Author: admin

  • That’s A Lie: Hell Rell Denies Suing Jim Jones

    Posted by: www.xxlmag.com

    Back in September, Allhiphop reported that Hell Rell had filed a lawsuit against Jim Jones, E1 (formerly Koch), Babygrande Records and Tycoon Entertainment for unpaid royalties. XXLMag.com recently caught up with Rell, who confirmed there was a lawsuit pending but clarified that the Diplomats Capo was not part of the case. Find out what really happened HERE!

  • Lakers win fifth straight, beat Hornets (AP)

    New Orleans Hornets' Chris Paul(notes), center, drives past Los Angeles Lakers' D.J. Mbenga(notes) (28) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. The Lakers won 104-88.

    Kobe Bryant and coach Phil Jackson both thought the injury-depleted Lakers would get a stern early season test from the New Orleans Hornets. Instead, their visitors barely put up a fight. Yes, DJ Mbenga and Shannon Brown were just that good. Bryant scored 28 points, Brown added 15 and Los Angeles thrived again without its top two big men, beating the New Orleans Hornets 104-88 Sunday night.

  • Colts beat Texans 20-17 to stay unbeaten (AP)

    Indianapolis Colts linebacker Clint Session(notes) runs the ball after intercepting a pass from Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub(notes) in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. The Colts won 20-17.

    The Colts have no problems with close games — as long as they keep winning them. Peyton Manning delivered another milestone performance, Joseph Addai produced a second straight winning score, and the Colts found another unconventional way to win when Houston's Kris Brown missed a 42-yard field goal as time expired, keeping Indy's winning streak intact 20-17.

  • Phillies decline option on 3B Feliz (AP)

    The Philadelphia Phillies have declined their $5.5 million 2010 option on third baseman Pedro Feliz. Feliz hit .266 with 12 home runs and 82 RBIs in 158 games for the National League champion Phillies this season. He'll receive a $500,000 buyout. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. says he won't rule out bringing back Feliz.

  • Jay Z vs. Beanie Sigel: It’s Nothing but Business as Usual

    Filed under: ,

    Consider it a strange dream, but I had some thoughts about the Jay-Z beef with the rapper Beanie Sigel. No, I’m not here to talk about keeping street cred. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Half of the artists in the hip hop industry are not nearly as hard or as real as they claim to be. They’re too smart for that. The guys who are really as hard as most rappers claim to be are either in a jail cell or a casket. That’s the truth.

    What got my attention was when Charlamagne Tha God was fired from 100.3, “The Beat” in Philadelphia. I’ve known Charlamagne for years from our work on The Wendy Williams Show, so this made me a little upset. What was even sadder is the allegation that Jay Z may have played a role in getting Charlamagne fired, in large part because Charlamagne conducted an interview with Jay-Z’s new rival, Beanie Sigel. This incident represents more than the standard thuggery that some might see on the surface. Instead, it brings forth a plethora of issues that relate to business, entertainment, money and corporate power. Here are some quick thoughts:

    1) Getting Charlamagne tha God Fired? An allegedly weak move, but a lesson on corporate influence. The smartest artist I’ve ever seen in hip hop is 50 Cent. He writes songs about going to the club, but he doesn’t go to clubs. He gets you to bob your head and pop bottles of Vodka and Petrone, but he doesn’t drink himself. Effectively, he knows the power of getting others addicted, while keeping himself from being vulnerable to the very addictions he is using to control you (remember Ice Cube’s famous line, “Don’t get high on your own supply”?). Jay-Z is similar, as he has rejected the ridiculous, “bling yourself to death and then get shot or go to jail” mindset that many rappers seem to possess. Instead, he preoccupies himself with being a businessman, which means he has ultimate control over his fate.

    So, in spite of the fact that I am irritated at the very weak and unethical move allegedly committed by Jay Z, the teachable moment here is that the corporate monsters are the ones who control hip hop or any other art form for that matter. Most rappers only work to get a place on the plantation, not to actually own one.

    2) The Jay Z beef with Beanie Sigel has been played out thousands of times throughout human history. Ever since the beginning of entertainment, there has always been a natural beef between the sources of capital and the entertainers themselves. Artists are natural risk takers and many of them don’t spend two seconds thinking about the business models that finance their activities. Many artists put their energy into their craft rather than engaging in the boring task of understanding accounting, finance, marketing and distribution. The corporate captains, on the other hand, are not natural risk takers and they are the ones who decide if the show is going to even take place. Given that the corporate chiefs are making the financial choices, and the artists themselves want to push their work out at any cost, there is typically going to be a conflict of interest. The truth, however, is that when these conflicts occur, the artist almost always loses the fight. Those who provide the capital control much of the process.

    3) You’ve got to take good care of the people who work for you. Some have criticized Jigga and Diddy for not taking good care of their artists. I am not sure if this is true or not, but I do know that if you are tempted by corporate greed, you can find yourself enslaving people rather than empowering them. The greatest temptation in hip hop is to take advantage of another person’s obsessive commitment to fulfilling their personal dream. Thousands of artists get signed to Draconian contracts that are skewed heavily in favor of the manager rather than the artist. The problem, however, is that when you design business models to exploit other people, you may find that it comes back to hurt you later on down the road.

    4) There is a financial value of manufactured beef. This might surprise you, but a lot of so-called “beefs” in hip hop are actually branding mechanisms designed to get media attention to sell records. Ever notice how there are a lot of artists who want to stab and shoot each other one minute and then end up making records together the next? Much of this is due to the fact that the lifeblood of any artist is media access. No media means you don’t eat. Given that artists are effectively hired slaves for the record labels who can be used up and dropped at any moment, they are willing to engage in any desperate ploy imaginable to get the cameras pointed in their direction.

    Want to sell some albums? Go out and get arrested. Want to build your brand for “keeping it real”? Get caught in the club with a gun on your hip. Want to keep your job at the record label? Start a beef with a popular artist and get him to respond to you. As hyper-masculine as most hip hop artists pretend to be, the reality is that they are scared little boys on the inside; absolutely petrified that their label is going to find another talented brother from the projects and give him the spotlight they’ve bet their life on. This is not always such a great place to be, which is why any athlete or entertainer needs to get educated.

    Hip hop is an enlightened and exciting industry. At the same time, it’s the same corporate machine controlling people of color and distracting us from true power by keeping us engaged solely in the act of entertainment. As much as I might criticize Jay Z for allegedly going after my friend Charlamagne tha God, the truth is that Jigga seems to be the only one who gets it. Hip hop is not about entertainment, it’s strictly business.

    If you want to hear an artist’s perspective on all of this, I spoke with the Kansas City rapper, Vigalantee about the beef between Jay Z and Beanie Sigel. Click below to hear the conversation:

    Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of the book, “Black American Money.” To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

     

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  • 911 Tape Released In Richmond Gang Rape

    Posted by: The Connector

    Police released a 911 call in which a young woman tells a dispatcher about a drunken, naked girl on a high school campus whom officers later said was gang-raped. The call is apparently the first report police received about the Oct. 24 attack. (Nov. 8)

  • Injured Spurs PG Parker may miss a week (AP)

    Spurs guard Tony Parker is not expected to play Monday against Toronto because of a sore left ankle. The Spurs said Sunday that Parker's injury was a mild sprain that could sideline him for a week. Parker rolled his ankle Friday night in the second quarter of a loss at Portland. He did not return to the game.

  • Megan Fox Hates Being Single

    Posted by: BlogXilla

    Rolling Stone again releases some outtakes from a photo shoot they did with Megan Fox. They (all 55 of them) are also good.

    The 23-year-old recently reunited with her on/off fiance Brian Austin Green, 36, and she said she isn’t a fan of singledom.Asked if she likes being in a relationship, she said: “Oh, I love it, yes. I really hate being single, don’t you? It’s just very uncomfortable. Who likes dating? I just don’t like it.” Megan also said that she may appear confident but she is not always secure within herself.She said: “No, I have a fear of public speaking. Every time I have to be onstage or at an awards show, I get so petrified.”

    FOR MORE PHOTOS, CLICK HERE

     

     

     

  • Jay Z vs. Beanie Sigal: It’s Nothing but Business as Usual

    Filed under: ,

    Consider it a strange dream, but I had some thoughts about the Jay-Z beef with the rapper Beanie Sigal. No, I’m not here to talk about keeping street cred. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Half of the artists in the hip hop industry are not nearly as hard or as real as they claim to be. They’re too smart for that. The guys who are really as hard as most rappers claim to be are either in a jail cell or a casket. That’s the truth.

    What got my attention was when Charlamagne Tha God was fired from 100.3, “The Beat” in Philadelphia. I’ve known Charlamagne for years from our work on The Wendy Williams Show, so this made me a little upset. What was even sadder is the allegation that Jay Z may have played a role in getting Charlamagne fired, in large part because Charlamagne conducted an interview with Jay-Z’s new rival, Beanie Sigal. This incident represents more than the standard thuggery that some might see on the surface. Instead, it brings forth a plethora of issues that relate to business, entertainment, money and corporate power. Here are some quick thoughts:

    1) Getting Charlamagne tha God Fired? An allegedly weak move, but a lesson on corporate influence. The smartest artist I’ve ever seen in hip hop is 50 Cent. He writes songs about going to the club, but he doesn’t go to clubs. He gets you to bob your head and pop bottles of Vodka and Petrone, but he doesn’t drink himself. Effectively, he knows the power of getting others addicted, while keeping himself from being vulnerable to the very addictions he is using to control you (remember Ice Cube’s famous line, “Don’t get high on your own supply”?). Jay-Z is similar, as he has rejected the ridiculous, “bling yourself to death and then get shot or go to jail” mindset that many rappers seem to possess. Instead, he preoccupies himself with being a businessman, which means he has ultimate control over his fate.

    So, in spite of the fact that I am irritated at the very weak and unethical move allegedly committed by Jay Z, the teachable moment here is that the corporate monsters are the ones who control hip hop or any other art form for that matter. Most rappers only work to get a place on the plantation, not to actually own one.

    2) The Jay Z beef with Beanie Sigal has been played out thousands of times throughout human history. Ever since the beginning of entertainment, there has always been a natural beef between the sources of capital and the entertainers themselves. Artists are natural risk takers and many of them don’t spend two seconds thinking about the business models that finance their activities. Many artists put their energy into their craft rather than engaging in the boring task of understanding accounting, finance, marketing and distribution. The corporate captains, on the other hand, are not natural risk takers and they are the ones who decide if the show is going to even take place. Given that the corporate chiefs are making the financial choices, and the artists themselves want to push their work out at any cost, there is typically going to be a conflict of interest. The truth, however, is that when these conflicts occur, the artist almost always loses the fight. Those who provide the capital control much of the process.

    3) You’ve got to take good care of the people who work for you. Some have criticized Jigga and Diddy for not taking good care of their artists. I am not sure if this is true or not, but I do know that if you are tempted by corporate greed, you can find yourself enslaving people rather than empowering them. The greatest temptation in hip hop is to take advantage of another person’s obsessive commitment to fulfilling their personal dream. Thousands of artists get signed to Draconian contracts that are skewed heavily in favor of the manager rather than the artist. The problem, however, is that when you design business models to exploit other people, you may find that it comes back to hurt you later on down the road.

    4) There is a financial value of manufactured beef. This might surprise you, but a lot of so-called “beefs” in hip hop are actually branding mechanisms designed to get media attention to sell records. Ever notice how there are a lot of artists who want to stab and shoot each other one minute and then end up making records together the next? Much of this is due to the fact that the lifeblood of any artist is media access. No media means you don’t eat. Given that artists are effectively hired slaves for the record labels who can be used up and dropped at any moment, they are willing to engage in any desperate ploy imaginable to get the cameras pointed in their direction.

    Want to sell some albums? Go out and get arrested. Want to build your brand for “keeping it real”? Get caught in the club with a gun on your hip. Want to keep your job at the record label? Start a beef with a popular artist and get him to respond to you. As hyper-masculine as most hip hop artists pretend to be, the reality is that they are scared little boys on the inside; absolutely petrified that their label is going to find another talented brother from the projects and give him the spotlight they’ve bet their life on. This is not always such a great place to be, which is why any athlete or entertainer needs to get educated.

    Hip hop is an enlightened and exciting industry. At the same time, it’s the same corporate machine controlling people of color and distracting us from true power by keeping us engaged solely in the act of entertainment. As much as I might criticize Jay Z for allegedly going after my friend Charlamagne tha God, the truth is that Jigga seems to be the only one who gets it. Hip hop is not about entertainment, it’s strictly business.

    If you want to hear an artist’s perspective on all of this, I spoke with the Kansas City rapper, Vigalantee about the beef between Jay Z and Beanie Sigal. Click below to hear the conversation:

    Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of the book, “Black American Money.” To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

     

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  • Celtics bounce back, keep Nets winless (AP)

    New Jersey Nets' Rafer Alston(notes) (1) loses the ball as he collides with Boston Celtics' Paul Pirce during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Celtics beat the Nets 86-76.

    Boston's Big Three against New Jersey's Great Eight had the look of a mismatch. Instead, the Celtics had to work hard to keep the injury-decimated Nets winless. Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce each scored 16 points, and Boston bounced back from its first loss of the season with an 86-76 victory Saturday night.

  • Iverson leaves Grizzlies with permission (AP)

    Disgruntled Memphis guard Allen Iverson returned to his home in Atlanta after receiving permission to leave the team to attend to personal business. Team owner Michael Heisley gave the four-time NBA scoring leader permission to skip the Grizzlies' game Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers following a 114-98 loss to the Lakers the night before.

  • Have You Been Sprayed By 50 Cent ?

    Posted by: Illmatic

    Have Been Sprayed By 50 Cent

  • WTF: Sammy Sosa Is Light Skinned Now?

    Posted by: BlogXilla

    This photo was posted on SI.com yesterday; there is no indication that it was in any way doctored. His lady friend’s breasts? That’s another story. We’re punting on the roundup and ballin’ this weekend.

    TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE

  • Is Health Care Reform Going to Cost you More or Less Money?

    Filed under: ,

    All of us are confused about health care reform. Many of us support the idea because we support the president. Some of us support health care reform because we know that the current system is terribly flawed. Well, getting informed on the issues might be a great way to ensure that you know what you are backing.

    One of the great problems with health care reform is that most Americans can’t trust it in the first place, given that there are so many special interest groups who’ve hooked their fangs into a corrupt and dysfunctional system. Pharmaceutical companies charge incredibly high prices for drugs and work with lawmakers to keep consumers from having other alternatives. Every day, there is a senior citizen moving one inch closer to death because he/she can’t afford their medication. Most of us know that this system has to be altered.

    Dr. Elaina George is a prominent Otolaryngologist at the Peach Tree ENT Center in Atlanta Georgia. In the audio below, Dr. George breaks down the health care reform package that is being debated in Congress this week. So, while the news might be muted by the mass shootings that have recently occurred, we should not allow this distraction to keep us from the issues that are going to affect our lives.

    Click here to listen to Dr. George.

    Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of the book, “Black American Money.” To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

     

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  • Report: Lincecum has deal on drug charge (AP)

    In this Oct. 1, 2009, photo, San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum(notes) sits in the dugout during a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in San Francisco. Lincecum is facing misdemeanor marijuana charges following a traffic stop in his home state of Washington.

    San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum has an agreement with a prosecutor in his home state of Washington that could settle his misdemeanor marijuana charge, The Columbian reported Friday. The Vancouver, Wash., newspaper said Clark County prosecutors have reached a deal with a lawyer for the 2008 Cy Young Award winner that would result in a $250 fine for possessing a marijuana pipe.

  • Rihanna Full Interview on 20/20 (HQ)

    Posted by: BlogXilla

    Rihanna interviewed by Diane Sawyer on 20/20 Part 1 (HQ) NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGMENT INTENTED © 2009 All Rights Reserved to ABC.

  • James scores 33 at MSG as Cavs cruise (AP)

    From left to right, David Sommo and brother Frank Sommo, of Kings Park, N.Y., and Zachariah Reitano, of Ridgefield, Conn., show their support for Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James(notes) to become a New York Knick before the start of an NBA basketball game between the Knicks and the Cavaliers on Friday, Nov. 6, 2009, in New York.

    LeBron James celebrated with the Yankees and toyed with the Knicks. No wonder he's bummed about the NBA schedule: only one Garden party this season. James scored 33 points in his lone visit to New York, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 100-91 victory over the Knicks on Friday night. One night after managing just 42 second-half points in an ugly home loss to Chicago, the Cavaliers rang up 40…

  • Suns’ Richardson has 34, Celtics now 6-1 (AP)

    Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce(notes), left, tries to get to the basket past Phoenix Suns forward Louis Amundson(notes) during the first half of Phoenix's 110- 103 win in an NBA basketball game in Boston, Friday, Nov. 6, 2009.

    Jason Richardson and the Phoenix Suns had no trouble putting their only loss of the season behind them, even against unbeaten Boston. One game after going scoreless for just the third time in his career, Richardson had 34 points and 10 rebounds to lead Phoenix to a 110-103 victory over the Celtics on Friday night.

  • Steve Harvey: His New Wife is the Woman Who Changed His Life

    Filed under: , , , , ,


    Steve Harvey: His New Wife Is the Woman That Changed His Life
    Steve Harvey
    is a changed man – and that’s largely due to the new lady in his life.

    But when it comes to his third wife, Marjorie Bridges Harvey, whom he married in June 2007, she’s not new at all. The pair met 17 years ago and dated briefly. And although the popular comedian, top-rated radio personality and best-selling author first saw the hazel-eyed beauty during a comedy club appearance in Memphis, where he declared that she would be his wife, both parties went on to build separate families.

    But they didn’t live happily ever after with their respective former spouses.

    Steve and Marjorie open up to best-selling author Denene Milner about their rekindled love and newfound happiness in the December edition of Essence magazine, which officially arrives on newsstands Nov. 12.
    Steve Harvey Act Like
    “You’re looking at two people who were messing up for real and making bad decisions without conferring with God,” he shared. “But the fact that you can mess up that many times and still come out okay is a testament to just the grace and mercy of God, man. He took us all the way around the block, halfway around the world, and we got back to each other.”

    The missus, who has three children from her previous marriage, told a candid story about how one of ‘The Original Kings of Comedy’ almost let her slip through his fingers after reconnecting; one night, he accepted a phone call from another woman in front of her.

    “I was just at a point where I was like, ‘If what you want is the same thing as what I want, then great. But if it’s not, it doesn’t make you wrong and me right or vice versa. It just means we’re not in the same place,’” she recalled. “What I’m not going to do is sit here and be in something where I’m not happy and not getting what I want. I wasn’t afraid to walk away.”

    Harvey snapped into shape in short order. He made a commitment and rose to the occasion.

    Two years later, the two are still going strong.

    “I mean, there’s not two days that go by when one of us doesn’t look at the other and say, ‘Man, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me in my entire life,’” he said.

     

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  • Ramirez returning to Dodgers next season (AP)

    Manny Ramirez is coming back to the Dodgers next season. The team said Friday that the slugger exercised his $20 million contract option for 2010. His agent Scott Boras informed general manager Ned Colletti of the decision, which Ramirez had until this month to make. He could have exercised an out clause in the two-year, $45 million deal he signed in March.

  • DB Law, Broncos agree to terms (AP)

    Defensive back Ty Law has agreed to terms on a deal with the Denver Broncos. Kevin Poston, Law's agent, confirmed the news Friday in an e-mail to The Associated Press. The agreement came after Denver's media availability and a Broncos spokesman said the team had no comment. Law is expected to sign the deal Saturday, pending the passing of his physical.

  • Colts put S Sanders, CB Jackson on IR (AP)

    The injury bug is still haunting the Indianapolis Colts. Cornerback Marlin Jackson and strong safety Bob Sanders were lost for the season Friday as the team placed them on injured reserve. Jackson, who missed the second half of the 2008 season after injuring his right knee during practice, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his left knee during a non-contact drill Wednesday.

  • GG’s Global Guide For The Weekend

    Posted by: KanYeezy

    FRIDAY aka “movie night“- 

    Disney’s A Christmas Carol– is a a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3D motion picture event. For More info on this movie, click here.

    The Box– Cameron Diaz and former X-Man James Marsden star in the supernatural horror picture directed by Donnie Darko cult fave Richard Kelly. For more information about this movie click here.

    SATURDAY aka “chill day”- 

    12pmCollege Football on ESPN, “Jon and kate: From Hate To Love” on TV Guide, “Monica Still Standing” on BET, “Jumper” HBO, “Reality Undercover” on MTV

    3pm“Christie’s Revenge” on Lifetime, “Parking Wars” on A&E, “Dirty Dancing” on ABC Fam, “Dwarf Family: Meet The Fooses” on DHealth

    6pm“Dateline: Taylor Swift” on CMT, “Dirty Jobs”, on DSC, “Practical Presents” on Syfy, “Four Brothers” on TNT

    8pm- “Cops” on FOX, “Mercy” on NBC, “Criminal Minds” on A&E, “New Jack City” on BET

    SUNDAY aka “football sunday”-

     

     

  • Rheumatism Treatment

    Rheumatism or rheumatic arthritis is one of the commonest complaints of old age. As the age advances, there is wear and tear in the joints of the body. This causes the rheumatic pains. Ayurveda calls this condition as Ama Vata. It considers rheumatism to …

  • Congress Expands Homeowner Tax Breaks

    If you were rushing to close on a house before the end of the year, slow down. Congress voted to extend the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit, Thursday.

  • *Breaking News* Usher x Tameka’s Divorce Papers!

    Posted by: bossip.com

    Usher is finally back on the prowl and the divorce from Tameka Foster is final.

    Pop the top to peep the actual Papers

     

     

     

  • Real Housewives of Atlanta: Dwight Eubanks’ Penile Implant Revelation Revs Up Part Two of Reunion

    Filed under:

    Real Housewives of Atlanta: Dwight Eubanks' Penile Implant Revelation Revs Up Part Two of ReunionLast year’s ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ reunion, which featured a previously soft-spoken Lisa Wu Hartwell threatening to flip Kim Zolciak over the couch garnered some of the network’s highest ratings.

    Unfortunately, part two of the season two reunion show –which premiered Nov.5 — turned out to be even less lively than the first Bravo special.

    Zolciak,, was the focus of the first reunion special — with host Andy Cohen‘s many questions about her rumored fiancé Big Poppa, who allegedly showed up to the taping (but wasn’t shown on camera).

    There was a lot of back and forth about an alleged off-camera physical altercation between Zolciak and her on-again, off-again gal pal Nene Leakes too but a real turning point in the show involved a man and his endowment. And we’re not talking about money either.

    The ‘Tardy for the Party’ singer disclosed that Dwight Eubanks, commonly referred to as “The Fifth Housewife” has a penile implant.

    The Purple Door salon owner, who revealed to BV Newswire two weeks ago that he was bisexual, had no qualms with admitting his package enhancement. He even compared it to women having breast implants.
    Hartwell also got testy with Eubanks over his critique of her “fashion show,” but he offered up no apologies.

    Alas, Leakes and Hartwell didn’t hide their laughter when Zolciak took the stage singing her ‘Tardy for the Party’ dance hit.

    Zolciak (to her credit) sang live and accompanied by background dancers, but looked out-of-place on the stage. The mother of two also admitted to being a waitress at Atlanta strip club, Cheetah – denying rumors she was ever a stripper.

     

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  • Boozer’s 27 and 14 lift Jazz over Spurs (AP)

    Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko(notes) (47), of Russia, is fouled by San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili(notes) (20), of Argentina, while Spurs forward Tim Duncan(notes) (21) helps defend during the second half of their NBA basketball game Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009, in Salt Lake City. The Jazz beat the Spurs 113-99.

    The boos that the Utah Jazz heard early quickly turned to cheers of "Booz!" Carlos Boozer and the Utah Jazz finally put on a show worth rooting for, beating the San Antonio Spurs 113-99 on Thursday night. The Jazz ended a two-game losing skid and undid a little of the damage done in an embarrassing loss two nights before.

  • Fighter Pat Barry Wins Big Purse Right Before Being Homeless

    Filed under: , ,

    UFC fighter Pat Barry was thanking his lucky stars for his big win against Antoni Hardonk. The fighter won a $120,000 purse for his accomplishment, which was right on time given that he was literally six days away from being evicted from his apartment. Barry’s win was emotional for obvious reasons and nearly everyone in his camp was in shock to hear about his financial situation. What is saddest is that his challenges are not uncommon among fighters in general.

    Although Pat Barry hasn’t had the chance to earn millions, many major fighters end up going broke even after their gravy trains have stopped flowing. The outcomes don’t make any sense, given that a bit of financial discipline could have made all the difference in the world. When you earn as much as $10 – $20 million dollars in a payday, you can live a pretty wild financial life and still have money to save. Instead, some athletes seem to want to push the limits and it’s actually uncommon to hear of any boxer who DOESN’T end up in the poor house.

    Here are a list of financial demons that plague fighters when they finally hit the big time:

    1) The bling: For some reason, athletes and entertainers are expected to live an incredibly extravagant lifestyle. Mike Tyson employed over 200 people and spent millions on items too ridiculous to mention. What’s worse is that Mike Tyson actually owed as much as $38 million dollars at one point. Evander Holyfield’s $10 million dollar, 54,000 square foot mansion was put on the auction block last year after foreclosure. Many athletes go into debt because they are banking on their next payday to get them out of the new financial holes they keep digging for themselves.

    2) Bad relationships: Divorce is a great way to go broke. Before Muhammad Ali married his third wife, Lonnie, his previous wife divorced him and took his last $2 million dollars right before Muhammad’s career ended with Parkinson’s disease. It was at that point when he found himself broke and unable to earn additional income. Fortunately, a good woman came into his life and used her MBA from UCLA to liquidate the massive financial value from his brand name. So, as much as black male athletes can be ruined by women, they can also be saved by them. However, a long string of baby’s mamas, bad marriages, draining relatives and expensive arm candy can cost an athlete dearly.

    3) The IRS: The IRS is sneaky and has led to the financial demise of many celebs. Even honest, hard working Americans can fall prey to the demon of back taxes. Joe Louis was one great example of a man who made a great deal of money, but found out years later that he owed tax money to the IRS. For the rest of his career, he would wander from one fight to another, with IRS agents waiting in the back room to take the entire purse after the fight. While his career was a great one, he was not a happy man in old age.

    4) A lack of education: A lack of money management ability and inadequate financial literacy plagues many wealthy entertainers and athletes. Growing up in poverty doesn’t exactly endow you with an extensive understanding of trust funds, estate planning, stocks and bonds. One of the great tragedies for NFL and NBA athletes is that many of them attend universities that simply hand the athlete a degree without forcing the athlete to get an education. But there is an old saying that “a fool and his money will soon part ways.” Even if you are incredibly wealthy, you have simply made yourself into a sucker for those who are smart enough to take that money from you.

    5) The leaches: The easiest way to get a pack of new friends is to have a lot of money. In addition to the friends who suddenly find you to be a fascinating human being, you’ve got managers, lawyers, agents, homeboys and baby’s mamas who want their cut. It is not uncommon for a celebrity to have to give away as much as $700,000 out of every million dollars he/she earns. Everybody wants a piece of your pie until you are down and out; at that point, you become yesterday’s news.

    I don’t think that any athlete should live like a miser, that’s no fun. Instead, why not simply save 20% of your income and party with the rest? That would give you a nest egg for retirement and allow you to pay the bills after you’ve fought your last fight. What’s saddest is that every boxer says they are going to retire young and none of them ever do. It’s time to stop living the same story over and over again.

    Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of the book, “Black American Money.” To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

     

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  • Bulls stop James late, beat Cavs 86-85 (AP)

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