Pacman Forced To Make It Rain, Extortion Style

Details regarding the Las Vegas strip club shooting that Adam "Pacman" Jones may or may not have been involved in keep coming out, and the newest report is intriguing.

Apparently, Jones ended up paying the accused shooter $15,000 to keep him from attacking his daughter, mother and Jones himself.

Police alleged in the documents that one of the go-betweens told Jones that if he refused to pay, the accused shooter would “go after Jones, his mother and daughter.”

A childhood friend also contacted Jones, urging him to pay the money, the document said.

In April and early May, Jones had a friend wire $3,800 to a woman in Seattle. He put up $11,200 more for a friend in Atlanta to pay “in his behalf,” police said.

Throughout the warrant declaration police repeatedly refer to extortion and “extortion monies,” and say Jones told investigators he withdrew $10,000 from a bank account in Atlanta to pay his friend “for paying the extortion money in his behalf.”

At first glance, the situation just comes across as a wealthy person who got mixed up in some trouble and bought their way out of it to an extent. However, after reading through the article I have a few questions/observations about it.

-Did Jones pay the money because he was directly involved with the shooting? He was able to have his charges reduced to "conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct" last December, and never acknowledged any involvement with the shooting. But maybe he was more involved than the authorities realized.

-Was Jones trying to put an end to the trouble? Was he scared? Was it a little of both? I would imagine that if you're paying $15k in extortion money, then you're either scared of a secret getting out, scared of the person extorting you or a little of both. So, what was the case for Pacman? I'm guessing that he probably has some "friends" who could just as easily scare the guy extorting him, but maybe this guy is more dangerous than we realize. I guess it also could have just been a case of Pacman wanting any and all legal woes to disappear so that he could resume his NFL career.

-Did the extortion payments lead the police to the suspected shooter? According to the article, there haven't been any details provided as to how the police caught up with the alleged shooter, Arvin Kenti Edwards. However, if Pacman agreed to cooperate with the authorities as part of his plea deal, then I'm sure they were able to track down exactly who was extorting Jones and where that person lived.

All in all, it's a new development in the case, and it will be interesting to see if anything comes of it. It will also be interesting to see if it has any bearing on Commissioner Goodell's decision of whether to reinstate Jones or not.

Load Up Your Protest Signs, We're Heading To Bristol!

After hearing about ESPN "First Take" co-host Dana Jacobson's off-color remarks, and not being satisfied with her being suspended and not fired, the Christian Defense Coalition is heading to Bristol, CT to protest outside of ESPN.

The Christian Defense Coalition are protesting in front of ESPN headquarters, in Bristol, today calling for the firing of on-air personality Dana Jacobson for comments she made at a recent roast.

Jacobson, co-host of the "ESPN First Take" morning show, was disciplined by her employer after an expletive-laden speech. The Chicago Tribune reported she was suspended one week.

The CDC's director, Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, believes that because ESPN is not terminating Jacobson that they're sending a message that they tolerate hateful speech.

"Hate speech, and religious intolerance should have no place in American society. When we see these things raise their ugly head, it is critical that people of good will unite together and prayerfully stand against such bigotry and prejudice. By publicly saying, 'F--k Jesus,' while representing ESPN, Dana Jacobson has crossed a very well defined line. Her comments are so outrageous and inflammatory that the only proper response for ESPN is to immediately release her. A week suspension is simply not enough and sends a message that ESPN tolerates this kind of behavior and speech.

"Imagine the outrage if Ms. Jacobson said, 'F--k Mohammed,' 'F--k Jews,' or 'F--k African Americans.' Although the faith community can forgive and extend mercy to Ms. Jacobson, she still must assume full responsibility and accept the consequences for her hate-filled rhetoric."

Ok, I get what Rev. Mahoney is doing here. He obviously has an agenda that he's pursuing, and going after a popular, and extremely visible, entity like ESPN is a great way for him to make his message heard. While I do agree that Jacobson made a huge mistake, I'm not entirely convinced that her rhetoric was meant to be hateful. Did it come across that way to some people? Obviously. However, I think it was more about being drunk and stupid than specifically targeting someone's religious icon and denigrating it.

Up to this point I haven't heard any accounts of Jacobson spewing anti-religious hate speech so I have to assume that this sort of a one-time deal. She's paying the price right now with her suspension, and my guess is that she'll pay for it in some fashion for the rest of her life because the world is so connected that it will never be fully swept away. In that respect, her punishment more than fits the crime, and it seems to me to be more than appropriate.

This Isn't Crimeline That You're Calling

It seems like contacting a media outlet with a "tip" never ends well. Whether it's regarding highly sensitive CIA information, or youth football, you should always expect some type of backlash. Though, especially if it involves football.

A young football player, suspended last week during a controversy surrounding coaches with criminal records, is back on the field.

Tyler Patrick, 12, and his family were banned from the Azalea Bulldogs Oct. 29 after Tyler’s mother, Michelle Patrick, called the St. Petersburg Times with a tip that several of the program’s coaches had criminal records.

Her tip resulted in the suspension of her son and husband, an assistant coach for the Bulldogs’ junior varsity PeeWees. An e-mail, apparently from the Azalea Bulldogs board, said the Patricks were excluded from the program.

A board member called the Patricks Tuesday night to tell them Tyler was no longer suspended, Michelle said.

Interesting. I wonder if there's been arguing between the mother and father and the other coaches, and that's why she made the call. Although, in this article it seems like she was just concerned about the coaches' criminal records, and felt that other parents with children enrolled in the league should know about them. It also seems as if the league felt the need to retaliate instead of looking into the matter.

Tyler was initially suspended Oct. 25 as talk circulated among parents about the Times story, his parents said. The Patricks said they were given a several reasons for the suspension, including that they hadn't paid for Tyler to participate in the playoffs. But players don't pay by the game, Michelle Patrick said. She also was told she had violated a parent code of conduct, but she missed the parents meeting in which it was presented and so never signed one.

The Patricks were told the 15-member league board would decide whether Tyler could resume playing. Board members include head coach Dozier, his wife and head coach Monroe's wife.

It is somewhat telling that Coach Dozier and Coach Monroe are two of the three individuals with the criminal records, and they've got some level of influence in the decision that the league board makes. It makes that first reaction look even more suspicious.

Thankfully, it appears that Tyler will be able to play in the playoffs this weekend. Let's just hope that none of the opposing coaches instruct their players to go after him.

PacMan Gives Back To The Community One Wrestling Event At A Time

Last Friday, I told you about PacMan Jones meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss his suspension and possible early reinstatement. I stated that I didn't think PacMan would be reinstated because of his ongoing legal woes, but it turns out that it might have been for a different reason.

About a month ago, PacMan told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he felt he had done enough to warrant an early reinstatement.

"I think I did enough. I did pretty much everything Mr. Goodell asked me to do. So, all I can do is just wait and go back to speak with him," Jones said in an interview in Sunday's editions of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Jones said he's been using the time to restore his image. He also has two felony coercion charges pending against him in Las Vegas for a strip club fight and triple shooting on Feb. 19.

"I'm just staying to myself, taking this time out to worry about things I need to do better as a person -- whatever I got to do in the community, whatever I have to do to better my image as a person so I can get back on the field," he said Friday.

So, what did PacMan, a player who is willing to do whatever it takes in the community, do to help his case?

He bought wrestling tickets.

For Atlanta students to watch him wrestle.

Jones had met with the commissioner last week in New York, pleading for some leniency and an early return. But the cornerback whose biggest community service was buying wrestling tickets for Atlanta students to watch him at a pay-per-view event last month didn't convince Goodell.

If there was any doubt as to why PacMan's legal woes have become what they are that should erase most of it. He had the opportunity to show Commissioner Goodell with actions, not words, that he was serious about helping his community and getting reinstated in to the NFL. In fact, it reminds me of something he said during his wrestling appearance.

"You talk a lot. But one thing about me, I don't talk the talk, I walk the walk."

Yeah, and that walking is going to be done away from the football field for the remainder of the NFL season.

PacMan Jones Gets To Plead His Case

Well, the day has finally come. PacMan Jones gets his shot today to speak with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about a possible early reinstatement.

Suspended cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones will meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in New York on Friday about a possible early reinstatement.

Goodell suspended the Tennessee cornerback in April for the 2007 season and promised Jones' case could be reviewed after the Titans' 10th game, which is Nov. 19 in Denver. But Friday's meeting will come two days before the Titans' eighth game.

Goodell suspended Jones in April for violating the league's personal conduct policy. At the time, Jones had been arrested five times since being drafted by the Titans with the sixth pick overall in 2005. He was arrested a sixth time in June on charges from a Las Vegas strip club fight.

Personally, I doubt that Jones will be reinstated early because of the ongoing issues regarding the Las Vegas stripclub shooting and an obstruction of justice charge in Georgia. The Titans and Goodell also didn't seem thrilled with Jones' involvement with TNA Wrestling. However, think about what it could mean if Jones were reinstated early.

Right now, the Tennessee Titans are ranked #5 in total defense. They're #1 against the rush(64.3yds/gm, 3TD's) and #18 against the pass(217.9yds/gm, 7TD's, 11INT's). Returning Jones to the secondary would greatly strengthen a pass defense that hasn't allowed many touchdowns, and is near the top of the league in interceptions. It would also give the defensive line and linebackers a little more time to pressure quarterbacks, which the Titans could use as they're roughly middle of the pack in that stat.

Currently, the Titans have a record of 5-2. Winning the AFC South division probably isn't going to happen with the Colts being as strong as they are. However, the Titans are right in the thick of things with regard to the wildcard spots, and adding a talented corner like PacMan to an already strong defense would just increase their chances of making the playoffs.

While some might say that communities should be on notice when PacMan is on the loose, the NFL better be on notice for the Titans should Commissioner Goodell reinstate him early.

PacMan Slated To Get Slammed This Thursday

In case you haven't heard about PacMan Jones' offseason plans, he's signed up to participate in events with TNA Wrestling. That's right, instead of playing on the field he'll be stepping into the squared circle for some involvement in one of the storylines(what? you mean wrestling is fake!).

PacMan is scheduled to make his debut this Thursday night, and it should be interesting to see just how involved he is. Though, he admits that he's a big wrestling fan so they'll probably try to use him as much as possible.

He signed a contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and will make his in-ring debut on Thursday, the company said Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Jones' first appearance will be for its iMPACT! show on Spike TV, and he'll appear in a pay-per-view show on Sunday. TNA films at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla.

"I am a big fan of wrestling, so I wanted to give it a try," Jones said in a statement. "I respect wrestling and I'm not coming in like it's just a show. I want to prove that I am the greatest team-sport athlete."

The greatest team-sport athlete eh? Riiight, because you're really helping your team right now. You remember, the Tennessee Titans, the team that drafted you to be their starting cornerback, but was forced to bring in some replacements due to your suspension. No matter what Jeff Fisher says, I have a feeling he wouldn't mind seeing PacMan get powerbombed through a table.

If This Happened In The U.S. We Would Have No Sports To Watch

It seems that in recent times athletes being busted for DUI's has become somewhat commonplace(.08, that's like half a beer!). I'm not condoning driving under the influence, though I find that when most people hear about an athlete getting arrested for driving after drinking too much they usually shrug their shoulders and say something like "sucks to be him". However, maybe that's because a number of people I talk to shouldn't even be driving back to work on Friday after lunch, let alone at 1AM on Saturday morning.

Anyway, a figure skater in Japan by the name of Nobunari Oda was "suspended from international competition for five months on Thursday after police caught him riding his moped while under the influence of alcohol". And that's not all:

The 20-year-old, a descendant of the mighty 16th century warlord Oda Nobunaga, was also banned from domestic competition for three months by the Japan Skating Federation (JSF).

JSF officials imposed a further penalty on Oda by suspending all financial aid for his training, which only the federation's elite skaters receive, until the end of the year.

Sweet jeebus. Banned from domestic and international competition, and had his financial aid revoked? If Chris Henry played football in Japan he would probably have been executed by now. The craziest part is that Nobunari's ancestor "conquered most of the country before his death in 1582". His relative did all of that and he still gets slammed with suspensions and financial aid revocation. Jeff Bowden better be glad that Tallahassee isn't located in Japan.

Suspended NFL Stars, Fielding The Baddest Flag Football Team Of All Time

Upon hearing that Tank Johnson had been suspended for the first eight games of the NFL season, I began wondering what he and his fellow suspended NFL stars could do with their time. Then it dawned on me. They could field one kickass flag football team.

Now, there are a ton of leagues out there, each with numerous stories about how this one guy was going to go pro but he blew his knee out(damn you feeble ACL!). These guys, however are the real deal. Running around, pulling flags, and then drinking beer and eating wings afterwards is a great way to stay in playing shape. It's a lot better than sending Tank to prison, that's for sure. The only way to get them to play, though would be to offer an incentive. Since I'm unaware of any flag football league that awards lapdances and blunts as prizes, we'll have to go with cash.

In this case, we'll see what kind of team could be fielded for the 4-on-4 ZFootball Tournament, and it's $30,000 prize.

Pacman Jones: Currently serving a one year suspension from the NFL. Has the coverage skills to dominate at defensive back, and the speed to play wide receiver. Don't bring any cheerleaders, though unless you want him to show them his "bump 'n run" technique. In the absence of Michael Vick being suspended, Jones will play quarterback because of the arm strength he's shown while "makin' it rain".

Ricky Williams:Pending reinstatement decision to come in September. "Ricky Marley" appeared to be on track to get back into the NFL, but last month it was reported that he failed a drug test. It's also been reported that the physicians overseeing his rehabilitation program have recommended that he not be reinstated in September. That just means more time for flag football! Ricky has the talent to destroy opponents from the running back position. He also has some experience playing linebacker, and can use his coverage skills to lock-up whoever he's guarding. Just make sure that the officials realize who he is, or they might wonder why a homeless man has wandered onto the field.

Chris Henry: Suspended for the first eight games of the 2007 season. Henry's brushes with the law have been well publicized, and for that he's gotten himself an eight game suspension. His speed and size make him a threat downfield and in the red zone. He's the prime candidate to receive those jumpball passes for touchdowns because there's no rushing allowed within five yards of the endzone. He's also the most likely to celebrate every single f#@king point he scores, as he's been Chad Johnson's understudy for two years.

Tank Johnson: Recently suspended for the first eight games of the 2007 season. Tank will have a number of positions to play on his flag football team. He might not be the fastest, or most athletic, but he's very integral to the team's success. On offense he'll play center/TE, as his size will force opposing pass rushers to choose which side they want to rush from. He also has experience playing TE, and his wide frame is perfect for shielding the ball from defenders. On defense he will rush the passer. As nose tackle on a stellar NFL defense, Tank is familiar with angles and chasing down the QB. Combine that with his imposing size, and most quarterbacks will be too busy scrambling to even think of throwing the ball downfield. Unfortunately, he does have a weakness for beef jerky and honeybuns, so his teammates have to monitor his intake of those before games.

Possible Additions:

Michael Vick: Vick's involvement with dog-fighting could net him a multi-game suspension. If that's the case, there's always a spot for him on the flag team. He would instantly come in as the starting QB, and as long as he can keep his fingers to himself he should be able to torch opposing defenses every game.

Odell Thurman: Up for reinstatement into the NFL in July. However, recent alleged assault may keep him out indefinitely. Thurman has the talent to be used at multiple positions. Running back, defender, just about everything but designated driver. He can be a valuable asset off the bench, or perhaps "off the couch" which is what he practiced last season.

So there you go, not only do these NFL players get to practice something they enjoy, they also have a shot at winning $30,000. With the way some of them are going that would be a welcome addition to their legal defense fund.