels of testosterone should not be overanalyzed, Dr. Kris Sperry, Georgia's top medical examiner warned. They could indicate the wrestler was being treated for "testicular insufficiency," he said.

So what made the nuts so tiny? Steroids perhaps? Seems to be a whole lot of double-speak going on. We will not rest until we uncover the truth.

Guess the rumors that he was going to skate were not so.

The federal indictment details:

"Vick is charged with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce and aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor an animal fighting venture."

I am guessing we can go ahead and presume this will now be a certain distraction at Falcons camp in two weeks...

Oh, and Roger Goodell? Ball's in YOUR court now. Because, if Pacman's various alleged misdeeds (but no trials, much less convictions) and Chris Henry's various alleged misdeeds could result in such lengthy suspensions, then, um, I am guessing a federal indictment is similarly embarrassing to the league, warranting some sort of suspension, right? If you're going to be consistent and all?

Swamp already kickin' it here (thanks to Swamp all-universe dsafetyguy for the heads up and thread). Drop by with a thought or ten.

Edited to add: The summation on the indictment from the US Attorney's office is eye-popping. A quick scan tells me that Vick is alleged to have been VERY active in the enterprise. In fact, one of the allegations is that Vick was involved actively with the ring in April of this year, "testing" animals to make certain they were suitable for fighting (with horrific death to those animals not suitable---although the indictment is silent on who did the killing of the animals in question). This isn't going away anytime soon...

Federal officials released a study today that details illegal drug use by profession. They seem to have missed professional athletes. The shame.

One in 12 full-time workers in the United States acknowledges having used illegal drugs in the past month, the government reports. (And 2 -12 lied their ass off)

Most of those who report using illicit drugs are employed full-time, with the highest rates among restaurant workers, 17.4 percent, and construction workers, 15.1 percent, according to a federal study being released Monday. About 4 percent of teachers and social service workers reported using illegal drugs in the past month, which was among the lowest rates.

Of course we don't learn about the % of teachers and social service workers on Valium and the like, because when you have insurance you can obtain legal drugs. Be that as it may, what about our ball players? When Rickey Henderson was asked, a few years ago, what he thought about the idea that 50% of the players were on steroids, he replied: "Rickey isn't on that stuff. So now its 49%"

The special irony of reading this article was the advertisement that accompanied it was for International Wine Cellars, two free bottles of wine, a corckscrew and a wood case.

Lonny Baxter will plead guilty to a federal weapons charge next week. This is related to the event last year when Mr. Baxter fired a gun up in the air in celebration within a few blocks of the White House.

Suggested new slogan for the University of Maryland: Fear the Lonny Baxter.