Barry Bonds’ legal ordeal will come to a close when the former slugger is sentenced for obstruction of justice in the upcoming months. In the end, Bonds was convicted of one count of obstruction by a San Francisco jury in April, one of four charges that were levied against him.

The jury hung on three counts of perjury related to his testimony in 2003 that was occurred before a grand jury that was investigating the BALCO labs and its distribution of illegal drugs and steroids.

How defense bloodied prosecution witnesses

Bonds attorneys asked Susan Ilston, the trial judge, to either set aside the conviction or order a re-trial on the matter. This was based on the assertion of his defense team that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient for a jury to find against him. The judge refused the requests and will sentence the slugger on December 16, 2011.

The prosecution team was stunned by the jury’s rebuke of its attempts to prove that Bonds lied under oath regarding knowingly using steroids or HGH obtained from BALCO and had considered retrying Bonds on the three perjury counts. But they announced earlier this week that they will not do so while reserving their right to reconsider until the final date available to them at the end of September.

The time and expense of another trial was taken into consideration and the feds came to the conclusion that the almost decade-long BALCO matter should finally end.

Perhaps the most embarrassing part of the trial was when Bonds’ mistress went on the stand and talked about hair loss and testicle shrinkage.

Bonds is the final individual to be involved in and complete the legal process stemming from that BALCO investigation. He is the only the third person that decided to take his matter to trial rather than admit guilt and take a plea deal.

In earlier trials, track coach Trevor Graham and Olympic cyclist Tammy Thomas were convicted of lying under oath and Judge Ilston didn’t impose a prison sentence on either defendant although sentencing guidelines would have allowed her to do that.

The same is expected to happen to Bonds but the prosecutors will be sure to argue and plea for jail time. Graham and Thomas’ sentences included time under house arrest.

Each side has claimed victory and vindication in this Bonds fiasco, with Bonds team saying that he was not convicted of lying while the prosecution stressed he is now a convicted felon.

In truth, neither won much but both lost a bundle; of time, energy and money. The federal prosecution of Bonds was costly in terms of money as well as staffing and Bonds never truly cleared the name he sought to protect when he stonewalled during his grand jury testimony.

What’s remains though, is the stench on MLB and the game of baseball and the cloud over several athletes, including Bonds, who may never reach their sport’s hall of fame as a result of what occurred during the steroids era.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

Showtime will replay the controversial Abner Mares victory over Joseph Agbeko on Tuesday night 10:30 pm EDT, on its Showtime Extreme channel. The bout was entertaining but a formal protest was filed to the IBF by Agbeko’s camp after several low blows were ignored during the fight.

With the win, the undefeated Mares took Agbeko’s IBF Bantamweight belt and became the winner of the Showtime Bantamweight Tournament.

Photo/Tom Casino Showtime

The victory came amid more than a dozen low body blows by Mares, at least one of which was a direct shot to the protective cup. Not only didn’t referee Russell Mora deduct a point after five warnings to Mares he credited Mares with a knockdown on the final direct-to-the-crotch shot.

Mares recorded a majority draw decision that was scored 113-113, 115-111, 115-111, leaving room for the possibility that had referee Russell Mora done his job, there could have been a different outcome.

A protest was filed with the IBF and the Agbeko camp called for an immediate rematch which has yet to be decided.

Full breakdown of the fight; “Mares takes Agbeko’s belt”.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

The second knockdown in the 11th round of this IBF Bantamweight fight was controversial. Abner Mares clearly hit Joseph Agbeko low but it was one of several that referee Russell Mora either ignored or merely warned Mares about and Jim Gray called him out on it.

When the bout was over, Mares took a majority decision and Agbeko’s IBF Bantamweight belt. The Showtime Bantamweight final was the first ever for Mares but don’t expect the controversy to end anytime soon.

Credit/Tom Casino Showtime

The homegrown product of Golden Boy Promotions outworked Agbeko, scoring a knockdown in the first round but the verdict may be officially challenged by Agbeko’s camp.

Despite the countless number  of blows below the belt, not one point was ever taken from Mares. The fight was scored 113-113, 115-111, 115-111 and could have turned had the referee taken at least one point from mares and called the fight as one would have expected.

The Showtime broadcast team, including Jim Gray certainly didn’t pull any punches, going at the ref during the post-fight interviews. A rematch seems likely.

For more on the fight visit my Examiner column here.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

Al Bernstein previews the Showtime Bantamweight Tournament that will crown an IBF bantamweight champion Saturday night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. IBF bantamweight belt holder Joseph “King Kong” Agbeko (28-2 22KOs) squares off with the undefeated Abner Mares (21-0-1 13KOs).

The fight was postponed from an April date due to Agbeko getting off an airplane prior to fight week with sciatica that crippled him. After rehab and treatment put him back on track for the fight, he re-trained and appears  more than ready to climb into the ring on Saturday.

Both fighters kept their poise and are ready to decide this once and for all on Saturday night, live on Showtime at 10:00 pm EDT and PDT (delayed on the west coast).

The winner of the bout will have survived a one and done tournament against the two other top bantamweights in the world.

Will Nonito Donaire be on the agenda for tomorrow night’s winner?  Only time will tell.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

In an attempt to counter litigation by NBA players claiming the league violated U.S. antitrust laws by imposing the lockout, the league asked a federal court to declare the lockout legal and not in violation of law.

The owners also issued a formal complaint to the National Labor Relations Board that the players’ union violated law when they threatened filing to de-certify the union. The threat to de-certify is a similar move that was made by the NFLPA during football’s lockout.

While complaining about the players threatening, the league engaged in threatening of their own. The AP reported that within the NLRB complaint was a request by the owners to terminate all existing contracts with players if the union is allowed to disband.

All these aggressive legal actions add to the nasty tone that has come out of the league office since the NBA Finals concluded.

David Stern is attempting to stop the players from directing the action. If this thing ends up in court, it’s going to be Stern and his 29 owners getting the jump on players. While the NFLPA were prepared to de-certify and file a suit, Billy Hunter and the NBA players were not, prompting the bold move by the league to file ahead of the players.

While Stern seems to be taking control of the public posturing that occurs during these kinds of negotiations, the only significant talk about the lockout regarding the union has come from individual players who are looking for paychecks in Europe or Asia.

Many expected the NBA to try to prevent that and keep their assets healthy until the league re-opens for business but several players are already running the courts overseas. Stern has responded opposite as expected, telling players to have fun but get their own insurance.

The owners appear to be willing to have their financial positions take a hit if it breaks the will of the union….time will tell if that maneuver works. In the meantime fans are getting a taste of the sport watching Kevin Durant tear up Rucker Park as he takes his street ball tour for Nike through New York City.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

After hearing quarterback Vince Young entered the revolving door for NFL quarterbacks and would be inked by the Philadelphia Eagles, Michael Vick told media what VY could learn from him.

Vick who tolerated scathing responses from fans and media when he returned to the field after serving almost two years behind bars can teach Young how to grow thicker skin, that’s for sure. No one could say anything worse to Young than was said to Vick yet the player stayed focused and made one of the best comebacks in the history of sport.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

With Young’s ability to make plays with his legs, development of QB skills that complement an ability to change plays on the run is another topic on which Vick could opine.

Finally, Young’s “character issues” that included giving a beat-down to a man in the office of a strip club, can be addressed. With Vick being a guy that has “been there done that” regarding character issues then bounced back in impressive fashion, who could be better mentor?

Vick looks forward to getting to work with Young, particularly on the “team comes first” concept. Vick wants to get Young caught up not only on the playbook, but his skills then film study.

Welcome to NFL quarterbacking, team leadership and skill development immersion classes, Vince. That’s how Vick learned after returning to take snaps after being out of the league for two years. He had to accept that the way he went about his business in the pre-prison days was a thing of the past. Will Young be receptive? With his history of trying to buck the system, who knows but he will have a better mentor than Vick did.

While Donovan McNabb was said to have welcomed him, he sometimes seemed annoyed on the sidelines in season one with Vick, when he was pulled to give his back up a couple of reps behind center and who’s to blame him with the competition for starting QB positions in the NFL being so fierce.

Philadelphia is becoming the quarterback incubator of the NFL. Will it make Vince Young into the next Michael Vick?

Used with permission of the author

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

Roger Clemens mistrial decision in his perjury case led to his defense team exiting the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C. victorious for the moment.

Clemens bolted from the courthouse with dozens of media and photographers trailing then ducked into a restaurant to get a bit of time alone with Rusty Hardin, his chief legal counsel. They must have been exchanging high-fives and contemplating how to attack the feds’ expected motion to retry one of MLB’s most dominating pitchers ever.

Hardin will argue that a second bite at the apple constitutes double jeopardy while prosecutors will say Clemens hadn’t been acquitted and the potential jury trial not tainted by their mistakes.

The gaffe wasn’t intentional, the government lawyers will stress. So how did it happen? No one will ever know except members of the prosecution team who didn’t excise a bit of video tape from a series of clips being shown to the jury this morning.

Was it a mistake or intentional?

Prior to this trial, the judge heard motions about what evidence would and wouldn’t be allowed during the course of the trial. The judge made clear that Clemens’ former teammate and friend Andy Pettite’s testimony would be admissible (that testimony included Roger admitting he juiced with HGH).  But Andy’s wife, Mrs. Pettite’s statements that she talked with her husband about that conversation that included the admission were off limits so she was struck from the potential witness list and the feds were barred from using her statements in evidence presented to the jury.

That’s where this mistrial decision came in.

There in the videotape being played in front of the jury and court that included Congressman Elijah Cummings facing Clemens at the 2008 hearings and discussing Mrs. Pettite’s corroboration. Although the defense didn’t jump up and object, the judge asked that the tape be paused and asked the jury to leave the courtroom.

After discussing with the lawyers from both sides what to do about the bonehead move, Rusty Hardin moved for a mistrial and after deliberating a few minutes, the judge granted the motion.

What does it mean?

For now the case is dismissed and the prosecution gets to make a motion for a re-trial with a new jury but Clemen’s defense team will argue that granting that request will constitute double jeopardy. The judge will decide at that time whose argument has more merit and announce that decision on September 2, 2011.

By not omitting Mrs. Pettite’s portion from that tape, the prosecution ignored the judge’s earlier decision and wrapped the noose around their own necks. It doesn’t matter whether it was intentional or a mistake because the jury heard it and were therefore tainted.

While the prosecutors asked the judge to instruct jurors to simply ignore that portion of the videotape, the feds had earlier inserted other banned testimony into their opening arguments that ticked off the judge and led to this latest mistrial decision.

Thus far, the time and money spent by the U.S. Attorney’s office on bringing the case to trial may have been spent in vain unless the judge allows the circus to continue with a whole new jury this autumn.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

2011 home run derby winner Robinson Cano, had an impressive showing while facing his father on the mound. The 27-year-old Cano edged Adrian Gonzalez by one homer in a final round and had an edge since he was so familiar with the pitcher.

But there was more said about the father-son combo than merely noting Cano’s comfort level with the man who has pitched to him since childhood. ESPN broadcaster John Kruk called the Cano win a “Field of Dreams” moment after Jose Cano hugged his son who leaped into his arms.

Photo/Keith Allison

Kruk’s point is certainly an interesting one to contemplate.

Most players in Major League Baseball are likely to have had a father in their lives that introduced them to the game and became the first pitchers they faced as youngsters.

It isn’t only those that go on to play professional ball that feel that connection but the ritual of fathers bringing their sons to baseball games is also well documented.

In the recent “30 for 30″ documentary entitled The House of Steinbrenner several men in attendance for the final game at old Yankee Stadium reminisced about their dads taking them to their first game in the “House that Ruth Built.” There were even three generation families represented in the interviews. Adult men got choked up when discussing the strong connection between playing or loving baseball and the relationship with their fathers and that brings us back to Jose and Robinson Cano.

Robinson, who is named after the late great icon Jackie Robinson, treasures his bond with his father and with the number of fatherless households growing in America, it spoke volumes the evening of the State Farm Home Run Derby.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

Toronto physician Anthony Galea who has been linked to high-profile athletes in the U.S. agreed to plead guilty to one count of transporting unapproved drugs across the Canadian-U.S.border.

Dr. Galea, who has been linked to Tiger Woods and New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez was indicted on five counts and according to the New York Daily News, four of those charges were eliminated because he didn’t force authorities to go through the time and expense of trying his case.

As part of the deal, Dr. Galea has agreed to forfeit about $300,000 that he accumulated during visits with clients in their homes, offices or hotel rooms in the U.S. During the hearing the doctor’s attorney told the court that most of the $800,000 in fees his client made was used to compensate him for time away from his medical practice in Canada.

Galea is scheduled to be sentenced in October and under federal guidelines he could receive up to 24 months in prison. According to lead U.S. Attorney Paul J. Campana, the feds will consider a shorter jail stint based on the extent of Galea’s cooperation throughout this investigation.

Back in September 2009, Galea’s employee Mary Ann Catalano was caught carrying HGH and other drugs during a trip into the U.S. She then lied to authorities regarding the purpose of her trip then later admitted she was going to assist Dr. Galea treat a patient.

Galea has no license to practice medicine in the United States but is accused of treating more than a dozen athletes here. Since this plea deal doesn’t include admissions to treating patients with HGH for any other banned substances, yesterday’s court news is considered a victory for Woods, A-Rod and others on the doctor’s list. In addition to those two, Dr. Galea’s roster of patients included NFL players Takeo Spikes and Jamal Lewis and MLB players Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran of the N.Y. Mets.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

While this NBA lockout has fans wondering if they will see “Metta World Peace” on an NBA jersey or Euro star Ricky Rubio don a Wolves jersey, NBA stars are flirting with the opportunity to play in China. Although the action may be interpreted as a middle-finger in the face of NBA owners the league could actually benefit from sales of licensed merchandise and an expense-free test market for their product in the world’s most over-populated country.

The Los Angeles Times and the New York Daily News reported that the L.A. Lakers Kobe Bryant has shown interest in playing on teams that would compete in exhibition games in Shanghai with Armare Stoudemire.

There has been other speculation that players of less caliber (and salary) have talked about crashing the party of teams overseas to make a living if the lockout extends into the regular season. These guys may not have the nest eggs that Kobe or Amare do so it’s a little more understandable.

Although Bryant and Stoudemire are probably not in dire need, they love competition and as business people they may be looking for life after their careers in the NBA are done. In fact Kobe bought a half-interest in a basketball team in Italy and has mentioned relocating his family there in the future. He also inked a deal with Mercedes Benz to be the face for the Smart car ads in China.

Bryant is approaching 33 years of age and his next season will be his 16^th in the NBA.

Loyalty is not a word that fits during labor riffs at times. Sometimes it’s every businessman for himself but it’s hard to imagine the NBA doesn’t love the idea of showcasing its brand in China without having to pay the overhead.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC