Vols Players Arrested with Carload of Christmas Cheer, Noisemakers

4 Tennessee Basketball Players were arrested today near the campus for misdemeanor drug and felony weapons possession charges. Tyler Smith (photo left), Brian Williams, Melvin Goins and Cameron Tatum were stopped for speeding around 11:30am.

The Knoxville Police Department officer who stopped the vehicle requested K-9 assistance after a cloud of marijuana wafted out of the car, driven by Tatum. Cops and dogs found:

1. An open container of alcohol


2. Drugs


3. And 2 handguns (one with the serial number partially rubbed off)


4. And a partridge in a pear tree

“It could not be determined if the driver and passengers were under the influence of marijuana or not, although the strong odor indicated that marijuana had been recently smoked in the car,” the report stated. “Because of this, physical arrests were made instead of misdemeanor citations for the misdemeanor charges.”

“We take these matters very seriously,” UT Coach Bruce Pearl’s statement said. “We are still gathering information. Once the appropriate authorities have provided us with all of the facts, we will act accordingly.”

Happy New Year. Welcome to the Knox County Detention Center

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Mike Francesa WikiPedia

Disregard this post. Simply backup for WikiPedia's take on Mike Francesa's loyalty oaths because they've disappeared from time to time.

The NY Post's Phil Mushnick wrote, "Days after the 9/11 attacks, Francesa, global affairs expert (it's a gift), launched two bigoted, backwoods and facts-depraving commentaries blaming both Israel and American Jews for America's peril at the hands of terrorists.
Francesa also said the Jews he knows are disloyal Americans in that they would go to war to defend Israel but not the United States.
In the wake of an attack on the U.S. by Islamic lunatics, Francesa even called upon American Jews to prove their virtue as Americans, to choose between Israel, which he called "a failed experiment," and the U.S."
On September 24, 2001 the Anti-Defamation league sent a letter to the station. As of November 2, 2009 they had not received any reply.
Mark Chernoff, WFAN's program director, claimed that the tapes from the days following 9/11 were accidently erased. Francesa claimed that the station didn't make tapes in 2001. A claim that was later proven false by Bob Mantz, Jr. of Bob's Blitz.

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Lincoln Southeast HS Marching Band Replaces Nebraska Huskers Band at Holiday Bowl

“I'd call us more of a Band-Aid than a replacement band,” said baritone player Matt Eschliman, a Lincoln Southeast sophomore. This after the Lincoln Southeast HS Marching Band was tagged to replace Nebraska's band at the Holiday Bowl.

Nebraska's band is stuck in Nebraska due to a storm.

Omaha.com reports Harvey Perlman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln chancellor, attended an event Monday at a naval base across the bay. He heard the Arizona band. He started getting the itch for “March of the Cornhuskers.”

So Perlman talked to Gary Rectenwald of the Holiday Bowl committee, who called the Lincoln Southeast band director. R.J. Metteer's group, like several bands from around the country, was in town for the Holiday Bowl halftime show.

Do you think you could learn a few new tunes? Rectenwald asked. By tomorrow?

So the Knights skipped some sightseeing and worked past dusk, trying to master “Hail Varsity,” “Dear Old Nebraska U” (“There is no place like Nebraska ... ”) and “March of the Cornhuskers.”

The Holiday Bowl needs those tunes and this band for alumni parties, this morning's parade and, of course, three minutes of pregame entertainment on the field — before a stadium crowd one-third the size of Lincoln.

“They've been bouncing off the walls,” Metteer said.

Awesome story to start of the New Year.

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Tiger / Yankee Arrested in Brawl at U·S Airways Center

AP Reports Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird (serial killer looking dude left photo) and his brother, New York Yankees prospect Brandon Laird, arrested following a brawl in the lounge area of Phoenix's NBA arena.

Phoenix police said Gerald was cited for assault Wednesday night and 22-year-old Brandon was cited for disorderly conduct. Police said the Lairds and a third man were arrested at U.S. Airways Arena after the fight during the Phoenix Suns-Boston Celtics game.

Police said arena security previously contacted the group of men about their loud behavior. Two of the men were allowed back into the lounge after a conversation with security, but a melee broke out shortly afterward and the Laird brothers allegedly assaulted the security guards.

Gerald may choose the 'I can't hit anything' defense.

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Merlin Olsen Cancer Lawsuit - Asbestos

Ex Los Angeles Rams NFL Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen has a rare form of cancer called mesothelioma and has filed a lawsuit against NBC Studios, NBC Universal, 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, Sherwin Williams, Lennox Industries - where he claimed he was exposed to asbestos.

Merlin played Jonathan Garvey on Little House on the Praire from 1977-1981 - an NBC Production.

TMZ Sports has the filing here. Regardless of the outcome - the Blitz passes along its best to Merlin and his family. Actually a big fan of Little House and Mr. Garvey.

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Shaq Better Watch It - Gilbert Arenas Got a Gun

Know the talk that Shaquille O'Neal shacked up with Gilbert Arenas' main squeeze? Shaq may want to pull out now.

The NY Post reports that Gilbert and teammate Javaris Crittenton pulled guns on each other in the locker room Christmas Eve. And to make it even better for denier David Stern...they were arguing over a gambling debt.

"I'm not your punk!" Crittenton shouted at Arenas. "That prompted Arenas to draw on Crittenton, who then also grabbed for a gun, league security sources said."

"It's in the hands of [Washington] authorities," said Grunfeld, a former star Knicks player and president. "We're going to get to the bottom of this, if there is a bottom to this. "We're working with the Metropolitan Police Department on the investigation. That's about all we can say at his point," said Ben Friedman, a spokesman for the US Attorney's Office in DC.

Guns, fights, gambling. Expect more egg on Stern's face and expect Gilbert and Javaris to go away. Probably forever NBAwise.

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