The Marshawn Lynch-hit and run story just got a little more interesting as a witness to the crime says Lynch was behind the wheel of his SUV when it struck a woman last weekend.
A source, who asked not to be identified, tells Channel 2 that investigators have four witnesses that say Lynch was driving.
Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark would not confirm that information, but did say that investigators continue to follow a number of leads as they build their case. He also says those involved in the probe are looking into the possibility other Bills players were inside the vehicle involved in the hit and run.
According to the police report, the SUV was driving westbound on Chippewa and turning left to go south on Delaware when it hit a female pedestrian who was attempting to cross the street. Police confirm there was front end damage to the car, and the report says a broken off piece of the car was recovered at the scene and turned in as evidence.
If Lynch is avoiding investigators, he only looks guiltier than he already does. He would be better served to either fess up for the incident now or claim his innocence.
Another interesting thing to think about is whether or not more Bills players were in the car. That would certainly add a twist to this story now wouldn’t it?
Former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield’s estate is under foreclosure according to The Huffington Post. Apparently Evander hasn’t been paying child support for one of his nine children (yes nine), either.
The mother of one of Holyfield’s nine children says he has missed two child-support payments. Toi Irvin, who lives in Clayton County, filed a petition for contempt in Fayette County Superior Court on behalf of her 10-year-old son.
Irvin says she was told by Holyfield’s representatives not to expect the payment for May and June totaling $6,000.
The 45-year-old Holyfield has declined comment on the child-support allegations and the foreclosure.
Holyfield last fought on Oct. 13, 2007. He has been trying to secure another heavyweight championship.
There’s only one thing Holyfield can do now: Fight Mike Tyson. Sure, he might lose another piece of his ear or possibly part of his face, but it would get him some quick cash and everyone knows Tyson isn’t doing anything these days. They could hold the fight on Father’s Day since Holyfield is obviously so dedicated to fatherhood.
As long as there have been barstools, there have been men on those barstools arguing about sports. In this week’s Barstool Debate, Anthony Stalter and John Paulsen ask the question – which is the more storied franchise, the Lakers or the Celtics?
John: Those that know me know that I am no Laker lover, but it is my premise that the Los Angeles Lakers are the most successful franchise in the NBA. Counting its stint in Minneapolis, the franchise has 14 championships and 29 Finals appearances in 60 seasons. That’s an amazing stat – the Lakers have gone to Finals 48% of the time.
Anthony: Hold on a second, sports fan – what do you mean the Lakers are the most successful franchise in the NBA? By my count (and when I say that, I mean by Wikipedia’s count), the Celtics have hoisted 16 NBA Championships, which gives them two more than the Lakers’ 14. Plus, Boston won 11 titles in 13 years from 1957 to 1969, which is an incredible stat. An even better stat that relates more specifically to this debate is that the Celtics have absolutely owned the Lakers in head-to-head matchups, winning eight of the 10 times they faced L.A. in the NBA Finals.
John: True, true, the Celtics have owned the Lakers in their head-to-head meetings, but seven of those wins over the Lakers came in the ‘50s and early ‘60s when the league had a grand total of nine teams. That’s right, the Celtics typically just had to win one (sometimes two) playoff series and they were in the Finals. Then they were fortunate to have the league’s best player (Bill Russell), who towered over everyone else on the court. It’s not the Lakers fault that they happened to be the second-best team during Russell’s reign. Had the Celtics been able to get to the Finals during George Mikan’s run in Minneapolis, the series record would be a whole lot closer. Besides, what has Boston done lately? They haven’t won a title since 1986 and the Lakers have won five championships since the Celtics won their last. Plus, L.A. has won its last two Finals meetings with Boston. I’d say that the mantle of “success” is on the Lakers’ side.
Anthony: True, the Celtics haven’t done much lately. But look at this list of past greats the organization has turned out: Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Dave Cowens, Paul Pierce, Sam Jones, Jo Jo White, Tommy Heinsohn, Tiny Archibald and of course, the original “Big Three” – Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. You can’t overlook how good the organization was for decades. Plus, can any area trump the Garden? Nowadays, the Lakers get just as much attention for what celebrity is courtside as they do for their play on the court. The Celtics organization and fan base has always been about basketball and not Hollywood!
John: Have you seen all the celebs sitting courtside in Boston these days? Sure, L.A. is more star-studded, but the Celtics can no longer talk about their blue-collar work ethic with the new arena and ticket prices the way they are. But since we’re talking about the most successful franchise, let me list a few Laker greats: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, James Worthy, Elgin Baylor, Byron Scott, George Mikan, Jamaal Wilkes, Norm Nixon, and let’s not forget the “Big Two” – Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal – who won just as many titles together as Boston’s original “Big Three.” While it’s true that the Celtics have the head-to-head edge and two more titles, if it weren’t for one player – Bill Russell – the head-to-head numbers would be much different. The Lakers have won through so many different teams and eras (and have won lately, during the salary cap era) that they have to be considered the most successful NBA franchise of all-time. Let me ask you this – if the Lakers prevail this year, will you change your tune? That would make the total titles 16 to 15 (in favor of the C’s) but the Lakers would have won six titles since the Celtics’ won their last.
Anthony: What happened to you, JP? You’re such a Lakers lover now… Sure, I’ll change my tune if L.A. wins this year. That would still only give them three out of 11 head to head victories against the Celtics in the Finals, but your point about the Lakers being incredibly successful in the past decade would be even more validated.
John: Laker lover – ha! I just call them like I see them. The main advantage the C’s have is in the head-to-head matchup, and that’s because nobody could cover Bill Russell for a decade. You could make a strong argument for either franchise, but I think the Lakers have to get the nod due to their consistent success.
During last year’s draft, the Warriors agreed to trade Jason Richardson to the Charlotte Bobcats for the No. 8 pick, with the hope that Yi would fall to the Bobcats at that spot.
The team was shocked that the Bucks, for whom Yi refused to work out, took him at No. 6. The Bobcats took Brandan Wright and traded him to Golden State. While Wright played well for the Warriors toward the end of the season, they still covet Yi, according to sources.
If the Warriors were to offer Wright and the No. 14 pick for Yi, that might be too much for the Bucks to pass on. The team is in rebuilding mode and might be ready to accept a two-for-one deal.
This would be an interesting deal for the Bucks and new GM John Hammond, who did not draft Yi Jianlian and isn’t beholden to him. I watched a number of Bucks games early in the year and liked what I saw of Yi. He has a sweet jumper, can handle the ball and drive a bit, and can run the floor. He made a few eye-popping athletic dunks, but at times he just disappeared. That might have had more to do with the coaching staff and strategy, as he didn’t get many minutes in crunch time. He averaged 9.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 27 minutes of action before the All-Star break, but was slowed with a wrist injury during the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, Brandan Wright really came on for the Warriors at the end of the season. His Efficiency Per Minute (.561) was much better than Yi’s (.391 for the season, .410 before the All-Star break), so from a pure numbers standpoint, getting Wright and a late lottery pick would be a good deal for the Bucks. However, Wright’s minutes were very limited, so they could be inflated.
The question is upside. Yi is a skilled offensive player and could turn into a 17-20 point scorer. Wright is more of a energy guy, though he showed some solid low post moves late in the year. I think if the Bucks are going to build around Andrew Bogut, they might want to add some speed and athleticism to the front line, and Wright would give them that. Yi is no slouch in those areas, but few would argue that Wright is not the superior athlete.
The other question is age. Yi is supposedly 20, but there are those who believe that he is as old as 23. We know for sure that Wright is 20, so he definitely has a lot of room to grow.
If I’m John Hammond and were offered this deal, I’d be tempted. With the #8 and #14 picks in the draft, the Bucks could really make some noise this summer.
We all love to watch players and managers ranting and raving at post-game press conferences. Last night it was Seattle Mariners manager John McLaren’s turn.
Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark would not confirm that information, but did say that investigators continue to follow a number of leads as they build their case. He also says those involved in the probe are looking into the possibility other Bills players were inside the vehicle involved in the hit and run.
