Hulk Hogan Was Nearly A Member Of Metalica

By RJP Staff

Say What? Yeah, according to the shirt ripping wrestler, who now stars in his own reality TV show Hogan Knows Best, he almost joined an early version of the band. Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, was a session musician before becoming a wrestler, and apparently was close friends with Metalica drummer Lars Ulrich.

Hogan told The Sun: “I used to be a session musician before I was a wrestler. I played bass guitar. I was big pals with Lars Ulrich and he asked me if I wanted to play bass with Metallica in their early days but it didn’t work out.”

Can you imagine that? Hogan smashing guitars instead of heads?

Only player who deserves MJ comparison…

By Eric Freeman
via BALL DON’T LIE

Michael Jordan thinks only Kobe Bryant deserves comparisons.

Ever since Michael Jordan retired — all three times, really — the NBA has searched for the heir to his throne. Many players have popped up as pretenders to the throne, from Harold Miner to Jerry Stackhouse to Vince Carter. In recent years, people have stopped trying to find a clone and just searched for a similarly dominant great player. If you ever wondered why LeBron James is seen as such a failure, a lot of it has to do with his inability to meet the example set by Jordan.

There are many great players in the NBA these days, most of whom have never been directly compared to Jordan. Nevertheless, His Airness says only one player comes close enough to his greatness to merit the comparison. Not surprisingly, that player is Kobe Bryant. Here’s what Roland Lazenby, a great writer currently working on a Jordan book, tweeted on Sunday (via PBT)

Kobe’s ultimate competition is MJ. That’s why MJ watches him. MJ made people think what he was doing wasn’t human. Ditto the Kobester.

I never said Kobe was better than MJ. MJ just told me Kobe’s the only one to have done the work, to deserve comparison.

Continue Reading→

Jermaine Pennant’s $200K Chrome Aston Martin

Stoke City Midfielder Jermaine Pennant

Stoke City Midfielder Jermaine Pennant

By RJP Staff

You may have never heard of Premier League Footballer Jermaine Pennant, but you’ll soon remember his car.

Pennant, a midfielder for Stoke City, had his $200K Aston Marton DBS painted chrome. While he’s not the first to do it, his whip will definitely announce his presence from hence forth. His black rims match his dark tint, which will help hide his next model girlfriend from his current one, and keep him from overdoing it – if that’s possible – with chrome one chrome. What do you think of the car? Would you whip that? Let us know in the comments below.

Click to follow @JermainePennant

Damn, What’d You Do Now?? … Kobe’s Wife Vanessa Files For Divorce

Damn what'd you do now Kobe?

via Associated Press

Kobe Bryant’s wife, who stood by her husband when he was charged with sexual assault in 2003, filed for divorce on Friday from the Los Angeles Lakers star, citing irreconcilable differences after a decade of marriage.

Vanessa Bryant signed the papers on Dec. 1. Kobe Bryant signed his response on Dec. 7 and it was filed Friday, according to the documents.

“The Bryants have resolved all issues incident to their divorce privately with the assistance of counsel and a judgment dissolving their marital status will be entered in 2012,” according to a statement from a representative for the couple.

In the filing, Vanessa Bryant asked for joint legal and physical custody of the couple’s two daughters, Natalia, 8, and Gianna, 5. Kobe Bryant asked for the same in his response. Vanessa Bryant also requested spousal support.

The Bryants “ask that in the interest of our young children and in light of the upcoming holiday season the public respect our privacy during this difficult time,” according to the statement.

Bryant met his future wife in 1999 on a music video shoot when Vanessa Laine was 18 years old. Six months later, she and the then-21-year-old Bryant became engaged. They married on April 18, 2001.

The Bryants have been through trying times together.

Vanessa, who stood by Kobe's side amid allegations of sexual assault in Colorado in 2003, has decided she can't do this anymore.

Vanessa Bryant appeared at a news conference with her husband when he was charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman who worked at the exclusive Lodge & Spa at Cordillera near Vail, Colo., in 2003. She held his hand and stroked it tenderly as the NBA star admitted he was guilty of adultery — but nothing else. Earlier she had issued her own statement to the media, vowing to stand by her husband.

“I know that my husband has made a mistake — the mistake of adultery,” she said in the statement at the time. “He and I will have to deal with that within our marriage, and we will do so. He is not a criminal.”

A year later, prosecutors dropped the criminal charge against Kobe Bryant because the woman did not want to go ahead with a trial.

Last year, Kobe and Vanessa Bryant settled litigation with a former maid who accused the NBA star’s wife of harassment. The Bryants countersued Maria Jimenez for violating a confidentiality agreement by talking to reporters about the family.

Synthetic Pot Kills Division III Basketball Player

via Associated Press

ANDERSON, S.C.— A coroner says an Anderson University basketball player died after ingesting a chemical used in synthetic marijuana.

Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore said 19-year-old Lamar Jack’s collapse during a preseason workout and death days later was caused by acute drug toxicity that led to multiple organ failure.

The coroner said Jack had complained of cramps and vision problems before collapsing. The athlete had an extremely high body temperature when he was rushed to an emergency room.

Lab testing revealed that Jack’s body had the chemical JWH-018, which is used to make fake pot. Synthetic marijuana is sold as blends of exotic herbs and plant materials, but they are also sprayed or coated with other chemicals that produce a euphoric feeling when they are ingested or smoked.

Anderson University is a Christian Division III school.

Woman Delivers Baby After Running Marathon

The incident is generating some controversy regarding pregnancy and running.

Amber Miller just wanted to successfully complete Sunday’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon. However, the 27-year-old got a little more than that: a baby girl, June Audra Miller.

Her baby was born after Miller had completed the 26.2-mile race in 6:25:50, walking half the distance and running the remainder.

“Running marathons and doing long-distance running was something that I had already done before I was pregnant, so my body was used to it,” Miller said.

The proud new mother admits that she had been a competitive runner for 15 years. Chicago was her second pregnant marathon. She finished the Wisconsin Marathon in May. Before the race, Miller said her doctor advised that she stay nourished and hydrated and to make sure she could carry a conversation.

“You don’t want to get your heart rate too high,” Miller said. ”Surprisingly,” she said yesterday. “I’m feeling pretty good.”

Her story is getting mixed reactions from doctors. Dr. Shari Brasner assistant clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York is skeptical. “Most of the time, babies tolerate maternal exercise, but that’s of moderate intensity,” she said.

For More: Chicago Tribune

Kobe Offered $600,000 A Game By An Italian Club

Bryant and daughter with Derek Fisher, the newest members of the Five Rings Club

By Chris McCoy

If I offered you $600,000 for a days work, would you take it?

Depends on what you have to do eh? Well how about for shooting a little hoops? Oh and that 600K… is AFTER taxes.

Still down? Yeah I bet you are. Well according to Italian site bolognabasket.it., the owner of the Italian club Virtus Bologna has offered Kobe Bryant US $800,000 (S $1.01 Million) a game for three home games, which equates to about $600,000 net after taxes.

For those of you wondering, Kobe is slated to receive $25.2M from the Lakers next season, or about $308K a game BEFORE taxes. After taxes Kobe should take home about $13.1M or about $160,000 a game. So that $600K is about 275% MORE than he nets in a regular season NBA game.

In a press conference yesterday, Claudio Sabatini, the club’s owner, said that the offer is only for the games through November 13th, but it seems that’s his way to get Bryant in the door. It’s a brilliant move, Kobe’s reported salary demands are $1M a month, the schedule shows that the first of these home games is October 16th, so in just under a month Kobe will net $1.8 million if he accepts this offer, or 80% more than his reported asking price.

Sabatini had previously stated that his club was pursuing Bryant, but was unwilling to disclose a dollar amount at that time, and with Kobe trying to keep his options open, there was no urgency to do so. Yet with the season opener just 18 days away (an away game versus Roman team Lottomatica Virtus Roma), making noise in the media may be the most effective way to lure Bryant, with American fans and media sure to ask him about the offer repeatedly over the next few weeks.

As far as those three away games are concered, in the press conference Sabatini mentioned that they are currently looking into insurance to protect Bryant’s remaining NBA contract in the event of an injury. “I am studying a new solution to pay his insurance game-by-game,” he said. “When we play away, if our opponent is not willing to share the (cost for) the game, I won’t pay the insurance for the player and I will keep him in Bologna.”

The ambitious Sabatini is also eying Spurs guard Manu Ginobili. Oh, and if you happen to speak Italian I won’t cheat you out of listening to the press conference for yourself, check it out below.

[audio http://www.bolognabasket.it/audio/sabatinisukobe.mp3]

MLB.com Selling Manny Ramirez “Wife Beater” Shirts!?!

Get shirts for his last three teams!

By RJP Staff

Come and get ’em! While they’re still hot off the heat presses! MLB.com is now selling Manny Ramirez “Wife Beater” t-shirts for $39.99!

Our first reaction? WOW! Does Major League Baseball really despise Manny Ramirez so much that they’re profiting off of his alleged criminal acts? Damn that was fast! We JUST heard about it today!

OKAY OKAY OKAY… maybe we’re just poking a little fun of the situation, and while there is nothing funny about domestic violence, this post by LobShots definitely caught our eye. Apparently you can go on MLB.com and make a Ramirez “Wife Beater” t-shirt. They won’t let you make it one word though, as a message will pop up letting you know that your entry is deemed as inapproapriate, but it will let you make it as two words. Interesting. Check out the site and see what interesting things you can come up with.

Jaws Cusses Live on MNF

The MNF Announcers

By RJP Staff

Ron “Jaws” Jaworski gets paid for his color commentary, but he wasn’t supposed to get this colorful! Jaws slipped and said, “Sh*t, you have to get rid of this ball just a split second quicker…” when talking about a missed opportunity by Chad Henne to connect with Brandon Marshall for a touchdown with 7:32 left in the fourth quarter of the first game of Monday Night Football’s double header. I guess the producers caught his slip, as he apologized with 2:40 remaining in the game saying, “I want to apologize, and hope didn’t offend anyone with that word.” I’m pretty sure you didn’t Jaws. Most football fans get carried away from time to time. Hey just imagined if they let the announcers talk about the game uncensored? How great would that be? Let’s get it popping HBO! LOL. Check out the slip and the apology below.

Manny Ramirez Arrested In South Florida

Former World Series MVP Manny Ramirez was arrested and charged with battery Monday after a domestic dispute at his South Florida home, police said.

Ramirez, 39, and his wife were arguing in their bedroom when he slapped her face, causing her to hit her head on their bed’s headboard, according to a police report. She told the deputy she was afraid the situation would escalate and called police.

Ramirez denied hitting his wife, according to the report, telling a deputy “he grabbed his wife by the shoulders and when he shrugged her, she hit her head.”

Ramirez’s wife, Juliana, had red swelling on her face and a small bruise on the back of her head, the police report said. She did not want medical treatment.