Erin Andrews has finally taken action against the hotels that enabled her stalker, Michael David Barrett to occupy rooms next to hers and secretly videotape her. 

Photo: GQ Magazine

Andrews just renewed her contract with ESPN that gives her more freedom to appear on the ABC network side of the Disney empire, in addition to working ESPN entertainment and sporting events. 

Earlier this week, Erin worked at the ESPY Awards during their Red Carpet special in downtown Los Angeles and then watched the show with her partner, Max Chmerkovskiy  from “Dancing With The Stars”. 

Red Carpet slideshow from ESPY’s Red Carpet,
 

The lawsuit names Marriott International and Radisson Hotels International and seeks damages for negligence, infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy. 

On several occasions during 2008, the hotel chains provided Barrett with Andrews’ room information without her permission. Andrews traveled extensively in the course of her employment with ESPN. 

After obtaining that information Barrett then asked to rent the room adjacent to hers and the hotels granted that request. 

Barrett was able to videotape Andrews, while she was in various staged of undress, post the video to the Internet and allegedly shop the footage for sale to TMZ. 

Erin Andrews, a crime victim, ridiculed after nude video was posted on Internet
 

That led to his arrest and a 2009 guilty plea to stalking charges, for which is doing two and a half years of jail time. 

Andrews wants to send a message with the legal action. ” I do hope that my experience will cause the hospitality industry to be more vigilant in protecting its guests from the time they reserve a hotel room until they check out,” Andrews said in a statement, which was published by CNN. 

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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

The ESPY Awards kicked off on time at the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Host Seth Meyers treated the audience to an opening monologue that could have been written for “Saturday Night Live”.

It was edgy, filled with plenty of references to Tiger Woods, who wasn’t there and there were many jokes at the expense of ESPN, the network that produces and broadcasts the show. All of them related to “The Decision”.

Steve Carrell and Paul Rudd appeared in a taped piece that parodied the awkward interview of LeBron James by Jim Gray. Others who were teased by Meyers were Brett Favre, yes he showed up, Olympic snow boarder Shaun White and even race car driver, Danica Patrick.

The first award of the evening was presented to Tennessee Titan’s running back, Chris Johnson. His category was Best Breakthrough Athlete. Johnson is going through a very public contract dispute with his employer but it didn’t keep voters from acknowledging him as one of the few 2000+ yard runners in NFL history.

The award for the Best Record-Breaking Performance was given to John Isner and Nicolas Mahut for the mind boggling first round match at this year’s Wimbledon Championships.  Their match took more than 11 hours to complete, stretched over three days. It ended with the score of 70-68 in the fifth set.

The Best Sports Moment of the Year was given to Landon Donovan for his game winning goal against Algeria. Donovan connected in the 91st minute of the match and sent the U.S. team to the second round of the World Cup tournament. Most of the team went up on stage to accept the award.

The ESPY Awards are fun and meant to award achievements in and around sports. However, there are loftier goals that are noted by the ESPY’s. The Arthur Ashe Courage Award and the Jimmy V Comeback Award are given to people who personify the traits of the men for whom the awards are named.

This year’s Ashe Award recipients are the family of Ed Thomas, the Iowa high school football coach who took a town on his back after an unthinkable tragedy. He ultimately was the victim of another.

Thomas’ town of Pakersburg, Iowa was leveled by an EF-5 tornado in the summer of 2008. He lost his home and the high school at which he taught and coached looked like it wouldn’t host another game, never mind be ready for the first game of the 2008 season.

Slideshow of ESPY Red Carpet attendees

He worked tirelessly to keep the town’s 2000 citizens focused and together. On cue, the football team took the field and didn’t just play the season, they went 11-1. It gave solace and solidarity to the town.

But one year later, he was shot to death by a former student who suffered from a mental illness. Thomas’ sons and wife not only consoled each other but made certain to reach out to the parents of the boy who had taken Ed’s life

They never even considered vilifying the troubled young man or his parents. It’s a small town, you see and the word “neighbors” means something special in Parkersburg.

The Thomas family led the town’s grieving as well as healing process and gave new meaning to “turn the other cheek”.

This year’s Jimmy V Comeback Award was given to Denver Nuggets’ head coach, George Karl. He was stricken with cancer for the second time within a few years and it kicked his butt.

He had to bow out of leading his team through the end of the season as well as the 2010 playoffs. The Nuggets struggled without him and were bounced in the first round.

Karl had already beaten prostate cancer and lived through his son Coby’s two surgeries for thyroid cancer. But the throat and neck cancer he contracted tested him like nothing else.

Forty rounds of radiation burned through his skin, took his voice and he thought the cure would kill him before the disease.

He appeared on stage in the shadow of the Jimmy V banners and talked of the support he has had as well as his hopes for how to find and fund a cure for the dread disease.

It’s clear he’s ready to return to the rat race that is the NBA season but he will forever be changed.

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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Police in Virginia announced that no one will be charged in the shooting incident outside Michael Vick’s birthday party in Virginia Beach on June 25th.

No witnesses will cooperate in the investigation, including the victim. It’s not that police don’t know the identity of the shooter, because they do. No one wants to be branded a snitch, so until authorities have a hammer to use to pry open someone’s mouth, this will remain a non-event.

But what about considering other charges against the shooter or the victim? The police have not announced the name of either man but courtesy of Michael Vick’s attorney, we know the injured man was Quanis Phillips, Vick’s dog-killing friend.

In their announcement, authorities used the qualifier, “at this time” to describe their decision not to charge someone with a crime.

Michael Vick threw a party and trouble was a guest

What would have to happen for someone to take the plunge and “cooperate” a/k/a snitch? One thing we know is that Phillips is on parole and forbidden to be in the presence of Vick or other ex-cons. To avoid a parole violation that would land him back in the slam he might be willing to give up information. After all, didn’t he do the deed when authorities were circling Vick for the dog fighting charge?

Here’s a tasty tidbit for you to ponder. According to local Virgina Beach scribe David Squires, there were still and video cameras on the scene that night. Trivial images of Hollywood celebs walking in and out of clubs are posted online each day. Have you seen pictures of the scene that night? How does that happen in this Internet age?

If there are photos of the incident, charges could arise from them. Can it be that authorities weren’t able to take possession of the cameras or the images prior to them disappearing? As with most things surrounding Michael Vick, the word “strange” comes to mind.

Plaxico Burress gives up, pleads guilty and goes to prison

Imagine how Plaxico Burress views this from a jail cell in New York. He never pointed a gun at anyone and pulled a trigger but he’s sitting in a jail cell in New York for the better part of two years.

We can safely assume Virginia Beach’s gun laws don’t come close to the New York statutes.

In the meantime, Vick’s NFL fate has yet to be determined. The NFL has not announced that it completed its review of the shooting and until then, while it seems unlikely, there is still a possibility of a suspension or other discipline.

Vick has his guidance counselor, Tony Dungy for help in his recovery

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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Joey Chestnut defended his title as the champion hot dog eater at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, New York.

But it was a win without greatness because the former champ, Takeru Kobayashi did not compete. Chestnut took the crown in 2007  from Kobayashi, a six-time winner and never relinquished it.

Chew cam captures Chestnut’s word record of 68 hot dogs and buns

The men pushed each other to historic heights, culminating in 2009 when Chestnut consumed 68 hot dogs and buns.  This year, Chestnut who had predicted a new record, had to make due with a total of only 54.

Kobayashi in contract dispute with Major League Eating

Kobayashi’s absence became a discussion point among fans more than a week ago when it was reported that he was in a contract dispute with the sanctioning body of competitive eating, Major League Eating (MLE).

When people say it’s not about the money, you know it’s about the money. Chestnut’s competitive eating career reportedly pays him nearly $150,000 a year and it’s climbing.

Kobayashi came on the scene and took circuit by storm. Before he started competing at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, the winners were consuming fewer than 30 hot dogs and buns.

Kobayashi set a record of more than 50 in his first year and ramped it up from there. When Chestnut wrested the crown from Kobayashi he consumed 66 dogs and buns and never looked back.

First ever Chew-Off, in 2008, Chestnut won in over-time

Just prior to the start of the contest, the ESPN cameras caught glimpse of Kobayashi in the crowd. He was there but not on the stage. It’s unclear who he was rooting for.

Today’s competitors tried to keep up for the first few minutes and their consumption per minute was not far off Chestnut’s pace. But by the half-way mark, Chestnut’s training and experience took over.

His nearest competitor, a man known as Eater-X, reached a total of 45, with the third place finisher, Pat Bertoletti consuming 37 hot dogs and buns.

Competitive eating champions exercise their jaw with gum chewing and other exercises. They work with doctors to prepare their stomachs for the influx of food.

Chestnut reportedly starts expanding his stomach a month prior to the Nathan’s contest, by drinking massive amounts of liquids.

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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Serena Williams held her latest Wimbledon trophy over her head on Centre Court Saturday. She had just cruised past her opponent, Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 6-2 and was asked about how she felt after winning her 13th career Grand Slam win.

A student of her sport’s history, she pointed to Billie Jean King, sitting in the stadium, and acknowledged that she had finally passed one of her tennis heroes.

Serena captures 12th Grand Slam at 2010 French Open   Slideshow

With Serena reaching a new level of achievement it’s easy to forget that at her advanced age for the game she plays (28), she still has goals and shows no signs of slowing down.

Men’s quarterfinals: Federer goes down, Nadal moves on SLIDESHOW

Serena lost only 3 points on her serve during the entire match with Zvonareva. They played 17 games during which the minimum number of points played to win is 4. It is a display of power and skill that never gets old.

Zvonareva, playing in her very first Grand Slam final despite being on tour almost 9 years, was clearly disappointed with her performance. Nonetheless, she graciously and sincerely gave Serena credit for that.

Women’s semis feature Serena and Vera in slideshow

With a reputation for blowing up on the court when faced with adversity, Zvonareva righted that ship during the two weeks of 2010 Wimbledon. She showed poise and character when she needed to come from behind.

After making it back from a serious injury that threatened to derail her career, she invited her medical team to watch her play. She thanked them profusely for allowing her to be able to get to the level she did. Whether she builds off this performance is the big question facing Zvonareva this summer.

In a post-match interview Serena was asked why it seemed that her joyful celebration after the win was more gleeful than usual. Her answer was that she didn’t have to play her sister.

The Williams sisters make it difficult to watch their matches against each other

The matches between the sisters for a trophy are rarely spirited except in spurts and neither wants to exult in the other’s failure. It makes for an awkward experience for fans as well.

In the meantime, the dominance of Serena Williams in the world of women’s tennis will continue if she stays healthy and interested.

Ahead of her are the Grand Slam totals of Martina Navratilova with 18 ad, Steffi Graf with 22. We’ll see how she does at the next stop on the Grand Slam train, the U.S. Open in Queen, New York.

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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

With the latest news that police in Virginia Beach have renewed their interest in Michael Vick while investigating a shooting on the night of his birthday party, lines have been drawn and sides chosen.

On one side are those that understand the reasoning behind a well paid NFL quarterback throwing a party at a local club, charging admission scaled for regular folks and VIPs, then expressing surprise at the criticism tossed at the birthday boy when violence results.

On the other side are people who understand the consequences of not planning for the unexpected results of all that.

Because the country has been divided on the opinion of Vick’s conviction, sentence, rehabilitation and reemergence as an NFL player, the latest news provides us with nothing new to gain insight into why there is such a disparity of feeling on the subject.

Vick at his post-prison press conference said he knew he would only get one chance at his “second chance”

Vick has what Commissioner Roger Goodell says is a “very limited” margin for error in his new life in the NFL, thus the investigation into the incident outside the club in Virginia is separated into two parts.

The NFL, as we have seen, hands down its own punishment despite there being no criminality proven or charged. Roger Goodell suspended Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for making bad choices.

It will be interesting to note if the league comes down on the side of those that believe Vick put himself in a position to find trouble and thus violated the NFL’s short leash of discipline, whether or not the police find a connection between him and the shooting.

Roethlisberger told to undergo medical and psychological examination by NFL

The fact that Michael Vick’s word doesn’t close the door on a league investigation is pretty easy to understand. Vick’s previous criminal activity was denied repeatedly until he was surrounded by facts that made him admit his mistakes.

A no-strike policy doesn’t give one the presumption of innocence. It also doesn’t presume guilt. What it requires is proof of innocence in order to show that this time, there is no lying.

You can bet your bottom dollar that the decision to sell tickets to the public, not knowing who would show up, wasn’t run up the flag pole with Tony Dungy, the designated counselor for all purposes when it comes to Mike Vick.

How Tony Dungy got Michael Vick back into the NFL

Ben Roethlisberger is being taught the consequences of what he used to think was innocent behavior. No matter what age, change is hard and takes time. For Michael Vick, that time is now.

Re-printed 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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

If you had to pick a successor to Lakers coach Phil Jackson would it be the team’s current assistant coach, Brian Shaw or former Nets and Hornets head coach, Byron Scott?

That question just got closer to being relevant with the news on Tuesday morning about Shaw’s interest in the open coaching position with the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Is Phil done? His daughter and Luke Walton think so

Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported that Shaw’s representation sent out a text that said his client is “close to accepting a deal” to be head coach in Cleveland.

LeBron or no LeBron it’s a head coaching position, one of only 30 of its kind. It is available now, not dependent on someone else moving over to accommodate a successor. What’s that saying, “If you snooze you lose”?

Shaw, an assistant to Phil Jackson for five seasons isn’t just a clipboard holder. Like all Jackson assistants he was given responsibility for scouting a third of the league’s teams and game-planning when the Lakers were to face them.

He’s played in the triangle for Jackson, been a teammate of Kobe and Fish and now is a trusted adviser on the coaching staff.

Then there’s Byron Scott, perennially mentioned as a good candidate to slide into the coaching chair at Staples Center. Byron’s resume includes playing time as a member of the Showtime Lakers, during which he won three championship rings.

He returned to the team for his last year on the court which just happened to be during Kobe Bryant’s rookie year of 1996-97. The connection to Kobe is considered significant since it seems ridiculous to believe that Bryant wouldn’t be afforded the opportunity to weigh in on management’s ultimate choice.

As a head coach, Scott took the N.J. Nets to the finals twice in the last decade and weathered the chaos of coaching the New Orleans Hornets during the years they had no permanent home in the post-Katrina days.

He coached them all the way from an 18 win team to the second seed in the Western Division playoffs in 2008. For his efforts he won coach of the year.

But he never achieved the same success in the next season and rumblings turned into words that indicated Scott was out of favor with the team’s star point guard Chris Paul.It resulted in Scott’s firing early in the 2009 season.

Shaw has never been a head coach but his connection to all the current players is clearly superior to that of Scott and his preparation by Jackson has to count for something.

So there you have it ladies and gentleman. Not a bad pick between the two but the choice might come down to familiarity and trust rather than coaching resume. Polls are open at the bottom of this page here.

Re-printed 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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Competitive eating icon, Takeru Kobayashi is mired in contract negotiations that may result in him being absent from the annual Fourth of July hot dog eating contest in Coney Island, New York.

Fanhouse.com reported the news today. The governing body in the U.S., for competitive eating contests,  Major League Eating, issued a statement from its president.

“Takeru Kobayashi is currently not scheduled to compete in the 2010 Nathan’s Famous July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest,” said Major League Eating President Richard Shea.

Kobayashi was knocked off his perch as the annual winner of the contest in 2007 by American Joey Chestnut, who has dominated the event since.  In 2008, the first ever “chew-off” occurred between Chestnut and Kobayashi

In 2009, a record 68 hot dogs and buns were consumed by Chestnut. Kobayashi couldn’t keep pace at the end but the two were neck and neck, or mouthful to mouthful if you prefer, until that point.

None of the other contestants were even close. Chestnut was caught on “chew-cam” as he set record.

It’s clear that Kobayashi pushed Chestnut to these heights and without him around it won’t be as exciting.

Kobayashi was a six- time winner until Chestnut appeared on the scene. Perhaps he’s being asked to take less of an appearance fee as a former champ and isn’t pleased about it.

Competitive eating is no longer limited to Nathan’s Famous hot dogs. There are foods as varied as curly fries, pizza, oysters and ribs which headline events now.

Stay tuned for more drama in the lead-up to the annual event.

Re-printed 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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Joe Torre has been getting killed on Los Angeles sports-talk radio and now has to rally his Dodgers against the evil empire that used to employ him: the New York Yankees.

The Dodgers finally broke a six-game losing streak with a big 10-6 win against the LA Angels of Anaheim on Thursday night.

The Angels have taken all but one of the six inter-league games played so far this season and that only made things worse for the Dodgers skipper.

When base running and fielding mistakes made his stars look lackadaisical, Torre suffered more than the usual criticism.That’s because Angels manager, Mike Scioscia is renowned for drilling his players from the lowest level of the minor leagues on baseball fundamentals.

Matt Kemp criticized by GM for fielding errors

Torre and the Dodgers have had an up and down season. Early on they slipped to eight games below .500 only to see themselves rally and take the top spot in their division.

But coming off the lackluster play of the previous week and a half and knowing the World Champs are at the door for the weekend can’t be pleasant.

Oh, you’ll read all the sweet stories about how Torre’s mainstay players in pinstripes adore him and can’t wait to see him again, but unfortunately none of them play for his team.

Despite that, Torre and fans are entitled to better than they were getting from the players who wear Dodger blue. Every little mistake can take its toll when the pitching situation continues to be fluid.

With two rookies seeing a lot of time in the rotation due to vets being on the DL (Padilla and now Billingsley) reliance on timely hitting and execution of plays is even more important.

Torre’s style is one of an adult talking with other adults in a calm, measured manner. But the losing streak provoked a rare closed-door meeting with his club on Wednesday night. It’s unclear if the law of averages took over or Torre’s little chat with his players had an effect.

And here come the Yankees with their World Series championship rings barely tucked away in their vaults. Sporting the best record in the majors this year and two games ahead of Tampa Bay in the AL East, the team has had its share of pitching issues with A.J. Burnett mired in a slump and Javier Vazquez yet to distinguish himself as a fifth starter.

But Torre would kill for the Yanks pitching woes just as he would love to have the calming presence of Rivera, Jeter, Posada and Pettite in the clubhouse. But they aren’t walking through the door anytime soon.

Torre must somehow inspire his team to show the Steinbrenner brats that they care about him enough to make a good showing in the three-game set.

I’m sure at this point he’d settle for no base running mistakes and no balls getting past Matt Kemp in centerfield.

Chris Lardieri, LA Dodgers Examiner has more on the team and their owners, here.

Box score of Dodgers victory over Angels, here

Re-printed 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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Wimbledon 2010 kicked off on Monday and a couple of firsts have already occurred by day three.

A first round match stretched until one minute prior to the 11 pm curfew and it happened with the roof closed. The number three seed, Novak Djokovich needed every second of the time to get past a very game Olivier Rochus of Belgium in five sets, 4-6. 6-2.3-6. 6-4, 6-2.

It was the first match that began in daylight and ended at night after dark. The very strict curfew was tested and there was no need to make the competitors come back the next day. If it had taken any longer for the roof to to be closed and the lights fired up that might have been necessary.

It was necessary however, for a match that began late Tuesday between American John Isner and Frenchman, Nicolas Mahut. The fifth set of their match began on Wednesday after darkness had suspended play a bit more than 12 hours prior. It has now entered the record books.

The fifth set by itself has extended longer than any match in Wimbledon history. As of this writing, the competitors were still on serve at 50-50 in the fifth set. It doesn’t look like this one will end until someone can’t stand up any longer.

Roger Federer has played two matches, won both but it wasn’t easy. Coming from two sets down against unseeded Colombian Alejandro Falla on Monday in his first round match, he then survived a close four-setter on Wednesday afternoon against Serbian, Ilijah Bozoljac, 6-3, 6-7(4),6-4, 7-6(5).

You can either say that Roger is a bit shaky or that he’s getting a good work out prior to advancing in the tournament.

Some of the men’s top seeded players that were upset in their first round matches were Marin Cilic (11th) and Ivan Ljubicic (17th).

On the women’s side of the draw, both of the French Open finalists, Sam Stosur of Australia and Francesca Schiavone of Italy were knocked out in the first round.

ESPN-2 is broadcasting the matches live on a daily basis and DirecTV has five extra channels available to its subscribers in its Wimbledon Mix. The Tennis Channel is offering a wrap-up show with commentary that begins at 8 pm ET each evening.

When World Cup Soccer gets in the way, ESPN coverage gets pushed to its online home: espn3.com as well as ESPN U on the cable-satellite provider schedule.  NBC picks up some match coverage on the first weekend and does so on a tape-delay basis.

Re-printed 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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC