This comes from the Associated Press:

Thomas Riccio, the memorabilia dealer who arranged O.J. Simpson’s ill-fated meeting in a Las Vegas hotel room, says in a book released Monday that the former football star’s entourage carried at least one gun, even though Simpson tried afterward to tell him otherwise.

“He was trying to convince me a gun wasn’t involved, but that was ridiculous,” Riccio says in the book “Busted,” which he and his publisher, Phoenix Books, tout as an inside account of events leading to Simpson’s arrest in the botched Sept. 13 heist.

“I was standing right next to the guy with the gun,” Riccio says. “Some reports claim there may have been a second gunman in the room, but I only witnessed one.”

Riccio acknowledged the 212-page book breaks little new ground.

“Maybe there’s nothing really surprising in it,” Riccio told The Associated Press by telephone from New York, where he planned a news conference and television appearances.

“But as far as the O.J. thing, it’s amazing how many people don’t know quite what
happened,” he said.

Posted by Frank Girardot at 6:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Some pointy-headed poindexter in Great Britain came up with this one, it's called Nomophobia. Simply put it's the fear of being without your mobile telephone for any length of time.

I apparently suffer from this disease. Although I'll confess that when I first saw the term I assumed it applied to fantasy baseball managers thinking about drafting a certain (non) starting pitcher who's attempting a comeback with the Kansas City Royals.

It actually had nothing to do with Hideo Nomo, so there's still no word in the language to cover those fantasy sports sickos who will do anything to get a post draft bargain.

Nomo's apparently hurt anyway with a pulled groin muscle that will keep him on the bench for a few weeks.

But I digress.

Here's a snippet from the AFP about true nomophobia:

Some 58 percent of men and 48 percent of women panic when they hit a problem with their cellphone, while nine percent of people feel stressed when they turn their mobiles off, it said.

Pollsters YouGov, commissioned by the Post Office, questioned 2,163 people online earlier this month.

Stewart Fox-Mills, head of telephony at the Post Office, said "nomo-phobia" -- which he used to mean a fear of being without a mobile phone -- was "very real for many people in the UK".

Posted by Frank Girardot at 6:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Sounds like O.J. Simpson was caught on tape at the Palace Station Casino the other night.
I've updated this link as of 3:24 PDT 9/17/07

Posted by Frank Girardot at 7:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pro quarterback Michael Vick has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to federal dog fighting charges, according to CNN and the Roanoke Times.
Vick is going to enter a guilty plea to the felony conspiracy charge next Monday at 10:30 a.m., said Lawrence Woodward, one of Vick's defense attorneys.

"

Mike's accepting full responsibility," Woodward said. "He's going to do everything he can personally and professionally to make this situation right."
Meanwhile the Atlanta Humane society ...

Vick's decision came after his last two co-defendants pleaded guilty Friday and agreed in deals with prosecutors to testify against Vick if they were called to do so at trial. A third co-defendant pleaded guilty in July under similar conditions.

Continue reading "Michael Vick reportedly takes deal" »

Posted by Frank Girardot at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

From the SJ Merc:

NEW YORK - Tim Donaghy left the basketball court as a disgraced former NBA referee in July and left a federal court room Wednesday as an admitted criminal, a conspirator and a gambling addict.

Posted by Frank Girardot at 8:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two more defendants in the federal dog fighting case against Falcons' QB Michael Vick have pleaded guilty. Now the government has given Sick Vick until Friday to take a deal or go to trial.

Posted by Frank Girardot at 8:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

From: EBARRERA (formerly of Editor's Corner)
To: FGIRARDOT
Subject: The Vick story gets better
Here's the gist:

Embattled NFL quarterback Michael Vick, facing federal charges related to his alleged participation in dogfighting, has been hit with a "$63,000,000,000 billion dollar" lawsuit filed by a South Carolina inmate who alleges the Atlanta Falcons star stole his pit bulls and sold them on eBay to buy "missiles from Iran," FOX News has learned.

Posted by Frank Girardot at 4:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This company has an interesting idea for dog lovers everywhere.
I'm thinking about getting one for my dog to chew on while I watch the games.

Posted by Frank Girardot at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tony "T" Taylor agreed to plead guilty in the Bad Newz Kennels case. Rumour has it he's mad at Michael Vick for (excuse the pun) throwing him to the dogs after the first search warrants were served in April.

Posted by Frank Girardot at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Michael Vick got more bad news Friday as major companies are pulling out of endorsement deals. Fortunately I got this jersey before they pulled it.

Posted by Frank Girardot at 6:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NFL pro shop has a great online option to order a personalized jersey. I'm choosing "Sick Vick" as this year's fall fashion accessory.

Above is the preview picture I got when asking for the jersey. I thought about doing this after reading an AOL sports entry on jerseys now banned by the NFL in the wake of the Michael Vick scandal.

Posted by Frank Girardot at 2:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

LAPD reports that one of its officers shot and killed a pit bull earlier this month. Similar to the Pasadena case without the innocents getting bit.

Speaking of pit bulls, the sick Vick saga continued Thursday with West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd condemning what many thought was a hillbilly tradition.

Posted by Frank Girardot at 7:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A federal grand jury indicted quarterback Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick on dog fighting allegations.

. Obviously there are no direct links to the San Gabriel Valley here, but of interest is the proliferation of pro athletes who find themselves in hot water with the authorities time and time again. An interesting book on the criminal subculture of the NFL, titled Pros and Cons was published in the 1990s.

Interestingly, the LAPD reported a dog fighting arrest earlier this year.
By the way, the federal grand jury indictment does call to mind the troubles of Darryl Henley. A former prep star at Damien High School turned dope dealer while playing for the Los Angeles Rams. Henley is now a federal prisoner.

Also interesting is the Lawrence Phillips story -- Baldwin Park prep star turned criminal, and still awaiting sentencing in his latest criminal exploit.

Finally, don't know about dog fighting, but cockfighting used to be big business locally. Several busts in Irwindale and Azusa in the mid 1990s made headlines.

Posted by Frank Girardot at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)