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      Cops arrest man who allegedly provided gun in McNair killing

      July 17, 2009 /

      Federal agents have arrested the man who allegedly provided the gun that was later used to kill former NFL quarterback Steve McNair.

      Adrian J. Gilliam Jr., 33, of LaVergne, Tenn., was arrested Friday morning by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and faces a “felon in possession” charge, a source familiar with the case told ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky.

      A criminal complaint unsealed Friday in Nashville says that Gilliam — who was convicted of second-degree murder and attempted armed robbery in 1993 in Florida — admitted he sold the gun to the woman who later shot McNair.

      Detectives traced the gun, a 9 mm Bryco/Jennings, to its 2002 sale at a pawn shop, according to the complaint. Gilliam eventually bought it from an individual for $100 about a year ago.

      Investigators said Gilliam told them he bought the gun for protection after his home was burglarized, and police reports indicate he did report a burglary about the time of the gun purchase.

      According to court documents, Gilliam admitted to detectives he sold the gun to Kazemi for $100.
      Kazemi met the person when she was trying to sell her car. She mentioned to him that she was looking to buy a gun and he told her he had one for sale, police said. The sale took place two days before McNair’s shooting.

      It’s amazing how easy it is to attain a loaded weapon on the street these days. Reports state that Kazemi was worried about potential financial issues, but for just $100 she was able to buy a gun that took the life of her and McNair.

      It’s nice to see that authorities caught the trash lid that provided her with the gun though. Who knows how many other people he’s supplied (or would have supplied) with weapons had police not arrested him.

      NFL

      Correcting Bill Simmons, Part 5: Bill hates Charley Casserly

      July 17, 2009 /

      In Bill Simmons’s most recent mailbag, a reader asks a question about former Redskins and Texans GM Charley Casserly…

      Q: I’m taking Sports Leadership taught by Charley Casserly at Georgetown next fall. What percentage of the class is going to be on “How to draft a defensive end from N.C. State even when a running back from USC is available”?
      — Rawiri, Washington

      SG: Hold on, hold on, hold on … Charley Casserly is teaching at Georgetown??? This is the last straw! What’s next — Trevor Ariza’s agent and Lamar Odom’s agent teaching a class in sports law? For years, I’ve been waiting for some college or university to approach me about teaching a class called “Sports Column Writing 101,” “How to be Lazy and Succeed” or “Weaving Pop Culture and Sports to Your Own Literary Detriment.” Did I get one offer? Did UCLA ever say, “Let’s give Simmons a class, I bet 30 kids will be dumb enough to sign up?” Noooooooooooooo! But failed GM Charley Casserly gets to teach kids at Georgetown, the school I wanted to attend that brutally rejected me in 1988? This makes me want to skin sheep in front of a PETA rally. I’m so bitter right now.

      Why is Simmons hating on Casserly? He doesn’t offer any evidence, so I guess that this is all about the Mario Williams-over-Reggie Bush pick in 2006. Only that pick has turned out pretty well for the Texans. Williams was a Pro Bowler last year and Bush has missed 10 games in his first three seasons.

      In fact, after a semi-disastrous start in Houston in 2002 (David Carr, Jabar Gaffney and Fred Weary), Casserly rebounded in 2003-2006 by drafting five future Pro Bowlers (Williams, Andre Johnson, Jerome Mathis, DeMeco Ryans and Owen Daniels). Ryans was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2006. The Texans went 2-14 in the 2005 season, and Casserly was run out of town resigned after the 2006 Draft. But the team has improved since then, posting a respectable 22-26 record in the three years since his departure. Much of the credit for this leap is given to the aforementioned players that Casserly drafted.

      Prior to joining the Texans, Casserly was the GM for the Washington Redskins, where he won Executive of the Year honors in 1999 after fleecing the Saints for all their picks in the draft (as well as a future first and third) while still landing the guy he wanted — Champ Bailey.

      While Casserly did have his share of clunkers (Heath Shuler must be mentioned), the guy had his share of good picks as well. Again, I don’t know what Simmons’s beef is here, but if it’s the whole Williams/Bush thing, then he should check his facts — Casserly has been vindicated.

      Read the first four parts of Correcting Bill Simmons.

      Humor, NFL, NFL Draft, Rumors & Gossip

      Cowboys’ Bennett says ‘Black Olympics’ video not offensive

      July 17, 2009 /

      Cowboys’ tight end Martellus Bennett says the YouTube video he and his brother filmed about “Black Olympics” isn’t offensive and states that he and his sibling were “just having a little fun.”

      Bennett drew scorn earlier this week from Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock for his video, in which he and his brother Michael, a rookie for the Seattle Seahawks, competed eating fried chicken and watermelon and drinking Kool-Aid.

      Bennett told the Michael Irvin radio show on Monday that he didn’t intend to offend others, but doesn’t think the video was racially insensitive.

      “I don’t really think it’s offensive,” Bennett told Irvin. “It depends on your sense of humor and how you look at things. We were just having fun and it was very funny for me and my brothers, when I look at it I just can’t stop laughing. If someone takes offense, I apologize. That wasn’t my intention. It was just us having fun.”

      Bennett told Irvin he would not have a problem with a white person acting out something like the “Black Olympics.”

      “There’s white comedians that do stuff like that all the time,” he said. “I think it’s funny to attack stereotypes. It’s funny how people just put people in a certain light and say that’s what all the people do of a certain race or particular person, so it’s fun to attack those stereotypes.”

      Everyone has a different sense of humor and what Bennett should keep in mind is that we live in a day and age where people are hypersensitive about everything. He ran the risk of offending people when he shot this video and now he has to live with the attention and criticism it’s getting. That’s just the nature of the beast.

      What he should be concerned with is how the video represents him as a person and how it makes the Cowboys and NFL look. Bennett isn’t Dave Chappelle, who makes a living off of offbeat sketches – he’s a football player. He should keep in mind that something like this brings negative attention to the Cowboys and to the NFL, and it could also set his career back because it shows immaturity on his part.

      In the end, is doing a video like this (or any other video for that matter, seeing as how he also did a YouTube rap video before the “Black Olympics”) worth it?

      NFL

      Will Tiger miss the cut at the British Open?

      July 17, 2009 /

      Tiger Woods is having a hell of a time at Turnberry the past couple days.

      Woods, who shot a 71 in the opening round of the 2009 British Open on Thursday, is in danger of missing the cut after shooting a 74 in Round 2 on Friday. He is now five-over-par and is toeing the potential cut line to get into Round 3.

      Tiger has missed only one cut in a major during his professional career, which came in the 2006 U.S. Open following the death of his father. Considering he opened play as a 9/4 favorite to win, Woods missing the opening cut would be a shocking development.

      Outside of Tiger potentially missing the cut, the big story is that 59-year-old Tom Watson once again sits atop the leader board. Watson was one-stroke off of Miguel Jimenez entering play on Friday, but shot a 70 in Round 2 and is now tied with Steve Marino for first place with a score of 135.

      The second round is still going on, but Mark Calcavecchia is currently one stroke behind Watson and Marino at 136, while Jimenez, Vijay Singh, Ross Fisher, Retief Goosen and Kenichi Kuboya are all tied at 137.

      Update: Woods officially missed the cut at the British Open. It was only the second time he missed the cut at a major in his professional career.

      Golf

      Yao Ming opts for surgery, likely out for 2009-10 season

      July 17, 2009 /

      Per Ric Bucher…

      Houston Rockets center Yao Ming has elected to have extensive surgery on his fractured left foot that almost certainly eliminates his chances of playing next season but offers hope that he can resume his NBA career and not fracture the foot a career-ending third time.

      After consultation with a battery of doctors, Yao, 28, has decided to undergo a bone graft to heal the existing fracture and have his arch surgically lowered to reduce the stress on his foot.

      Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a fracture in the same part of the foot, had a similar combination of surgeries and has played the last eight seasons without suffering another fracture.

      For a while, it looked as if the Houston Rockets were the team most likely to usurp the Lakers at the top of the Western Conference, but now that they’ve lost Yao Ming for a season and Ron Artest to free agency, things aren’t looking so good. If Tracy McGrady can come back healthy, the Rockets will still be a playoff team in the West, but they’re not a threat to go to the Finals.

      News, Rumors & Gossip

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