It's been a bad week for Scottie Pippen. First, it looks like his reunion with Phil is a no-go. Then, he gets pulled over for speeding with (his cousin's) pot in the car. From USA Today:
Billy C. Pippen, 56, of Hamburg, admitted he owned marijuana found in Scottie Pippen's truck, state police said. Billy Pippen was charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana. Scottie Pippen was cited for speeding.
I've never understood how the police decide whose drugs are whose. Okay, so the cousin claims them as his. You're telling me that, if this weren't a famous, beloved athlete, the cops would assume Pippen had nothing to do with them. Usually, two guys driving around with a bag of weed equals recreational drug use. Plus there's this detail:
While interviewing the ex-basketball player, the trooper smelled marijuana smoke.
According to a police report, Scottie Pippen, when asked about contraband, told Trooper Jeff Preston there was marijuana in the center console of the truck cab but that it wasn't his.
So Pippen smells of it...but it's in the center console, untouched? And he knows it's there, but has no responsibility for it?
Usually when we hear about college football players and automobiles, it invariably has to do with some kind of NCAA violation--like an Ohio State player getting use of a Cadillac Escalade from an Alumnus or an Oklahoma quarterback getting a job at a local car dealership to which he never had to show up.
However, when you play for the Washington Huskies--who give Stanford a run for their money in futility--sometimes you've got to take matters into your own hands. And that's exactly what Michael Houston, the Huskies' running back, did.
You already knew this if you follow recruiting and/or are a fan of Maryland or Illinois football. But if not, here's a sad, sad tale.
Melvin Alaeze was an all-world defensive end recruit out of Randallstown, Maryland a few years ago. He had offers from literally every major school and put on an amazing performance in the US Army High School All America game. He was tall, powerful and fast. There simply wasn't a better physical prospect in the country.
He was destined for stardom. Unfortunately, he's a terribly messed up kid.
His latest boo-boo is one that probably ends whatever limited chance he had to get his life back together. You see, Alaeze is now facing several charges including attempted murder.
Alaeze has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, armed robbery, car theft and use of a hand gun in the commission of a violent crime, according to Baltimore County court records.
He was arrested Jan. 13 in connection with the Christmas Eve incident at an apartment complex. The charges against Alaeze carry sentences ranging from life for attempted murder to five years for auto theft.
Those charges will effectively slam the door on any kind of college career if he doesn't end up behind bars.
The Contra Costa Times is reporting that NFL-bound Cal tailback Marshawn Lynch will not have domestic violence charges filed against him. He had been accused by an acquaintance of "grabbing and pushing" her but she later increased the allegation to greater physical harm.
In the initial police report, there was only a mention of Lynch "grabbing and pushing" the woman. But the woman added other details of the confrontation in later interviews and documents.
One of those documents was a petition for a restraining order in which the woman said Lynch, "choke me. slap me then slap himself. pick me up and though(sic) me in the car laid on top of me with his hands over my mouth."
Other reasons cited by Hunter for not charging the case included no visible injuries to the woman, no pictures of any injuries and a statement from someone who knows both Lynch and the woman and was present at the so-called confrontation that "nothing happened" between them.
Sounds a little like the Duke rape case, no? Except without the insane, media-mad, politicking district attorney (Mike Nifong) who is now facing ethics charges. In other words reasonable justice.
The insanity continues if you read the story, lots of juice about the plaintiff and her mother seizing upon Lynch's future wealth and their rapidly dissolving relationship with their attorney.
Anyway, score one for Alameda County Senior Deputy District Attorney Kim Hunter.
The decision was made by Senior Deputy District Attorney Kim Hunter, an expert in domestic violence cases.
Hunter said one of the key reasons for the decision not to prosecute was that the woman making the complaint gave conflicting statements in the police report and to officers doing the follow-up investigation.
"The victim's story has some grave inconsistencies," Hunter said.
Likely shakedown averted. Now let's hope this is the last we hear of Lynch and alleged situations of abuse towards women.
Warriors guard Stephen Jackson violated his probation in Michigan when Indiana prosecutors charged him with firing a gun outside a strip club, a judge ruled today. Not. Good.
Jackson was serving probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor assault and battery charges in September 2005 for his role in a 2004 brawl between Indiana Pacers players and fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills. He is charged in Indiana with criminal recklessness, which is a felony, and misdemeanor counts of battery and disorderly conduct.
Police said Jackson fired a gun in the air at least five times during an Oct. 6 fight outside an Indianapolis strip club. Jackson originally told police that he fired the gun in self-defense, but Marion County (Ind.) Prosecutor Carl Brizzi said Jackson retrieved his gun from his car and fired it before he was struck and injured by another car.
Jackson could spend a maximum of 93 days in prison if found guilty, though his lawyer, James Burdick, believes it's unlikely his client will ever see bars. (I mean, what else is he going to say?) The trial could be set as early as February.
Here's a question that immediately comes to mind: Where does this leave the team that just traded for him? Your answer: A lot richer. San Francisco Chronicle's Jenny Hu explains:
The NBA issues a minimum 10-game suspension for those found guilty of committing a violent felony. While the Warriors wouldn't be responsible for Jackson's salary for any games missed, they could also move to void the rest of his deal. He is due about $6 million this season and $21.5 million over the following three years.
The standard players' contract contains a morality clause that gives teams an out if the player shall "at any time, fail, refuse, or neglect to conform his personal conduct to standards of good citizenship, good moral character (defined here to mean not engaging in acts of moral turpitude, whether or not such acts would constitute a crime), and good sportsmanship, to keep himself in first class physical condition, or to obey the team's training rules."
So to recap here: S-Jax could go to jail, and lose over $20 million for an incident outside a strip club in Indy. Um, yeah, something tells me the Pacers don't have to worry about Dunleavy Jr. doing this. (Boobies make him feel funny "down there".)
Usually when we hear about college football players and automobiles, it invariably has to do with some kind of NCAA violation--like an Ohio State player getting use of a Cadillac Escalade from an Alumnus or an Oklahoma quarterback getting a job at a local car dealership to which he never had to show up. 
You already knew this if you follow recruiting and/or are a fan of Maryland or Illinois football. But if not, here's a sad, sad tale.
How did this story ever fly under the radar?
Warriors guard 
