Man O Man ; Jim Boeheim Now in the Hot Seat !

Will the Syracuse "sex scandal " reach the frenzied pitch of Penn State's ? Probably not ! While we haven't seen or heard the full extent of the allegations against Bernie Fine, the Penn State case has one element that Syracuse's scandal hasn't yet produced; Multiple eyewitnesses to the alleged sexual attacks of boys by Jerry Sandusky. Albeit, the Syracuse scandal now has the "ESPN Audiotape ".
While the Penn State allegations and accounts are more graphic and detailed, the realization that the problem may very well be endemic in collegiate sports(rather than first believed to be confined to the Penn State campus) could be the bigger story.
There are a lot of similarities to the 2 scandals. Both big time sports programs . Both individuals accused are long time successful , trusted lieutenants of iconic head coaches. Both schools and their head coaches maintain storied national reputations. It goes on and on .
At the end of the day, Paterno didn't survive . And as the band , The Clash sang, " will Boeheim stay or will he go now....."? Your thoughts ?

Syracuse Coach Accused of Sexual Molestation, Is This a Real Case or Copycat ? Lot of Tough Issues Raised?

Wow, now long-time Syracuse men's basketball assistant,Bernard Fine is accused of sexually molesting at least 3 boys formerly associated with the men's basketball team. Lot of information coming out awful quickly . Fine was fired yesterday by the University , I believe in the wake of the contents of the tape given to ESPN . ESPN apparently had a voice expert confirm that the female voice was in fact Bernard Fine's wife . As I understand it, plenty of damaging things on the tape. Coach Boeheim stood by the firing and apologized for his earlier(knee jerk) support for his long time assistant.
So is this a real case? Is it a copycat case of the Penn State scandal ? Are the allegations supportable or is it a "get rich quick " scheme ? Do you believe the accuser , who is being accused himself of sexual assault ? What is the extent of the University's knowledge of the alleged deviant behavior ?
How extensive is this problem nationwide ? Do deviant coaches and athletic personnel choose their jobs for this opportunity or does the behavior develop after being around young men each and every day? Or a combination thereof ? Lot of questions.
One thing is for sure...I do not think we have heard the last of these allegations .Legitimate or contrived, many more will surface. As they say, this may very well be the tip of the iceberg !
These stories could actually dwarf the recruiting scandals we have seen and heard about for the last 40 years....Stay tuned.
Reporting, sports analyst ,Steven Goldman.

NBA Labor Battle; Ding Dong the Witch is Dead...NBA Hoops is Back!

What an utter and complete waste of time ! One hundred and fifty days of bullshit and after all the meaningless posturing, the two sides settled things after a marathon negotiating session on terms I believe the parties could have agreed upon 5 months ago. Things only got settled because paychecks were being missed and a "real NBA season " was actually in jeopardy .
If you ask me (keep in mind I'm a huge NBA fan), the entire process was a farce....it felt almost like a script which had to play out before the matter could be resolved. So we'll have 66 games, an All Star Weekend, full playoffs and fans after letting off some steam will probably " forgive and forget " very quickly.....Assuming a good , competitive product is put out on the floor.
In any event I'm excited and ready for "pro hoops "! Kobe, Carmelo, Amare , Dwight, Lebron, Wade and Dirk. Great expectations.
A quick word of advice to players and teams . Perfect way to get back in the good graces of the fans is to run some "giveaways " . Free sodas, buy one hot dog get one free, half-priced parking, lowering ticket prices for some home games, etc. These giveaways don't have to be "big ticket items " .
Remember it's the thought that counts . Don't forget the fans!

Tiger Woods...It's Comeback Time!

America is the "land of comebacks"! Let enough time pass, keep your nose clean and stick to something you do well...And aha ! You have a comeback in the making . Marv Albert did it, Former President Bill Clinton did it, Michael Milliken did it and to a lesser extent Elliot Spitzer did it. Well, now it's Tiger's turn.
Two years have passed since that bizarre Thanksgiving weekend in 2009 . Almost every major sponsor dropped him. Costly divorce . Public humiliation. Fired his long-time caddie. Sexual counseling. Family broken up and for the first time in many, many years he fell outside the top 50 golfers in the world.(I did neglect to mention he's still worth over $100 million, has the second most major titles in golf history and has a "black book " that most guys would kill for).
So how does the comeback play out? Well his game is slowly , but surely improving . He recently helped the U.S. win the Presidential Cup . In today's New York Times it was reported that he signed sponsorship deals with Rolex and a sports nutrition company(He took a stock position).
Well, what more? He has to continue to practice, play, work out and live clean. Most importantly, he must realize and accept that this will probably be his last legitimate run at winning more major titles. Come January he wins a tournament . Another in February and a third in March.
The storybook comeback then climaxes with a victory at the Masters in April. The sponsors line up to bring him on board . He's on the cover of every major newspaper and magazine in America
......................and appears on Letterman . Ah, on top(I heard he likes it that way) again. But remember, he has to do one little thing to make it all work.....Win, win, win!

Joseph Bruno; Corruption Convictions Tossed Out...Here We Go Again!

Joseph Bruno got an early Thanksgiving gift...yes, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out his conviction on two counts. As expected, following US vs. Skilling , the Circuit Court vacated the convictions " for theft of honest services ".
Mr. Bruno's good fortune will be short lived though; The US Attorneys Office will seek to reconvene a Grand Jury as soon as possible. I believe it will be tougher the second time around to convict.
In the meantime...Gobble, gobble, gobble!

Tis the Season for Funding !

Well Thanksgiving is here and Christmas and Hannukah are just around the corner .Traditionally, November and December are spectacular months in the personal injury world . Cases settling year end like there is no tommorrow ! Carriers looking to settle anything and everything...good, bad or indifferent. It can truly be exhilarating , All the blood, sweat and tears and summary judgment motions and lo and behold carriers then become obsessed with clearing out inventory. Good luck and make some money .
November and December also happen to be the 2 busiest funding months of the year. Every client wants and needs money for the holidays. The calls, faxes ,texts and emails don't stop until attorneys start going away to warm places after Christmas Day.
This will be my seventh "holiday season " as a funder and I pride myself on being available 24/7 to service client and attorney funding needs. Like that old commercial which stated ," we will sell no wine before its time", I will leave no funding request unsatisfied during the holiday season.
My application is available in "word".
Happy turkey to all!

NBA Players and Owners; You Nitwits, You're killing the "Golden Goose '....Yes, the Fans!

When the labor dispute started , I was firmly in the camp of the players . But as the "soap opera " continues (Days of Our Dunks) , it is clear neither side cares about us the fans. Greed, greed and more greed! Losing sight of the big picture.
Forgetting how great things are and can be . Is it worth alienating the fan base and jeopardizing 60 years of building and development. Let's not forget what the business side of the NBA was "pre-Larry and Magic . Totally different fu_in world. All the good will is vanishing and will continue to dissipate . For what?
So a word of caution to the players and owners.....Before you scrap this season, think long and hard about the downside(not the upside) and how the greatest game on earth may never be the same again !
You're doing it to yourselves.
P.S. Have fun in Federal Court.

Penn State Student Body; Nice Job Saturday!

With all the craziness, uncertainty, emotion, shock and horror of this past week, the Penn State student body was awesome this weekend . The peaceful vigils, calm, reflection and support for their excellent University took "front and center " , while the violence , anger and protest took a back seat.
While the healing process will start now for the school, the administration must " officially clean house in the football program " and start a new, fresh era without any connections to the old. That way there will never, ever be any questions about so and so's connection to this tragedy. The Paterno Era sadly is over.
As victims come forward, they too will have to be counseled , assisted and watched . Only time will tell there . Not going to be easy.
By the way , Penn State lost Saturday to Nebraska. Big fu_in deal! You know what at the end of the day, it's only a game . You heard what I said, at the end of the day it's only a game !
Maybe that is one of the lessons that will come out of this painful ordeal.

Penn St. Sex Scandal; The Immediate Concern is Can the University Ensure the Safety of All Attending the Game Saturday ?

The " Penn State Scandal " has taken on a life of it's own. Story breaks, arrests, Paterno and the University President fired, campus unrest, "Paterno Demonstrations" , new rumors surfacing and more! All the other breaking stories seem trivial in light of this story. Wall Street, the European crisis, "Occupy Wall Street ", Herman Cain , etc.....Who cares ? All people are talking about is the "Penn St. Story ". Not since the "OJ Simpson chase " which pre-empted game 6 of the Knicks-Rockets NBA Championship series 17 years ago has a single story so captivated an entire nation !
And why ? The horrific, unthinkable nature of the allegations ?Big time college sports . Joe Paterno , the legend , and his beloved Nittany Lions ? The coverup , or simply the cumulative effect of all of the above? Mark my words...This story will be front page news for the next year.
Which brings us to Saturday's football game at Penn St; Penn St. vs. Nebraska. The final home game for the seniors. Bowl Game at stake . The first game in over 40 years where Joe Paterno has not been the head coach in "Happy Valley". Wow!
The real issue with all the raw emotion percolating around out there is will the players, fans and media be safe ? We all truly hope so and want to believe that cooler heads will prevail, but will they? We've seen demonstrations up there over the last 48 hours, albeit not all 1000 % peaceful. Can the campus police, local law enforcement and if necessary the State National Guard peacefully control and protect 80,000-100,000 people ? Excellent question. None of us know the answer.
So Penn St., carefully monitor the situation between now and Saturday. Make safety, safety, safety your number one concern .And if there are genuine safety concerns, listen to your experts and remember this is still only a game . Do not make another major mistake which could put students and others in harms way. To the student body......Enjoy the game . Remember . Peace, calm, contol.

Penn State ; Deja Vu....Haven't We Seen This Scenario Someplace Else?

Holy shit! What has gone on at Penn State for the last 15 years under the watchful eye of Joe Paterno , the Football Program, the Athletic Director and the Athletic Department, the janitorial staff, the Campus Police, security, assistant coaches, volunteers, players, local law enforcement, administrators and high-level University officials is so mind boggling, so hard to believe and so "gut wrenching " that it almost defies belief .
Just think about it. If any individual (out of a group of probably 100) had come forward, complained , stopped the encounters or simply went public at any time over the past 15 years it would have been " ballgame over for Jerry Sandusky " . Instead this serial pedophile was allowed to lurk in the showers at Penn State, at the practice facilities, on roadtrips at team hotels and God only knows where else sexually preying upon and assaulting young boys from his "Second Mile " organization . Does it get fu_in worse than this ?
Which leads me to my next question...How many people really knew about this dark, perverse secret playing out at this top University in "Happy Valley "? "Happy " for Jerry Sandusky maybe.
This scenario,of turning a blind eye, etc is eerily reminiscent of the Catholic Church's sex scandal. All about opportunity, lack of accountability , coverup and lack of guts . Perfect recipe for Jerry Sandusky .
At the end of the day , this scandal will shake Penn State to it's core. No one whose inaction contributed to prolonging Sandusky's ability to prey on young boys at the Penn State campus will escape punishment . Hopefully, a protocol will be developed to prevent this from ever happening again.
And Penn State , get ready to pay out a couple hundred million dollars to the victims! Only time will tell how many were actually involved. This nightmare is far from over.

Smokin Joe Frazier; Never, Ever, Did a Tougher, More Courageous Man Step Into the Ring!

Joe Frazier passed away yesterday at age 67. Joe was a titan , a "man's man" , whose gladiator type fights against Ali will never be forgotten . His fights against Ali were the epitome of the term "classic". Ali-Frazier fights were part of my childhood . I remember the first and third fights vividly. Ali's , grace, speed, footwork. Frazier's relentlessness . He kept coming and coming and coming. Sometimes took up to 5 blows to land one . Took tremendous punishment but dished out debilitating shots to the body and head. Vicious left hook ...Body blows that could and did finish off top fighters(Jerry Quarry for one).
The first Ali fight in March of 1971 at Madison Square Garden was billed and lived up to it's billing as "The Fight of the Century ". I was 11 then and a huge Ali fan . My dad took me to Gallaghers Steak House for dinner. "The Astronauts " showed up for dinner there. Surreal! Afterwards we watched the fight on closed circuit tv. I was devastated when Frazier knocked Ali down in the 15th and got the decision. Years later I accepted the fact that Frazier won that fight. Busier fighter, more aggressive, ...Ali did too much dancing, not enough fighting. Ali won the rematch in New York in 1974.
Which brings us to the rematch in 1976. "The Thrilla in Manilla " . I recall loading into my friend's trunk of his car with 3 or 4 other guys, to sneak in and watch the fight on closed circuit tv at the Livingston Drive-In Theater. Unbelievable night, unbelievable fight. Ali TKO. Ali said it was his toughest fight ever. Fight took a lot out of each fighter who each truly disliked the other at that time.
The rest of Joe's life was a mixture of ups and downs . Professionally, personally and financially.

But he'll always be remembered and admired. He had the heart of a lion. Never backed down, feared no one, never gave less than 1000 percent and never, I mean never quit.
I will always remember him with respect and pride. And when I think about him a smile will always come to my face as I'm recalling the pure grit, guts and determination he brought to the ring.
God bless you Joe Frazier.

Chilean Miner; What a Difference a Year Makes!

Edison Pena, the Chilean miner trapped under ground for two months in 2010, captivated the world when we learned he ran 3-6 miles a day during the period he was trapped. He was invited (and finished) to run in last year's New York City Marathon. He made rounds on the talk show circuit and was seen"around the world".
The past year though has not been all "peaches and cream " for Mr. Pena . Drug and alcohol problems plagued him. He checked himself into a psychiatric hospital to deal with his issues. And on top of all this he has been suffering through pain in his knees. Tough stuff!
But he has persevered and will be running this year's marathon. Good for you.
Remember Edison....One day at a time .

Corzine, Once Upon a Time a Wall Street Titan, U.S. Senator, Governor and Now Scrambling for His "Professional Life ".

Jon S. Corzine . Worth an estimated half a billion dollars. Former U.S. Senator. Former N.J. Governor. But will he be remembered for his extraordinary personal, financial and political accomplishments? Probably not. Corzine has his ass in a sling with the whole MF Global mess.
Facing Bankruptcy(MF Global), multiple Federal investigations, civil liability , irreparable damage to reputation and yes maybe even criminal issues(He has hired criminal counsel). As Stanley Laurel once said "it's a fine mess you got me into Olly"! And that says it all .
Jon you could have been traveling, writing, enjoying quality time with your wife, teaching, exercising or doing philanthropic work. God only knows you don't need the cash. But nooooooooooo, you couldn't resist "the great Charley Brown comeback ".
This reminds me of Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazier, Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, "Macho Camacho " and so many others.
Those who can't hang up their trunks until it's too late usually end of getting hurt.
It's going to painful, messy, costly and at the end of the day many will suffer .
For now, you know what to do . Get the biggest, baddest, most influential army of lawyers on board as quickly as you can....Oh and make sure your "Directors and Officers" liability insurance policies were current.

Legal analyst Steve Goldman reporting.

Prosecutors Fresh Off Rajatnaram Conviction, Obtain Indictment of Gupta.

Riding the momentum of the convictions of Raj R, the Gofers , et al , the Government is now pursuing Rajat Gupta on insider trading charges . Gupta, a former Goldman, Sachs board member is charged with being "Raj R 's tipper ". He is the 56th person charged in the " insider trading investigation" .
I have not seen any proposed proofs that show Gupta benefitted (directly) financially by allegedly disclosing " non-public information " to Rajatnaram...."Directly" being the key word here . Was he merely securing or returning a favor ? It's much too early to prognosticate, but one thing that always makes me scratch my head and ask is why would Gupta expose himself in any shape, form or manner to criminal liability being a millionaire many, many times over ?

Expect a vigorous defense.

Your thoughts?