Drake Fined For Remarks On Kevin Durant, Tim and Sid Disagree

((HT: Sportsnet))

Drake is on a bit of a roll as an ambassador for the Toronto Raptors...

And he's trying to get anyone of the big names in the NBA to come to the T-Dot for their next contract...

At a concert he wanted to bring Kevin Durant to the Raptors and, upon hearing this, the NBA fined the team $25,000.

Tim and Sid disagreed with the assessment

4 More Charged In Steubenville Rape Case

((HT: WTRF-TV))

The Steubenville High rape case continues to gather depth as four more individuals have been arrested in association with the case where Steubenville football players recorded a rape a 16-year-old on their camera phones, shuttled it around on social media, and were part of a conspiracy to make sure no charges were filed in and around the football team.

Two players, Ma'Lik Richmond and Trent Mays, were convicted in the case and now four more individuals are up on charges after a grand jury investigation. Richmond was convicted of rape and sentenced to a year as a juvenile. Mays was convicted of rape and of using his phone to take a picture of the girl.

He was sentenced to two years in juvenile detention.

A special grand jury had investigated whether coaches and/or school administrators knew of the rape allegation, but failed to report that they knew- and exactly just how much they knew.

Here's the initial results brought forth...

Steubenville City Schools Superintendent Michael McVey has been indicted on five counts:

One count of tampering with evidence - a third degree felony
Two Counts of obstructing justice - a fifth degree felony
One count of falsification, a first degree misdemeanor
One count of obstructing official business, a second degree misdemeanor

McVey could face up to 7 years and 270 days in prison.

The second person is Lynnett Gorman- the principal of West Elementary in Steubenville- was charged with failure to report child abuse, a fourth degree misdemeanor. Gorman could face up to 30 days in jail.

The third is Seth Fluharty- wrestling coach and special education teacher at Steubenville High. He was also charged with failure to report child abuse. Fluharty could serve up to the same 30 day sentence.

The fourth is Matthew Bellardine, a former volunteer coach for the football team, who faces four charges including:

Underage persons offenses concerning ("beer or intoxicating liquor") - a first degree misdemeanor
Obstructing Official Business - a second degree misdemeanor
Falsification - a first degree misdemeanor
Contributing to the unruliness or delinquency of a child - a first degree misdemeanor

Bellardine could serve up to 1 year and 265 days in jail.

Here's the press conference in full with Ohio AG Mike DeWine
WTRF 7 News Sports Weather - Wheeling Steubenville

Here's the press release on the findings of the grand jury...

DEVELOPING: 4 Dismissed Vandy Players Charged In June Rape

((HT: Tennessean/Haas))

Four former Vanderbilt football players (pictured right, thanks Tennesseean) have each been charged with five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery.

Brandon Vandenburg from California- was one of the biggest 2013 recruits

Brandon Eric Banks from Maryland
JaBorian “Tip” McKenzie from Mississippi and
Cory Batey of Nashville were charged in the indictment.

Vandenburg was also charged with one count of tampering with evidence and a count of unlawful photography.

Here's the initial story from our friends at Fox Nashville...


Batey has already been arrested and taken to General Hospital for a mandatory blood draw.

“I do not know exactly what the charges are, but I'm sure it involves some type of sexual misconduct,” Batey’s attorney, Worrick Robinson, told the Tennessean.

Police are trying to track down the other three and maintain that the four raped an unconscious woman in Vandenburg’s dorm room June 23rd of this year. The alleged victim's identity has not been announced because of a rape shield law in the state of Tennessee.

From Haas:

Police first got word after university officials checked a hallway security camera in an unrelated incident and saw suspicious behavior by the four.

Metro Police Chief Steve Anderson called the evidence, “compelling” and “unsettling”. Metro Police spokesman Don Aaron said he couldn’t elaborate on the unlawful photography charge, but said their electronics expert was “heavily involved” in their investigation.

“Our electronics expert specializes in the forensic analysis of modern-day electronic gadgets,” Aaron said.

Banks’ attorney, Grover Collins, is trying to get Banks in custody as soon as possible, and Aaron would not address the idea that more arrests could be made in the case.

Cory Batey's bond has been set at $350,000- operating under the assumption that Batey could be a flight risk as he is the local of the four- thus the high amount.

1800 UPDATE: Here's an interview Aaron gave with the guys from the 3 Hour Lunch on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville

According to the Nashville City Paper, QB Austyn Carta-Samuels is subpoenaed as a witness in the case as well as tight end Dillon van der Wal. Offensive lineman Jake Bernstein, wide receiver De'Andre Woods and long-snapper Mack Prioleau were also listed by the state as witnesses.

Here's the Vanderbilt presser, thanks to our friends at Newschannel 5
((HT: WTVF-TV))
NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather

Report: Did The Atlanta Hawks Violate Tampering Policy? (UPDATE: Yup, They Did...)

((ht: ajc.com))

Well, that's another fine mess the marketing department may have made.

According to a report Tuesday afternoon in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Atlanta Hawks sent a letter to possible season-ticket buyers that mentions the possibility of the team acquiring Dwight Howard and Chris Paul.

Problem is: It may have violated the NBA Anti-Tampering policy since it apparently while both are pending "Free-Agents" they apparently can't be mentioned as targets by the team until after July 1st.

It's not July 1st. (at least not as of this posting date)

The paper says neither the Hawks nor the NBA will comment about it, but mentioning players by name before July 1st has been a big "No-No" in NBA circles. It's cost the Hawks and other teams a good bit of money in the past.

Read the entire AJC.com story explaining it RIGHT HERE

We kind of feel bad for the Hawks, but this is sort of funny. They have an incredible penchant for doing stuff that most teams know not to do. It doesn't appear, at least based on the report, that the team upper management was aware of this, but they should have been.

And if they didn't, well, that's a pretty big front office failure. While it would be nice to say "Marketing went rogue", the assumption should be nothing goes out without the boss's approval.

And certainly the Atlanta Spirit would operate like that...

Would they?

MONDAY UPDATE: The Hawks were fined an undisclosed amount for violating the anti-tampering policy.

The NBA is saying that three teams violated the policy- just not saying who it was.
The Rockets were reportedly another team that was guilty.

In a statement to the AJC last week, Hawks president Bob Williams said, “The (first) letter that has been referred to was written by one of our season-ticket reps of his own volition. While certainly he is a member of our business staff, his specific reference clearly does not represent how our basketball operations or our business staff have consistently communicated about free agency. It is unfortunate that this mistake, by a single ticket rep with no ill intent, occurred.”


Deadspin is reporting that is was former first-round draft pick Cal Bowdler who sent the e-mail blast...