Sports - The Hollywood Gossip

Dana White to Floyd Mayweather: You're Racist!

matt@iscribelimited.com (Hilton Hater) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:36:26 EST

UFC President Dana White is calling out convicted woman beater Floyd Mayweather.

In a just-released videotaped diatribe, White refers to the champion boxer as "racist" due to comments Mayweather made about star point guard Jeremy Lin, claiming the Knicks sensation was only receiving press because he's Asian.

"Don't worry about what all these other guys are doing and shooting your big mouth off on Twitter," White says below. "What you should worry about is getting in there and making the fight that all the boxing fans want to see. Get in there and fight Manny Pacquiao."

And while you're at it, Floyd, look up some numbers: Lin scored more points in his first five NBA starts than any player in modern basketball history.

Dana White Calls Out Floyd Mayweather

Do you think Floyd Mayweather is racist?

Basketball Wives Season 4 Cast: No Actual Wives, Plenty of Scandalous Nut Jobs!

steve@thehollywoodgossip.com (Free Britney) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:11:34 EST

Apparently people watch Basketball Wives.

VH1's erroneously named franchise keeps coming back, with a fourth (!) season getting the green light and already underway for an hour every Monday night.

Who's starring this year? These nut jobs:

Here's a brief rundown of the "roster" and what we can expect in a season that promises to up the drama like never before ... eat your hearts out, Real Housewives.

1. Shaunie O'Neal, ex-wife of future Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal.

VH1's bio: "Shaunie's goal with her series was to shed light on the complex lives of the women who stand beside these larger-than-life professional athletes."

"She's here to show that it's not all glitz and glamour ... [She] is Queen Bee to the rest of the Basketball Wives, who swarm to her for advice and guidance."

That is beyond sad. This is her fourth season on the program.

2. Evelyn Lozada, ex-fiancee of Antione Walker, current fiancee of Chad Ochocinco (an NFL player, not a basketball star, and soon to be Chad Johnson again).

VH1: "She is highly regarded as a fashionista ... Evelyn is photographed not just because of ex-fiance's game, but because of her own impressive 'shoe game.'"

Whatever. Like Shaunie, she is an original cast member.

3. Royce Reed, mother of Dwight Howard's son.

"Royce Reed is a firecracker, a strong-minded, driven woman who is no stranger to confrontation," VH1 says of this returning full-time cast member.

4. Suzie Ketcham, ex-girlfriend of NBA bust Michael Olowokondi.

"Suzie knows the ins and outs of the 'game' and is extremely protective and loyal to her friends. If she senses that one of her ladies is being attacked, she'll be the first girl on the scene ready to have their back," VH1 says of this no-name.

5. Jennifer Williams, ex-wife of Eric Williams.

"Her mercurial relationship with Eric shows the unique challenges and hard work it takes to be the wife of a professional basketball player," VH1 teases.

6. Tami Roman, ex-wife of Kenny Anderson.

A cast member since Season 2, "Tami has a string of acting credits under her belt and currently pays the bills with her day job as a financial executive."

7. Kenya Bell, estranged wife of Charlie Bell.

The former Miss Michigan USA and first-time cast member is "an instant lightning rod for controversy within the group." She's also "opinionated." Okay.

She allegedly stabbed her then-husband Charlie Bell with a box cutter in front of their two young children. Kenya blame VH1 for casting her? Sorry.

8. Kesha Nichols, former fiancee of Richard Jefferson.

Kesha Nicole Nichols and Kenya Bell are the two newbies this season, with the former ready "to speak her mind now that she is in the bright lights of the big city."

Jefferson famously flaked last-second on his wedding to Nichols, leaving her standing at the altar in 2009. Yes, the NBA star was a runaway groom.

Kris Humphries on Jeremy Lin: Nice Guy!

matt@iscribelimited.com (Hilton Hater) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:39:10 EST

Kris Humphries heard it once again at Madison Square Garden last night: BOOOOO!

But this time the Nets power forward left The World's Most Famous Arena with a reason to smile, despite the reception he received by opposing fans, as New Jersey defeated New York 100-92. Humphries played a key role in the victory, too, with 14 points and 14 rebounds.

"I love the hostile environment," Humphries told ESPN after the game. "There's nothing better than sending 19,000 people home upset... We love that."

Kris is also the latest in a very long lien to give props to Jeremy Lin, the NBA's latest sensation, but not for anything the Harvard graduate did on the court last night. Instead, Lin apparently gave Kris a big assist in the tunnel leading to the locker rooms.

"He just said, 'Hey, I don't know why they boo you, but I think it's crap, and you're playing really well,'" Humphries said of Lin. "That was nice of him to say. He's a really nice guy... It's nice to see great things happen for nice people."

Lin also has great taste in women: he recently said Kim Kardashian was not his type.

Jeremy Lin Shoots Down Kim Kardashian Dating Rumors

matt@iscribelimited.com (Hilton Hater) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:13:45 EST

Jeremy Lin led the New York Knicks to their eighth win in nine games yesterday, pouring in 28 points and adding 14 assists in a 104-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

But the rising star point guard truly proved his decision-making skills off the court, telling ESPN's Rachel Nichols that he is NOT dating Kim Kardashian and doesn't think he's her "type," shooting down rumors that claimed Kim was using her friendship with Carmelo Anthony's wife to cozy up to the Harvard graduation.

Watch the interview below and see Jeremy essentially tell the reality star: LIN your dreams, Kim!

Jeremy Lin Interview

In other news related to the first NBA player of Chinese or Tawainese descent, ESPN has fired the employee who published a racially insensitive headline on its mobile site over the weekend, and also suspended an anchor for uttering the same word on air.

Kobe Bryant to Vanessa Bryant: I Won't Cheat on You Ever Again, I Swear!!

steve@thehollywoodgossip.com (Free Britney) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:48:23 EST

Kobe Bryant is going all out to save his marriage.

The L.A. Lakers star has reportedly sworn up and down to wife Vanessa Bryant that he will never, ever stray again if she calls off their divorce and takes him back.

Kobe has "aggressively pursued" Vanessa over the last 2-3 weeks, and she's been pretty receptive ... but she still isn't sure the marriage can be resurrected.

When we say aggressively, we don't just mean promises of faithfulness. We mean gifts. He's reportedly given Vanessa a VERY expensive piece of jewelry.

Kobe famously gave Vanessa a $4 million "adultery ring" after she stood by him during his infamous affair / rape trial in 2003 (Bryant was acquitted of all charges).

As for whether they will drop the divorce - the terms of which are finalized but which does not become official for months - they are working on a reconciliation.

Sources very familiar with the couple say they both love each other and not to rule out the possibility that the marriage will be saved, despite Kobe's cheating.

On the flip side, Vanessa Bryant and the couple's two kids were in New York City over the weekend, looking for a big apartment ... not exactly a good sign.

Vanessa, now worth at least $75 million, won't say if she's packing up and moving from California for good, but she definitely wants to buy a place in NYC.

Kobe reportedly knows she's shopping in the Big Apple, and isn't happy about it. Could she be planning on skipping town for good? Using this as leverage?

[Photo: WENN.com]

ESPN Apologizes for Racist Jeremy Lin Headline

matt@iscribelimited.com (Hilton Hater) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:39:11 EST

We all make mistakes. Especially at 2:30 a.m.

But ESPN made a doozy early this morning.

Following the New York Knicks' first loss with phenom Jeremy Lin starting at point guard - at home, to the woeful New Orleans Hornets, with Lin turning the ball over nine times - the self-proclaimed World Wide Leader in Sports plastered its mobile homepage with the following headline:

The Asian epithet - which is meant differently in the context of that phrase, of course - was removed after about a half hour and the network then released this statement:

Last night, ESPN.com’s mobile web site posted an offensive headline referencing Jeremy Lin at 2:30 am ET. The headline was removed at 3:05 am ET. We are conducting a complete review of our cross-platform editorial procedures and are determining appropriate disciplinary action to ensure this does not happen again. We regret and apologize for this mistake.

The Knicks had won seven straight games heading into last night's contest, with Lin's record-breaking play earning praise around the country. Sarah Palin even talked about the Harvard graduate... for some reason.

New York Yankees Perfume: Actually Coming Soon!

matt@iscribelimited.com (Hilton Hater) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:25:40 EST

The New York Yankees have accomplished everything a baseball team possibly could on the field, having won 27 World Championships, by far the most history.

But the squad had left no mark at all in the world of personal fragrances... until now!

The Yankees have partnered with The Cloudbreak Group to launch a pair of scents - New York Yankees, a sporty cologne; and New York Yankees For Her, playful perfume - that will go on sale in April both online and at Macy's departments stores through the metropolitan area.

"In a category experiencing significant unit contraction and desperately seeking innovation, this partnership, with a professional sports team of this magnitude, is an industry first," said Cloudbreak CEO Tom Butkiewicz. "The Yankees are a multibillion-dollar franchise and we think we have a global opportunity with this deal."

Both fragrances will retail for $49 for a 1.7 oz. bottle and $62 for a 3.4 oz bottle.

That's a much better deal than the one New York has with Alex Rodriguez.

Sarah Palin on Jeremy Lin: What a Role Model!

steve@thehollywoodgossip.com (Free Britney) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:25:03 EST

Sarah Palin earned the nickname Sarah Barracuda for her gritty play on the basketball court, not in the political arena - though the quality served her well there as well.

It's no surprise, then, that she's name-dropping popular figures of the moment to stay relevant rooting for another hard-working point guard, New York's Jeremy Lin.

On Fox Business Network yesterday, the ex-Alaska governor flashed a Lin t-shirt and raved about his performance. “All of a sudden, our team is the Knicks,” Palin said.

“Linsanity, man,” she raved. Well put.

“I mean, talk about an all-American story where sort of the underdog, you know, but works so hard, just erased all the stuff out there on the periphery in his life."

"Humble, and now look where he is.”

Look where Sarah Palin is too. Four years ago, on the cusp of being the first woman V.P. of the U.S. Now spouting vapid nonsense people have long since tuned out.

A true riches to rags story if ever there were one.

MSG Taking Heat Over Jeremy Lin Fortune Cookie Pic

steve@thehollywoodgossip.com (Free Britney) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:35:15 EST

File this under Sounded Funny at the Time.

MSG Network is facing backlash after the New York Knicks TV crew flashed a graphic of the team's Asian-American star Jeremy Lin ... coming out of a fortune cookie.

Following the Knicks' seventh straight win Wednesday night, MSG showed viewers an image featuring point guard Lin's head in between ends of the broken snack.

"The Knicks' Good Fortune" was the fortune.

CNBC's Darren Rovell was the first to post the image on Twitter, pointing out that MSG was "walking a fine line" with the offensive image of Jeremy Lin.

Lin, who has come out of nowhere and taken over the league in recent weeks, is the NBA's first American-born player of Taiwanese or Chinese descent.

Reaction was less measured in the hours that followed. Some on Twitter called the graphic "a tad on the racist side." Others called it "accidental racism."

Interestingly, the fortune cookie is actually an American invention by most accounts; it dates back to San Francisco in the late 1890's to early 1900's.

It's loosely based on a Japanese cracker, no less. Come on MSG.

Are race-based jokes like this considered okay because he's a Harvard educated Asian-American? It's hard to say, but MSG isn't alone in pushing the angle. Check this out:

Gary Carter, Former New York Mets Star, Dies of Brain Tumor

matt@iscribelimited.com (Hilton Hater) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:43:44 EST

Gary Carter, an 11-time All-Star who will forever be associated with the 1986 World Champion New York Mets, has passed away from brain cancer. He was 57.

The former baseball legend was diagnosed with an aggressive tumor last year and lost his battle with the illness about two hours ago. His daughter confirmed the news in the following statement:

"I am deeply saddened to tell you all that my precious dad went to be with Jesus today at 4:10 p.m. This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to write in my entire life but I wanted you all to know."

Carter, who also played for the Montreal Expos, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003. He is survived by his wife, three children and three grandchildren.