Sports In the Courts Blog : New York Attorneys & Lawyers Specializing in Sports Law & Legal Analysis

Former 76er Allen Iverson had no "answer" to a Judge that ordered him to pay approximately $859,896.46 to a jeweler that he allegedly stiffed. Rather than pay the $375,000 bill when he was sued, Iverson ignored the lawsuit, and a Georgia Court entered default judgment against Iverson for $859,896.46, which includes attorneys' fees and interest. As a result, the Court has taken control of Iverson's bank account and will likely garnish his income to repay the debt. 

Iverson has a history of legal and gambling troubles, and in November of 2010, there were rumors concerning Iverson's poor financial situation.  Iverson had surgery approximately a year ago, and was attempting to make a comeback during the NBA lockout. However, it is not clear whether he is currently playing. The jeweler certainly hopes that an NBA team will sign him soon.

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Retired basketball player Cuttino Mobley sued the New York Knicks this week in Manhattan federal court, alleging that the Knicks purposely sent him to two cardiologists in order to obtain a medical opinion that Mobley could not play basketball due to his heart condition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Mobley claims that he was diagnosed with this condition in 1999, but was continuously cleared to play by other NBA teams, as long as he signed a waiver.  However, once he was traded to the Knicks, Mobley alleges he was sent to two doctors who are "well-known opponents of allowing players with [Mobley's condition] to play." He claims that the Knicks did so in order to have insurance pay his salary, which would not count for purposes of the NBA's luxury tax.

Although the Knicks have not fared well in court (see Isiah Thomas), the problem with Mobley's lawsuit comes from his own mouth. When he retired in 2008, he stated, "[t]he specialists I've seen made it clear that my heart condition has gotten worse and I couldn't continue to play professional basketball without putting my health and life in serious danger. As much as I want to keep playing in the NBA, I have no choice but to follow the advice of my doctors and step away from the league."  Mobley didn't say, "I disagree with the doctors the Knicks sent me to and I will be seeking a second opinion."

It be difficult to prove that the Knicks sent Mobley to select doctors, knowing in advance what their opinions would be, particularly since these doctors have great reputations and presumably made medical decisions based upon their examinations of Mobley and review of his medical records. According to ESPN, Mobley then saw four specialists who performed additional tests and convinced him to stop playing. Furthermore, Mobley's claim that no other team will sign him, simply because of the situation with the Knicks, is suspect.

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The last few days of the negotiations between the NBA players and owners have not gone particularly well. Early signs of some modest progress have been lost by differing positions by both sides on dividning the basketball revenue. Since then the negotiations have slowed and more games will surely be cancelled.

Now it seems that the players' union is hoping that the National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB") comes to the rescue. The union has filed a charge against the owners for alleged bad faith bargaining and an improper use of a lockout. The players want the NLRB to end the lockout as an unfair labor practice by the owners. The problem is there is absolutely no prohibition against the use of a lockout as a tool by an employer in a labor dispute.

There also seems to be consensus among legal commentators that bad faith really means "bad faith." The owners have not cut off all talks and they are certainly not naive enough to strike an "unbending posiition" with no room to give. In sum, as long as the owners keep meeting and talking with the players (even if it doens't go anywhere), they have little risk of being in bad faith.

The risk for both sides remains the same: a lost season with little public outcry. 

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Make no mistake about the NBA labor dispute, disregard whatever what both sides have said in the past, this moment in the stalemate is what both sides wanted.  Forget about "good faith" bargaining between the owners and the players' union or the use of a mediation. The truth is that both sides wanted regular season games to be cancelled. Maybe not all of the games, but just enough to draw financial blood.

It is quite clear that the owners believe that if the players start missing a few game checks, they will fold. Recent evidence shows that the owners may be making some gains. While it is disputed by the players' union head Derek Fisher, there were many reports that the Washington Wizards team is ready to cave in. Likewise, the players want the owners to lose out on some badly needed revenue and revenue sharing from games. Do you really think Mark Cuban wants his profitable Mavericks to miss games? Even the truly financially troubled owners can't make any money if none of the profitable teams (i.e. Lakers and Celtics) are playing.

So we are now at the financially bloody crossroad. The NBA situation is much different the NFL lockout. The NFL always had enough money to make everyone happy (some not as happy as they wanted to be but still enough), the NBA is in need of a rethinking of salaries, salary caps and revenue sharing. An agreement here will make many of the players and owners unhappy and will be quite complicated.

However, given the lack of public outcry over the loss of professional basketball, the players and owners better get something done soon.

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Our firm has put out a few brilliant motions to dismiss, but the attorney's that work with Mark Cuban have laid laid out an attorney's dream in their recent submission to Dallas County Court.  Two years ago, former Mavericks owner and current partial owner (5%) Ross Perot, Jr. decided to file a lawsuit against Mark Cuban for mismanaging the Dallas Mavericks.  Even though the Mavericks have enjoyed multiple playoff runs since Cuban took over the team, Perot went ahead with the suit.  One of Perot's claims in the lawsuit was that Cuban was putting too much money back in the team and not paying the owners out enough money.  

Well how the tides have changed.  Shortly after the Mavs defeated the "Big Three" and the Heat, Cuban and his attorneys have gone ahead to file a motion to dismiss the suit brought about by Perot.  Not only did Cuban file the motion, but he did it in typical Cuban style with visuals.  Not only did the Motion contain a celebration picture of the team, the Motion went on to say, "Under Hillwood's ownership, the team was deemed the "worst franchise" in all of professional sports.  Under Cuban's stewardship the Mavericks have become one of the league's most successful teams and are now NBA championships".  

If that doesn't bring a smile to your face, I don't know what will.  

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Chris Bosh was the only member of the Heat's "Big Three" that has kept himself out of the media spotlight for legal issues, until Monday.  Bosh filed a complaint in Los Angeles federal court against former girlfriend and mother of Bosh's child, Allison Mathis.  Bosh filed the complaint in an attempt to prevent Mathis and 'Basketball Wives' from using his name in the media to profit.  According to the complaint, “Defendant Mathis is attempting to promote her own commercial brand and become a television personality and/or celebrity by exploiting her former relationship with plaintiff.”

Oddly enough, two other prominent "Big Men" that have worn NBA jerseys from Florida have encountered the the same circumstances Bosh is facing.  Former Heat and Magic star, Shaquille O'Neal threatened his wife with a lawsuit if she mentioned his name on the show last year.  Meanwhile, current Orlando Magic Center Dwight Howard won a $500,000.00 settlement against his ex wife for her appearances on the show.  In both of those instances, confidentiality agreements played a prominent role in the outcomes.  With a lack of marriage in Bosh's case, it may be more difficult for Bosh to put the heat on Mathis to keep his name off of the air.

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Well, yes, if Judge Nelson's ruling is upheld.

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For the Miami Heat, it has been an up and down season.  Nevertheless, Lebron James and the Heat will enter the second portion of the NBA season with high hopes.  Unfortunately, it looks like Lebron has brought more than just his talents to South Beach.  Gloria James, Lebron's mother, seems to follow not too far from Lebron wherever he goes and doesn't forget to bring her baggage.  

Early Thursday morning, Gloria James was arrested in a Miami hotel after assaulting a valet worker because he didn't get her car fast enough.  The valet probably was doing her a favor, as police reported a strong odor of alcohol on Gloria's breath.   When police approached Gloria James, she went with the old reliable Miguel Cabrera line, "Do you know who I am."

Gloria James has provided her fair share of distractions for King James.  In 2006 Gloria pleaded no contest to a DUI.  in 2003 Gloria purchased a Hummer H2 after her bank considered her son's "future earnings". And of course Gloria was rumored to sleep with Lebron's teammate Delonte West shortly before Lebron tanked a playoff series for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Seems like no matter where Lebron goes, Gloria's misbehavior follows.

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By Mitchell Ayes

The Fab Five phenom, thirteen year NBA veteran, and current ESPN basketball analyst remains in the news this week. Weeks following his infamous “Uncle Tom” comment when discussing Duke basketball players in the ESPN documentary on the Fab Five, Rose is again in the news, this time for receiving a citation for drunken driving when he was involved in a single vehicle automobile accident. According to a police report, Rose’s car went off an icy road in the Detroit area on March 11, 2011 at 2:00 a.m., and he voluntarily submitted to a blood alcohol test because he was confident it was safe for him to drive. Police said that Rose refused to take a breathalyzer test and was taken to a hospital for a blood alcohol test, however, the results were not disclosed. Like all professional athletes these days who have run ins with the law, Rose accepted full responsibly, apologized for disappointing people who trust him to serve as a role model for young people, and looked forward to a resolution of his legal matter. It’s doubtful that any more legal actions will be commenced against Rose or he will receive any jail time, however, we will find out more at his April 20, 2011 court appearance. 

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In a January 24 game between the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA referee Bill Spooner made what Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis thought was a bad call. Rambis asked Spooner how he would make up for the bad call, and according to AP writer Jon Krawczynski, Spooner told Rambis he'd "get it back." Spooner then made a bad call against the Rockets. Krawczynski "tweeted" the following: "Ref Bill Spooner told Rambis he'd 'get it back' after a bad call. Then he made an even worse call on Rockets. That's NBA officiating folks."

Spooner has sued Krawczynski, demanding a retraction of the "tweet" as well as monetary damages for the hit to Spooner's reputation. Spooner likens the "tweet" to a false allegation of game fixing.

In Minnesota, similar to many other states, a defamation plaintiff must prove that the defendant communicated a false statement to a third person, which harmed the plaintiff's reputation and esteem in the community. Here, a statement was clearly communicated via Twitter. Truth is an absolute defense to a defamation claim. Rambis, therefore, is the critical witness in this case. He will be deposed, and must testify under oath whether Spooner made the statement as "tweeted" by Krawczynski. If he denies that Spooner made the statement, Krawczynski will be in a tough spot. Krawczynski, sitting court side near the scorer's table, apparently overheard Spooner's comments to Rambis. If so, there should be others that can testify whether they also heard the statement.

Remember though, the burden of proof is on Spooner to show that the "tweet" was false. This case also serves as a reminder that Twitter is dangerous (ask Gilbert Gottfried), due to the quick and easy manner in which one's thoughts can be communicated to the public. 

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Earlier this week, we covered a story on channelsurfing.net's founder Brian McCarthy being arrested for streaming sporting events including WWE, UFC, NFL, and NBA events.  Originally, it was thought that McCarthy would be convicted of "copyright infringement" and "theft of intellectual property", but after reviewing the complaint, it appears that the main allegations are McCarthy's "linking" to websites containing copyrighted materials.  

Demandprogress.org makes an interesting point that this would incriminate anyone who ever sent a link to a copyrighted YouTube video.  An interesting point, that could change the way people go about their daily email habits.  Is the government going to go ahead a prosecute each and every person who puts up a link to a copyrighted YouTube video?  Let's hope not.

Law is something that is supposed to change with time and adapt to changes in society.  Obviously, the Internet and new technologies are uncharted territories for certain laws, and the government needs to be sensitive to how it handles each of these instances.  It is clear that profiting from the distribution and streaming of sporting events over the Internet should be strictly monitored and controlled, but could the broad allegations and repercussions of a lawsuit stemming from this matter affect more than just those trying to profit off of these sites? 

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A copy of the complaint can be seen here courtesy of Courthouse News Service.

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With all the commotion going on over profit sharing, NFL Players and Owners, and a potential lockout, Brian McCarthy was arrested by agents for operating a website that pirated and streamed telecasts of various sporting events (including the NFL).  

Unlike the main players in the NFL negotiations, who are more interested in signing major deals with the giant television channels, UFC has gone ahead and waged a war on the pirating of their Pay Per View Events and online broadcasts of their rapidly growing sport.  As more and more of these sites pop up, it is easier for fans to follow their out of town team without paying, or watching a Pay Per View event without shelling out the $50.00 price tag.  The UFC has taken exception and is looking to strike back.

McCarthy, the owner of Channelsurfing.net since 2005 made over $90,000 in profits from online advertising he sold to online merchants.  Was the $90,000 worth potentially 5 years in prison?  McCarthy will face up to five years if convicted of "copyright infringement" and "theft of intellectual property".  The Southern District of New York's Complex Frauds Unit will be handling the case.

After the UFC reached settlements with various online companies that had been illegally broadcasting UFC events in mid 2010, they are now out to make a statement and McCarthy may be filling that role.  Current President of the UFC Dana White was quoted saying, "When people start going to jail, people will stop doing it".  I guess we will see if McCarthy will be the poster child for the streaming of sporting events online.

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 Sports in the Courts Blog was featured on Cocky Law Blawg..... check it out

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Ernest Lorch, founder of the Riverside Church basketball program in Harlem (which has produced several NBA stars), was arrested last week after failing to appear for an arraignment in a Massachusetts Court. Lorch, now 77, resides in a convalescent home in Westchester County, New York, and is reportedly in poor health. However, he now faces extradition to Massachusetts, due to allegations that he sexually assaulted a minor in approximately 1977-78.

During that time period, Lorch's Riverside Hawks team participated in a tournament in Massachusetts, where he allegedly sexually abused his seventeen year old victim. The indictment claims that Lorch also attempted to rape the victim, and charges him with indecent assault and battery of a person over 14 years of age, and attempted rape.

In Massachusetts, assault with the intent to commit rape carries a prison sentence of no more than twenty years. The statute of limitations on this crime is fifteen years. However, “any period during which the defendant is not usually and publicly a resident within the commonwealth shall be excluded in determining the time limited.” Thus, since Lorch left Massachusetts after the tournament, the clock was not ticking, so to speak.

Indecent assault and battery on a person over fourteen years of age, carries a prison sentence of no more than 5 years. Lorch also could have been charged with reckless endangerment of child. However, this is difficult to prove; since the act is alleged to have occurred more than 27 years ago, Massachusetts law requires independent evidence corroborating the victim’s allegations.

The victim, now approximately 50 years old, has never come forward with this occurrence, until recently.

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In a lawsuit filed in an Ohio trial court on September 10, 2010, VaNeisha Robinson, a nineteen (19) year-old resident of Akron, claims that, approximately five (5) years ago, she purchased a box of stuffed animals at a garage sale, for $5.00.  After she returned home with the box, Ms. Robinson noticed a LeBron James pendant inside the box.  Although the pendant is diamond encrusted, Ms. Robinson believed that it was fake “costume jewelry,” and for the next five (5) years, thought it was worthless.  Ms. Robinson, out of curiosity, recently decided to have the pendant appraised, and was told that it was worth $9,670.00.  On June 16, 2010, she listed the pendant for sale on eBay.  The listing was apparently unsuccessful, so Ms. Robinson contacted the media with her story.  The story made its way to Katherine Powers (mother of Maverick Carter, CEO of LeBron James’ marketing company), who then contacted Ms. Robinson, and told Ms. Robinson that she would make an offer that she (Ms. Robinson) “could not refuse.”  Ms. Powers also promised Ms. Robinson that she would meet LeBron James. 

 On July 14, 2010, Ms. Robinson, her mother, sister and friend arrived at Ms. Powers’ house.  Ms. Robinson and her mother (who happened to be friendly with Ms. Powers from church) went inside, and the others remained in the vehicle.  Ms. Robinson was surprised when eight (8) or nine (9) other individuals, along with Ms. Powers, were waiting.  Ms. Robinson claims she felt threatened, and went to the car to retrieve her friend and sister.  Upon returning to Ms. Powers’ house, Ms. Robinson checked her phone and realized that someone had purchased the pendant from her eBay listing.  When Ms. Robinson informed Ms. Powers of this, she was confronted and was told she could not sell the pendant, because it belonged to Ms. Powers. 

Due to there being several angry persons inside the house, Ms. Robinson requested that Ms. Powers accompany her outside.  Ms. Robinson then gave her friend the pendant to take outside to the vehicle.  At that point, two unknown individuals blocked the vehicle in the driveway and prevented Ms. Robinson and her party from leaving.  One of the individuals went back inside, and informed Ms. Robinson’s mother, who was still inside, that she “ain’t going nowhere.”  Apparently, due to yelling and screaming, a neighbor called the police.  Plaintiff’s mother then told her to hand over the pendant, because “it was not worth getting hurt over.”  Ms. Robinson, fearing for her safety, reluctantly did so, and was then permitted to leave.

Ms. Robinson sued Ms. Powers and Mr. Carter, alleging false imprisonment, for detaining her at the Powers home against her will, theft of the pendant in violation of Ohio state law, replevin (to obtain possession of the pendant) and intentionally inflicting Ms. Robinson with emotional distress.

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The NBA has decided to push its officials to issue more technical fouls with corresponding fines against its players. For its part, the NBA Player’s Union has decided to push back.

Billy Hunter, the Executive Director of the Union stated that the players will “file an appropriate legal challenge” to the league’s decision. For the moment that means a formal labor grievance for acts the Union now describes as “unnecessary” and an “unwarranted overreaction.”

So why is the Union ready to institute a legal fight on technical fouls? The answer is because these fouls are getting expensive for the players to pay and acting as a new revenue stream for the owners. According to NBA rules a technical foul fine starts at $2000 for the first five infractions and then moves up to $5000 per incident. If you think this a “pittance” for rich basketball players to pay, you may be right, but when you look at how many technical fouls are called around the league (including preseason), each night, the numbers can quickly add up.

The NBA and NFL, for that matter, are both looking at the real potential for lockout in upcoming seasons. In their labor negotiations, the NFL and NBA are seeking that their players to give back part of the shared revenue due to the “down economy” and new stadium costs. As of now the players in both leagues have been resistant to major give backs and seem to want more of shared revenue dollars. The owners can then use technical foul or unsportsmanlike conduct fines to even the score and act as a “tax” against their employees.

The players’ unions, in the NBA and NFL, should get ready to fight this maneuver if it means getting overly legally physical.
 

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Two popular athletes have been linked to domestic violence incidents.  

Los Angeles Lakers guard Matt Barnes was arrested on Wednesday on domestic violence charges. Police received an incomplete 911 call from Barnes' residence.  The call was placed by a woman Barnes was involved with.  The call was disconnected by Barnes during a struggle with the woman. Barnes faces charges of domestic violence and malicious obstruction of the use of a telephone. Barnes was released on $50,000 bail.  Following his release, Barnes put out a twitter post:  "Don't let your ears witness, what your eyes didn't see!!!".  Barnes should take notes from Mr. Clemens and refrain from fueling the fire with a twitter post.  

If his recent rant that has infuriated the asian and gay communities wasn't enough, Floyd is being linked to a domestic battery complaint.  Las Vegas police responded to a call from Josie Harris, mother of Mayweather's child.  Police attempted to speak with Mayweather, but could not locate the boxer.  

Mayweather and Harris don't have the cleanest history.  Harris had accused Mayweather of punching and kicking her while the two were in his Bentley in 2003, but the charges were dropped two years later.  Harris testified she lied because she was upset that Mayweather was involved with another woman.  

Mayweather remains at large.  With his recent public relations blunders, Mayweather should try to surface as soon as possible and at least speak to the police.  At this point of course, Mayweather is innocent until proven guilty.  Stay tuned to Sports In The Courts Blog for further coverage on this story.  

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New York Knicks Center Eddy Curry's recent arrest warrant has been lifted in Cook County, Illinois after a payment agreement was reached on the outstanding balance for Curry's civil suit.  Curry, the former Chicago Bull, failed to maintain a payment schedule on a $660,000 settlement with Christina White.  The settlement stemmed from an earlier legal settlement of a 2005 sexual abuse lawsuit.  This was the second warrant issued for Curry's arrest this summer. 

With all the issues Curry has had off the court and his failure to perform on the court, the logical thing would be for the Knicks to try to void Curry's contract.  Unfortunately, NBA players usually win the arbitrations held about these types of cases and Curry's expiring contract is one of the few pieces the Knicks have left to land a big player like Carmelo Anthony.  

In a perfect world, the court would be able to make an order to seize Curry's paychecks from the Knicks.  This would not only keep Curry's name out of the news for all the wrong reasons, but allow the Knicks to have the satisfaction of knowing Curry will not see that money while he is riding the pine.

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ESPN commentator Jay Mariotti pulled a Tito Ortiz this weekend and was arrested for domestic violence.  The incident happened late Friday night into early Saturday morning.  According to sources, Mariotti's altercation with his girlfriend went "Around the Horn".  Initially, Mariotti and his girlfriend were arguing at a club in Santa Monica.  It then spilled over into Mariotti's Venice apartment, where police were called at approximately 4:30 a.m..  Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad OchoCinco broke the news via Twitter.  

Mariotti was released on a $50,000 bail.  It will be interesting to see how ESPN handles this incident with Mariotti.  Check back for updates.  

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Since Lebronapalooza wrapped up, the NBA and David Stern have had their hands full with current and former stars appearing in the news for the wrong reasons.  

• Sacramento Kings rookie phenom Tyreke Evans became an Youtube star with his high speed racing on California highways at speeds in excess of 130 MPH!  Evans was arrested at gunpoint and charged with reckless driving.  Since then, Evans pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving and was able to wiggle out of the racing charges due to the lack of evidence.  This past Wednesday, Evans attended a Smart Start driving class and will participate in 80 hours of community service as part of his plea agreement. 

• Delonte West was suspended for 10 games by the NBA without pay after pleading guilty to weapons charges.  West was arrested for a traffic violation and police discovered a variety of weapons.  With West already treading lightly with his peers regarding the Lebron James rumors, West may be better off following in Stephon Marbury's footsteps when his home detention plea bargain and flee to China.

• Nenad Krstic was involved in a Ron Artest type incident in a Serbia - Greece FIBA game.  Former New Jersey Net and current Oklahoma City Thunder center, Krstic was detained overnight for his role in the melee.  The fight broke out after players began jawing at one another with under three min left in the game.  Krstic threw a few haymakers, pushed, shoved, and eventually launched a chair that struck Ioannis Bourousis, who had in street clothing on the bench.  Krstic was detained overnight following the altercation and was released the following morning.  Krstic will face misdemeanor-level "sports violence" charges.  The altercation closely resembled the one that broke out a few years ago involving Ron Artest, the Indiana Pacers, and the Detroit Pistons.  Although this is a FIBA game and has no ties to the NBA, it will be interesting to see how the NBA handles it.  Insuring players contracts for these global tournaments to protect against injuries has always been a topic of discussion.  NBA teams may place further restrictions on their players now because of the recent outbreak, which may put a damper on Commissioner David Stern's visions of global success.

• Former New Jersey Nets All Star Jayson WIlliams was sentenced on Friday to another year in jail for his recent DWI case.  The DWI occurred in January.  Williams, who is already is serving time behind bars for the accidental shooting of his limousine driver in 2002.  Williams plead guilty to the DWI and will serve the additional year in jail immediately following his current five year sentence. Although Williams stated the sentence seemed excessive, he said it was a small price to pay to deter drunk driving.  

• Indiana Pacers rookie Lance Stephenson made headlines before the season has even begun.  Stephenson, a Coney Island basketball legend, was arrested on August 14th for an incident that occurred with his girlfriend Jasmine Williams.  Stephenson's charges include third degree assault, harassment, and menacing.  Brooklyn Prosecutors also added a charge for possession of a weapon.  As further details have emerged, the incident, the argument stemmed from Stephenson's girlfriend failing to answer her phone.  Stephenson ambushed Williams as she returned to her apartment from a "girl's night".  Stephenson proceeded to push Williams down the stairs and "slammed" her head into the bottom stair.  This is not Stephenson's first run in with the law.  Stephenson's draft value was compromised for off-the-court issues, including a sexual abuse bust he was involved with on a 17-year old girl outside of Lincoln High School in 2008.  The Indiana Pacers and team President Larry Bird, took a chance by drafting Stephenson, and recently expressed their disappointment in the rookie's antics.  Look for this to come up in the offseason with a lockout looming over the NBA.

• One of Lebron James' newest teammates Udonis Haslem was arrested for possession of marijuana on August 15th.  Haslem was pulled over for speeding and troopers found marijuana in a black case under the drivers seat after searching the vehicle.  The passenger in the vehicle took the fall and claimed the 20+ grams of marijuana as his, not Haslems.  I guess the hype that is surrounding how many wins the Miami Heat will get to this year was not enough of a high for Haslem.  

Good luck to David Stern who has quite a bit of work to do on the public image of the NBA.  After resurrecting the NBA out of the drug filled 70's and 80's, competitive basketball and clean cut superstars must emerge for the NBA to regain popularity.  Maybe Stern should live up to his name with players and take a page out of Roger Goodell's rule book.

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With the non-stop media coverage of the free agency drama of Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade and others, the NBA has taken center stage even after its season has ended. This must be a magical team for the league. Well, not so fast.

The NBA collective bargaining agreement runs out after this season and there are many labor storm clouds on the way. While a handfull of star players are looking for "max deals" that will net them 100's of millions, as many as 20 teams could be in financial trouble. In fact, reports suggest that the 20 financially troubled teams will make MORE money during a lockout then having to pay their players.

Given this situation, the owners not participating in Lebronapoluza want major changes. They are seeking shorter max contracts and even non-guaranteed contracts for their players. In short, many NBA owners want the ability to get out of bad deals quickly. These owners are more than willing to shut down the game to get these changes.

If this happens, Lebron might want to save a few bucks from his new contract for 2011.  

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There is breaking news that Memphis Grizzles forward, Zach Randolph,  may be linked to a major marijuana drug bust in Indianapolis. Randolph has a long criminal record including a prior marijuana conviction.

According to court documents, Indianapolis police have been targeting a Cadillac Escalade as being a vehicle used to traffic drugs. Yesterday, the police arrested the driver of the Escalade (not Randolph). The arrest produced two important pieces of evidence connected to Randolph. The vehicle is registered to Randolph but more importantly, it has been modified to have secret compartments commonly used to hide large amounts of drugs.

We understand that the police have now seized other vehicles owned by Randolph as part of this investigation.

It is important to remember that Randolph has not been charged with any crime. However, news reports are calling him a "major marijuana supplier." Not good, Zach, not good at all.

We will be following this story.

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If you stubbornly believe, like me, that all individuals should receive “equal justice” and be viewed fairly by the courts, what just happened with Gilbert Arenas is an absolute disgrace.

Imagine if you have a gambling dispute with one of your co-workers. Also imagine that to settle this dispute you brought a couple of unloaded illegal guns to your job or place of business to use to make threats to settle the score. Then when you got caught, you lied about it to the police and tried to cover it up. As a former New York City prosecutor, I can tell you with certainty, you’re going to jail. For how long it would depend on many factors, but either way you’re going to the can, and you should.

Gilbert Arenas plead guilty to committing all of these crimes but only received a 30 day sentence to a halfway house and he will not do any time for these serious felonies. The sentence by D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert E. Morin was over the prosecutors recommendations of 90 days in prison. Apparently, the court felt that Mr. Arenas should get a pass because he was “sorry” and had participated in charities in the past. 

This reasoning is absolute nonsense. Arenas got off on a jail sentence because he is a professional basketball player and a member of the Washington Wizards (the local NBA team). Apparently the judge wasn’t swayed by the dangerous situation of bringing concealed illegal guns (even if not loaded) to a workplace to threaten someone (who may not of known the gun was unloaded by the way). This kind of criminal conduct requires time in jail no matter who you are. No matter how many points you can score. No matter how well you play defense. Remember you or I would be in jail if we committed these crimes and if justice was fairly distributed it, just ask Plaxico Burress.

Image: inboundpass (CC BY 2.0)

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