Yesterday, it was the saga of the team bus that was wedged under the finish line banner that almost didn't get out of the way in time for the Stage to finish...
Today, it was a dog that got lost along the way that almost turned into bike fodder... and cause a huge wreck...
Because she's a girl and boys might "lust after her" and boys playing against her might have "impure thoughts..."
According to the mother of Maddy Baxter, Cassy Blythe, that's what the CEO of Strong Rock Christian School told her in a meeting to discuss why her daughter goes from starting middle school DT to on the sidelines...
The school has posted a statement on its website saying: "Middle school girls play girls' sports and middle school boys play boy's sports." And that hasn't gone over well with the family that lives about 40 miles south of the city of Atlanta.
The hook in all of this is that Strong Rock is a private school and, therefore, not bound to the rules of county school systems. Maddy's family is trying to lobby the school to change its position- which they have a good feeling they won't. They're also thinking of transferring her or home schooling her.
DH Lee hit his approach long on the 12th hole at Congressional... and did this...
It's in the first 30 seconds...
Lee bogeyed on the hole.
He started the day in a tie for fourth, two back of the leaders. But things flamed out on the back nine- a double-bogey 5 on the 10th hole, the bogey on 12 and two more bogeys on 15 and 18.
That Jessica Korda is a lot like her father- fiery tennis star Petr Korda- or that she was being petulant, moody, and otherwise snap-judgmental in the middle of a major tournament...
Either way, this was weird...
((HT: USGA/NBC))
Replacing your caddie with your boyfriend...???
But a four-over stretch on holes 6, 7, 8, and 9 on the front didn't sit well...
She's five-over on her day through 14 (as the HQ writes) and she's gone from being within shouting distance of Inbee Park to being in a logjam for 11th...
PM UPDATE: Jason Gilroyed had caddied for Korda for about a year. Korda was asked if they had problems before Saturday.
She said- "I think everybody has problems every week."
"I care about Jason a lot. He is a great guy," Korda continued. "That's just how it happens sometimes in life. That was one of those things today that it just unfolded. It was very hard for me to do. I'm not that type of person to take these things really easily."
The third individual arrested in the murder of Odin Lloyd, Ernest Wallace, was denied bond in Florida after his arrest in the town of Miramar. Wallace was being held at Broward County Main Jail and was planning on waiving any hurdle preventing his extradition back to Massachusetts.
Wallace turned himself in and is accused of being an accessory after the fact in the murder of Odin Lloyd. Bristol County (MA) District Attorney Sam Sutter says he believes all three men who were in the car with Aaron Hernandez at the time of Lloyd's murder are now in custody.
Meanwhile, in the town where Lloyd was murdered, he was remembered at a memorial service by his family and fellow teammates.
Add Indianapolis Colts safety Joe Lefeged to the list of NFL players arrested this offseason. And yes, that list is getting uncomfortably long.
Lefeged was arrested Saturday morning after allegedly being the passenger in a car that sped away from police during a traffic stop in Washington D.C.
Oh, after the chase ended, a non-registered gun was found in the front seat.
He's facing a variety of gun related charges. The driver of the car, a Timothy Wilson was also arrested and has some traffic offenses to deal with too.
The full story from the Indianapolis Star RIGHT HERE
This just adds to an offseason that has featured nearly 30-players being arrested since the season officially ended in mid-February. And while maybe that wouldn't be considered an "Epidemic", we are reasonably certain the league and Commissioner Jolly Roger Goodell are probably none too pleased about this.
The Colts haven't at this time (1:30pm Saturday) released a statement regarding Lefeged's arrest. However, this is a small sliver of what appears to be, an-NFL-wide problem.
PM UPDATE: A statement was released four hours later and it was insightful...
We are aware of the reports regarding Joe Lefeged in Washington, D.C. At this time, we will have no further comment on the pending matter until we gain more information.
Somebody apparently forgot to read the little label on the dashboard that is supposed to tell you the clearance height so you don't crash into low things...like say, finish lines.
Yet, that's exactly what happened this morning in Porto Vecchio, Corsica when the Orica TeamEdge team bus was just a bit to big to make it under the finish line in advance of the riders.
And it appears the only way the bus eventually escaped--officials had to deflate the tires.
Oh, we forgot to mention, this was only stage one of the Tour de France. Plenty of time for more adventure still ahead.
((ht: tennessean.com))
How very SEC of the Vanderbilt Commodores.
A report leaked out late Friday afternoon that 4-Vanderbilt football players are suspended from the team pending the results of a police investigation that link them with sex crimes.
Metro Nashville Police wouldn't identify the players or specify the crimes other than to say that they were notified by Vanderbilt police on Wednesday of an incident that may have involved the players took place in a school dormitory.
The school, nor coach James Franklin added anything of detail, citing the "Ongoing Investigation" line.
Read the full story from the Tennessean.com RIGHT HERE
We await the outcome of this investigation because really, it is the 1st time something like this has happened and involved Vanderbilt in as long as we can remember.
The Commodores, long an SEC doormat, have had a revival in the past couple of seasons after the arrival of head coach James Franklin.
We would not go as far to say the school is attracting a "different" type athlete than they have in the past, but things have changed for the Nashville based school. A $31 million dollar new indoor football facility, 2 straight bowl appearances have the markings of a program on the rise.
Your TV story from our friends at Newschannel 5 (WTVF) in Nashville:
SATURDAY UPDATE: The players were dismissed from the football team and also placed the four players on interim suspension “effective immediately, pending further investigation and/or a hearing.” None of the four will be permitted to return to campus without permission from the office of student conduct and academic integrity.
“The well-being of our students is of paramount concern to us, and we will not tolerate any actions that threaten student safety and security,” Beth Fortune, Vanderbilt vice-chancellor for public affairs, said in a statement.
RSE spokesperson David Leibowitz was hot since it went public before it went to RSE:
"If you want to talk about transparency then perhaps the people you’re negotiating with should enjoy such transparency.”
Mayor Jerry Weiers, who claims that the City Council is unified in their presentation of the counter to RSE came back with:
“What we worked on this morning extensively and what we’re proposing to them is some red lines that they took out that we put back in; some things that they put in that we took back out. (We’re) trying to make certain that the city is left as whole as possible because right now the city is carrying all the burdens; has all the liabilities and that’s not a good place for the city to be.”
Weiers continues with Morgan: "This is the way it should have been. We should had an agreement with the council, we should have had an agreement with (RSE) and everybody is in lockstep and understands, then we take it to the public.
"We were pushed into a situation that wasn’t right. It was very unprofessional -- should have never happened, but it is what it is and here we are.”
Weiers also says that the counter is what the City Council has to vote on. It can't be anything else... even if Renaissance doesn't agree with the counter put forth by the city that they are voting on...
Got all that...???
Most parties involved in this: Glendale, RSE, and the NHL have somewhat circled July 2nd since that's the date of the Glendale meeting. But, according to Morgan once again, Weiers called that an "artificial deadline" in his point-of-view.
The HQ doesn't know how wise that is to call it "artificial" since the NHL has a lot of work to do in the upcoming off-season (like "scheduling" so the teams know who they're playing and stuff like that...). Realignment was supposed to happen. What now...???
Just more questions- since questions always begat more questions...
Here's coverage from ABC15 in Phoenix
And also from AZCentral and News 12
TSN's Darren Dreger, in New Jersey for the 2013 NHL Draft, maintains that the July 2 deadline is solid- he doesn't expect the league to budge far from it and that Seattle is far from a done deal...
Kyle Petty thinks that Danica Patrick is more of a marketing gimmick than successful race car driver. In an interview on SPEED, he even called her out...
Which, then, meant the question to be asked of Danica herself as the NASCAR crews get ready for the events in Kentucky...
A lot of IndyCar fans thought her win at Motegi was rigged- number of cars on the track, questionable flags on the track et cetera.
And Kyle is a little off in his assessment of Patrick's qualifying versus racing since she made the pole at Daytona and didn't win- which would lend itself to a worse finish...
The HQ calls it a wash and good sound bite material...
Things like this reaffirm our faith that there are tons of idiots living life alongside us.
18-year old Micah Rogers of Pigsah Forest, North Carolina was arrested and charged with felony malicious injury to animals or personal property, misdemeanor trespassing and unlawful entry into enclosed places.
The reason Rogers faces these charges in Clemson, South Carolina: Police say he's the person responsible for vandalizing Howard's Rock.
Rogers was charges, arraigned and released on bond.
The question though is: Why? Is he that stupid? Is he just mean or malicious? Is he a University of South Carolina fan?
The answer thus far to all this is no. He allegedly was seen on surveillance video and by witnesses on the scene. And supposedly, he had a Clemson bumper sticker on his car.
Well, that didn't take long. And it appears the New England Patriots are trying to distance themselves as far away from arrested former TE Aaron Hernandez as humanly possible.
According to reports today, anyone bringing a Hernandez jersey to the Patriots Pro Shop on July 6th or 7th can swap the jersey for a new one of comparable value. That applies to the online store, PatriotsProShop, too.
It's not surprising but very interesting how fast the Patriots are running away from Hernandez, who is facing 1st degree murder charges, though he has not been convicted of anything at this time.
His image, and we guess what he now represents scare the team enough that they feel this an appropriate measure.
We're guessing Mr. Hernandez probably won't be getting his cut of the NFLPA licensing for his jersey any more either.
Sorensen writes: But is this what they need? My column is not long enough, this sports section not large enough and my fingers not agile enough to list all that the Bobcats need. They especially need a big man who imposes himself on a defense. Zeller, 20, was not that guy at Indiana. He was not so tough in the tough Big Ten last season. He was not so tough in Indiana’s meek NCAA tournament loss to Syracuse.
Zeller was projected as a 7-12 pick in the numerous mock drafts. The Bobcats had a different take selecting the former Indiana Hooiser at #4.
General manager Rich Cho is in full spin mode to the Bobcat fan base.
“The fans are going to love this guy." Cho said. "He’s a worker. You’ll see why we chose Cody as the fourth pick.”
Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins added; "“I want to ask them to give Cody an opportunity to show he’s a very good player. To give the Bobcats a chance to help him be a great player. We’re very excited.”
There are now "Wanted" posters up as Massachusetts State Police are looking for Ernest Wallace, 41, who is wanted for accessory after the fact of the murder of 27-year-old semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. Wallace is considered to be armed and dangerous and, according to SB Nation's James Dator, has outstanding felony warrants in Massachusetts. Dator also lists Wallace as 44 years of age.
The poster says Wallace is considered armed and dangerous and could be found in as many as five states. He was last seen driving a silver or gray Chrysler 300 with R.I. license number 451-375. This was the vehicle police have been looking for since the morning after the murder.
Wallace is believed to be a Bristol, Connecticut resident.
Police arrested Carlos Ortiz late Wednesday. Ortiz is seen in video from the Hernandez home carrying a weapon a few hours after the murder of Lloyd. Ortiz is set to be arraigned in Attleboro (MA) District Court charged with one court of carrying firearm without a license.
Boston police are now involved in the investigation seeing if there are any links to a double homicide in July 2012. Daniel Abreu and Safiro Furtado were murdered in what was, by all accounts, a drive-by shooting on a Boston street after a confrontation in a night club. The shooters were linked to a car with a Rhode Island license plate. Adam Schefter relays the information that Hernandez was responsible for renting the red SUV involved in the shooting...
The killings were a mystery until the murder of Lloyd, according to two law enforcement sources briefed on the Boston murders. Hernandez, according to Bristol prosecutors, hatched a plan to kill Lloyd after he was seen talking with some people he had “troubles with,” at a Boston nightclub on June 14, and later summoned two allies with a text saying “you can’t trust anyone.’’
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley declined to comment on specifics of the investigation, but he said that the case, once cold, has become more “robust” recently.
1415 UPDATE: Ortiz has been extradited to Massachusetts and it appears that North Attleboro (MA) police and the Bristol County (MA) district attorney's office said a 2012 Chrysler 300 they were looking for had been found. But it is not clear as to whether Ernest Wallace is now in custody.
1430 UPDATE: He is in custody... the Mass state Police arrested Wallace in Miramar, Florida
We suppose it was inevitable. Outside the Fall River, Massachusetts courthouse where former New England Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez was in a bail hearing, a group of people gathered to show their support.
No, not for his arrest, but rather to chant. Yes, as Hernandez was whisked away back to the jail, they stood there and chanted "Inn-o-cent". As to whether they were Patriots fans or not, we don't know.
But yes, really, this happened.
We won't call it the end of civilization as we know it, particularly since we live in a country that idolizes people like the Kardashians and the Real Fake Housewives of Pick-a-city, but surely this is one in many signs of the eventually coming apocalypse.
Your video from @nfl_realupdates and Courant Capitol Updates:
Brent failed the second drug test for marijuana, according to court documents. He is currently back in jail. Brent tested positive for marijuana on June 19th, according to court records. Test results were confirmed on Tuesday.
More when we know more...
Of course, the HQ would like to know why Brent is still employed by the Dallas football team...
Jus' axin'...
Here's coverage from WFAA-TV "The defendant in this case has been repeatedly warned of the condition of pre-trial release in this case," the affidavit reads. "His continued use of marijuana demonstrates a pattern of conduct in disregard of this court's authority to properly supervise his pre-trial release."
The judge seeing the arguments in the ideas of Aaron Hernandez's bail has denied the paperwork.
Hernandez returns to jail to wait for his next hearing in a month's time...
But the contradiction of the gag order goes against the idea of all the evidence presented by prosecutors...
Examples:
Police recovered evidence from Hernandez's phone, which included texts to the victim and two friends on the night of the murder. He requested Odin Lloyd come over to his house and pick something up while seemingly agitatingly texted his friends wondering where they were and how far away from the house to allegedly carry out their actions against Lloyd...
The prosecution said they have Hernandez on surveillance tape holding a weapon, while allegedly saying "you can't trust anyone anymore." Witnesses and surveillance tape in Boston also showed Hernandez and Lloyd in a car together the day of the murder. Texts showed Hernandez allegedly was mad because Lloyd talked to people that Hernandez "had troubles with."
Six to eight hours of footage was missing from Hernandez's home security video system- presumably when he destroyed it.
The prosecution said the video that was recovered shows someone leaving a car with a gun in hand on the night of the murder and that same someone was walking through Hernandez's house before video footage went out.
A shell casing was found in a car Hernandez rented matching shell casings found at the murder scene.
The prosecution alleges Hernandez shot Lloyd three times right after Lloyd got out of the car, then Hernandez allegedly stood over Lloyd and shot him two more times.
The prosecution also referenced the undated TMZ photo of Hernandez holding a Glock in a selfie- tying it to his predisposition to guns and suggesting that a Glock was the murder weapon.
The defense came back with the idea that as a father with a fiancee, being one of the best football players in the "United States of America," needing rehab for injuries (which was news), and being as recognizable as he is that he would not be a flight risk.
Superior Court Judge Renee Dupuis said that Hernandez is a person who "does not apply to society's rules." She also thought that the circumstantial was very strong and ordered Hernandez be returned to the Bristol County House of Correction and Jail.
Some who stayed outside the courthouse chanted "Innocent!"
For whatever that's worth...
Prosecutors did not stay to answer questions for the assembled media, however Hernandez's attorneys did with the shouting throng around him.
Here is a release from RSE, in full, from Fox Arizona's Craig Morgan (@cmorganfoxaz), where Renaissance wants to see this whole thing come to a positive result...
RENAISSANCE REQUESTS ARENA LEASE PROPOSAL BE SENT TO GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL; JULY 2ND “YES” VOTE WOULD KEEP COYOTES IN ARIZONA
GLENDALE, ARIZ. – The four-year saga surrounding Jobing.com Arena and the Phoenix Coyotes appears poised to reach a conclusion on July 2nd. Last night, Renaissance Sports & Entertainment Group (RSE) formally requested that the City of Glendale put to a vote of its City Council a 15-year arena management agreement between RSE and the City. Additionally, three Glendale members have reportedly asked for the agreement to be put to a vote.
The management agreement – which RSE requested be agendized for a special Council meeting set for July 2nd or 3rd – is a prerequisite of RSE’s purchase of the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team from the National Hockey League.
The proposed deal takes into account the City’s financial challenges as well as RSE’s need to satisfy the NHL, financial institutions and its investors. Thus, the agreement balances an annual $15 million arena management fee with a series of revenue streams directed back to Glendale to defray the city’s costs.
Just as importantly, the agreement keeps the Coyotes – the arena’s anchor tenant 41 nights a year – playing in Glendale.
Anthony LeBlanc, managing partner of the Renaissance group, emphasized the agreement’s comparative value against previous offers to buy the Coyotes and operate the arena.
“The proposed agreement respects the City and Glendale’s taxpayers and creates a path to financial success for the arena, the team and our investors,” said LeBlanc. “Our deal represents the best value Glendale has had in an offer, and the most equity anyone has brought to the table in four years. The sooner this deal gets comes before Council for approval, the sooner we can aim for the Coyotes winning a Stanley Cup and get the arena headed toward profitability.”
The revenue streams for Glendale negotiated within the RSE proposal include ticket surcharges on hockey and non-hockey events, parking proceeds, shared proceeds from naming rights and rent paid to the City for the Coyotes’ use of the arena 41 nights a year. Projections estimate that revenues back to the City should total between $8.5 and $11 million annually. That leaves the net financial impact of the arena on the City between $4 and $6.5 million annually.
Glendale has budgeted $6.5 million to manage the arena this fiscal year.
“There have been a series of suitors trying to buy the team and manage the arena during the past four years. The Renaissance agreement is exponentially better than the two previous deals that nearly came to pass,” said LeBlanc. “The total cost of the arena management lease is tens of millions of dollars less than previous proposals. The net annual cost to the City is millions of dollars less.
“I believe in this team, I believe in this deal and I believe in this City,” said LeBlanc. “That’s why Renaissance is willing to take on the risk of managing the Coyotes franchise and the Glendale arena. They’ve been money-losers in the past. But with leaner, smarter management, we have tremendous upside for the team, the City and the Westgate region. We absolutely will be successful here.”
The HQ isn't really holding its breath on this one...
But the play is interesting by RSE to try and put pressure on the Glendale City Council to vote "yes..."
They look like the bad guys, now, if the vote goes negative...
The deal includes an out-clause after five years if losses exceed $50-million...which they would, in about half that time frame
Glendale is, admittedly, squeamish... from Sunnucks:
Those include guaranteeing Renaissance a $15 million annual arena management payment before revenue sharing money comes to the city. The revenue sharing money in the deal slated for Glendale is not guaranteed and some of those funds are not necessarily new money.
Glendale officials are also concerned about the tight time frame for working out a $225 million deal and meeting a July 2 deadline set by the NHL.
Connecticut state officials have arrested a man in connection with the murder investigation implicating ex-NFL player Aaron Hernandez...
New Britain (CT) State's Attorney Brian Preleski says Carlos Ortiz was charged as a "fugitive from justice" and has waived extradition to Massachusetts. Ortiz is being held on $1.5 million bail at a jail in Hartford, Connecticut.
Ortiz is scheduled to return to court on July 23rd.
Ortiz was arrested in Hernandez's hometown of Bristol, Connecticut. The arrest came as prosecutors and Bristol police were helping Massachusetts authorities in the investigation of the shooting death of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd.
Investigators are also looking into Aaron Hernandez as a possible suspect in a double murder from July of 2012 in downtown Boston.
"Since last week, the Bristol Police Department and the New Britain State's Attorney's office have, at request of authorities in Massachusetts, been assisting in their investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding the homicide of Odin Lloyd," the statement from the DA's office said. "Both the Bristol Police Department and the New Britain State's Attorney's Office will continue to provide whatever assistance we can in connection with this investigation. As the investigation is ongoing, we can have no further comment at this time."
According to the Boston Police blog from that date, officers responded to the intersection of Shawmut Avenue and Herald Street just after 2 a.m. When they arrived, they found three people had been shot, two fatally, as they sat in a car at a traffic light.
The men were identified as Safiro Furtado and Daniel Abreu. The FOX 25 source said the men, who worked at a cleaning company in Dorchester, had just left a bar in the area.
Furtado and Abreu were sitting in the front seat of the vehicle when witnesses said the occupants of a gray or silver SUV with Rhode Island plates opened fire on it. The surviving victim was in the back seat. Investigators believed two others in the car fled the scene.
The source said investigators were looking into Aaron Hernandez's connection to the killing.
Michael McCann was on "The Dan Patrick Show" earlier this morning to discuss...
((HT: Dan Patrick Show))
The biggest story for the past week is out west where the OC Pateadores season came to a screaming halt after the lack of a consistent pitch caused them to forfeit the remainder of their games and send the division into a sprint...
Hasental suddenly finds that they have clinched the division (and a playoff spot) while the the Flash find themselves in a situation where they almost have to win each of their remaining matches. Santa Clarita will be disappointed that they don’t have a shot at the title, but have less pressure than San Diego to win both of their remaining matches and still claim the last playoff spot.
And while San Diego Boca will also pick up a forfeit victory, the extra points really only mean that Boca might be able to finish second to last instead of last.
Las Vegas had their hands full with Hasental this past weekend...
Here's Gustavo Villalobos second of the day in he 5-1 win
((HT: FC Hasental))
And here are the goals from the Flash win over Boca last weekend... the 2-2 draw, as it turns out, really hurt their playoff chances...
((HT: SD Diego))
Northern Division
Up north, it's two groups... Sonoma and Sacramento are separated by four points while Real San Jose and CD Aguiluchos are separated by three. San Jose plays Sacramento for pride this weekend...
Midwest Division
Top two heading into the weekend are still Quad City and Milwaukee with Madison in third. The Eagles won the division by, really being idle. The Bavarians did what they needed to do by winning twice, but the 56ers could only manage a draw at Eau Claire. The four teams below the Quad play each other again this weekend round robin for points.
Great Lakes Division
Detroit City and FC Buffalo are 1-2 as Le Rouge locked up the division with a 4-0 win last weekend.
Here's the highlights, if you're a DCFC fan...
((HT: Detroit FC))
Lauren Brill did a piece this past week on playing for the Wolves...
((HT: WIVB-TV))
Erie plays twice and can close the gap to second by season's end. FC Sparta and AFC Cleveland play to figure out fourth and fifth with Zanesville in the cellar- their season finale against DCFC (the only undefeated team in the league).
Mid Atlantic Division
It's RVA and Myrtle Beach for the division at Sports Backers Stadium. Myrtle, simply, needs a road win for the win. They kept their title hopes alive with a 5-1 win over CASL Elite at Ashley Booth. Two days earlier, the Mutiny knocked off DC United to cap the six-point week.
((HT: MB Mutiny/WMBF-TV))
Chesterfield and DCU will fight for third and fourth with the Elite in last.
South Central
It's still Tulsa and Liverpool- even with the Wsrriors getting the draw on the road. The two on the top play the two Houston teams on the bottom to close out the regular season.
Southeast
It's three teams for two spots- Chattanooga, Rocket City, and Gulf Coast at 18, 16, and 14 points. CFC escaped the weekend back-to-backs with two draws. Here's the look at the Gulf Coast draw
((HT: Mad Kemp))
CFC hosts New Orleans this weekend, Gulf Coast hosts Rocket City, while Knoxville and Mississippi will fight for the cellar.
Sunshine Division
It's Jacksonville United and everyone else. Miami United and Tampa are tied with 8 points going into the last weekend. Tampa hosts Jacksonville and the Revs host Cape Coral for their season finale.
Atlantic Division
It's the Red Bulls with a five-point lead over the Brooklyn Italians and the Red Bulls take to the post-season not having a goal scored upon them. Rhode Island plays twice- against Brooklyn and third-place NYAC.
Keystone Division
This one should be fun...
Three teams for two slots- Greater Binghamton, Lehigh Valley, and Junior Lone Star. But, if Lone Star loses, they could finish fifth. Binghamton gets fifth place Hershey. LVU is at Pocono Snow, and Clarkstown hosts JLS. The bottom half of the ladder is FC Reading, Morris County, Pocono, and Buxmont Torch.
Player of The Week
The winner, for the week ending June 16th, is Rocket City United striker Khurram Shazad.
Shazad registered 4 goals and 1 assist in a 5-4 win over the Mississippi Storm on June 15th.
This performance set a team record for the most goals and most points in a single game. Since 2009, Rafa Barbosa had held that record. This is also the first time a Rocket City player has ever claimed National Player of the Week honors.
Shazad is also a member of the Young Harris College men's soccer team. The Halifax, England native has appeared in 37 matches for the Mountain Lions, scoring 12 goals and 10 assists.
NB: Send us your links, stories, story ideas, and let us know what's up in the playoffs. And thanks to the teams who played this season- keep us posted on your off-season moves as well...
A judge has charged former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez with first degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a large capacity firearm.
The district attorney said Hernandez shot and killed Odin Lloyd in the "face, back and side" with what appears to be a semi-automatic weapon following a night out in Boston. The D.A. went on to say that Lloyd was shot multiple times, in groin, arm, side, chest and back
The Prosecutor told the court shell casings were found in a rental car when Aaron Hernandez returned it and matched those at the murder scene. Police have not be able to find the murder weapon.
According to investagators, Hernandez allegedly shot Lloyd twice and fell to the ground then allegedly Hernandez stood over Lloyd's body and shot him three more times.
The D.A. also said during the arraignment hearing that Hernandez was seen on home surveillance carrying a gun in hand.
Hernandez will be held without bail.
Michael Fee, Aaron Hernandez's attorney, said the case is"circumstantial" and is "not strong".
The University of Tennessee athletics department announced Wednesday morning that they will build a plaza, complete with bronze statue of legendary woman's basketball coach Pat Summitt.
Summitt who retired in 2012, coached at the school for 38 seasons, winning 1,098 games, 8 NCAA Championships and a ton of SEC titles.
According to the school's press release, the Plaza will be on the corner of Lake Loudon Blvd and Philip Fulmer Way and will have the statue along with a tribute to the success of her teams.
And the website for the Plaza/Project is RIGHT HERE
It's a fitting tribute to a coaching legend who's career was cut short after her diagnosis of Alzheimer's. We applaud the school and athletic department for doing this.
So, along with the other things going on this morning, the University of Oregon learned what the NCAA has decided to do with the charges of recruiting violations and using a non-compliant recruiting service (Wille Lyles).
And it's not nearly as bad as it probably could have been.
Here's the abridged version:
The NCAA found 6 issues--
1) Recruiting violations by the owner of a recruiting/scouting service how became a representative of the school's athletic interests
2) Use of said service which didn't comply with the NCAA legislation
3) Impermissible calls by non-coaching staff members
4) Too many football coaches
5) Former head coach (Chip Kelly) failed to monitor
6) Failure to monitor by the institution
And your slap on the wrist/penalties:
1) Public reprimand and censure
2) 3 Years probation, starting today (June 26th, 2013)
3) Loss of one scholarship for the next 2-years
4) Loss of 4 'Paid Visits' by coaching staff to recruits
5) Loss of 6 'Football Evaluation Days' from 42 to 36
6) No subscription recruiting services during probation
7) The recruiting service provider (Lyles) will be disassociated from the school (already happened)
And the penalty to former coach Chip Kelly, who now coaches the Philadelphia Eagles:
--An 18 month "Show-Cause" penalty, which means he can't coach in the NCAA until the end of next year. Not that he would want to now...
GoDucks.com provides the entire 28-page document RIGHT HERE
So--essentially, the NCAA is saying, "Yeah, you did some bad things, but we are going to slap your wrists". There is no bowl ban. There's minimal loss of scholarships and the NCAA can say "You were bad". And they get to say, without saying it, that it's Chip Kelly's fault.
What's the point?
This does little if anything to slow down Nike U/Oregon.
UPDATE:
Here's a statement released by former head coach Chip Kelly:
“Now that the NCAA has concluded their investigation and penalized the University of Oregon and its football program, I want to apologize to the University of Oregon, all of its current and former players and their fans. I accept my share of responsibility for the actions that led to the penalties. As I have I stated before, the NCAA investigation and subsequent ruling had no impact on my decision to leave Oregon for Philadelphia. I have also maintained throughout that I had every intention to cooperate with the NCAA’s investigation, which I did."
An undrafted free agent for the Cleveland Browns, Ausar Wolcott, is now up on attempted murder charges after an alleged assault where he punched a man in the head at a gentleman's club after 3AM.
And what does the HQ say about anything happening after, like, 1 in the morning...???
Exactly...
The victim was still in the hospital in critical condition...
Walcott was charged with first-degree attempted murder, second-degree aggravated assault and third degree endangering an injured victim, according to authorities. He was arrested Tuesday morning after he turned himself in to police. His bail was set at $500,000 cash.
The Browns admitted that they are "aware" of the situation, but are not commenting- naturally...
Wolcott played at the University of Virginia from 2009-2012, and was even suspended from the squad two years ago for his part in an altercation off campus in the town of Harrisburg. He was eventually reinstated after charges were dismissed...
Here's video of Wolcott's time at UVa...
((HT: EBSA Sports))
The continuing drama surrounding New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is getting deeper.
Details are still unfolding, but Hernandez was taken from his North Attelboro, Massachusetts home early Wednesday morning, escorted by a phalanx of police officers and detectives. Hernandez was handcuffed.
Police are trying to determine Hernandez's role in the shooting death of Odin Lloyd. They spent the better part of the past weekend executing search warrants and taking evidence from Hernandez's home.
Not much information is available on the reason Hernandez was taken away in handcuffs, when we hear something, we'll update this story.
--UPDATE--
From the Massachusetts State Police Twitter Account:
The Massachusetts State Police obtained an arrest warrant for Mr. Hernandez who will be arraigned in Attleboro District Court later today. At that time, the charges he's facing will be revealed. Those charges will not be released before his appearance.
--UPDATE-- 10:25 a.m
--Hernandez has been released by the New England Patriots. Not knowing the charges, it's hard to discern what this means, but it's not a good sign.
UPDATE: Per Pete Thamel, Bristol District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter will meet with the press and issue a statement post arraignment, according to his press office.
And from the NFL--"The involvement of an NFL player in a case of this nature is deeply troubling. The Patriots have released Aaron Hernandez, who will have his day in court. At the same time, we should not forget the young man who was the victim in this case and take this opportunity to extend our deepest sympathy to Odin Lloyd's family and friends.
While the HQ knows that Andrew Shaw, probably, set the modern day record for post-game celebratory cussing while Doc Emrick was trying to cover it over with monologue and the audio guy for NBC let it ride last night...
Not to be outdone, Dave Bolland got excited while talking to Scott Oake...
Carry on... and congrats to the Blackhawks... even if they did beat the Kings to get there...
Said the Kings fan on staff...
If someone posts the Shaw outburst while he was bleeding the blood of elation onto the sweater of celebration, you'll see it...
Admittedly, I give you this thesis on the grounds that I'm looking at all if this recovery from the prism of an outsider who looks at things from a little different angle...
I have been here in New York City for the last four days- on vacation. But, having seen a lot of Brooklyn and Manhattan boroughs, you see how two of the sides are living.
You look skyward and see a symbol of rebirth, recovery, and unbridled capitalism. It was called "Freedom Tower," but at the explanation of the tour guide TBH and I had circling Manhattan, not all of the incoming clientele have countries that are engaged in that practice with their population.
I know... "ridiculous," right...???
So, now, we're back to the "New 1 World Trade Center"
Okay, fine...
Here's when the spire was installed making the building 1,776 feet tall- the tallest building in the hemisphere...
Right now, before any more overruns, the alleged cost of building the tower is US$3.8-billion dollars...
And I can't help but think that when it's completed, it will be a long road of recovery only made longer by reintroducing something that, maybe, shouldn't be there.
I would maintain the money could be used for better things- like taking care of everyone's families affected by the day- all those who died in the towers, all who were injured and are still injured to this day, all the families of the first responders, all the businesses affected... all this effort in dollars shouldn't be delivered in north and south.
It needs to be sent sideways in a blanket to cover everyone...
Full disclosure: I know people who lost those close to them on September 11th. The losses are still talked about with a sense of anger- rightfully so...
And I feel it took way too long to get everything "settled" from September 11th...
It should not have taken ten years to find the culprits... and I use that word because we're in public...
It should have taken the greatest political experiment on this or any other planet no time- with all of our technological advancement and military expertise- no time... to find out who did it and rectify the evil that happened that day.
No time... and even if we didn't want our government to take care of it, 1099 the Israelis to do the work for you. Cut them a big check... send over some of the police departments from New York City to go over and find it. If the thought was that Al Qaeda were hiding in the mountains, why not give the Afghani a flatter approach to travelling to Mongolia and Russia.
I don't see an issue there... give fair warning... then, take care of business...
End of story...
You go to O'Hara's Pub and see the patches stapled on the wall from all over the world...
You see One Liberty Plaza that is now only getting its fair amount of repair and renovation... 12 years later...
You see sections of real estate cordoned off by chain link fencing... still... with no idea of how to go back in and rebuild...
Don't tell me that US$3.8-billion can't go a long way in making lives better than a building that a very small percentage of those who will work around and underneath New 1 World Trade will ever get to be a part in...
I can't buy it...
I have a simpler solution to remember what happened and it has nothing to do with another national holiday...
So there's this. NBA legend and former Chicago Bull, Scottie Pippen spent part of his Monday in a Malibu, California police station answering questions over an altercation with an alleged autograph seeker.
According to TMZ.com, Pippen got in a confrontation with a man who asked him for an autograph. The report says Pippen punched the guy in the face, then repeatedly kicked him, knocking the guy cold.
But Malibu police did not arrest Pippen on the scene.
The report says Pippen was named a "Suspect" in a felony assault among other things. You'd think that if anyone saw what happened that would be enough, but we could be wrong.
Read the TMZ report from Monday afternoon RIGHT HERE
So...if Pippen didn't beat the crap out of the guy who did? Has anyone else been named a suspect? If not, then why is Pippen only a "Suspect"? Yet the LA County PD says that Pippen was involved in the altercation...hmmm...
All legitimate questions, but unfortunately, the primary reporting source on the story is TMZ, whom we wonder if they posed said questions.
Update 6:45pm est--According to the Chicago Tribune, LA County Police say Pippen has been very cooperative and is not being charged because "There's more here than meets the eye"
That would lead one to believe that Pippen would have been defending himself. Though many questions remain to be answered.
2 Time Wimbeldon Champ Rafael Nadal will remain a two time champ after this years tournament. That's because he's out.
Nadal was beaten in straight sets Monday by 135 ranked Steve Darcis of Belgium on Court 19, the fringes of the tennis center.
Reports say Nadal was sluggish, this despite coming in on a 22 match winning streak and yes, it's the first time he's lost in the 1st round of a Grand Slam tournament.
One of the other tourney favorites, Roger Federer, rolled in his early match, taking down Victor Hanescu in just over an hour.
Local law enforcement officers wore wetsuits while searching near both Hernandez's home and the industrial park where Odin Lloyd's body was found in both a nearby stream and pond.
Lloyd's family says Odin Lloyd was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee.
Police have asked media to move back from the area of the stream and have set up local road blocks to ask people from Hernandez's neighborhood if they have seen anything suspicious since the time of the death of Odin Lloyd.
Here's early returns from North Attleboro for Monday
Gus Poyet's term as manager at Brighton and Hove Albion ended on not-so-good terms in the Championship...
Poyet led Brighton to the playoffs last season but, following their semi-final loss to Crystal Palace, Poyet, his assistant Mauricio Taricco, and coach Charlie Oatway were all suspended.
And the HQ, along with everyone else, really doesn't know why... could be something to do with a bizarre incident in his locker room where someone spread crap on the walls of the Crystal Palace dressing room they were housed in... and the HQ means "literally smeared crap..."
Taricco's suspension was eventually lifted, but Poyet failed to appear at a disciplinary hearing last week- although he did attend a subsequent hearing Thursday.
Thing is... Poyet didn't know he was fired until, as a color commentator for BBC's coverage of Confederations Cup, his host told him...
Here's the announcement as it went down...
Nothing like finding out from someone not your boss...
The League Managers Association (the British version of the coach's union) is backing Poyet in his appeal...
Appeal for what... we dunno...
But it could be all a load of crap...
MONDAY UPDATE: Brighton disagree with Poyet (of course)
"In relation to comments made by Gus Poyet, the club would like to point out that its disciplinary panel considered the matter on the afternoon of Friday June 21 and for most of Saturday June 22.
"The club spent much of Sunday June 23 in discussion with Gus and his representatives.
"For legal reasons we cannot say anything about the content of those discussions but Gus was well aware, before he appeared on the BBC last evening, that his dismissal was pending.
"Given Gus has a right to appeal the decision to dismiss him, the club will not be making any further comment on this matter at this time."
**UPDATED**--Monday afternoon. It appears the league is giving their blessing to the deal. So it appears you will have a Doc on the sideline at Clipper games. Now the question is "Will this keep Chris Paul in the fold?"
ESPN is reporting the on again/off again trade between the Boson Celtics and LA Clippers is apparently about to be consummated.
Details are still being ironed out, but reports this afternoon say the Clips were offering 2 draft picks.
Update---The compensation appears to be a 2015 1st Round pick. In addition, the Clippers will match the 3-year, $21 million contract Rivers has with Boston.
The interesting part is yet to come: Will David Stern allow it? Stay tuned reader...
Boston discusses...
((HT: CSNNE.com))
There was talk that either Kevin Garnett and/or Paul Pierce would join Rivers in Los Angeles, but any deal involving Garnett is dead. Pierce could be easily amnestied and picked up as an outside, veteran shooter that the Clips could always use...
Max Papis had himself a day while making a rare appearance on the Nationwide circuit.
Driving in the Johnsonville Sausage 200 Saturday evening at Road America, Papis, who has a reputation as a wild card, walked by driver Billy Johnson after the race, slapping him on the side of the helmet.
Papis and Johnson apparently got tangled up late in the race. For what it's worth, Papis finished 17th, Johnson 15th in the race that was won by AJ Allmendinger
Here's your video along with Papis trying to explain himself:
Two goals by Patrick Kane and 24 saves by goalie Corey Crawford led the Chicago Blackhawks to the brink of the Stanley Cup Title late Saturday night.
The Hawks now lead the best of 7 series 3-1 and game 5 is Monday in Boston.
The game itself had some interesting stories. Perhaps the most significant is that of Boston forward Patrice Bergeron who left the game with an un-released injury. That injury however was serious enough that he was sent to a Chicago area hospital for observation.
Bergeron, according to the Bruins, has been released from the hospital and is expected to fly home with the team Sunday morning.
The other big story was Chicago center Jonathan Toews who did not play in the third period Saturday, after taking a hard hit from Boston defenseman Johnny Boychuk. Toews' injury was only described as "Upper Body." Boychuk will not be disclplined for the hit by the league
As most of you know, hockey players are notorious, particularly in the playoffs, for playing through almost any injury, and if we were into the whole betting thing, we'd bet on seeing both Bergeron and Toews Monday night.
Here are your Saturday night highlights: (Thanks NHL.com)
Flames President and CEO Ken King held a press conference today to discuss the status of the submerged lower-half of the Saddledome. He also says that the building will be ready in nine days for Calgary Stampede activities.
Here's one of the photos released from the inside...
"We had a recovery action plan put in place immediately," King explained. "Our executive group met this morning and went through a number of tasks as you can expect, including everything from dealing with our staff communication, to shareholder communication, stakeholder communication and what we are going to do to recover this building as quick as possible.
"We have equipment, the biggest water pumps in North America, on standby for us and many of them. We have people on standby ready to go work but they can only go to work, and the equipment can only be put in place once we see the river subside."
The NHL has also said that they will give any kind of assistance necessary to help the Flames get everything together for the beginning of the season. Even as everything, currently, below Row 8 is a total loss...
34-year old driver Allan Simonsen died early Saturday in a crash just 10 minutes after the start of the race.
Simonsen, driving in his 7th Tour, crashed into a barrier at the Tertre Rouge corner where speeds are typically over 100 mph.
The Danish driver was immediately rushed to the hospital where he passed away from his injuries.
The last fatal accident at the 24-Hours of LeMans happened in 1986. According to reports, 22 drivers have lost there lives at the track in its history.
Here is coverage of the race from FOX Sports/Speed. They do have video of the crash aftermath...
Not that it is a surprise, but the New Jersey State Police have released the preliminary findings in their investigation of a crash that killed former NASCAR driver Jason Leffler.
The crash that took Leffler's life happened on June 12th at the Bridgeport Speedway.
According to the report, a torsion stop on the left side of Leffler's car came off, allowing the torsion bar and arm to fall out of its housing. That in turn got caught on the underside of the car...and the rest shall we say, was not good.
Read the entire press release from the State Patrol RIGHT HERE
Leffler, who was often referred to as "Lefturn" was buried on June 19th, his funeral attended by a virtual who's who in the NASCAR community.
That funeral took place in Cornelius, North Carolina.
Full disclosure: The HQ has friends in the industry who are working this story and we hope that they're safe in all of this, but the Bow and Elbow rivers have pole vaulted their banks from rain in Alberta province and the subsequent flooding.
The Saddledome, a venue where the HQ has covered events in the past, is flooded...
Not just "basement flooded," but "flooded to the 14th row of lower bowl seats and having the private boxes in jeopardy" kind of flooding..."
Julie Van Rosendaal of CBC Radio tweeted out the picture from Scotsman's Hill...
The Calgary Stampede is set for July 5th, but it may be in jeopardy as well...
According to reports, in the Dome, the visitor locker rooms and the media room, which run scoreboard operations have been heavily damaged.
The Saddledome is the home of the NHL's Calgary Flames along with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League and is used for the annual Stampede event. There are also several significant concerts booked over the next several weeks.
The Stampede starts July 5th, which doesn't leave much time to get the arena and area in good working order. The challenge is, the water has yet to subside and it's not known when that is going to happen.
Video and story by The Canadian Press:
And here's the local CBC Evening News from Calgary- scary stuff...
Abby Wambach had a hat trick inside 30 minutes and scored a fourth goal in first half stoppage time to reach 160 goals in her international career, breaking Mia Hamm’s previous world record of 158.
Here's the record breaker against South Korea as the US Women's National Team beat the visitors 5-0...
And it didn't even seem that close at Red Bull Arena...
Long rumored, an arrest warrant has now been filed on Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez for his alleged involvement in the murder of 27-year-old semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd.
The warrant for obstruction of justice charges is tied to there being apparent video evidence of Hernandez and two other men wearing hooded sweatshirts walking into Hernandez's home after neighbors heard gunshots early Tuesday morning. Sources told MyFoxBoston that the gunshots were not reported to police immediately after they were heard in the neighborhood. Lloyd was murdered about a mile from Hernandez's home. Police are still searching the crime scene for evidence and are also looking for other evidence that they feel may assist them in their case.
About an hour before the time frame that the gunshots were heard and/or fired, Hernandez was seen on video walking into his home. He was also seen at Lloyd's home before being at his own home early Tuesday.
Megan Holland gave the HQ the heads-up on this one...
Reid Slider is an intern with the Classic and wrote this tribute to Deacon Jones with Jones' memorial service set for this weekend in Los Angeles.
Figured we'd let you read it... Reid's a junior in university...
Deacon Jones stood in his three-point stance waiting for the quarterback to take the snap from under center. His mind was racing, trying to figure out the snap count, and in doing so, beat even the offensive lineman off the snap. With a flurry of motion and agility, he swiped past Minnesota’s offensive tackle and made his way towards the quarterback in the purple jersey, now as vulnerable as ever. He reached out to pull future Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton to the turf, to record what he had just recently termed a “sack.” But, and this was something so unusual to Deacon, the quarterback shook him off and Deacon Jones fell to the ground as the quarterback escaped the pocket and looked downfield. This moment of humility, so unusual for Deacon Jones, seemed to ignite a fire in Deacon, as he launched himself off the ground and chased down Tarkenton to record just one of what became an estimated 173.5 sacks.
Just two days after Deacon’s passing, Jack Youngblood told me that he believed Deacon’s sack total to be “well over 200,” but due to the league’s inability to keep sack totals until 1982, we’ll never know for sure. This play, though just a single incident in his vast career, told you everything you needed to know about the type of player, and person, Deacon Jones was. This was one play of one ball game of one season out of the astronomical number of games that Deacon Jones would appear in for the Rams, Chargers and Redskins, but that’s not what it was to him. For Deacon Jones, this was his chance to shine and showcase his incomparable talent to the fans and even to other players on the field that day. So he gave everything he had on every play. When some players would have accepted the defeat of being shaken off by a future Hall of Fame player, and just told themselves “I’ll get him next time,” Deacon couldn’t. He willed himself to that sack just like he willed himself to many things in life. He simply would not let himself give anything less than 100%. It’s truly incredible to watch, because you can see the determination and drive, but also the humility and the caring side of him. Because on this, play, just like every single play of his career, he wraps up the quarterback and makes a form tackle instead of going for the big hit.
It’s not like he couldn’t, considering he was 6’5 and 270 pounds. I’d challenge anyone who’s ever seen Jones play to find a moment where he was attempting to hurt someone. I really don’t think there’s a play out there where it even almost occurred. And that was the great thing - the most admirable thing – about Deacon. He was the fiercest of competitors but the most respectful of opponents.
This is just one of the many reasons we celebrate the career and life of Deacon Jones. We celebrate him because he’s the player we’d kill to have on our favorite team and the man we strive to be.
For those who haven’t already heard the story of Deacon Jones, it begins in Eatonville, Florida, in a four-bedroom house, occupied by 10 family members. Deacon was a standout football player in high school and went on to play college football for South Carolina State, but his participation in a civil rights protest led to the revocation of his scholarship. Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself in the form of the small Mississippi Vocational College, and Deacon continued his college career on the football team there. Coincidentally, that college would become Mississippi Valley State, the program that produced Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice.
Jones went on to enter the NFL with little fanfare, as a 14th round draft choice for the Rams. Tom Mack said that Deacon was “aggressive enough to show everybody that he belonged there.” However, Deacon would impress the coaches and fans out of the gate, amassing 8 sacks in his rookie season. After earning a starting spot next to Hall of Fame defensive tackle Merlin Olsen, his fame and productivity rose greatly. Jones was selected to the All-Pro Team every year from 1964-1970. With the numbers he continually put up, he received the nickname “Secretary of Defense.
As his takedowns piled up, Jones felt the need for a more succinct word to describe taking down the quarterback, so after much though, he settled on “sack,” a term which is used by basically everyone to describe the play today. During his time with the Rams, Chargers, and Redskins, he took many rookies under his wing. Jack Youngblood said “I watched him from day one… he taught me how to play the game.” As Jones’ NFL experience grew, his talent and accomplishments rose to levels previously never experienced by any defensive player, even in today’s age.
The NFL did not begin keeping statistics on sacks until the 1982 season, but if they had, there would be a different name atop the list on single season sack leaders. The record would not belong to New York Giant great Michael Strahan, nor would he rank second on the list. Deacon Jones would have the two greatest statistical seasons ever for a defensive end. In 1967, he recorded 26 sacks and the following year he got to the quarterback 24 times. He was awarded the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award for both seasons. One of the tricks that Jones invented for getting to the quarterback was slapping the offensive tackle at the ear hole, a move he believed caused them to close their eyes, allowing him to move past. Eventually, the NFL outlawed that move but not before Deacon Jones used it in his arsenal of pass rushing moves that helped him get to the quarterback a believed 173.5 times. If recorded, that would be third all-time, behind Hall of Fame companions Bruce Smith and Reggie White.
After leaving the Rams, Jones played for the Chargers and Redskins, retiring in 1974. During his retirement, he stayed active by working with companies such as the Miller Brewing Company and Epson America, while also partnering with the NFL and Champion Products to promote their throwback designs. Later on in life, he founded the Deacon Jones Foundation to reach out to young people and their communities to assist and offer valuable skills through programs such as educational mentoring, and community service. He also traveled to Iraq with the NFL to visit American soldiers stationed overseas.
Deacon Jones was the consummate professional who played the game the right way and will always be remembered for his impact on the game today. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth, son and grandson, Gregory and Noah Pinto.
