Bad Jock of the Year Finalist? Pacers' Stephen Jackson Fires Gun, Beats Up Disabled Guy at Strip Club - The details of this story are difficult to make out, but it appears that Stephen Jackson of the Indiana Pacers was at a strip in that fair city when another group of men--including a dude with a deformed arm--started harassing him. The fighting allegedly moved outside where someone tried to run Jackson over with a car. That didn't settle well with the NBA star who went to his car to get a gun, came back and found that his friends had already knocked Quentin "Fingers" Willford (who has two short arms and deformed hands) to the ground and allegedly proceeded to beat and stomp on the man. Shortly after that he whipped it out (the gun we mean) and fired three shots in the air. Initially, Jackson thought HE was the victim in all this and was shocked--shocked I tell you!--that he was being charged. The biggest problem for Jackson at this point? His behavior could trigger additional charges because he's still on probation from the "Malice in the Palace" almost two years ago when he and his Pacer teammates got into it with fans during a game against the Detroit Pistons. (Indy Star)

HS Coach Sex Scandal #153! Update: Coach Accused of Videotaping Sex With 14-Year-Old Now Living at Home of Former Player - William "Buck" Lanham claims he was in love with the teen . . . and his players must have loved him because since leaving his apartment (after police raided it last week and found the sex videos) he's now living at the home of a former player, who's now 20. Police are also convinced that more victims will come forward in the next few weeks. (WFTV)

BadJocks Update: Youth Baseball Coach Convicted of Offering Money to Player to Bean Autistic Teammate - Remember this story from June 2005? Coach Mark R. Downs allegedly asked one of his 9-year-old pitchers warming up before a game to intentionally bean another one of his teammates, Harry Bowers, who is mildly autistic teammate. Why would he do that? Well, this was some kind of playoff game in a league where everyone has to play so many innings. Prosecutors allege Downs wanted Bowers out of the line-up and the only way to do that was to offer the young pitcher $25 to do so. Bowers was hit in the head and groin and was unable to play, but eventually the pitcher squealed and it all ended up in court this week. Of course, Downs has always maintained this was all a big misunderstanding, but a jury convicted him last month and yesterday Judge Ralph Warman sentenced him to consecutive six-to-36-month sentences for corruption of minors and criminal solicitation to commit simple assault. (SI)

Ohio University Suspends Assistant Wrestling Coach over DUI Arrest, Something Football Coach Frank Solich Somehow Managed to Avoid - It's not been a good week for Ohio University athletics: a local newspaper ran a story that 17 football players have been arrested so far this year on charges including drug abuse and assault . . . and somehow didn't miss any games. That, after Solich also got arrested for DUI and wasn't suspended. Why's that? According to AD Kirby "See No Evil" Hocutt the, uh, "circumstances are different." As for the players getting away without any punishment? Hocutt says the university is "developing a school wide policy covering the behavior of athletes." We think it might already be a little late for that one, Kirby. (Columbus Dispatch)

Lawrence Phillips Awarded 20 Year Contract With California Penal League - Fire up your criminal fantasy leagues: Maurice Clarett has new competition at the running back position! Oft-troubled former Cornhusker Lawrence "It's Not My Fault" Phillips was convicted of seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon for driving a car at a group of young men, injuring three, after a pick-up football game in LA didn't go as planned. Like most of his career. For his efforts, Phillips will spend 20 years in prison. You may recall that the talented Nebraska running back got in trouble in college for dragging his then girlfriend down a flight of stairs by her hair, then went through a series of on and off-field problems with various pro teams finally running out of his last option when he was booted from the Canadian Football League. (LA Times) BadJocks readers will recall a story from 2004 where Phillips went into a Vegas pawn shop and hocked one of his Big Eight Championship rings. Classy!

Spitting Mad Wisconsin Chancellor Tells Badger Marching Band to Stop Hazing or He'll “Gut the Band and Start Over From Scratch,” Adds Cryptic "Fat, Drunk and Marching is No Way to Go Through Life, Son" Pearl of Wisdom - No one seems exactly sure what happened on the bus trip back from Ann Arbor, Michigan two weekends ago, but whatever it was it pissed off University of Wisconsin Chancellor John "No More Fun of Any Kind" Wiley to the point that he had a special meeting with the marching band on October 5 and threatened to put everyone on double secret probation. According to one report, the lecture focused on freshman hazing, including forcing new members to drink alcohol and passing down unflattering nicknames,  then quickly turned into a Dennis Miller-style rant on everything else. Said fluegelhorn rank leader Eric "Otter" Halverson, 22, "He talked about the fact that people wouldn't put us up in hotels anymore, which is not true. And bus companies wouldn't take us, which also isn't true. He pretty much told us we're under the microscope now and can't screw up any more or else we'll suffer severe punishment." The restrictions even include a near ban on all band-related parties. You know what that means? Time for a toga party. To-ga, To-ga, To-ga! (Capital Times)

A New Reader Weighs In - This sweet little note came in this morning from a new fan of the site, John String.

Ha today is the first time I've seen your site and I've got to wonder: Are you serious??
You've gotta be one broke loser to start a sports-related tabloid. I think I respect paparazzi more than you all. To use Bobby Knight's words: "You've chosen a profession that's one step above prostitution."
Best of luck to you all-- I hope you find a more meaningful, respectable profession soon.

John:
Thanks for the kind words! And yes, we are serious. Actually, no, we're not. We thought we were having some fun and making jokes, . . . and making a little scratch on the side, but obviously you--and Bobby Knight--have no sense of humor. So do us all a favor John: put your name tag and paper hat back on and get back to your "meaningful, respectable profession." Those fries aren't going to jump onto the hot oil by themselves, you know!
Love,
Bob

State Troopers Called to Break Up Brawl at Youth Soccer Game - What started as a on-field scuffle between two young boys turned into an all-out brawl that included fans and coaches and had to be squelched by state troopers. The punches were thrown during the all important Minisink Valley-Warwick boys’ game and didn't end until the cops cleared the crowd, but not before a Minisink student walking toward the field was hit in the face by a group of teenagers leaving the area after the fight. No arrests were made and the game was cancelled. (Record Online) Thanks to Daniel for the link!

Pom Coach Loses Job for Letting Boozing Teen Cheer at Game - Some high schools have cheerleaders, some have pom squads and some have both. None of the girls on these teams, however, should probably be drinking before they cheer, especially if they're at the top of one of those scary pyramids. A pom coach at Lawrence High School (Kansas) thought she was doing the right thing when she confronted one of the girls before a game a few weeks ago after learning she might have had an adult beverage. It's not clear if she did or didn't smell booze on the girl's breath, but she did let her cheer and then made sure she had a ride home. That's probably NOT what the school board would have wanted and it looks like they will be terminating coach Ashley Stewart’s contract for it. (Lawrence Journal-World) Thanks to our Kansas correspondent Jeremy Whetstone for the link!

You've Been Warned! Don't Mess With Japanese Golf Instructors - You know you've thought about it in the past: telling your Japanese golf instructor that you're quitting the game and are sick and tired of with his "Mr. Miyagi" teaching methods. ("Wax on" and "wax off"? What the hell does that have to do with hitting a fairway wood? Pay for a car wash for once, will ya?) So you summon all your courage and tell him it's over and walk away . . . or so you think. For one young Japanese golfer, the nightmare was just beginning at that point as pro Toshimitsu Hiruma refused to let him leave. To help make the point, he also brought along two muscle-bound golfing buddies to a meeting where they tried to extort 10 million yen (about $13.87 American) from the poor guy. Police say that Hiruma was so infuriated with his pupil that he also verbally harassed the victim's 28-year-old wife, causing her to suffer from depression. Hiruma and his thugs have been arrested on extortion charges, but are expected to help the prison golf team win their league championship this year. (Mainchi)

#153! Coach Says He's "In Love" With Teen He Made Sex Videos With - William "Buck" Lanham, one of Florida's top high-school coaches while at Orlando Christian Prep, was charged with possession of child pornography and possession of marijuana after a 23-year-old woman claims the two have been having sex since she was 14. The proof? When cops raided Lanham's home, they found videotapes of him and the young woman having sex. Because of his previous arrests (and the criminal record of his assistant coach and brother) the way that Orlando private schools screen teachers and coaches is being questioned. (Orlando Sentinel)
#152! Teacher/coach at Catholic HS arrested. Robert Maccini, 42, the soccer and math coach at Notre Dame Academy in Boston is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography. (Patriot Ledger) Thanks to Bill D. for the link!
#151! Assistant football coach arrested for sex with 16-year-old. (KHOU)

Well, Duh! Hazing Growing Problem On College Campuses

Soccer Goalie Banned for Seven Games for Brawling With Own Fans - You gotta love those soccer fans in foreign countries! They're really passionate about their teams. Take the fans of the Santos team in Brazil. During a 1-1 tie with Fluminense last week (that one was on NBC, right?) the goalie, Fabio Costa, made a blunder that cost them a goal. So the home town fans ragged on him. In turn, Costa gave them an obscene gesture. In America, that would have probably been the end of it . . . but not in Brazil. After the game a couple of those fans waited for Costa outside the stadium and jumped in. No one was hurt as a result of the brawl, but Costa has been suspended for seven matches by Brazil's top sports tribunal. (The Star)

Five Injured as Ceremonial Cannon Explodes Before HS Football Game - Don't you just hate that when it happens? You're getting ready to start the big homecoming game, you're all excited, and your cannon explodes prematurely. No, that's not a euphemism for something sexual. Five members of the Snohomish High School (Washington) Marine Corps Junior ROTC were injured when the small metal cannon they set off at the start of home football games and to celebrate home team touchdowns, actually exploded sending pieces of it flying up to 20 feet! Fortunately, no one was seriously injured and the homecoming game continued without them. (KOMO)

U of Mary Washington: Basketball Players in "Initiation" Pics Told Us Liquid in Beer Bong is Apple Juice and We Believe Them! - The young ladies on the UMW women's basketball team are good. I mean REALLY good. Maybe not on the basketball court (I've never seen them play) but they sure know how to pile on the BS. When another website sent initiation Webshot photos to the administration last week, the first response from UMW's Bernie Chirico, vice president for student affairs, was that they were "absolutely" a violation of the college's hazing policy. The pics were typical of what BadJocks readers have seen in the past: freshmen blindfolded being feed some kind of whipped cream and hot pepper concoction (with some barfing) and then hitting a pretty impressive beer bong while wearing sombreros. But, after a--cough, cough--thorough investigation, Mr. Chirico has completely changed his tune, insisting that because the girls told him--we're not making this up!--that the foaming liquid in the beer bongs was apple juice and that all 113 images had been accidentally labeled as "initiation" that it wasn't really hazing after all and that no underage drinking occurred. Pinky swear!  To cloud the matter even further, Chirico also doubts the believability of the images stating in his expert opinion that, "You're talking about digital photos. You can't judicially process someone for a photo. There is no way to prove or disprove something. It was more important to me that they understood the situation." (Despite the fact the girls were stupid enough to wear their game jerseys in the pics.) Ladies: Our BadJocks sombrero is off to you. Either your administration has the collective IQ of a gerbil or you all have a future in politics. Either way, short of someone ending up in a coma (and even then, UMW would likely blame the hospital) it's open season for hazing at your school. Enjoy your drunken rights of passage! (Fredricksburg.com)

Busted! Five Football Players at Georgia Military College Arrested for Stealing Cell Phones - Four of them were starters! (First Coast News)

HS Students: "Let's Start a New Homecoming Tradition Where the Freshmen are Bound and Gagged for Our Enjoyment!" - School Board: "Let's Cancel Homecoming!" - It's that time of year across America when the most popular guy and gal in your local high school is treated like royalty for a day for having good-looking parents. Ah yes, the great tradition called Homecoming where schools prepare to welcome home alumni with festivities that include the big game, dances, a parade, and the annual binding and gagging of freshmen girls. Wait, what was that last one again? Students at the Maine Central Institute apparently were working on their parade floats at someone's home when the upperclassmen got the idea it was a good week to haze the freshman and according to police, resulted in "five victims with hands, feet and mouths duct taped for the upperclassmen's enjoyment." (Some reports also suggest that pictures and video were taken to document the crime.) As a result of the incident, school officials cancelled the homecoming parade and the chief of police wants someone's parents to contact him so he can press charges. (Boston Globe)

Explosion of New HS Coach Sex Scandals!
#150! Volunteer track coach/youth minister faces 23 charges of sexual misconduct with a minor after police investigation concludes there was he had sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl numerous times between 2002 and 2004. (Indy Channel)
#149! 27-year-old married HS softball coach accused of "felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile" after cops investigate rumors of faculty having inappropriate relationships with students, discover that his 16-year-old girlfriend is now knocked up. (KPLC)
#148! Gymnastics coach at a private academy charged with repeatedly sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl he had been coaching in April 2003. (OC Register)
#147! Assistant football coach at Robert E. Lee High School is accused of assaulting a student between the ages of 14 and 17 on and off the high school campus over a year. (Baytown Sun)
#146! 53-year-old tennis coach at Cordova High School charged with sexual acts he allegedly committed with a 12-year-old girl. (CBS 13)

Arrests Made After Yale Football Players Brawl With Yale Hockey Players: Decision on the Stupidest Person at an Ivy League School Now Considered a Toss-Up - No official word on what caused the dispute, but the starting quarterback and tailback and three members of the hockey team at the prestigious university were arrested after a fight outside a downtown specialty market. Police sources tell BadJocks that the fight started when a member of the hockey team misquoted a scene from William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet" and the football players insulted him repeated in French.  (MSNBC)