At THG, we love celebrity gossip. We also love sports. And we especially love when the world of celebrity gossip collides with the world of sports. Never is this more prevalent than on the NBA hardwood, and not solely due to the Kardashians! Therefore, with the season finally tipping off tomorrow, we present the definitive 2011-2012 season preview. Trust us, gossip lovers, there are more reasons why you should care than you may realize… BOSTON CELTICS
Chaz Bono sounds like a real drag. No pun intended. The “Dancing With The Stars” alum recently broke off his two-year engagement with longtime honey Jennifer Elia because he listened to Drake’s “Marvin’s Room” so much he’s convinced that he can do better she’s broke and can’t handle her liquor. Although he popped the question to girlfriend Jennifer Elia two years ago, and presented her with a ring on his reality TV show “Being Chaz,” the couple’s romance is kaput, sources say. “Chaz is totally over the relationship,” divulged an insider. “His parting shot to Jen made her realize there was no turning back. He told her, ‘I can do better than you.’ He wanted someone who could ride the wave of success with him but found Jen too much of a downer. “Chaz is already on the lookout for someone new and made it clear to Jen. He told her, ‘I’ve tried, but you just aren’t right for me. I’ve got to move on.’” Chaz — born Chastity Bono, the daughter of Cher and the late Sonny Bono — was with Jennifer, 36, for six years. But sources say their relationship began to suffer after Chaz underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2009. To make matters worse, Jennifer is unemployed while Chaz, 42, has become a media darling thanks to his recent stint on “Dancing with the Stars.” “Jen constantly gripes about not being able to find a job and her lack of money,” the insider confided. “She nags at Chaz about his weight and for the last few months her insomnia has been so bad that they don’t even sleep together.” But the couple’s biggest problem was Jen’s booze relapse, said the source. “When she drinks, Jen becomes a completely different person,” explained the source. “Chaz just can’t handle her then.” Sounds like they’re skirting the real issue here — that newfangled man part isn’t getting the job done. Source More On Bossip! More Basketball Wives Beef!!! Evelyn, Shaunie And Tami Light Up Twitter Over “False Email Claims” Making It Rain On Them Hoes: Forbes List Top Ten Earning Women In Music 2011 #HumbleBrag: Celebrities That Talk About Their Weird Body Insecurities 2nd Time’s The Charm? Famous 2nd Marriages…Did They Work Or Fail?
Ladies and gentlemen, the isht has officially hit the fan. Via CNN.com : The death of Robert Champion Jr. , the 26-year-old Florida A&M University student and drum major who died last month after a suspected hazing incident, has been ruled a homicide, according to a medical examiner. The Friday afternoon announcement came just as Florida Gov. Rick Scott wrapped up a meeting with James Ammons, the university’s president, whose suspension he recommended amid an investigation into various issues at the university — including Champion’s death. Orange County officials said in a statement that Champion died November 19 because of “hemorrhagic shock, due to soft tissue hemorrhage, due to blunt force trauma sustained during a hazing incident.” He died in Orlando, where the band had been playing. Associate Medical Examiner Sara Irrgang performed the autopsy on Champion, overseen by Chief Medical Examiner Jan Garavaglia. According to the release, they noted that Champion was “previously healthy (when he) collapsed and died within an hour of a hazing incident during which he suffered multiple blunt trauma blows to his body.” He complained that he was thirsty and tired immediately after the incident and, minutes later, lost his eyesight. “These symptoms are consistent with hypotension or shock,” the statement noted. Some band members have said Champion may have died after a rite of passage called “crossing Bus C.” One member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained students “walk from the front of the bus to the back of the bus back backward while the bus is full of other band members, and you get beaten until you get to the back.” The autopsy found that Champion had “extensive contusions of his chest, arms, shoulder and back.” There was no evidence of “natural disease except for a slightly enlarged heart.” The young man’s father, Robert Champion Sr., said, “We are pleased to find out what caused our son’s death.” “Now, we need to move forward, so this doesn’t have to happen to any other kid,” the father said in a statement. SMH. So sad… What do you think this is going to mean for FAMU’s band program? More On Bossip! More Basketball Wives Beef!!! Evelyn, Shaunie And Tami Light Up Twitter Over “False Email Claims” Making It Rain On Them Hoes: Forbes List Top Ten Earning Women In Music 2011 #HumbleBrag: Celebrities That Talk About Their Weird Body Insecurities 2nd Time’s The Charm? Famous 2nd Marriages…Did They Work Or Fail?
Tim Tebow may not be able to throw a football to save his life, but he gets the job done. Now the Broncos quarterback’s greatness has been immortalized in a song. The former University of Florida star and son of Christian missionaries has become a phenomenon in the NFL this year after a string of incredible, last-second wins. In the face of unorthodox mechanics and Satan-worshiping haters , he’s got 8-5 Denver eyeing the playoffs. More importantly, he’s a meme-producing pop culture all-star! DJ Steve Porter mashes up ESPN peeps, NFL great (and Tim’s boss) John Elway, Lil Wayne and others to create the ultimate Tim Tebow tribute, “All He Does Is Win”: Tim Tebow Song – All He Does is Win Follow the jump for another Tebow tribute tune, called “Super Fans” … Super Fans (Tim Tebow Song)
A shooting at Virginia Tech University has left two people dead, including a police officer, and prompted the entire school to be placed on lockdown today. A Virginia Tech police officer was fatally shot on the campus by an as-yet-unidentified gunman, for whom a sweeping search was conducted for four hours. Here’s the local press conference detailing the events of this afternoon: Virginia Tech Shooting Press Conference Around 4:30 p.m. EST, the Blacksburg, Va., school announced on its Twitter feed that “law enforcement agencies have determined there is no longer an active threat or a need to secure in place. Resume normal activities.” Police said that the shooting occurred shortly after noon, after the police officer made a routine traffic stop in the Coliseum parking lot near McComas Hall. During that stop, a person who wasn’t involved in the traffic stop approached and shot the officer, then fled toward a nearby parking lot, officials said. When another investigating officer circled back to approach the person – described as a white male – that person was dead of a gunshot wound. A Virginia state police spokesman said that police didn’t shoot the second person, and he wouldn’t say whether the person was the suspect. It’s unclear if the search is ongoing, but he said investigators feel “confident we located the person,” and “you can kind of read between the lines.” The incident comes after a shooting spree in which a Virginia Tech student, Cho Seung-Hui, shot dead 32 people before killing himself in April 2007. More details to follow as the story develops …
AGAIN?!?! Two victims are confirmed dead at Virginia Tech and the campus is on lockdown after a gunman opened fire Thursday. The suspect in the shooting has not been captured yet. He is described as a white man wearing grey sweats, a grey hat with a neon green brim, a maroon hooded sweatshirt and a backpack, according to the university’s website. An authority, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the AP that shots were fired reportedly after a traffic stop. Individuals on campus began posting photos on their Twitter accounts and RadarOnline.com has obtained one with what appears to be a body covered up with a sheet and yellow police caution tape around it. All transportation in the area has been shut down, CNN reported. The shooting comes more than three years after the 2007 massacre — the deadliest in the country’s contemporary history — in which 23-year-old Virginia Tech student Cho Seung-Hui killed 32 people, then himself. Wow…R.I.P. to the victims, hopefully the cops find this a$$hole before he attempts to kill anyone else. via RadarOnline UPDATE: Witnesses saw the police officer being shot during a traffic stop on campus, and the second victim was found dead at a nearby parking lot toward which the gunman had been seen fleeing, the university said. The status of the shooter was not immediately known, spokesman Mark Owczarski said. Source More On Bossip! RihRih Gets Kushed Up And Goes Drizzy H.A.M. On Twitter Talking About Skrippers And Getting Back Into Her Freakum Bikini The Favorite Child: We Pick The Hottest Sibling Out Of Each Superstar Family Luckiest Husbands In The World: A Look At Wives Keeping It Right And Tight For Their Men EXCLUSIVE: Robin Thicke (@RobinThicke) Gets Candid About His New Album, Adding To His Family, And Paula Patton Dancing In Lingerie
Song: Mistletoe by Justin Bieber. Our apartment (The Cabin) decided to make a music video instead of a Christmas card this year! So our hope is that you all enjoy Christmas with family and friends! Thank you Justin for letting us use your music to encourage the Christmas Spirit! http://www.youtube.com/v/xmpNaVrvcaI?version=3&f=videos&app=youtube_gdata Visit link: Mistletoe “Cover” (Justin Bieber) The Cabin Men
Prepare yourselves for one of the stranger, more sordid rumors you’ll hear all year… Laurie Fine is the wife of Bernie Fine, the Syracuse assistant basketball coach who was fired last week in the wake of allegations by three former ballplayers that he sexually assaulted them at various times during his 36 years on staff at the university. Jim Boeheim Addresses Bernie Fine Scandal The most damning piece of evidence against Bernie is a phone conversation recorded by accuser Bobby Davis in 2003. In it, Laurie appears to acknowledge her husband’s despicable behavior, telling Davis: “I know everything that went on… Bernie has issues, maybe that he’s not aware of, but he has issues… you’re better off just staying away from him.” But, wait, it gets weirder: Multiple sources tell Deadspin that Laurie herself carried on a sexual relationship with Davis, something she often did with Syracuse players. “It was a rite of passage for some to be with Bernie’s wife,” the insider claims . MOREOVER, another source says a sex tape of Laurie Fine and another player is actually in existence and has been peddled for years. Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim initially stood by his long-time friend, Bernie Fine, but has recently said the university was right to fire him. He still maintains, however, that he was unaware of any of the alleged indecent behavior by either half of this couple.
The NBA lockout is a wrap, so what exactly was all the fuss over again? The Wall Street Journal did a breakdown of who stands to gain the most from the agreement and they’re saying the owners are definitely #winning: The biggest changes will be off the court after owners scored an obvious economic win. The two sides will split the league’s $4 billion in annual revenue almost equally, while in previous agreements the players received 57%. On the court, despite systematic changes like reducing contract length and increasing fees for high-spending teams, most think it will be business as usual. “It’s not exactly the same as it’s always been, but it’s closest to that than something new—this is not a seismic shift,” said Tom Penn, a former Portland Trailblazers executive and a salary-cap expert. “The system still favors aggressive owners who are in go-for-it mode. It will just cost them more.” The league also scored a victory on the business side. The 10-year deal, with an option to terminate after six years by either side, saves not only this season but also the NBA’s image as a viable option for advertising. “The big winners are anyone involved in marketing and financing in the NBA—the advertisers, the sponsors, they’ve got continuity now,” said David Carter, executive director of the Sports Business Institute at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. “A lot of people are focusing on what this means right away, but you have to look at it as 10 years that marketing partners and TV partners know they have this.” The NBA salvages its national TV contract with Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN and ABC and Time Warner Inc.’s Turner Sports, which pay the league a combined $930 million per year. Advertisers spent $807 million on NBA games that aired on cable and network TV last season, according to WPP PLC’s Kantar Media. An average of two million people watched regular-season NBA games last year on ESPN, while an average of 2.5 million watched such games on Turner’s TNT, according to Nielsen. NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said that competitive advantage was “critical” in the negotiations and that the goal of the new deal was for all 30 teams to compete. But USC’s Mr. Carter said although that will be a valuable ticket-selling message for small-market teams, it will still be a “rarity” for small teams to compete at the level of more high-profile teams under the new deal. Mr. Penn, who is now an analyst at ESPN, said small-market teams will still face the same obstacles in the new system, adding that for struggling teams to “make financial ends meet and spend the money you need, it would be nearly impossible to keep up with the Joneses.” The other losers, Mr. Penn said, are the stars. “This is a tough deal for the superstars,” he said. “The years of contract they can sign for goes down, the annual raises go down, maximum salaries over the long term will either level off or go down depending on the salary cap. Once again they won’t be getting their fair share.” Not every star will suffer however. Mr. Penn said that the short-term beneficiaries of the resolution are the Miami Heat, which has three stars—LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade—in the lineup whose contracts have been set, while the rest of the league enters a frantic free-agency period. “I would say the losers in many ways are the fans because you don’t know what product you’re going to get for a significant amount of money,” said Jeff Van Gundy, an ESPN commentator and former NBA coach who took the New York Knicks to the Finals during the lockout-shortened 1999 season. “If you look at it, the drop in the offensive numbers in 1999 was significant, the efficiency of players was poor,” Mr. Van Gundy said. “You can’t skip steps [like training camp], and what the NBA and its players have agreed to is skipping steps and then saying ‘OK, let’s go play great basketball’—and it doesn’t happen that way and the people that pay the brunt of that are the fans.” Training camps and free agency will launch simultaneously on Dec. 9, NBA Commissioner David Stern said, meaning that some teams will start practice with only a handful of players while trying to recruit others. To add to the unpredictability, the league has yet to unveil its 66-game schedule, which is set to begin Dec. 25. SMH @ the Shady Dream Team coming up roses in this deal while the current free agents have no chance of getting those kinds of sweet deals. More On Bossip! Basketball Wives Breakup Beef: Matt Barnes And Gloria Govan Spend Thanksgiving Eve Throwing Jabs On Twitter Kris Humphries Ex “Bianca” Speaks Out And Says Kris Said Her Cakes Looked Better Than Kim Kardashian… What Do You All Think? [Video/Pics] Bangin’ Baller Babes: The Exes, Girlfriends, Wives, And Beautiful Baby Mamas Of NFL Players Hip-Hop Beef: 50 Cent Responds To T.I. Comments About Him In VIBE Magazine!
Oh, when legacies get tarnished… After almost fourty years at Florida A&M and 13 years as the school’s band director, Julian White was fired last week in the wake of the “Marching 100″ hazing scandal that left one student dead. And now he’s fighting back. FAMU president Dr. James Ammons announced Wednesday that the university would fire White in the wake of Champion’s death. A letter sent to White from Ammon’s office cited “alleged misconduct and/or incompetence involving confirmed reports and allegations of hazing.” “We weren’t able to stop it, and so that’s why we thought that the sanction was appropriate at this time,” Ammons told CNN. “While Dr. White has had a distinguished career in music education and administration within the university as director of bands, I did not feel there was competence involving reporting allegations of hazing within the Department of Music and the Marching 100,” Ammons told the Tallahassee Democrat. White has since hired an attorney, who is demanding the now-former director be reinstated. 11Alive obtained a letter sent by attorney Chuck Hobbs to Dr. Ammons, outlining White’s actions against hazing, but saying the school did not provide enough “support” for those efforts. “There has been little uniformity in discipline in the form of University-wide suspensions or expulsions,” the letter stated. White said Ammons gave him the choice to resign or be fired. Ammons, an FAMU graduate, became band director in 1998 and has been on the school’s music faculty for nearly 40 years. According to the Capitol News Service in Tallhassee, White is a union member, and the university will have to wait until Dec. 22 to actually separate him from the university, in order to give him enough time to respond. Ammons’ letter placed White on administrative leave with pay until the official Dec. 22 firing date. On Tuesday, Ammons announced that the school would form an independent task force to investigate Champion’s death, along with any “unauthorized activities” associated with the Marching 100. The school president said FAMU’s “band, staff, students and history” will all be subject to investigation. On Wednesday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott sent a letter to the commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Gerald Bailey, asking the FDLE to investigate Champion’s death and the circumstances surrounding it. Ammons told the Democrat that he was looking forward to the FDLE’s involvement in the case. “We want answers,” he told the Democrat. “I welcome FDLE to this investigation to get to the bottom of this.” Since Champion’s death Saturday, blogs and social media sites have been flooded with posts speculating that Champion’s death may be connected with hazing. Ammons has asked people to stop engaging in rumors, but also acknowleded that several band members have been released from the band this semester because of possible participation in hazing. “Hazing is illegal, and it’s something that should not happen,” he said. “I am committed to making certain that we end this practice.” In Florida, hazing is a third degree felony. Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings has said he suspects hazing is involved in Champion’s death and that charges could be forthcoming. A FAMU student and former band member who asked not to be identified, told the Democrat that groups within the band haze as an initiation for new members. The student said there was a myriad of band fraternities and some have groups within groups. The student went on to say inter-band fraternities, including a clarinet section called “The Clones” and an Atlanta-based group called the “Red Dawgs Organization” are responsible for the majority of the hazing in the band. Do you think the University is using Dr. White as a scapegoat to make itself appear tougher on hazing than it really is? Source
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