Ok, we’re back. Sorry for the hiatus. If you haven’t heard, we’re blogging MMA and some boxing for Yahoo. We will do our best to keep Mr. Sunshine current. Especially with the topics, pictures and videos we discuss on Cofield & Cokin.
CAT FIGHT BETWEEN KOBE’S WIFE AND ESPN THE MAGAZINE BLOGGER
This is a good one from The Sports Pig. Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa reportedly flipped out on ESPN’s Laura Lane. Lane writes on her blog..
So as I’m walking out of the Lakers locker room after some post-game interviews with the players, I pass Vanessa, who is sitting outside the locker room as usual with her two girls.
“Laura!” she screams (yes, she apparently knows my name). “F- you! You f-ing bitch!”
“Excuse me?” I say, completely baffled as I look around me to see if there is someone else named Laura. No, there’s not.
Her daughters – ages 5 and 2 – are sitting next to her on the bench looking at their mom as she screams.
“F- you! How dare you write about me and my daughters and their schedule! You didn’t say you were writing an article! F- you! You f-ing bitch. You have no journalism ethics! F- you! You bitch – ”
Bryant isn’t happy that Lane critiques her clothing and behavoir during Laker games…
“When he changed his number I didn’t have anything with a 24 on it so I had them make this dress,” Vanessa says. “I don’t know how to sew that well so I just told them what to do.”
After the screaming session, Lane unloaded on Bryant.
She’s insane. Everyone knows it. Perhaps she’s angry at the world because there were rumors today that came out that Kobe Bryant slept with a Lakers cheerleader – a hotter version of his wife who is also named Vanessa – and she got fired. While I am completely against cheating, can you honestly blame Kobe if he didn’t want to sleep with that???
Considering there are a lot of rumors going around, I’m sure she’s upset. So she took it out on me and now I have an awesome story.
About three different reporters at the game and one of my editors told me I should write about her cussing me out. That’s the beauty of journalism. You don’t fight, you write.
THAT WAS A FOUL
I love arguing whether Brent Barry got fouled. The refs have called these playoffs like pussies the entire way. If they were consistent, that call is made and Barry goes to the line for three free throws.
That was the last time the Lakers were in San Antonio for the playoffs. Then Tim Duncan threw in a leaning jumper for the lead — and Derek Fisher and 0.4 followed.
This time — with Fisher again involved — one bad call deserved another.
This time the refs didn’t see that a Fisher jumper had grazed the rim, not resetting the shot clock. This time the refs chose to look the other way when Fisher leaped and landed on Brent Barry.
This time the Lakers deserved what they got.
They clearly outplayed the Spurs.
JOEY CRAWFORD WAS THE CREW CHIEF? WHY IS HE STILL WORKING THE PLAYOFFS AFTER THE DEBACLES OF THE LAST FEW YEARS?
The conspiracy theorists are howling in San Antonio. I don’t think they’re right but who the hell knows. Crawford imploded last year. Is it beyond belief that he still holds a grudge and lets emotion get the best of him during some NBA games?
Crawford was suspended late in the 2006-07 season after he tossed Tim Duncan from a game for laughing at him from the bench on April 15, 2007, in Dallas. He was reinstated for this season and remains one of the league’s highest-rated referees. A veteran of 31 seasons, Crawford has worked 38 NBA Finals games, more than any active referee. His 266 playoff games worked heading into this playoff season makes him the most experienced active playoff referee.
PITTSBURGH TALKER PAYS HEFTY PRICE FOR OVER THE TOP REMARKS
We pointed out on Tuesday that Mark Madden was a bit out of control last week on his Steel Town radio show. Now he may lose his job. He’s waged public wars with Pittsburgh sports figures for year but it looks like he cross the line in his comment about Ted Kennedy.
Madden said the following about Sen. Kennedy, who days earlier had been diagnosed with brain cancer: “I’m very disappointed to hear Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts is near death because of a brain tumor. I always hoped Senator Kennedy would live long enough to be assassinated.”
Madden works for one of the few owned and operated station in the ESPNRadio family. An independent station may not have jumped as quickly. I’d like to see him given another shot.
JIM NANTZ, ANOTHER MILLIONAIRE SPEWING MISINFORMATION
Another out of touch TV guy is pontificating about the blogosphere. Nantz threw out this gem during a recent interview on MSNBC.
I have to admit, I’m so far out of the loop on the blogosphere, I really don’t partake in that. I know that it’s got a huge following. On the few occasions that I have gone or been introduced to it and checked out what’s been written, maybe about my world, it’s usually so vile and vicious that I shut it down after a minute or two.
There’s no stopping it. The scary thing is how much credibility someone lends to that. How much credibility do we give to people out there who aren’t trained in journalism and then try and masquerade as someone who can pass along information as factual.
Upon reading about it, I was glad there was a firestorm about it. I really appreciated Buzz Bissinger — I read he was a little ashamed of his level of anger — but I completely understood where he was coming from.
Nantz was so interested in the topic he did admit he couldn’t carve out the 90 minutes to actually watch the CostasNow show….
MSNBC: Did you follow the discussions that came out of the recent “Costas Now” show on sports media–
JN: I read about it.
As out of touch as Bob Costas, Nantz may be more so. He is a blue-blood with a golfing background. Sorry bro, don’t really care about your thoughts on what average joe sports fans enjoy and don’t enjoy.
THE U.S. SUCKS AGAIN..WE HAVE MICHELLE AKERS, BRAZIL HAS LAISA ANDRIOLI
I would assume the Brazilian team is damn good in women’s soccer.
VECSEY JUMPS ON THE BASH LEBRON BANDWAGON, DOES HE HAVE A POINT?
You may disagree with Peter but it is refreshing to see him simply state his opinion and not make up stories as he did twice in a week, two weeks ago.
After years of being targeted by defensive gameplans you’d think LeBron (i.e. coach Mike Brown) would understand (insist) that by giving up the ball sooner on each possession (and continuing to move), the greater difficulty opponents have surrounding James when he gets it back in better scoring position.
Dutrow’s ARCI rap sheet contains 72 entries, including fines and suspensions in Maryland, California, New York, Florida, Delaware and New Jersey.
Several of those are for his own personal conduct; many involve marijuana. Others include: an alleged attempt to pass forged checks in Maryland; an attempt to provide a false urine sample “by means of an apparatus concealed on his person”; and a failure to report on a New York license application a 1991 criminal conviction in Nevada.
And he’s been fined or suspended at least once every year since 2000 for doping issues. In 2000, a barn search in New York produced “an injectible vitamin which is forbidden.” In ’01, a horse had excessive Lasix — an anti-bleeding medication — in its system. In ’02, Dutrow “failed to follow Lasix procedures.” In ’03, a horse tested positive for Mepivacaine. From ’04 through an ’08 fine in Florida, there were citations regarding Lasix, Clenbuterol, Phenylbutazone and Oxyphenbutazone.
COME ON, YOU KNOW IT’S WRONG…TISK, TISK WEBSTER!!
PREAKNESS INFIELD LOOKS LIKE GOOD WHOLESOME, FAMILY FUN
COUGAR V. BRITNEY…COUGAR WINS AGAIN
The other day, we faced-off 39-year old Jennifer Aniston v. 26 y.o. Britney…no contest.
Here is 38-year old Mariah Carey and more Britney at the beach in Costa Rica.
HOOPS RECRUITING UPDATE
UNLV looked to have it’s pick of the litter a few weeks back with Kentucky’s Derrick Jasper and Pepperdine’s Malcolm Thomas looking at Vegas as a transfer destination. Things have gotten really quiet.
Thomas is apparently an academic mess. Reports are that UNLV is clearly behind UCLA and San Diego State in the race.
Jasper is now being courted by Minnesota (former KY coach Tubby Smith) and Cal along with the Rebels. There is also some buzz in Lexington that he may just stay at Kentucky. Stay tuned.
UNLV is also being mentioned in the race for another transfer. Curtis Kelly, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, is leaving UConn.
Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com is reporting that Kelly is looked at K-State this weekend. He told Goodman that he’s also considering UNLV, Kentucky, Xavier, Rhode Island, Virginia and Miami.
Kelly, ranked ahead of …Wayne Chism (Tenn), Taj Gibson (USC), Ryan Anderson (Cal)…was the 11th-rated PF in 2006 coming out of Rice (Manhattan). He chose UConn over L’Ville, Pitt and Syracuse.
It’s pretty special when you can become THE host that listeners want to attack the most, in just five months on the new station.
I may have earned that prestigious label.
Paulie Howard nearly got his head ripped off this weekend by MMA fighter Phil Baroni. You can see in the picture, Baroni slapped on a vicious choke. He wouldn’t let it go until Paulie tapped 17 times!!!
Today, the Vegas listeners were offered the opportunity to choke out any of the five ESPNRadio1100 hosts…Paulie and Mr. Sunshine are in a heated battle. They have left Mitch Moss, Seat Williams and Dave Cokin in the dust.
He nearly passed out after MMA fighter Phil Baroni slapped on a choke. Randy Couture got out of a Paulie choke in five seconds.
To add insult to injury, Paulie was then destroyed in an eating content. Channel 13’s Doug Kazerian buried Paul in a burrito scarfing contest. DK finished the giant burrito im 67 seconds!!!
Phil Baroni gets Paulie of ESPN Radio 1100 to tap 17 times
Randy Couture makes a mockery of Paul’s choke hold
Marlon (Brando) was without doubt the sexiest, fattest man I ever slept with. I went to his house a week before I was jailed and had the most exhausting but satisfying eight hours of my life. We did it in every position imaginable.
“As soon as I walked in he stripped me and devoured me like an animal. For the next eight hours we did it in every room of the house and even in the shower.
“He was old then but Marlon knew exactly how to please a woman and despite his size had incredible stamina. He just kept going.
Marlon he could go for hours and loved sex every which way. He gave me 20 orgasms that night.”
From thesportspig.com….
Fleiss says she’s loves having sex with fat men because “they try harder.”
PATRIOTS’ BALLS GET BIGGER BY THE DAY
New England, the media and it’s fans are on the warpath. Apparently, the Boston Herald’s mistake about the Rams Super Bowl walkthrough has erased everything Bill Belicheat was penalized for by the NFL.
Owner Robert Kraft is now lashing out at ESPN.com, saying they need to up their journalistic standard. Isn’t an ethics lecture great coming from a guy who extended Belichick’s contract just days after Spygate began to explode back in September. Jon Kraft fed by the homers at WEEI blasted ESPN (CLICK HERE FOR THE AUDIO).
SPORTSBOOKS ARE RUINED BY CORPORATE VEGAS
Jeff Haney of the Las Vegas Sun tells the story of the Stratosphere refusing to pay off a medium-sized bet because it was turned in six days “too late.”
Parton is irate with the “joke” audio played on Stern’s show…
I have never been so shocked, hurt and humiliated in all my life,” Parton said in a statement on Wednesday. “I cannot believe what Howard Stern has done to me. In a blue million years, I would never have such vulgar things come out of my mouth. They have done editing or some sort of trickery to make this horrible, horrible thing. Please accept my apology for them and certainly know I had nothing to do with this.”
She concluded: “If there was ever going to be a lawsuit, it’s going to be over this. Just wanted you to know that I am completely devastated by this.”
Around the country, the news that Charles Barkley owes Wynn Casino $400,000 may not be big news. After all, the Round Mound has openly stated that he’s got a gambling problem and is probably $10 million in the hole.
Wynn Las Vegas is frustrated with the former NBA player because he’s owed the 400 large since October. The property has now asked Clark County D.A. David Roger to look into filing felony theft charges against Barkley.
“By taking the $400,000 in credit and refusing to pay the amount despite repeated attempts, Barkley has wrongfully exercised dominion and control over Wynn’s property,” Wynn Las Vegas said in the complaint.
If indicted and convicted on four separate felony theft charges, Barkley could get 10 years in prison.
“The allegation is that he was given four $100,000 markers in October of last year. He’ll be given the opportunity to make restitution. If he doesn’t make restitution then he will face charges. Once an agreement is made, he could have up to six months to make those payments.”
“If we charged him with theft, it would be four counts. That’s 1-10 years in Nevada state prison. Filing bad checks is 1-4 years per count.”
Sportsbook industry folks are infuriated that Barkley is stiffing the casino.
Afterall, it was Barkley who was treated like gold by Mandalay Bay after being given a little of credit on Super Sunday in 2002. A paperwork error and Barkley’s refusal to agree to his end of the deal nearly destroyed a sportsbook director’s career.
The folks in the Mandalay Bay sports book were alerted a few hours before Super Bowl 36, that Barkley wanted to bet $500,000+ on the Rams-Patriots game. One slight problem, Barkley didn’t have the money. Sportsbook’s don’t extend lines of credit, only the games on the floor can do so.
If the player needs a “marker” to play in the sportsbook, he’ll sign the appropriate paperwork or be given the dollar value in chips by the casino cage, and is then escorted over to the book to place the bet.
Barkley got his marker and walked over to the book where he placed a $500,000 bet on the Patriots at +14 and $50,000 on the Pats money line at over 3-to-1.
Shortly after the bets were placed, the sportsbook noticed that Barkley hadn’t actually signed the paperwork, the fault of the cage, making it a non-binding agreement. When he was tracked down off property, Barkley refused to sign the paperwork.
He’d gotten away with it!!! A “free roll” worth over $650k if he won.
The Patriots covered and won the game outright and Barkley still got paid which technically violated Nevada gaming rules. Mandalay Bay honored the bet even though it didn’t have to, but the property needed a fall guy, so the book director Nick Bogdanovich was fired.
Bogdanovich, who now runs the Cal-Neva sportbooks in Reno & Las Vegas, was out of the industry for a long time after the Barkley snafu. As one sportsbook vet told us, “Barkley ruined his f*ckin life!”
We come full circle in 2008, Barkley has been given a line of credit by Wynn Las Vegas and won’t pay off his bets. Former and current book directors that we spoke with said Barkley is a scumbag but because he loses so much money at the roulette tables, you have to placate him on the smaller losses (400k!!!).
THE JIG IS UP, PUBLIC FINALLY ADMITS PAULA IS OFTEN WASTED ON AMERICAN IDOL
Paula Abdul on American Idol 4/29
I’m one of the few sports radio guys who is an Idol devotee. I like the show in spite of stupid viewers who keep less talented singers on the show.
But the real flaw of the show is Paula Abdul. I would estimate that as I’m watching, I screamed out, ” Paula is wasted” during 25% of the shows. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t watch live anymore. I DVR each episode and then fast forward when she speaks.
Her confusing gaff the other night followed by a nonsensical bumbling explanation looked like a person whacked out of their mind on something other than Coca-Cola.
COULD PACMAN BE THE NEXT CLEMENS?
Did Jones make a mistake in placing the blame on Arvell Edwards for last year’s Minnx shooting? Police have to investigate these claims by Edwards made on Newschannel 5 in Nashville….
“I feel sorry for them and everything, but I want to let them know I’m not the person who done this. I’ve been shot before. I know how it feels,” he told NewsChannel 5 reporter Amy Rao.
Documents uncovered by NewsChannel 5 reveal Jones told detectives a man he had never met before, Edwards, told him he would take care of things. Then, Jones witnessed Edwards opening fire.
Jones told police Edwards extorted $15,000 from him, telling him he needed to pay for “services rendered. I definitely didn’t receive no $15,000. I definitely didn’t extort nobody out of no money.”
Instead, Edwards said Jones “paid somebody to shoot that club up. Now, if he wants to tell on somebody he needs to tell on himself and tell them what he actually done.”
Edwards said Jones knows the shooter well. Edwards said the shooter is part of a crowd Jones hangs out with in Atlanta.
“He knows they name,” Edwards said. “He knows they street name. He needs to tell on them instead of trying to put this on me when he knows I didn’t do this and he know I never met him before and he know he don’t know me and I don’t know him.”
Clemens is being bombarded by new daily stories detailing his womanizing. Will Pacman have his boys start flipping on him as well?
MICHAEL BUFFER BEATS CANCER AND IS WORTH HOW MUCH?!?!?
CostasNow was much-watch TV last night on HBO. In hindsight, I’m not sure why.
His investigation of the sports media in 2008 was incredibly predictable. Costas put together a Bill O’Reilly-esque discussion on sports radio and the blogosphere. The show was poorly researched, tiny in scope and hackish. Like O’Reilly, Costas’ mind was made up before the whole thing started and he bullied anyone with a dissenting opinion.
The feature on sports radio featured no hosts west of Chicago. And didn’t produce one opinion/soundbite from any highly rated shows.
Jay Mariotti, who’s been fired from every single radio job that he’s had, was annointed as some sort of expert on sports radio content. The Score’s Mike North, who is losing in the ratings to a national radio show in his own town of Chicago, was featured as the outrageous host. Mike and the Mad Dog were also interviewed. They generate lots of money for WFAN but by the ratings, their show isn’t in the top 10 nationwide. Mike and Chris do 1987 sports-talk radio because it still works in New York. Who know if especially Francesa would play well anywhere outside of the northeast.
How would any of those hosts know what the audiences want in Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco or Denver?
It would’ve been nice to hear from someone at The Ticket in Dallas, The Sports Animal in Oklahoma City, The Fan in Minneapolis, KJR in Seattle or even a host like Kansas City’s Soren Petro, who is beating Rush Limbaugh in the male 25-54 demo. Those stations all outrate WFAN and The Score.
The genre of “guy talk” was trashed. Is there guy talk that is boorish, crude and rude at times? Absolutely. Of course hosts cross the line. Costas can’t understand this because he’s never done a 5-day-a-week, radio show. He wouldn’t know what it’s like to re-invent yourself constantly. He’s never had pressure to help a station make money.
Costas and Mitch Albom had no problem throwing out blankets statements about ALL sports radio. Yet it was outrageous for Barry Bonds to generalize saying Costas is a, “little midget man who knows (nothing) about baseball.”
How would Costas, who is a multi-millionaire, understand what the average joe, making 20-50k, likes or dislikes? When was the last time Costas was on a radio show and took hours of phone calls opening himself up to criticism and praise? Or did a meet and greet with the average sports fan, sitting for extensive periods of time with them?
As I watched, hypocrisy was the word most often rattling around my head. Traditional media (better stated — old, stagnant media) says one thing and does another. They hate what sports radio has become, yet they line up to get radio jobs or do TV shows with talk radio formats.
Albom took up for the print guys, who in general are fighting for their lives. Newspapers are dying because they’re not morphing or adjusting to the audiences needs. It’s funny how people who struggling feel more comfortable when they cab label everyone else. The impression from Albom and Costas was that radio guys are plucked from the stand and lack education.
Here is our radio show on Wednesday breaking down the sportsradio segment. Keep in mind, my co-host Dave Cokin is 50+. He doesn’t echo the same sentiments as Mariotti, Costas, Albom, etc.
McCready says this about the former Boston pitcher…
“I cannot refute anything in the story,” a tearful but resolute McCready told the Daily News, which broke the story at midnight Sunday.
The News reported that the two met in a Florida karaoke bar when McCready was a 15-year-old aspiring singer and Clemens was a 28-year-old ace for the Red Sox and a married father of two.
“Yes, I have known Roger Clemens for a long time,” McCready said, reading from a prepared statement. “He’s a kind and caring man. He’s also a legendary athlete. The central topic in the debate, however, regards his professional life, not his personal life.
“There are legal matters working their way through the system that have nothing to do with me. From my point of view, that is where the focus should remain.”
After the teenage McCready met Clemens at a Fort Myers bar called The Hired Hand, she returned with the Rocket to his hotel room, but there was no sex that night, sources told The News.
It wasn’t until later, after McCready had moved to Nashville and become a country singing star, that the relationship turned intimate.
N.Y. WRITER SAYS CLEMENS IS BAD, BUT HE’S NO MILEY CYRUS
Wally Matthews is the ultimate knee jerk reaction guy. Whatever sells papers in New York is right up Wally’s alley. And if he can go against the grain to get people worked up, he’ll do it.
I’m going to have a much tougher time explaining that one to my 7-year-old daughter, who worships at the altar of Hannah Montana
After all, if McCready is the one who leaked this story, how different is she, really, from Clemens?
The same way Clemens (allegedly) turned to steroids and HGH to restart a dead career, McCready might now be turning to Clemens for precisely the same reason.
When does it end for Matthews? It’s good to see that he’s back solely in print where there is little accountability. He was an absolute flop in radio on ESPN 1050 in NYC. His nonsensical ramblings were shredded by New York sports fans on the phones. Matthews also got daily ass whipping from Jim Rome when they did The Last Word on FoxSportsNet in 1998-99
HANNAH MONTANA LATEST CHILD TO BE USED BY GREEDY ADULTS
This Miley Cyrus photo scandal comes as no shocker. And it’s not like adults haven’t taken advantage of a child to make a buck in the past. Check 13-year old Brooke Shields in the 1978 movie, Pretty Baby.
I also had a weird vibe as many did back in early April when watching American Idol.
On 4/10 I went on the air and said I felt like a dirty old man after watching Hannah Montana on Idol. She was acting way too seductive for a 15 y.o. and the outfit she had on was ridiculous. Watch the performance below.
VECSEY MAKES UP STORY AND THEN GLOSSES OVER APOLOGY
Again, another “tenured” sportswriter who opines with no accountability. NBA “insider” Pete Vecsey is one of the most combative and hostile writers in the country. He was recently nabbed as a guy who is making up his nuggets.
A few months ago, before the Raptors were to play the Lakers, he addressed the team by telling them, “We’ll worry about the guy who got 81 in a second, but first I want to talk about Andrew Bynum and how he killed us last time.” A hush engulfed the locker room. “Hey, coach,” Chris Bosh interrupted. “Bynum’s been out for weeks with an injury.”
ONLY one thing is worse than getting something dead wrong, and that’s not correcting the mistake immediately. A story in Sunday’s column regarding the readiness of the Raptors for a Laker game portrayed Toronto coach Sam Mitchell as being unrehearsed and unaware Andrew Bynum was hurt.
After speaking at length to the aggrieved coach and broadening my investigation, I’m convinced I turned in an improperly researched project.
I’m trying to regain some misplaced credibility by making amends.
This may be my second favorite Vecsey story. He lost his cool in print over the Ernie Grunfeld firing during the 1998-99 season. Grunfeld was a Vecsey guy, while N.Y. Times writer Mike Wise was tight with coach Jeff Van Gundy. JVG won the power struggle to which Vecsey responded in the N.Y. Post by writing, “Wise and Van Gundy will get theirs.”
Check that, the best Vecsey story of all time was his fight in a Seattle-area Toys-R Us.
Some couple was walking past him, and the wife thought she recognized Peter Vecsey, and the husband said no, and “besides, he’s an idiot.”brought to light by Bench Ronaldo:
It was Vecsey. Someone who Vecsey was with took exception to the comment, shoved the husband into a display rack–then both Vecsey and the companion took turns hitting the hubby in the face. Or so the alleged victims said at the time.
This apparently spooked Vecsey so much he’s avoided Seattle ever since. As he said in a recent New York Post column,
“I got into a skirmish in a Seattle toy store in 1996 and I never went back – to that toy store or that city.”
THE BEST BRITISH IMPORT SINCE THE BEATLES
For those of you who are attracted to photos of grown women (exclude Clemens and Vanity Fair readers), Keeley Hazell’s upcoming appearance in British FHM — photo NSFW has sent American internet viewers into a tizzy.
The 21 y.o. Hazell is very talented with a “developing” singing career. Most importantly she sports 32 D 32 E bombs (shortchanged her) and likes to show them off Pic 1 NSFW and Pic 2 NSFW. In the video shoot also makes multiple references to the fact that there is no silicone in her body.
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Ok, we’re back. Sorry for the hiatus. If you haven’t heard, we’re blogging MMA and some boxing for Yahoo. We will do our best to keep Mr. Sunshine current. Especially with the topics, pictures and videos we discuss on Cofield & Cokin.
INTERNET GOOFS ARE ACTUALLY CALLING ROSARIO DAWSON FAT
Mr. Sunshine 
