A sizeable LAPD police union is going after the Los Angeles District Attorney after it was decided that NBA star Jaxson Hayes would not be charged with a felony after allegedly attacking an officer during his arrest in July.
The New Orleans Pelicans center was booked for a felony charge of battery on a law enforcement officer and then hospitalized to treat his minor injuries after reportedly being involved in a violent confrontation.
Local police were first called out to a domestic disturbance in the Los Angeles area, after Hayes’ girlfriend supposedly said she was scared he was about to physically harm her.
Once they attempted to gain access to the address, Hayes allegedly got physical for real, which caused a brawl to break out.
So serious was the dust-up that police put out a call detailing how an “officer needs help,” as detailed by US outlet TMZ.
Jaxson Hayes was arrested last night after an alleged altercation with police, per @TMZ.
The imposing 6’ft 11in, 220lbs baller was reportedly released after paying bail set at $25,000.
Yet despite there being video evidence that he pushed an officer in body camera footage, the DA – George Gascon – won’t charge Hayes with a felony which has caused outrage among the Los Angeles Police Protective League that represents over 9,000 cops in the Los Angeles area.
“George Gascon’s latest criminals first airball puts a target on the back of every police officer in Los Angeles,” the LAPPL told TMZ.
“Gascon’s refusal to prosecute Jaxson Hayes for violently attacking and injuring an officer during his n-word laced tirade is nothing more than a declaration that it’s open season to attack cops and it’s shameful,” it continued.
Like the correspondence implies, Gascon is a divisive figure who has been accused of taking a soft stance on crime by his critics and failing to offer protection to law enforcement officers.
But Hayes isn’t out of the woods just because Gascon has decided to back off on him, as the city attorney in LA could still try to convict him on misdemeanor charges.
As said, the 21-year-old appears to push the officer in the LAPD’s clip, but what happened next is a point of controversy.
Cops got Hayes to the ground, but as a struggle continued, one used his taser at least once with Hayes saying he wasn’t able to breathe at one point during the arrest.
The LAPD have launched an ongoing investigation to determine whether excessive force was used or not, while the LAPPL have blasted the NBA for failing to discipline their man.
“As for the NBA, their silence is deafening when it comes to one of their players assaulting an officer and thwarting a domestic violence investigation,” the union said.
“Apparently, their policy on preventing domestic violence was created more for SportsCenter than it is to actually hold its players accountable. Real classy.”
Former Russian football international Dmitri Khokhlov is taking Facebook to court, accusing the social media giant of causing “moral harm” by interpreting his surname as a derogatory term for Ukrainians.
Khokhlov, 45, filed a lawsuit against the company headed by billionaire Mark Zuckerberg at Moscow’s Solntsevsky District Court back in July. A preliminary hearing was held earlier this month, according to news outlet Octagon.
The angry Khokhlov has accused Facebook and Instagram of blocking uses of his surname through their algorithms because of its similarity to the word ‘khokhol’, which is sometimes used derisively to refer to Ukrainians.
Reports of Facebook banning the use of ‘khokhol’ and its derivatives first emerged in 2015, triggering debate over its application.
The term traditionally described the Ukrainian Cossack style of haircut but has sometimes taken on derogatory connotations when used by Russian speakers.
“My name is being blocked. Neither me, my friends or acquaintances can use Facebook and Instagram normally,” Khokhlov was quoted as saying regarding his case.
“A lot of people I know called me and said that any mention of my name is blocked. And they get banned for a week. We first noticed this at the end of spring.”
Khokhlov, who manages Russian Premier League team Rotor Volgograd, is said to be seeking compensation for ‘moral damages’ from the social media company and wants changes to their systems.
As a prominent football figure in his homeland, Khokhlov’s name features frequently in interviews, news reports and among comments from fans, which he says all risk being blocked.
“The claim contains a requirement to prohibit the defendant, that is, the American company [Facebook], from performing certain actions against Khokhlov,” said district court official Georgi Yengibarov.
Krasnodar-born Khokhlov made 53 appearances for Russia during his playing days, scoring six times.
The former midfielder’s club career took in spells at Moscow clubs CSKA, Dynamo, and Lokomotiv, as well as stints in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven and at Real Sociedad in Spain.
Khokhlov was named Dynamo Moscow manager in 2017, serving until he was sacked in 2019.
He was appointed head coach at Rotor in May of this year, ahead of the club’s second season back in the Russian Premier League after a 16-year absence.
German sprinter Alica Schmidt – regularly dubbed ‘the world’s hottest athlete’ – has put the disappointment of her Tokyo Olympics flop behind her by announcing she will be modelling at Milan fashion week.
Schmidt, 22, was part of the German track and field squad which traveled to Japan in the summer but was ultimately overlooked for a spot in the women’s and mixed 4x400m relay events.
The blonde bombshell revealed after her Olympic disappointment that she was “going to take a break” but was “looking forward to coming back feeling fresh and ready to train hard again.”
However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom in Tokyo as Schmidt added a reported 400,000 followers to her Instagram account, taking her tally to a whopping 2.4 million.
The eye-catching sprinter continues to attract the attention of various sponsors – including fashion titans Hugo Boss.
As Schmidt excitedly revealed to fans this week, she has jetted off to model for the company at Milan Fashion Week, which runs from September 21 to 27.
“I’m in a great good mood and I’m already totally excited, because I’m flying to Milan today!” Schmidt said on her Instagram Stories.
“It will certainly be very, very cool days in Milan. On Thursday will be the ‘Hugo Boss Fashion Show’ and I will be a part of it!”
Schmidt shared clips of herself preparing for the trip and also arriving at Hugo Boss for a fitting.
She noted, however, that she was still set on pursuing her athletics career despite briefly swapping the track for the catwalk.
With her striking looks, athletic figure and following of millions on social media, it’s easy to see why Hugo Boss would turn to Schmidt for some promotion.
The track temptress has previously revealed that Playboy reached out to her over the possibility of a somewhat more revealing shoot, but that she would prefer to “give way to others” in that respect.
Schmidt has also been at pains to show herself already gearing up for next season, sharing a host of training clips on social media and writing “a lot of laps today” just before she set off for Italy.
The controversial taunting penalty rule brought into the NFL has already been blasted by fans, players and pundits. Yet anyone claiming it is an attempt to ‘control black bodies’ is merely guilty of race-baiting.
American football, or just football depending on where you’re from, is one of the most complex sports, comparable to chess with the exception that it is played by men with an average weight of 245lbs and height of 6ft 2in.
It evolves every season tactically to mind-boggling levels, with the ruling body of its most elite championship, the NFL, bringing in new rule changes.
Penalties for taunting are 2021’s primary offering, and have already played their part in costing the Seattle Seahawks victory in their Week Two overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Going against the thoughts of his former coach in the dynasty they built at the New England Patriots in Bill Belichick, who has dubbed taunting“poor sportsmanship”, the sport’s greatest ever player Tom Brady has joined the throng of voices against the alteration.
Yet instead of leading a movement to get the ruling scrapped, some parties such as USA Today’s Mike Freeman have argued that it is really about “control of black bodies”.
“Control of the player base, which is 70% Black, has long been the mantra of NFL ownership and some front office members,” opined the sports hack.
“Owners, mostly, don’t see the players as partners. They see them as something to dominate.
“They still see them as cattle, something stated blatantly by former Dallas Cowboys executive Tex Schramm.”
Firstly, let’s look at one of the main champions of introducing the rule: New York Giants owner John Mara.
“We get kind of sick and tired of the taunting that does go on from time to time on the field,” Mara said as his motive for getting behind the switch.
Rather than stamp out protest when taking the knee came to the forefront of the discourse thanks to Colin Kaepernick, Mara backed his players despite voicing a preference that they stand during the national anthem.
“I will support your right to do that because I believe in the first amendment and I believe in the right for people, especially players, to take a knee in silent protest,” Mara said.
“I understand the fact and accept the fact that that’s not going to be necessarily popular with certain segments of our fanbase, but I think it’s the right thing to do.”
So why then would he take such a stance that risked alienating supporters and would hit him in the pocket, only to then back a taunting penalty for supposed control of those same men he empathized with?
I partly blame John Mara for these taunting calls, just because your team has been out here getting smoked for the last 5 years and has been taunted against, doesn't mean you should take emotion out of the game for the players.
Perhaps his enthusiasm for the switch is more rooted in sore pettiness over the Giants’ dismal 18-48 record since 2017, which is the joint-worst in the NFL shared with their cross city rivals the Jets.
With just one playoff appearance since winning the Super Bowl in 2012, a first-round, Wild Card exit against the Green Bay Packers in 2016, there is certainly plenty for rival players to taunt the Giants about.
No wonder Mara is sick of it. But racism, really?
As for the Dallas Cowboys, their owner Jerry Jones even went as far as to take the knee with his players; hardly the plantation owners Freeman would have you think.
Bills have 39 wins since 2017
Jets & Giants have 36 combined wins since 2017
The Jets and Giants are tied for the worst record in the NFL since 2017 at 18-48. pic.twitter.com/aQnn8Q5zsD
One thing that plenty can agree on is that taunting is part of the sport as long as it doesn’t go over the top.
But to seemingly claim ownership of it on the behalf of the black community also doesn’t sit well.
Granted the NFL is 70% black, but taunting is carried out by players of all races, while Freeman has been pulled up on Twitter for overreaching in pushing others to conclude that white players won’t be flagged due to the color of their skin.
Known as ‘sledging’, taunting is just as much a key component of white-majority sports such as cricket, with the Ashes series played between an England team predominantly made up of posh private school boys and an Australian outfit composed of surfers, city slickers and country folk where it is most commonly found.
Jimmy Anderson laughs off reports that he hasn't received a knighthood yet due to concerns about sledging when England go to Australia for the Ashes. pic.twitter.com/HZPxi5maZe
Just like this past weekend’s #EmmysSoWhite campaign, Freeman seems to be race-baiting for the sake of it, finding problems where there aren’t any by bringing skin color into something that is a blanket rule for everyone.
Surely the energy of a race and inequality editor would be better spent on genuine issues, such as the lack of black coaches in the league and the poor execution of the Rooney Rule?
“One theory is that the league knew it might face potential backlash from conservatives over some of the social justice measures it planned to enact this season, and the taunting rule emphasis was a way to appease conservatives who don’t like the measures,” Freeman writes, before adding: “The taunting rule is a sort of social justice counterbalance.”
Nonsense, just like the overall point that somehow NFL players can be in any sense controlled.
Routinely the highest-paid players in the world of any profession, showered with endorsements, and with millions of followers on social media accounts where they often voice their views – for better or for worse – players also have the kind of financial freedom to sit out whole seasons if they wish.
Rather than make presumptions on their behalf, it might be an idea to ask them what they think about the rule.
You may well find that any criticism would be about its ridiculousness and how it hampers the balance and integrity of the game, as opposed to feeling controlled along the lines of race.
By Tom Sanderson
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
Former undisputed world heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe has reportedly been pulled from a celebrity boxing match, following concerns over the fight featuring fellow veteran Evander Holyfield earlier this month.
Former heavyweight king Holyfield, 58, lasted less than one round in an exhibition comeback against former UFC champion Vitor Belfort in Florida on September 11, in an event organized by entertainment platform Triller which was widely condemned as a dangerous farce.
Bowe – whose only defeat in a 45-fight professional career came to Holyfield in 1993 – was slated to follow in the footsteps of his former rival as well as the likes of Mike Tyson by returning to the ring in search of a payday.
In the case of 54-year-old Bowe, that was due to come in the form of a showdown against former NBA champion Lamar Odom at James L. Knight Arena in Miami on October 2.
But according to TMZ Sports, Bowe has now been pulled out of the event and a new opponent will be sought for the 41-year-old Odom.
The decision will come as a relief for many fans and pundits who had been concerned by what transpired with Holyfield, and also by footage of Bowe looking labored in training for the bout.
The backlash and potential dangers appear to have proved too much for organizers Celebrity Boxing and founder Damon Feldman to stomach.
Here’s Riddick Bowe, in preparation for his upcoming fight, and he’s being told “good job” This makes me feel sick, another man should be no where near a boxing ring @loudibellapic.twitter.com/spPFBF85Uv
Bowe last fought professionallyin 2008, earning a unanimous decision victory in an eight-round contest with Germany’s Gene Pukall.
A former Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year, Bowe famously defeated Holyfield in two of their three fights.
Talk of his return has caused consternation, with promoter and producer Lou Di Bella tweeting that the proposed fight was “barbaric and beyond dangerous.”
“This is a human train-wreck waiting to happen,” added Di Bella.
No. Just NO!!!! This is barbaric and beyond dangerous. The fact that no regulatory body has already put the kibosh on this is shocking and unacceptable. This isn’t sport. This isn’t #boxing. This is a human train-wreck waiting to happen. WTF! pic.twitter.com/s8oUWk5RrQ
Bowe’s life has famously gone off the rails on several occasions outside the ring, including when the former heavyweight icon spent a 17-month stint in prison for kidnapping his family.
During an appeal into his sentence, Bowe’s legal team had argued that he had suffered brain damage from taking blows to the head, which impaired his decision-making.
The fighter known as ‘Big Daddy’ also endured financial woes after frittering away much of the fortune he earned inside the ring.
Former LA Lakers star Odom is one of a host of names from outside the world of boxing to cash in on the appetite for celebrity crossover fights in recent years.
He appeared in an exhibition match with singer Aaron Carter in June of this year, knocking him out in the second round in farcical scenes.
He will now await a new opponent in Miami in October.
