Favre to be fined

Entering what will probably be the final week of his career, Brett Favre got fined by the NFL for inappropriate text messages to Jen Sterger, a team “hostess” , when he played for the Jets.
Here’s the story courtesy Detroit News:

A
person familiar with the decision says the league plans to announce its
decision within the next 48 hours. The person did not specify what the
league found in its investigation.

The punishment was first reported by Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer.

Favre now plays for the Minnesota Vikings, who play against the Lions in Detroit on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Favre allegedly sent the messages and photos to Jenn Sterger two
years ago when they were both with the Jets. The allegations against
the 41-year-old quarterback surfaced in October on the website Deadspin.

It
posted a video Oct. 7 that included text messages and voicemails
allegedly left by the quarterback for Sterger, including one in which
he invites her to his hotel. The video ends with several below-the belt
photos — said to be of Favre — which were allegedly sent to Sterger.




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Former Baldwin Park High School star gets 31 years

A man who might have been one of the NFL’s best ever will spend several years in the penitentiary for attacking his girlfriend. Lawrence Phillips, who went from Baldwin Park to the University of Nebraska to the NFL, lived life on the edge

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SAN DIEGO – Ex-NFL running back Lawrence Phillips has been sentenced to more than 31 years in prison for attacking his girlfriend and driving his car into three teens.

Phillips, 34, a former Baldwin Park football star, was sentenced Friday in San Diego for assault and other crimes.

Phillips told the judge he didn’t get a fair trail and he’ll appeal. He switched lawyers several times in the trial, and told friends and family members that he felt like he was badly misrepresented by the public defenders who were assigned to him.

Phillips twice choked his girlfriend in 2005 in San Diego. Later that year, he aimed his car and struck three teens after a pickup football game in Los Angeles.

That car belong to the San Diego victim, and Phillips was originally charged with stealing it.

Ty Pagone, a former Baldwin Park vice principal and football coach who was at the school when Phillips attended it, said he was “horrified” to hear the length of the sentence.

“There are murderers who get shorter sentences and he didn’t kill anyone,” said Pagone. “I don’t think he ever even put anyone in the hospital.”

Pagone added that he believed Phillips did need to answer for his crimes.

“There are no doubt he has made mistakes, but he is not a monster, the way he has been depicted sometimes,” he added.

Pagone said two of Phillips’ other former coaches had attended the hearing in San Diego, Tony Zane of Baldwin Park,

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Detroit man threatens to kill Jerome Bettis and Beyonce — “Another Virginia Tech all over again”

From the Detroit News:

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According to a criminal complaint, (Leon Desmond Barrett, 37,) sent about 14 threatening letters to the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell between 2006 and April. 

Some of the letters referred to an alleged dispute between Barrett and Bettis and his family. “We do not want to have a gunfight with them but if we have to, we will,” said one of the hand-written letters.

“I guess it (sic) going to be another Virginia Tech. massacre all over again in Detroit.”
A letter dated Aug. 18, 2007, said: “I’m getting ready to start killing some more people. Beyonce, Jay-Z, Jerome Bettis and Tune-up Man are the first 4 people I’m getting ready to kill.”

Similar letters were sent in 2009 to former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, care of the Hall of Fame, and former University of Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz, the complaint said.

Most of the letters bore Barrett’s signature and home address, the complaint alleges.

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Browns WR gets 30 days in DUI manslaughter case

A study in contrasts? Florida justice? Celebrity justice?

Donte Stallworth, a pro athlete, gets a minimum sentence for killing a man in a DUI-related incident in  Florida:

MIAMI (AP) — Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth is going to serve 30 days in jail after pleading guilty in Florida to a DUI manslaughter charge.

The plea deal announced Tuesday calls for the 28-year-old Stallworth to also serve 10 years’ probation and do 1,000 community service hours for killing a pedestrian he hit with his car. Stallworth had faced up to 15 years in prison.

Police say Stallworth was drinking at a hotel bar before the March 14 crash that killed 59-year-old construction worker Mario Reyes. Tests showed Stallworth’s blood-alcohol content was .126.

Stallworth also reached a confidential financial settlement with the Reyes’ family. A person close to the negotiations told The Association Press about the agreement on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about the deal.

Meanwhile, a San Gabriel Valley man is facing a stiff sentence for killing Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart and Cortney Stewart, 20, of Diamond Bar, in a DUI accident earlier this year in Florida:

The criminal complaint also alleged that Andrew Thomas Gallo caused great bodily injury and death to more than one victim. In addition, he faces sentencing enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury.

Schroeder said Gallo faces 54 years and eight months to life in prison if convicted on all counts.

Gallo’s attorney, Randall Longwith, entered the not guilty plea for him. Longwith later told reporters he would seek a change of venue for the upcoming trial.

“Generally the emotion here, it’s so heated,” Longwith said. He said he and Gallo have received death threats.

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Thursday’s column — What if the Raiders came to Diamond Bar?

I want to see professional football return to Los Angeles.

But then, sometime Wednesday morning, I broke out in a cold sweat and began pondering a problem, “What if it’s the Raiders?”

It got me thinking about broken down Winnebagos parked in ritzy Diamond Bar and Walnut neighborhoods; grungy bikers up and down Grand Avenue and Diamond Bar Boulevard, drunken orgies, beatings and empty bottles of Jack Daniels lining gutters on peaceful streets with names like Quail Summit or Snow Creek Drive.

I remember a tailgate party a few years back outside the Oakland Coliseum just before a game between the Raiders and the Buccaneers. Guys riding Harleys and Indians rumbled down Hegenberger Road and 66th Street, waving flags and shouting.

I can only imagine the shivers that course up and down the spines of the Casper Milquetoasts and other timid souls who came to Diamond Bar and Walnut seeking refuge from the madness of the big city.

Then came the visions of fans of all ethnicities clad in silver and black tossing back Mad Dog 20/20, Old English or Colt .45 malt liquors, bumping hip hop at full volume and generally terrorizing anyone wearing Steelers or Chargers or Broncos gear.

Actually, I remember covering a game back in 1990 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum where Raiders fans nearly beat a Steelers fan to death.

The hapless victim had been circling the stadium waving a GameDay program emblazoned with the Steelers three-diamond logo and shouting “Steelers! Steelers!”

When a guy from Agoura Hills was hauled into court and charged with assault, his attorney blamed the Raiders.

The attorney wasn’t alone, Hunter S. Thompson once described Darth Vader as a “punk compared to (Raider owner) Al Davis.”

In any event, the Raiders blamed beer and shut off booze sales the next week when the team played Seattle. LAPD officers patrolled the Coliseum armed with binoculars and ultimately kept the peace.

The next time I saw the Steelers and Raiders it was in Oakland. I was sitting in the end zone seats affectionately referred to as “Black Hole.” I sat behind “Darth Raider” and pretty near a guy wearing a grim reaper outfit and skull mask.

Some idiot with long blond hair and a day job sat in front of all of us. He took to waiving the Steelers trademark “Terrible Towel” in a ritual reminiscent of a suicidal matador surrounded by angry bulls.

“Fool,” I thought. I’m pretty sure he was beaten in the parking lot after the Steelers won 29-10.

Perhaps my apprehension is misguided.

“You also have to take into consideration its Oakland,” Industry Sheriff’s Sgt. Thomas Watson said. “It’s not San Francisco and not the city of Industry. If it’s the Raiders who come here, especially with the kind of pressure they are going to be under, they are going to be taking great pains to fit in the community.”

Whew. So much for that.

I can root for the Cardinals in peace on Super Sunday.

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Zendejas arraignment set for Sept 11.

Tony Zendejas, the former Los Angeles Rams place kicker was being held in lieu of $250,000 bail, but he posted bail late Thursday and was released. He is tentatively scheduled to be arraigned in Pomona Superior Court on Sept. 11.
If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

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Former Ram kicker Zendejas issues a denial

The latest from reporter Bethania Palma:

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Speaking through an attorney Thursday, former Rams placekicker Tony Zendejas maintained his innocence.

“The charges are utterly false,” attorney Tim Younger said.

Lunch time traffic at Zendejas’ plush sports bar was light Thursday.

A manager identifying himself as “Marty” said he could not comment and referred all questions to Younger.

Zendejas is charged in an ugly rape case and was arrested Thursday morning at his home in Yorba Linda. A woman claims he drugged her and raped her in a motel room on Jan. 26. The criminal complaint alleges the the woman suffered great bodily harm as a result of the rape.

 

The photo comes from Zendejas’ MySpace

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Former NFL star Zendejas accused of Rape * ** *** ****

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Former Rams place kicker Tony Zendejas was charged with a felony count of rape by use of drugs, rape of an unconscious person, sodomy by anesthesia and sodomy of an unconscious victim, according to the Los Angeles County DA in a press release issued this morning.

Zendejas, 48,  owns Zendejas restaurant in San Dimas. The press release indicates the victim was drugged and raped in Pomona.  

*Zendejas retired in 1995 after playing 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, the Houston Oilers, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers. He was arrested Thursday morning at his home in Yorba Linda.

*The complaint also alleges Zendejas caused great bodily injury.

*If convicted he faces up to 15 years in state prison. Arraignment is scheduled for Friday in Pomona Superior Court.

** Here’s some data on Zendejas:

** Wikipedia entry on the kicker

** Zendejas Mexican Restaurant

** NFL statistics

**Zendejas MySpace page

*** Zendejas criminal record includes a couple of minor traffic violations in Orange County, according to public records.

****Officials said their investigation into the rape allegations lasted seven months; thus the delay between the event and Zendejas’ arrest Thursday morning.

TMZ posted a brief on this story based on the original press release. They haven’t updated but here’s a link

*** Complaint on Jump 

Continue reading “Former NFL star Zendejas accused of Rape * ** *** ****” »

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The Pittsburgh Steelers of Industry?

This from the Wall Street Journal (h/t Reporter G):

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The storied Pittsburgh Steelers football franchise has been secretly shopped to potential buyers amid continuing divisions among the five sons of the team’s founder, Art Rooney Sr.

The talks affect not only one of America’s iconic sports franchises, but one of its most fabled sports families. Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney, who helped build the National Football League and is the oldest of the five sons, wants to consolidate his control by acquiring most of his brothers’ shares in the Steelers over 10 years, those briefed on the talks said.

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