Ron Artest Does Not Wish Well Upon Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant may have started this, but look at how Ron Artest responds.



Could we please just ban Artest from the league already??? He's the Sean Avery of the NHL and like Avery, he just won't go away.

It's Official: Habs Fans Are Bigger Douche Bags Than The Worst Flyers Fans

So it's been well-documented that Habs fans have been booing the national anthem this Boston series (as has been done in series past) and in the open thread last night, I mentioned that I thought I recalled that Flyers fans retaliated during their series. Well, I think you guys might want to check this out.

From last year's Habs-Bruins series in Montreal....



And from last year's Habs-Flyers series....



Talk about a huge difference! Granted some Flyers fans were being disrespectful, but a decent majority stood with respect and reverence, whereas opposed to Montreal, they had absolutely no class and no respect.

Officer Robert Powell Has Done The Right Thing For Once

If you all will recall, Officer Powell, the cop who pulled over Ryan Moats in the hospital parking lot while his mother-in-law was dying, was placed on paid leave while the Dallas Police Department "investigated" the incident (I'm still unsure to this day of what there was to investigate, it's pretty cut and dry on video). Well, we finally have closure to this. Officer Powell has taken it upon himself to do the right thing and resign. Via Yahoo! News

DALLAS – The police officer who pulled out his gun and threatened an NFL player with jail instead of allowing him inside a hospital where his mother-in-law was dying resigned Wednesday. Officer Robert Powell had been placed on leave for the March 18 incident when he stopped Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats' SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center in suburban Plano after the vehicle rolled through a red light. Moats' wife, Tamishia, and other relatives were also in the car.

"I made this decision in the hope that my resignation will allow the Dallas Police Department, my fellow officers and the citizens of Dallas to better reflect on this experience, learn from the mistakes made, and move forward," Powell said in a statement issued through his attorneys.

It's about time someone decided it was enough of this "paid leave" nonsense and shockingly it was Powell. Now let's just hope that he does not show up again 3 months later as a member of another city's police department or something like that. Go back to school if you have to, Mr. Powell, and take up another career. American law enforcement will be much better off that way.

(FYI, I have updated the AFC, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, and UEFA confederation standings for the 2006 World Cup qualifiers after yesterday's big day of games. As always, click on the link on the side.)

Surprise Of The Century: Officer Powell Was A Douche Bag To Another NFL Player's Wife

I think we learned a whole heck about America's new least favorite police officer, Robert Powell over the Ryan Moats incident. Well, it looks like those suspicions are becoming confirmed! Why is that you ask? Well, this is not the first time he was a douche bag. And this was not the first time that he affected the life of an NFL player. It just so happened that this is the same police officer who pulled over Zach Thomas' wife a year ago.......OVER A U-TURN! Seriously. Via Dallasnews.com

Maritza Thomas, the wife of NFL linebacker Zach Thomas, saw a familiar face as she watched the video of Officer Robert Powell detaining Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats as he and his family rushed to a hospital to see a dying loved one. That face was Powell's.

On July 27, 2008, while her husband was at training camp with the Cowboys in Oxnard, Calif., Maritza Thomas was pulled over by Powell for an illegal U-turn near NorthPark Center.

Maritza Thomas was issued five tickets by Powell, four of which were later dismissed. Thomas was handcuffed, placed in the back of a police cruiser, spent about three hours in the Dallas County Jail and was threatened with the possibility of spending the night behind bars.

"This in no way compares to what happened to Ryan Moats and his family," said Zach Thomas, who played for the Cowboys last season and is now a free agent. "But we wanted to tell our story, not knowing how many others have been affected by Officer Powell. We know the vast majority of the Dallas police force are good and professional people, but this guy just seems excessive."

The charges that were dropped were failure to show proof of insurance, running a red light, having an improper address on a driver's license and not having a registration sticker on the windshield. She accepted deferred adjudication for the illegal U-turn charge, and her record will be cleared next month.

In total, Maritza Thomas, who is Hispanic, was detained roughly five hours.

"This situation never should've happened," said Maritza Thomas' attorney, Brody Shanklin. "Unless extraordinary circumstances exist, no person should be arrested for a Class C citation. In this case, it was an example of Officer Powell being overzealous and exerting his authority in a manner that he never should have

Sorry for the excessive blockquote, but it was needed so you could see just how much of a douche bag this police officer is. Unbelieveable. Talk about excessive, good lord, this guy is on a one-man power trip. And I'm not being sarcastic one damn bit!

I do hope, sir, that you are reading what has been written about you everywhere. And I do hope, sir (if indeed you are a man), that you have listened to what these people have said. Because everyone of them that has called you a douche bag and asked for your job are absoulutely right. The law enforcement business has no business for an incompetent, selfish, egotistical, sanctimounious, non-feeling, ruthless, manical, psychotic son of a bitch such as yourself. And I am not a religious man, but, sir, I hope that you truly understand the pain that you caused the Moats family. I hope sir, that you understand what you did. I hope sir that you understand that because of you Ryan Moats never got to be with his mother-in-law for her last seconds. I hope sir, that you truly understand that it was single-handedly your fault that Jonetta Collinsworth's father was never there to watch her die. How could you truly look at yourself in the mirror? Don't you bloody well realize that that was somebody's daughter in that hospital room? And don't you realize that that somebody was in the car? The car that you pulled over? The car that you prevented from entering that hospital over the ticket that could not wait 15 damn minutes. Are you proud of yourself, Officer Powell?

Jonetta Collinsworth died in the hospital that night. She died during those 15 minutes that you pulled over the car containing her family. She died while you refused to listen to Ryan Moats' claim that she was dying. She died as you ignored his pleas. She died as you meaninglessly sought after Ryan Moats' insurance. She died as you threatened to arrest Ryan Moats over running a red light.

Sir, on all accounts, I have stopped short of calling you a racist. Maybe it's naiveness at it's best, but there's a part of me that refuses to believe that this was racially motivated. But the more I look at what happened, the more I see that it was. The more that I learn about you, the more that I understand what kind of man you truly are. And let's not forget that Zach Thomas' wife is hispanic. Coincidence? Perhaps. But the evidence is all there. This is twice, sir, that you have dished out excessive punishments to minorities.

And then there is the more that I watch the video. Why didn't you believe Mr. Moats when he told you that his mother-in-law was in the hospital dying? Why was it only until hospital staff came out that you listened? Why couldn't you understand what Ryan Moats was saying? Why could not you connect the obvious dots? Ryan Moats' wife ran into the hospital before the altercation began. Did you think it was a sham? A sham to get out of a mere ticket for running a red light? Could you not hear in the tone of Ryan Moats' voice that he was being serious?

Of course you couldn't. Because Ryan Moats is a black man. And what he did does not mean a damn thing to a white racist such as yourself. Your actions have left me no choice, sir.

What kind of man are you, Robert Powell? What kind of heart do you have? For is it common sense to you that when a man who is claiming that his mother-in-law is dying at this very moment to detain him and to refuse to let her see her family for one last time? Is that what your conscious tells you to do? Is that what the police code tells you to do? Is that what your heart tells you to do? And if indeed it is what it told you to do, then heed these words, karma has a way of rearing it's head in cases like this. And when it does show, I hope you realize the pain that you caused this family. But then again, that's assuming that you are human and you do have a family. For after what you did, I do not know how any one can look you in the eyes and seriously tell you, "I love you".

Good night and good luck.

The Ryan Moats Police Video

This is about as depressing a video as I have ever seen. The title sets up everything so I'm going to put the 2 videos up and underneath I have a few things that I want to say about this.





Officer Powell is officially the biggest douchebag police officer in the world.
Did he not understand Ryan Moats when he pleaded several times that his mother-in-law was dying? Did he not remember that his wife left to go in the hospital because her mother was dying? Just an incredible amount of idiocy.

And to think that once it did get through his thick-brained skull that Moats' mother-in-law was dying, he still did not have any compassion. Instead he just had a casual conversation with someone about police chases.

And perhaps the most underlooked part about this whole thing is that not once did Ryan Moats request any special treatment or cite the fact that he was a "football player" as a means to get special treatment. And perhaps the saddest part about this whole thing is that the reason it is getting so much attention is because Ryan Moats is a football player.

FIRE ROBERT POWELL NOW!

Eagles Commandment: Thou Shall Not Criticize The Eagles' Organization For Not Re-Signing Brian Dawkins

I'm pretty sure the Eagles' organization is taking this Brian Dawkins' thing a wee bit too far. And when I say a wee bit too far, I mean the Eagles' Front Office is quickly turning into some sort of Stalinist regime; firing employees for criticizing the not-resigning of Brian Dawkins. And when I say criticizing the Eagles, I mean he put up his criticism as his Facebook status! Seriously, the man was fired for something he said on Facebook! Inquirer Columnist John Gonzales has the story.

It's not personal. It's business. That was the cold cop-out the Eagles used when Brian Dawkins signed with Denver. But you can't fully appreciate how heartless the organization actually is until you learn how it apparently treated Dan Leone.

For the last six years, Leone was one of the team's many game-day stadium employees at Lincoln Financial Field. For longer than that - for his entire life - he's been a fan of the franchise.

Leone grew up in the shadow of Veterans Stadium in a red-brick rowhouse near 10th and Oregon. As a kid, he'd walk over to see his beloved Birds play. The trip was never easy. Leone has a neurological disorder called transverse myelitis. Because it causes muscle fatigue and limits the range of motion in his limbs, Leone was sometimes forced to use crutches as a child.

When he grew older and the Linc opened, Leone crossed his fingers and filled out an application. The Eagles hired him almost immediately. He was ecstatic. Leone called his friends and family and gushed about going to work for the team he's always loved. He couldn't have been happier if he'd been named the Eagles' starting quarterback.

On game days, Leone served as the west gate chief. The gig required Leone to hustle to different areas of the stadium as needed. That was tough. His left leg is weaker than his right, and standing for too long gives him severe pain in his right knee and hip because that's where he shifts all his weight. While on duty, he sometimes needed a wheelchair to get around.

"They had me running all over the place like a nut, but I didn't care," Leone said. "I was so proud to work for them. It was my dream."

Last week, the Eagles fired Leone.

Like a lot of Philadelphians, Leone was upset when Dawkins became a Bronco. So he did what a 32-year-old does these days: He vented on Facebook. "Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver. . .Dam Eagles R Retarted!!"

It was a rash, stupid thing to do, and Leone regretted it almost instantly.

"I shouldn't have put it up there," Leone said. "I was ticked off, and I let my emotions go, but I didn't offend any one person or target a specific individual. I was just upset that we lost such a great guy. Dawkins was one of my favorite players. I made a mistake."

Less than two days after posting the Dawkins remarks, Leone said, he was contacted by Leonard Bonacci, the team's director of event operations. According to Leone, Bonacci said they needed to talk about Leone's Facebook page, and Leone agreed. Leone - who deleted the comment - figured that the two would sit down and that he could apologize to Bonacci in person. But Leone said Bonacci never got back to him after that.

Two days later, Leone said, he received a call from Rachel Vitagliano, the team's guest services manager. Leone said she fired him over the phone. The conversation lasted less than 10 minutes.

No warning. No suspension. No face-to-face meeting. Just a quick call to tell Leone he'd been terminated.

"I tried putting in my case to Rachel," Leone said. "I told her I worked there for six years. I did whatever they asked. I only missed one Eagles game the entire time I worked there, and that was because I'm a Mummer. I told her it was my dream to work for the Eagles and that I'd never do anything like that again."

Leone said Vitagliano didn't want to hear it. He said that she told him he couldn't be trusted, that the post made the team look bad, and that the only way to resolve the situation was to fire him.

"I apologized for it," Leone said. "I apologized 20 million times. I never bad-mouthed the organization before. I made one mistake and they terminate me? And they couldn't even bring me into the office to talk to me? They had to do it over the phone? At least look me in the eye. To get done dirty like this, I can't believe it. I'm devastated."

Messages left for Bonacci and Vitagliano weren't returned. Through a representative, the Eagles said, "The only information we can share is that Dan was a seasonal game-day employee and not a full-time member of the Eagles staff."

It's anyone's guess what that means. Perhaps the franchise thinks hourly-wage workers are disposable and, therefore, don't deserve consideration. At the very least, it appears the Birds don't think workers like Leone deserve a second chance.

The truly remarkable part about all this is that Leone isn't bitter, and he doesn't want revenge. He simply wants to be part of the team again.

"If they called me right now and told me to come back to work, I would," Leone said. "I'm not holding any grudges. I just want to do my job."

The way the Eagles appeared to have treated Leone seems so cruel and merciless, and they should be ashamed of themselves for it. Then again, how can you feel shame when you don't feel anything at all?

All I can say is wow. I love the Eagles players, but damn, the people in their Front Office can be such douche bags that it is not even funny.

"Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver. . .Dam Eagles R Retarted!!" Can you imagine being fired for saying that? I mean, if my college had a rule where everyone who criticized anything about them was punished, I would be kicked out of school if they saw what I said about their food. For example, my current Facebook status, "Justin is fairly certain he just ate powdered potatoes." I love my college, but the food is, in fact, disgusting. And don't even get me started on some of the things that I post in order to allude to the one regret I have in life when I am thinking about it (2-year anniversary of that day coming up, thank goodness I'll have March Madness to keep me occupied that day). But back to the point, to no longer have a means of income for something you say on your Facebook status is just flat-out wrong.

Maybe there's a story to it that we don't know, but hopefully the publicity that this story is getting will convince the Eagles to re-hire the man.

A Reason To Never Work For The Eagles (Keith's Sports Journal)

Err, Steve Downie, I'm Pretty Sure You're Not Supposed To Slash This Dude

Well, I'll admit, things got off to a slow-start today, even for me. But seeing as I'm essentially snowed in for the day and there are crazy stories of idiocy breaking everywhere today, let's keep the blogging fun coming. This latest story has so many different stories to it that my head hurts trying to figure out to believe or who to not believe. The accusation: Former Flyer, Steve Downie (yes, this is the same Steve Downie who went airborn on Dean McAmmond) and current member of the Tampa Bay Lightning AHL affiliate Norfolk Admirals, intentionally slashed an official! As in a referee! Yes, this guy is crazy! But wait a minute, did he? Was it intentional? Or was it an accident? Here are 3 reports of the incident compiled very nicely by The 700 Level

Let's start off with the initial report from the Hershey Bears website:

With the BEARS leading 5-4, Chris Bourque was tackled from behind as he tried to shoot into the empty net, and was credited with his 15th goal at 19:46 although the puck never entered the net. HERSHEY took a 6-4 lead on the goal and essentially clinched the victory. Norfolk forward Steve Downie then returned to center ice for the face-off and slashed linesman Mike Hamilton across the right shin. Referee Jeff Smith assessed a game misconduct on Downie for physical abuse of officials under ruler 41.2 category one. The ruling calls for an automatic 20-game suspension. Norfolk has just 21 games remaining.

Now let's go to the viewpoint of Hershey Bears broadcaster John Walton.

"The two teams came to center ice for the face-off, and Downie stepped into the face-off circle. Linesman (Mike) Hamilton prepared to drop the puck. Instead of trying to win the face-off, Downie took a baseball-like swing with full wind-up and struck Hamilton across the right shin. Watching the replay no less than 20 times myself during the postgame, I was appalled not only at the lack of respect for an official, but the sheer violence from one man to another"

But is it really this cut and dry? Not so fast says Norfolk Admirals GM Mike Butters.

"The linesman was really not even part of this," Butters said. "The centerman across from (Downie) was yapping at him. "(Downie) went to swipe at the stick. He swung in a downward motion and hit the puck. The intent was there to hit the puck. He may or may not have clipped the official's skate."

Those are certainly two rather conflicting reports, aren't they? And of course, at about the time that a YouTube video would come in handy in determining what really happened, no one has posted anything. And where is the official who was slashed in all of this? Where is this replay that Walton saw over 20 times. Is Walton exaggerating to try to get this guy away from hockey forever, because, as we all know, this is not the first time he has done something vicious. Is the Admiral GM just trying to save his player's ass because he knows he is guilty yet since there is no video to prove it, he is just trying to get his guy a lighter suspension? Who's telling the truth? Come on people, what is the truth?

I'll keep you updated on this, but for now, enjoy (or rather, cringe) as Steve Downie knocks Dean McAmmond senseless.



It is safe to say, that he is not missed as a Flyer.

Steve Downie Ups the Ante, Slashes AHL Official to Earn Another Suspension (The 700 Level)

Somebody Hand Jay Cutler A Bottle And A Binky

I'm sure that most of you have heard this by this point, but Jay Cutler was almost traded to the Broncos and to say the least, the Bronco QB is not at all that happy. This is his response from the Denver Post.

"My understanding at this point is they're trying to trade me," Cutler said this afternoon. "We'll see where I end up at. I liked it here, I liked playing with these guys but obviously they're not going to let me have that opportunity."

[....]

"I'm upset. I mean I'm really shocked at this point," he said. "I could see why they want Cassel. I don't know if they think I can't run the system or I don't have the skills for it. I just don't get it. Or if they don't think they can sign me with my next contract. I just don't know what it is. I've heard I'm still on the trading block."

[...]

If Cutler is not traded, and he stays with the Broncos, can his situation be mended? Cutler took a long pause before answering.

"Anything can be mended," he said. "I'll always play with the guys we've got. I love playing for those guys. Obviously, Josh and I's relationship has taken a few steps backward. I don't play for the coaches anyway, I play for teammates. As long as we keep the guys we've got I'll go out there and play. I love those guys."

Cutler said he had spoken with teammates Brandon Marshall, Brandon Stokley, Tony Scheffler and Casey Wiegmann, among others, about his trade.

"I know they love playing for me and I love playing for them," Cutler said. "There's going to be a lot of problems if they try to trade me. Well, they've already tried to trade me, but if they trade me for sure."

Aww, poor Jay-Jay Cutty Wutty is upset because he was nearwy twaded by dose mean, nasty, Bwoncos.

Okay, so what exactly then was this big trade all about? Well, it's a complicated matter. NFL-Network's Adam Schefter has more.

While New England and Kansas City were agreeing to Saturday’s trade of Cassel to the Chiefs for the draft’s 34th overall pick, there were more teams in the mix. Detroit, Tampa and Denver were involved in trade talks of their own also tied to Cassel, according to sources in the respective NFL cities.

Tampa approached Denver to try to make a three-way trade that would have sent Cassel to the Broncos and quarterback Jay Cutler to the Buccaneers. The Broncos entertained the notion and pondered it but ultimately decided against it.

Also, the Lions approached the Broncos about a trade for Cutler, trying to dangle Cassel as bait. Once again, Denver debated the deal and opted against it apparently. What made it a moot point was that while all Tampa, Detroit and Denver engaged in trade talks with New Engalnd, the Patriots went ahead and dealt Cassel to the Chiefs.

The Broncos firmly maintain that they never intended to trade Cutler, that they were approached to make the trades. But, as of Saturday afternoon, Cutler was angry to hear that his name had been floated in any trade conversations.

Now the Chiefs have Cassel, the Broncos still have Cutler and the Lions and Buccaneers continue their search for quarterbacks in one of the wilder and more complex behind-the-scene dramas the NFL has seen in any recent offseason.

That's an article that should start with the words "Warning: May cause severe headache".

But in all seriousness, there are trade talks with almost all players and almost all teams, and very few of them ever come to fruition. Look at Donovan McNabb. There have been trade rumors and discussions regarding him for the past few years now and look where he still is and look at how he's handled the situation. How many hissy fits as he thrown over his career over trade rumors?

And before you call me a hypocrite for crying over Dawkins and yet here I am making fun of Cutler, remember this, Cutler is a multi-millionaire professional, I'm an unpaid hapless blogger who lives in my mother's basement.

Update: It appears as if our buddy Jay Cutler is a hypocrite. For according to SI's Peter King, Cutler wanted to be traded out of Denver. According to Peter King

I heard one other interesting thing Sunday: Cutler asked for a trade shortly after the Broncos lost offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates -- Cutler's confidant -- to USC after the season. So maybe both sides need to go into marriage counseling here.

Marriage counseling? Seriously Peter?

But getting to the meat and potatoes of this story, it appears as if Jay Cutler only wants to be traded when it is a benefit to him, not right after the Denver Broncos hit the non-Albert Haynesworth jackpot during free agency. Typical prima donna quarterback. Jay Cutler, I take no shame whatsoever in calling you a selfish, hypocritical douche bag!

Jay Cutler upset with Broncos after trade talks (The Score Report)
King: Cutler had already asked to be traded (The Score Report)

Lito Sheppard Loves Lito Sheppard (And That's About It)

Great thanks to the folks at Bleed Eagles Green for bringing this up. As was well noted, Asante Samuel sat out the Cardinals game with an injury and thus many people thought that Lito Sheppard would get the start. That however, was not the case, it was as Joselio Hanson got the start. Now I saw the game, I noticed that, and not only that, but I also noticed how well he played. Okay, so what's the big deal? This is old news, isn't it JFein? Why didn't you talk about this last Friday when it was relevent?

The answer is because Lito Sheppard just guaranteed himself a one-way ticket out of Philadelphia with a simple answer he gave yesterday (as if there wasn't one already waiting).

When asked by reporters if the whole situation with his contract and the talks of trade and lack of playing time was affecting his play, Lito gave a startling answer.....
YES!

No, that's not a type-o. He said yes. He admits that his personal situation with the team is more important than the team itself.

Now originally I was going to go get on a long soapbox rant like I did earlier at AA on the Seminole Firepower story, but I feel that less will be more. Lito Sheppard, if you actually think you're situation is more important than the team then you're dead to me, you're already dead to Andy Reid as evidenced by his starting Joselio Hanson over you, and you're dead to the Eagles organization. May you end up in arena football.

Let the Door Hit You On the Way Out Lito (Bleed Eagles Green)