In Los Angeles this weekend, sitting near the bottom of the boxing card headlined by Shane Mosley vs. Sergio Mora, there is a woman’s match. Yes, female boxing has moved into the lineup promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. The night includes a full slate of ten bouts for what is expected to be an all day and evening affair at the Staples Center.

Marketed in conjunction the city’s celebration of Mexico’s Bicentennial, this September 18th Mosley-Mora card features a strong selection of Mexican and Mexican-American fighters that are known to the local fan base. Young welterweight, Frankie Gomez takes on Ricardo Calzada, welterweight Victor Ortiz fights Vivian Harris and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, a 20-year-old squares off against veteran Carlos Baldomir.

But it’s the Kaliesha West vs. Angel Gladney bout that made me stop and ask a question of Golden Boy CEO, Richard Schaefer. Whatever possessed him to get a woman’s match on the undercard? His response:

“I believe it is time, here in the U.S. that we all wake up. Women’s boxing has become an Olympic event and it is only right to now take a more pro-active approach to the game”.

Schaefer is a former international banker and is involved at the top of one of the country’s important fight promotion companies. When I asked him how he made the decision to take the plunge into female boxing, he said managers contact him all the time about putting their female fighters on a Golden Boy card. He feels the timing is right but he is needing to take the networks kicking and screaming into the woman’s fight game.

“Many of these young ladies are very talented and there is a pool here in the U.S. who can compete at the highest level. It is up to the promoters to notice and take an interest in them. I can easily see, down the road, an all-female card. Unfortunately the television networks have been very hesitant to put female boxing on. But if one of the leading promoters such as Golden Boy pushes the agenda, maybe the networks will wake up.”

West, who was mentioned earlier, is 22 years old and was a star at the amateur level taking home a National Golden Gloves and Junior Olympics title. With a pro record of 12-1-2 3KOs, she is fighting Angel Gladney for the vacant WBO Bantamweight title in a scheduled 10-rounder.

Who knew that in the most male of environments we’d see a break through like this? One can only hope that these ladies make believers of the fans at a jam packed Staples Center on Saturday night.

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

Derek Jeter gets the Oscar for his HBP performance in yesterday’s Yankees, Rays game. The amount of sports-talk radio time spent analyzing one at-bat is astounding, but then again, it involved the Yanks, their division rival Tampa Bay Rays and the pinstriped captain, Derek Jeter, America’s male sweetheart.

Bottom line, Derek Jeter played baseball the way it is supposed to be played, including all the little cheats that are traditional.

Derek Jeter cheated?!

Stop the presses; cover the eyes of children everywhere. Is it possible that if he cheats on the field he might actually do the same off the field? You know, like ingesting substances that are banned in the game.

For Pete’s sake, have we really bought his choirboy image to the extent that we think he is incapable of being a teammate that does everything necessary to get his team a win? The win hoped for on Wednesday night would have pushed the Yankees one more game ahead of the Rays in the hotly contested AL East.

Just because he called Joe Torre, “Mr. Torre” during his tenure in New York and hasn’t produced a baby mama that we know of yet, doesn’t mean the guy isn’t a ball player. This is baseball my friends. People steal signs, make believe they checked their swing, claim they didn’t trap a fly ball in the outfield and say they beat the tag at second.

Jeter faked being hit by a pitch, period. Of course it was the Academy Award performance he gave, that was so over the top it had Yankees fans laughing their heads off. Who knew he had it in him? Even fans have bought into the cliches: “He plays the game the right way”, “He’s a class act”, “He provides so many intangibles to the team”, and finally, my new current favorite, “He might be the best Yankee ever”.

Brand-Jeter stands for truth, justice and the American way, not for faking to get on base, that isn’t covered in the above cliche list. Suck it up folks, the guy is human and a ballplayer, nothing more and nothing less. Congrats to Jeter for not only getting to first base, but in the process, getting the opponent’s manager tossed. Sometimes you have to stand for being more than a brand.

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

Sports journalist and television personality, Jay Mariotti has been charged with seven misdemeanors by the city prosecutors in Los Angeles. He will be arraigned at a hearing on Friday September 17.

The charges stem from his arrest in the early morning hours of August 21 this year. According to witnesses, Mariotti and a woman identified as his girlfriend were at a restaurant/bar and began to exchange angry words. Their argument apparently continued when they arrived at an apartment building in the beach town of Venice, CA.

An eyewitness called police after he saw the argument turn physical when the pair entered the lobby of the building. The Los Angeles Times reported that when police arrived at the scene, Mariotti’s companion had scrapes and bruises. He was promptly arrested on suspicion of felony domestic abuse, and after posting $50,000 bail, was released. He hasn’t been seen in public since that time, quite a departure from the usual in celeb or pseudo-celeb domestic scrapes here in Southern California. Even TMZ has had a hard time prying any information from the authorities.

Since his arrest, he was suspended by one employer and just not utilized by another. AOL FanHouse suspended him from contributing columns and ESPN hasn’t used him since that time on “Around The Horn”. At least AOL was upfront about it when they made the announcement. ESPN hid behind the fact that the program was on hiatus the week after the incident. When it returned to the air they merely said that he wasn’t scheduled for the next five days.

It took two weeks for the LA District Attorney’s Office to decide that it wouldn’t press felony charges against Mariotti. Then it was up to the City Attorney to determine if lesser charges were appropriate. That announcement came on Monday, September 13.The Los Angeles Times reported the misdemeanors include two counts of domestic violence with injury, two counts of domestic violence, one count of grand theft, one count of false imprisonment and one count of vandalism. TMZ.com giddily reported that the grand theft charge is a result of Mariotti allegedly taking the woman’s purse and keys from her. Apparently the hand bag is pricey and thus qualifies as a misdemeanor theft crime.

Jay Mariotti has a reputation as someone who pounces on athletes and sports figures after they tangle with the justice system. He has little patience for excuses about bad behavior and rarely shows compassion or understanding, no matter the circumstances surrounding a criminal charge, a DUI or other incident of that type.

After the announcement by the LA City Attorney, Mariotti’s lawyer told media that the allegations are “inaccurate and sensationalized.”We are confident that the facts will show the complainant was extremely intoxicated that night and abusive toward Mr. Mariotti,” Debra Wong Yang said.

Unlike other instances of inappropriate conduct by ESPN employees, the network allowed its on-air personalities to discuss the Mariotti mess. On the day “Around The Horn” returned to the air, the panelists debated the subject. The angle they took was one of other journalists commenting on why fellow media members were ganging up on poor little Mariotti. In other words, they got to say “I told you so” about Jay’s diatribes that never cut anyone slack and looked to the most sensational angle in any story.

When he appears in LA’s downtown criminal courts building on Friday, you can expect a circus. He will stand up and plead not guilty to the charges and then the hard work begins. His attorney will hope to find facts that convince the prosecutors to drop some of the charges and plea bargain the rest of them away. His career on television will depend on how many get dismissed and which ones he pleads to. If he rolls the dice and decides to go to trial, the time it would take might end his career as he knows it, whether or not there is an acquittal.

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

Ines Sainz, is a former Miss Universe who now works as a reporter for Mexico’s Azteca TV and recently was in New York to interview the Jets’ Mexican-American quarterback, Mark Sanchez. She showed up looking sweet, as you can see from the photo and some team members took a hot tub time machine back to high school when they caught sight of her.

The reason we know about it is that Ms. Sainz, took to Twitter to report that she felt embarrassed and uncomfortable by the “boys being boys” behavior. Just like that, the NFL corporate machine went into high gear to investigate the situation and come up with a way to deal with what they viewed as harassment of a valued media member.

Sanchez, a Mexican-American, is routinely pestered for interviews from Spanish-language media outlets. It’s great for the NFL’s quest to expand its fan base into international markets; you know how Roger Goodell craves that market outside the U.S., right?

On the day after the Jets couldn’t score a touchdown during their ugly loss to the Baltimore Ravens in their season opener, they will return to their practice facility and take part in an investigation about the facts surrounding the time Ms. Sainz was on the premises.

The team has already gone into their cover-your-ass mode and as a result is expected to bring in a corporate trainer to remind everyone that unlike episodes of “Mad Men”, it’s not OK to harass a woman in a work environment, just because she is luscious to look at.

Work and environment are the operative words in this context. This wasn’t a club, a bar or even a gym. Rules of decorum are different depending on the environment. In case you hadn’t noticed, employment laws have cropped up in the past two decades to limit the level of stupidity that can be demonstrated towards the opposite gender when they are working.

Sainz was attired in a pair of blue jeans, white short-sleeved blouse and boots. It wasn’t what she was wearing as much as how it looks on her when she wears it. She is a knock-out.

Is she inappropriately dressed for the situation?

The answer is it doesn’t matter. Discipline and decorum dictate that you wait until she’s gone to hoot and holler and suggest things that you wouldn’t want your wife or daughter to have to hear if she stepped into a similar situation.

Her tweet from the locker room, sounded like this:”I die of embarrassment! I am in the locker room of the Jets waiting for Mark Sanchez while trying not to look to anywhere!” (translated from Spanish)

That came on the heels of what Christine Brennan of USA Today reported about the behavior of the men while still in the midst of practice: “players and one coach are alleged to have tried to run into female reporter Ines Sainz of Mexico’s TV Azteca during a passing drill.”

On Sunday, the New York Post reported: “Prodded by his players, defensive backs coach Dennis Thurman purposely overthrew passes to them in interception drills so that the footballs would land next to Sainz on the sidelines. Rex Ryan then joined in the fun, having Thurman run a sideline pattern and also intentionally overthrowing in Sainz’s direction.”

It is important to note that other media members who were present were perplexed about why no one from the team was putting a stop to it all, or why Ms. Sainz didn’t approach the head of media relations to complain and keep it from blowing up. According to some who took the time to talk about it on the record, they had never seen or heard anything quite like it.

In the wake of the uproar, a team spokesman issues a statement: “The New York Jets believe that reporters have a job to do, and it is our obligation to provide them with proper and professional access.” Team owner Woody Johnson gets it. He was unafraid to get on the phone and listen to what Ms. Sainz had to say. Despite not knowing all the facts he issued an apology if his employees were out of line and wanted Sainz and her employer to know that the Jets will be a place that is comfortable for all media members to ply their trade, no matter their gender.

After the full investigation by the team and the NFL, Johnson has promised to punish anyone who embarrassed the team and Ms. Sainz. In case the players and coaches have a hard time remembering how they are supposed to behave, there is a meeting looming with a corporate trainer. “We are working with an organization to schedule an educational and awareness session with the team,” said Jets spokesman Bruce Speight.” .

The rule is simple: if you wouldn’t say it in front of the owner, don’t say it.

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

Sugar Shane Mosley 46-6 39 KOs climbs into the ring to fight Sergio Mora 22-1-1 6 KOs on a boxing card coming up on September 18 in Los Angeles.

You may have missed the announcement of these headliners due to the sensational headlines garnered by the rude, nasty video rant of Floyd Mayweather Jr. or the three-city publicity tour for the November 13 bout between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito that will take place in Dallas.

During a media conference call on Wednesday, Golden Boy Promotions and the fighters pumped up the volume about their bout and discussed the HBO pay-per-view event that will be held at the Staples Center.

While each fighter spoke about his motivation to do his best as well as why the public should pick him to emerge victorious, Shane Mosley was quite patient as almost every question posed to him mentioned his recent 39th birthday. In answer to one reporter’s inquiry about how long he thinks he can box, Sugar Shane looked at Bernard Hopkins, who still fights at the age of 44 for inspiration.

“I think I can do what he has done. I am in great shape and keep myself that way in between fights. I’ll know when it’s time, I definitely will.”

When asked if he and his trainer Nazeem Richardson had figured out what the heck happened to him after the second round of his fight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in May, Mosley denied that he had tired at that point. He laid the issue at the feet of Nazeem, who he said had corrected whatever had been lacking in his training.

Mosley went on to say that if he lost to Sergio Mora it would be a setback in his quest to continue to fight and that he is not at any disadvantage fighting a guy who is a middleweight. The way Mosley sees it, Mora had to come down in weight for the junior middleweight bout, while Shane had to go up.

On Mora’s part, he could not have been more excited to tout his chances against a guy that he showed reverence for and continually called a future Hall of Famer. In answer to a question about why he thinks his fight deserves attention. Mora was quick to say that styles make fights.

In the upcoming contest with Mosley he intends to feed off his opponent, continue to throw punches in bunches, as he put it and try to lead the action and the pace.”When did I ever have the leisure to lose?”, he said in response to a question about it being a must-win. “Every fight for me is a must win. When I have a good camp, without any excuses, I believe I can fight the best. ”

The undercard features rising Mexican star, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez taking on former world champion, Carlos “Tata” Baldomir, top junior welterweight contender, “Vicious” Victor Ortiz vs. former world champ “Vicious” Vivian Harris and former world champ Daniel Ponce De Leon fighting the No. 2 ranked featherweight, Antonio Escalante in a WBO Featherweight Title Elimination bout.

A more detailed version of this story can be found on Duffy’s Examiner column here.

For Staples Center ticket information or to find a movie theater location to view the fight, go to Golden Boy’s website, 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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Roger Clemens reportedly arrived early for his arraignment in Washington, DC on Monday. Perhaps he was hoping to push up the time of his court appearance scheduled for 2 pm EDT. He’s got places to go and people to see, don’t you know? After his arraignment he is reportedly taking a private jet with wife Debbie in tow and traveling to Myrtle Beach, SC.

There, he and Debbie are expected to participate in a Golf.com amateur tournament.

Arrangements are already in place for him to arrive late and play his round with an event official to make sure he scores his round in an ethical manner. The tournament is accommodating him because they understand his previous engagement today is difficult, sometimes impossible to reschedule.

Clemens will stand up in U.S. Federal District in front of Judge Reggie Walton and take a plea. He can waive the reading of the charges against him to make it a more speedy process. They consist of six felony counts of perjury, making false statements and obstruction of Congress, all arising out of his 2008 testimony in front of a Congressional committee.

To help Roger fight the charges as he has sworn to do, The Rocket added a major player to his legal team. Michael Attanasio, a former federal prosecutor turned private trial lawyer will stand by his side. Rusty Hardin, the good old boy lawyer who managed the process that landed Clemens where he is today has not been dismissed. If he had a shred of feeling left for his client he would bow out and let the big dog maneuver the rest of the way.

Attanasio, whose time as a federal prosecutor was served in DC, knows his way around the place. He may still have friends in that local office but at the very least, he understands the process. Attanasio is not there to engage in a plea bargain negotiation because there is not one available any longer. That ship sailed after the indictment was made public. It will be Attanasio’s job to assure his client that he can produce either a not guilty verdict or a hung jury.

He is expected to issue multiple subpoenas for an obscene amount of relevant documents and to make life miserable for those that will testify against Clemens. That’s his job now and for his work he will be paid a pretty penny. But money is not the issue here; it’s all about keeping Roger Clemens out of prison. For that, Roger Clemens will spend his last dime, not that he will have to.

If he’s still being chauffeured to high profile golf tournaments, he’s still got some folks who think he’s a sympathetic figure and will pay him appearance fees.

Hit ‘em straight Roger.

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 Dodgers are officially ‘waiving’ goodbye to Manny Ramirez. ESPN reported today that the Chicago White Sox were “awarded a waiver claim that gives them exclusive rights to make a deal to acquire Ramirez over the next four days.”

So now that the ‘Manny’ experiment is over, was the acquisition of the prolific hitter with personality issues a good thing or bad thing?

When you look at all the factors in play, it may depend on whether you get past the 50-game suspension for failing a drug test and the nagging injuries that have kept Manny out of the lineup for more than 100 games over two seasons.

If you’re weighing in on those issues, then the answer to the question would include the words, “bust” and “failure”

The Dodgers were revived after the 2008 arrival of Ramirez in Los Angeles. The excitement surrounding Dodger blue exhibited by the players and fans carried the team all the way to the NLCS, for the first time in 20 years. It also helped that he hit the ball from every angle, to every field, with power and consistency.

The club installed “Mannywood” and sold Manny wigs while ticket sales shot through the roof.

The best thing about this rebirth was they got him for free after the Red Sox agreed to trade him and pay the rest of his season’s salary. That meant that the moment he stepped on the field for his introductory press conference, the Dodgers were in the black.

The Dodgers started off the 2009 season believing they could take the next step to the World Series. Manny, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp led the way, until that dreadful day in early May when the 50-game suspension was announced. Manny, an instant hero was sent packing for those 50 games after his routine drug test revealed the presence of a female hormone, known to be used after a cycle of steroids.

The news sent shock waves through the clubhouse and the fan base but was ultimately overcome. The Dodgers shook off the news, won 95 games and landed in the NLCS for the second season in a row. When Manny did return he was never the same as a player and teammate. Fan support waned as his performance disappointed.

Manny avoided addressing the situation and became withdrawn. Joe Torre explained it as a colossal embarrassment to the proud hitter that took his swagger and seemingly his power as well. The young players who Manny had nurtured in 2008 took over and they led the way from that point on and Ramirez could not be counted on in crucial situations any longer.

When 2010 arrived, Ramirez declared that it was his last year with the club – his two year deal would expire at season’s end – and that he wouldn’t speak to the media at all. He kept to the promise but he also stopped engaging with most of his teammates as well.

Manny was a different player. While he hit for his typical average, his line drives were more long singles or doubles and couldn’t find the seats. He was rested frequently after a hamstring tweak early in the season and then went on two long stretches on the DL.

Then there was trouble brewing between Matt Kemp and the team, Ethier who started out hot, broke a bone, sat for a couple of weeks and didn’t get back to form until after the All-Star game. The team suffered through long losing streaks and this late in the season are still a long shot to take a wild card spot.

So with Manny waived and claimed by the Chicago White Sox it looks like another Manny experiment is coming to an unhappy end.

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

When Elin Nordegren made the decision to break her silence about the end of her marriage to Tiger Woods, she didn’t call Oprah, but she did contact a familiar name for celebrity tell-alls. Nordegren, who successfully petitioned the judge in her divorce case to resume using her maiden name, initiated contact with People magazine and appears on the cover of the latest issue to tell her story of what happened to her after the infamous car accident in November, 2009.

Sandra Sobieraj Westfall  of People  met with Nordegren for about 19 hours to record her thoughts and feelings about her husband’s randy behavior and its effects on her both physical and emotional well being.

Westfall appeared on NBC’s Today show Wednesday, to explain how it came about and what the cover story was meant to accomplish.

Nordegren intended to clear the air after months of rumors and public discussion about what should have been the most private of affairs.

The People writer told Today’s Ann Curry:

“She really wanted people to know three things right off the bat: She’s not violent; she’s never hit him; she had no idea any of this was going on — as embarrassing as it is for her to admit that, she never suspected.”

Elin’s other main point was that her marriage to the world’s number one golfer was real. She knew she was in love with Woods and believed he felt the same.  They always discussed having a family and she made that her main focus during the term of her marriage.

She rejected any public life that included anything other than appearances with her husband at golf tournaments and social functions associated with them. Occasionally the couple appeared at sporting events such as Orlando Magic NBA games and the U.S. Open tennis championship to support Woods’ friend Roger Federer.

In accordance with the terms of the final divorce decree, formalized only two days prior to the magazine story, Nordegren refused to discuss the terms, except for the most general of information about child custody. She told Westfall that she and Tiger agreed to share custody of their daughter Sam, 3, and son Charlie, 18 months.  Estimates of the financial settlement have ranged from $100 million to upwards of three-quarters of a billion. The lower figure is more likely to be true, according to Darren Rovell, of CNBC.

No matter what the sum, Nordegren told People, “Money can’t buy happiness or put my family back together.” Nordegren is attending college and working toward a bachelor’s degree in psychology.  She entered counseling after the Thanksgiving weekend that changed her life and those sessions enabled her to give her children what would have to pass for some normalcy after they moved out of the house they all shared. While the couple made attempts to reconcile the efforts were futile because their union was “without trust and love.”

Despite rumors that she intended to take the children to her native Sweden, Nordegren will reside close to her ex-husband to facilitate the child custody arrangement. Nordegren told the magazine that this may be the only time she speaks about her failed marriage to Woods; she fully intends to retreat back into private life now. 

As for Woods, he is competing in this weekend’s Barclays tournament in northern New Jersey. The Barclays is the first of four playoff events to determine the winner of a $10 million prize as well as crown the world’s best golfer for 2010.

For the complete interview, pick up a copy of People Magazine at your local stands on Friday, August 27th.

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

Boxer Antonio Margarito received bad news from the California State Athletic Commission when he petitioned to reinstate his license to box in the state. It wasn’t just the 5-1 no vote against him but the language used by the CSAC was a smack-down of righteousness and anger.

That suspension is the result of trainer Javier Capetillo placing plaster-like substances within the boxer’s hand wraps prior to a bout in Los Angeles against Shane Mosley. Margarito still lost in a ninth round TKO.

The boxer might have tripped the wire on the ultimate sin in the sport of boxing. Many fans and media members believe he should never be licensed again. Yet, there are those who think his suspension of more than a year is sufficient. They wonder how long is enough and what else Margarito has to do to get back in the Commission’s good graces.

Flashing back to 1983, there was a similar incident when trainer Panama Lewis removed padding from a boxer’s gloves, causing excessive cuts to the opponent’s face. Lewis and his fighter were actually convicted of criminal assault with a weapon (the hands) and conspiracy in that incident.

Back to this case, Capetillo was cut loose, no matter how hard it was for Margarito. They had been together for years and from what the boxer said in front of the Commission, he believes that in conjunction with an apology that it ever happened should demonstrate how sorry he is. An admission of knowledge about Capetillo’s actions has not been forthcoming and doesn’t appear to be on the horizon.

Therein seems to lie the largest problem for the CSAC and critics of Margarito. Credibility is strained by that statement and even if it’s true, and there is a possibility it is, he is being asked to “man up” and take the bullet on behalf of his camp.

Is that fair, ask his supporters? Why isn’t doing the time along with a purging of his close adviser and a promise to be a good boy sufficient to get this train rolling down the tracks once again?

Compare this lifetime ban with other major American sports.

The only modern era player in Major League Baseball who was banned for life is Pete Rose. The ultimate sin in baseball is said to be gambling on games. If illegal hand wraps are the equivalent of gambling on baseball games then the CSAC should just say it and get on with life.

Even drug use, whether recreational or performance enhancing, normally carries a finite term of months or years then a player gets back on the field.

The same is true in football with one proviso. Commissioner Roger Goodell reserves the right to set his own time frame for off the field problems with the law. Like a criminal probation, if an infraction occurs during probation, further time is added to the punishment.

That is what could help in the Margarito situation. The CSAC mentioned that the boxer sparred in Oxnard, California during his time away. That is a rules violation about which Margarito claimed ignorance. Nonetheless, if the Commission wants to extract another pound of flesh for that, then say it and set out the time to be served.

In the meantime, Margarito and his promoter Bob Arum are searching for a place to stage the bout with Pacquiao scheduled for November 13th.

BOXING RELATED STORIES: One-on-One interview with Juan Diaz

Mayweather publicist denies she banned Philippine media from interview

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

Bark in the Park will make its debut at Dodger Stadium and for those of you who have not heard of it, it has nothing to do with the performance of the players on the field.

In conjunction with their sponsor Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc. the Los Angeles Dodgers are selling seats for pet owners and their dogs. Canines will gallop through the turnstiles after their owners have plunked down an additional $25.00 for a pet ticket with a portion of the proceeds going to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles branch.

The Dodgers’ Bark in the Park Day on August 21, 2010 is one of three for the month of August in the MLB. The Dodgers are joined by the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants who have theirs scheduled for August 29, 2010. The Cincinnati Reds are closing out the event with the final one of the season scheduled for September 14.

In L.A. there will be a rally where ticket holders will be invited to join in the Pup Parade. All pets and owners will be given the opportunity to stroll along the warning track inside the stadium prior to game time.

Some rules for attendees: All dog owners must bring a copy of a current vaccination documents from a licensed veterinarian. Pet must wear an identification tag to gain entrance to Dodger Stadium. Each dog must be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older. Attendees must bring a signed copy of the Bark in the Park release waiver to gain admittance to the ballpark.

If any of the fans situated in the designated Right Field Pavilion where the animals will sit aren’t happy about sharing the space with dogs and their owners, they will be moved to another section.

Concerned about stepping in a doggie accident?

These stadiums have made plans for that as well. Natural Balance has experience in staging these events and will provide clean-up service.

For more information on the Dodgers’ event, to view a copy of the release waiver and check out details on “Bark in the Park,” check out the Dodgers website, here.

Fans of the Chicago White Sox, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, NY Mets and Oakland A’s will have to wait for next season since those event dates have passed but details for the other remaining dates throughout the league can be found below.

Atlanta Braves – Bark in the Park: August 29 vs. Florida

San Francisco Giants – Dog Days of Summer: August 29 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Cincinnati Reds – Bark in the Park: September 14 vs. the Diamondbacks

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