(Basketball)

...Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O'Neal apologized today for a classless rap song he sung in a bar, insulting Lakers star Kobe Bryant. The 2-minute freestyling rap song, laced with obscenities. derided Bryant for not leading the Lakers to the NBA title; blamed Bryant for the breakup of O'Neal's marriage; he again reiterated how Bryant ratted him out during Kobe's rape charge investigation in Colorado; and 6-times made reference to the Lakers star peforming a sex act on him, inviting him to tell him how his '****-tastes'. The Suns reportedly are enraged at the lyrics. The Maricopa County Sheriffs department say the player is no longer welcome around their officers.

The ill will between Shaq and Kobe escalated when Bryant told authorities in Colorado, Shaq was never charged with sexual assault because he paid off his ladies. O'Neal demanded a trade from LA after Bryant told owner Jerry Buss he would leave as a free-agent if Shaq stayed. The relationship grew worse because O'Neal was constantly out of shape in their final year together. And Bryant made a reference to O'Neal's wife having an affair and taking 31-million dollars of the players money last year.

He finished up the rap song say Kobe couldn't do it without me. Shaq, whose favorite phrase is 'can you dig it', is now being challenged 'can't you forget it'.

...Carmelo Anthony, the Denver Nuggets star, will miss the first two games of next year, after a drunk driving arrest.

...New Orleans Hornets guard Rasaul Butler has been arrested for pulling a gun at a restaurant.

...Tommy Heinsohn , the legendary Boston Celtics player and broadcaster, will undergo surgery for a blood clot in his stomach.

...The Chicago Bulls have setup interviews with Bernie Bickerstaff and Del Harris, about key assistants jobs with new head coach Vinnie DelNegro.

...A European team, CSKA-Moscow today offered contracts to Toronto Raptors forward Jorge Garbajosa and 7-foot Kansas center Sasha Kaun.

 

(Baseball)

...The last place Padres, who have lost 6-of-7, face the Minnesota Twins tonite at Petco Park. The Twins have won 6-in a row. Jake Peavy will try to stop the Friars slide. San Diego is now (32-45), the second worst mark in the National League.

...The injury jinxed Padres have lost another top draft pick; Logan Forsythe, the third player taken in the draft, tore thumb ligaments in his 3rd game last nite in Eugene, Oregon, sliding into lst base in a game in the Northwest League.

...The Padres ownership has said it will not give the Seattle Mariners permission to talk to GM-Kevin Towers.

...The Dodgers have Derek Lowe on the mound tonite against the White Sox.

...The Angels (47-30) play in Washington again tonite.

...The Cleveland Indians have signed ex-Braves infielder Tony Graffanino and former Twins reliever Juan Rincon.

...Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkilis was sent to a specialist for an eye exam after getting hit in the face with a throw last nite.

...Cleveland doctors say Josh Barfield will be out 8-weeks with a broken finger.

...Washington lst baseman Nick Johnson underwent wrist surgery today for a blood clot at the Cleveland Clinic and will miss the rest of the year.

...Atlanta's Tom Glavine will be out 6-weeks with a damaged elbow.

...The Cubs have put outfielder Reed Johnson on the DL with back problems.

...Seattle starter Felix Hernandez will miss l-start with a sprained ankle.

...Injury prone Texas infielder Hank Blalock is out of action again with a bruised wrist. Rangers catcher Hank Blalock will miss 6-weeks with a hamstring injury.

...St-Louis, which has 10-players on the DL, says pitcher Mark Mulder has strained his back; he had been on rehab assignments coming back from shoulder surgery.

...Sports Illustrated, in a poll of 495-players, says Derek Jeter is the most overrated player in baseball; they ranked Barry Zito, Alex Rodriguez and JD Drew in the top five.

(Football)

...Las Vegas police arrested a 30-year old man on felony kidnapping and robbery charges in the assault of Raiders receiver Javon Walker last weekend. They are searching for a second man. Walker could be in trouble with the law for filing a police report, saying he was robbed in his room at the Bellagio. Hotel video shows Walker walking with 2-men and willingly getting into their SUV hours before he was found unconscious in the street.

...Testimony began today in the 19-million dollar Steve Foley lawsuit against Coronado police officer Aaron Mansker. The off-duty officer testified he gave 3-orders on the highway to have Foley pull off the road that were disobeyed, and 3-commands and a warning shot for Foley to quit stalking him before the Chargers player was shot in a drunk driving confrontation in the fall of 2006. Mansker testified he was kon a 2-way radio for 20-minutes with other law enforcement agencies asking for help as he trailed Foley for nearly 20-miles.

...Miami Dolphins safety Jason Allen is being sued for 200-thousand dollars by agent Tom Condon for failing to pay back-fees.

...Detroit Lions 2nd round pick Jordan Dizon from Colorado, was arrested days before the draft on drunk driving and traffic charges.

...Cedric Benson, the ex-Bears running back, has been ordered to install an alcohol starter lock on his car, that prevents the ignition from turning if there is alcohol in the car.

...The New York Giants have released backup quarterback Jared Lorenzen.

...The Atlanta Falcons have signed New Orleans safety Deke Cooper.

...Duante Culpepper, the ex-Vikings star quarterback, who has bounced from Miami to the Raiders to the unemployment line, has turned a 1-year 1-million dollar offer from Green Bay.

...Byron Leftwich, the ex-Jacksonville quarterback, has lost 25-pounds and is hoping for a free-agent invite to a camp; leg injuries have plagued him the last 3-years.

...The Arena League LA Avengers have fired coach Ed Hodgkiss after another (5-11) season; he was (58-58) as head coach in 7-years but won only 1-playoff game.

...Alabama has expelled starting linebacker Jimmy Johns from school, after his arrest for selling cocaine and ecstasy in an on-campus drug ring. He is the 7th Tide player in a year to have problems with the law since Nick Saban took over as coach.

...UCLA, with offensive line problems, have picked up 2-transfers. Kai Maiava, a tackle from Colorado University, and Diablo Valley Community College guard Donovan Edwards are both transferring into the Bruins program. Both had been considering San Diego State.

 

(Hockey)

...The NHL has suspended Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli after he plead guilty to lying to SEC investigators about his role in a stock option scam. He faces 5-years probation and a 12-million dollar fine after pleading guilty to making a false statement about his company Broadcom's handling of back-dating stock options. He received no benefits from the deals, which were intended as bonuses for employees.

...LA Kings owner Philip Anschutz may have to answer questions about a 17-million dollar loan made to William Del Biaggio, who bought the Nashville Predators; Del Biaggo has been indicted on a major bank fraud loan case.

...Barry Melrose has been hired as head coach, Rick Tocchett as assistant coach, by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Melrose is the former coach who led the LA Kings to the Stanley Cup finals during the Wayne Gretzky era; Tocchett, a longtime player, was suspended for a year and a half for taking part in a New Jersey betting ring, while an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes.

...Evgeni Malkin, the 42-goal scorer of the Pittsburgh Penguins, has turned down a 12-million dollar a year offer from the newly formed Russian Continental League.

...New York Rangers winger Jaromir Jagr reportedly will be offered the same deal to play in Russia next season.

...The Ottawa Senators have bought out the contract of controversial goalie Ray Emery, who went (12-13-4) and was benched a year after leading the Senators to the Stanley Cup finals.

...The Toronto Maple Leafs bought out the contract of goalie Alan Raycroft and forward Kyle Wellwood.

...Tampa Bay dumped veteran goalie Mark Dennis today also.

 

(General)

...The lst big upset today at Wimbledon; 4th seed Nik Davydenko lost in straight sets to a 116th ranked player.

...2nd seed Rafael Nadal slugged his way to a win; Andy Roddick had 17-aces in his victory.

...Venus Williams had a 125-mile an hour serve, but struggled to get her lst win. Serena Williams needed just 77-minutes to get a victory.

...Rocco Mediate says he was not offended by Johnny Miller's TV-comment about his US Open performance. Miller said guys named Rocco ought to be cleaning swimming pools.

...The trainers of Big Brown, the Derby and Preakness winner, say a loosened horshoe could have been the reason the horse pulled up in the Belmont Stakes. 2-photos surfaced about the shoe on the horses right rear leg.

...Santa Anita will rip up its cushion track and put in the Australian built Pro-Rid surface next month. Santa Anita lost 14-racing dates with major drainage problems.

...WABC-Radio says it will not discipline Don Imus for his Pac-Man Jones comments made on his network show yesterday.. Imus, suspended last winter, for racially toned comments about -nap haired-ho's-making reference to Rutgers women's basketball team, inferred Pac Man Jones was arrested because he was black, and black's commit crimes. He said 'now we know' why he was arrested 6-times.

...NHRA drag racing star Tony Schumacher wants a drivers meeting to come up with a list of demands for changes in track safety, after Scott Kalita was burned to death in his Top Fuel car at Old Bridge, New Jersey. The car exploded, trapping Kalitta in fire, the chutes failed to open, the car went more than 1000-feet thru a sand pit, and hit a wall.

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