Larry Johnson accused of spitting drink in woman's face

Larry Johnson, already serving a one-game suspension from the Chiefs, now may find himself serving a suspension under the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. Larry Johnson spat in the face of Ashley Stewart at a club in Kansas City on Oct. 10th. According to the article, LJ tried to buy Stewart a drink the previous week.

Johnson got close to Stewart while swinging his arms belligerently, then said, “All I wanted [to] tell you is I’m going to kill your boyfriend,” the report said.

LJ also a December court date in a case accusing him of pushing the side of a woman’s face. Considering LJ’s not-so squeaky clean past, it wouldn’t surprise me that he spat in someone’s face. But to threaten to kill someone? I doubt that part of the accusation.

Johnson has 417 rushing yards on the season through 5 games.

NBA Laying Off 80 Due to Economy

Who isn't feeling the effects of the economy? Not only are individuals and companies feeling the pinch, but sports leagues are too.

The NBA is eliminating about 80 jobs in the United States, the first major American sports league to announce layoffs because of the worldwide economic turmoil.

Commissioner David Stern told The Associated Press last month the league would cut staff in anticipation of the downturn. He said Sunday the figure would be about 9 percent of the American work force, and the league confirmed the number of jobs the next day.

It will be interesting to see if other leagues and/or individual teams follow suit.

Rod Marinelli insulted by thought of quitting

After leading the Lions to an 0-4 start, Rod Marinelli was offended when asked about the possibility of quitting.

"Just you saying that to me, I would take that as a personal insult,"Marinelli said to a reporter.

"I won't change," he said. "I believe everything I'm doing in the game of football and how it's being taught. I have 100 percent belief in it.

"I respect authority, which a lot of times that doesn't happen in this country," said Marinelli, a Vietnam veteran. "I look at authority and I take my marching orders from there."

Marinelli isn't the only reason why the Lions are off to such a bad start. Fired GM Matt Millen hasn't provided him with enough talent to win football games. However, it's unlikely that Marinelli is on the Lions sideline come this time next year.

Ford Jr would fire Millen

In 2007, Jon Kitna made a 10-win guarantee and everyone thought he was crazy. After a 6-2 start, some thought it might have happened until they fell apart in the 2nd half to finish the year 7-9.

In 2008, Kitna slightly softened his "guarantee" by saying he would be "disappointed" if Detroit didn't win 10 games. After picking up where they left off at the end of 2007, the Lions have started 0-3 and have given up 113 points in 3 games, 2nd worst only to St. Louis (116 points).

Now, Bill Ford Jr. says he would fire GM/President Matt Millen:

It didn't take long for things to get ugly in Detroit. Today's brutal public comments from vice chairman Bill Ford Jr. -- who said he would have fired president/general manager Matt Millen today if he had the authority -- opens up a can of worms no one thought would be exposed this early in the season.

Ford Jr.'s father, William Clay Ford, runs the team and has been intensely loyal to Millen through seven losing seasons. The younger Ford, however, has made several strong comments this year about his expectations for the team -- making clear he believes Millen and coach Rod Marinelli have been given everything they asked for to build a winner.

I agree with Ford Jr. And they only Kitna and the Lions win 10 games in 2008 is if the NFL intervenes and modifies the 2008 schedule so that the Lions play the Rams every week for the rest of the year.

Bulgaria loses 82-0 in womens ice hockey

Sportsmanship is alive and well. In a pre-qualifying match, the Slovakian womens ice hockey team shut out the Bulgarian team. But it wasn't a defensive struggle. The Slovaks scored 82 times on their Bulgarian opponents after leading 31-0 at the first intermission.

Bulgaria trailed 7-0 after 5 minutes, 19-0 after 10 and 31-0 at the end of the first period.

The drubbing capped a woeful showing for the Bulgarian women, who also lost 30-1 to Croatia and 41-0 to Italy in earlier games.

If it's any consolation, the article said that Thailand once lost 92-0.

Chad Johnson now Chad Javon Ocho Cinco

Chad Johnson was one of my favorite players in the NFL. He was a little out there like racing horses on a horse track for charity, but he seemed like he was just a guy that had fun with the game. I respected that.



With all of his off-season antics, Chad Johnson became one of my least favorite players. Perhaps, he was easily influenced by his uber-jerk agent, Drew Rosenhaus, but he was a different Chad Johnson. Now, he's an even different Chad Johnson:

The Cincinnati Bengals receiver has legally changed his name to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco in Broward County, Fla., a switch that became official this week.

"It's something I don't think anyone has ever done before," he told the team's Web site. "Have I ever had a reason for why I do what I do? I'm having fun."

Many don't like his antics including head coach Marvin Lewis, who has referred to Chad as "Ocho Psycho." But I love the move. Whether you (or I) like Ocho Cinco or not, one thing's for sure. He will always give us something to talk about.

Jerricho Scott: "Too good"?

Jerricho Scott, a 9-year old youth baseball player, is good. He throws a baseball 40 mph and accurately while helping lead his youth team to an 8-0 record.

But according to parents and officials in Scott's league, Scott is "too good."

Leroy and Nicole Scott, whose fast-pitching son, Jericho, 9, is at the center of the dispute, met Monday, along with another player’s parents, with prominent attorney John Williams to see whether the season could be saved. Williams said Monday he will take legal action to try to get Jericho’s team into the upcoming playoffs, where they belong after an 8-0 season. He also will sue the league over the pain and suffering of Jericho and the other young players.

League officials offered to move the team’s 13 players to other squads after they tried to dissolve the team last week because the coach, Wilfred Vidro, refused to pull Jericho off the pitcher’s mound as requested by league officials.

Jericho’s pitches are so fast and accurate that league officials and some parents feared their kids weren’t able to play freely, league attorney Peter Noble said recently. All the players on Jericho’s team declined to move and are sticking together.

I think this story is ridiculous. Jerricho Scott is good yet he is being punished for being "too good." It should be that the kids learn the lesson that you compete, give it all you have and maybe sometimes that's not enough. But instead of giving up, you continue to work hard and you will get better.

We are too PC these days. There is nothing wrong with competition and no such thing as being "too good."

The one good lesson that is being taught in this situation is what Jerricho, his teammates and his coach are doing. They are sticking together to demonstrate their solidarity. Hopefully, league officials are paying close attention to the good example that Jerricho and his teammates are setting.