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TMZ: Johan Santana accused of sexual battery

According to TMZ.com, Mets’ ace Johan Santana was accused of sexual battery on a golf course in Ft. Myers, Florida last year.

TMZ obtained a copy of the report filed with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on October 28, 2009 — one day after the alleged attack in Fort Myers. In the document, the accuser (referred to only as Jane Doe) claims she and Santana were walking on the golf course when he “began to kiss her and pull up her top, unclasping her bra.”

The report continues: “Johan began to pull at [the accuser’s] skirt/skort and attempt [sic] to place his hands into her underwear.” According to the document the alleged victim “told Johan no multiple times but Johan persisted.”

The report gets more graphic, when the accuser claims Santana penetrated her, grabbed and bruised her calf, and “ejaculated on her upper thigh.”

The accuser claims she “cleaned her thigh with her underwear” — and then returned to a tennis court with Santana, and actually watched him play tennis with someone else.

According to the report, a detective collected all of the accuser’s clothing as evidence.

Here’s Santana’s response:

“I’m aware of the situation,” Santana read from a prepared statement before the Mets-Tigers game at Citi Field. “What I can tell you is that police have investigated these claims last year, and I was never charged with anything, and the case is closed. Unfortunately at this time, that’s all I can say. And I have no further comments.”

I’m surprised that no one has reported the story until now since it happened in October of 2009. But seeing as how the investigation is closed, I doubt he’ll face any punishment from MLB or the Mets – especially considering he was never charged with anything.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

Report: Phil Jackson leaning towards retirement

Phil Jackson told the media on Wednesday that he’s leaning towards retiring instead of returning to the Lakers to defend their latest NBA title.

From the Orange County Register:

Jackson said he told Lakers owner Jerry Buss and select players such as Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher about his leanings.

“Take a week and then make a decision,” said Jackson, who also is awaiting results from various medical tests he took Monday.

Jackson seemed confident that he was ready to do something else in a quest for “making the next phase of my life” an accomplishment also. Jackson had said previously that it’d be hard to turn down the chance to go for a fourth set of three consecutive championships, and he acknowledged that ongoing desire Wednesday in referring to that temptation as “a fly in the ointment.”

But Jackson is trying out this mentality of not coaching anymore and waiting to see “if something turns me around.”

Jackson said he wouldn’t rule out coaching again if he stepped away but didn’t envision it.

“I have to sit on it and do the right thing for myself,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that I’m 95 percent or 50 percent sure. This is what I feel right now.”

Among his many accomplishments, Jackson has won 11 NBA championships as a coach and two more as a player. He was the 1996 NBA Coach of the Year, owns the most NBA titles as a head coach and has the most wins in NBA playoffs history. (Not to mention he also has the most wins in Bulls and Lakers’ history, which is incredible given the history of both franchises.)

What I’m saying is that he doesn’t have much to prove anymore. The only reason to return would be because coaching is still fun for him and he can make it through the grind of another 82-game season. If he’s not up for it, then there’s no reason to continue.

We’ll just have to wait and see what he decides.

Rams taking right approach with Bradford

On Wednesday, Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo answered questions from fans (all four of them) at the Missouri Botanical Garden and reiterated that A.J. Feeley was his starting quarterback for now.

“It would be an injustice to Sam and the rest of the team” to set a timetable, he said. “He’s in the early stages of developing as an NFL quarterback. He came into the league far advanced from some quarterbacks I’ve worked with. We’ll do first what’s right for the team and second what’s right for Sam.”

St. Louis fans might not have wanted to hear that, but Spags is right when he says it’s not far to Bradford to make him the starter right away. He’s in the infancy stages of his career and just went from basic algebra to advanced calculus in terms of his learning curve from Oklahoma to the NFL.

The inexperience of the Rams’ offensive line also plays into whether or not Bradford should start right away. Assuming 2010 second round pick Rodger Saffold joins 2009 first round pick Jason Smith in the starting lineup, the Rams’ offensive tackles will have a combined seven games of experience under their belts. That’s not to say that the line won’t be a strength by the end of the season (Smith and Saffold both offer plenty of upside, while center Jason Brown is an excellent pass blocker and guards Adam Goldberg and Jacob Bell are serviceable) – it’s just too early to tell what the Rams have at the position.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the team has an extremely young receiving corps. I really like Laurent Robinson’s potential, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy and neither has Donnie Avery, who was a bit of a disappointment last season. Brandon Gibson showed last year that he could push for a starting job, but he has fallen victim to nagging injuries himself. Rookie Mardy Gilyard is lightening in a bottle, but like Bradford, he too has a learning curve to overcome. Everyone focuses on the offensive line when it comes to judging whether or not a young quarterback should start, but the talent and experience level of the receiving corps plays a huge part as well.

Spagnuolo and his staff are handling Bradford well. They’re allowing him to learn the system without having the pressure to succeed right away hanging over his head. If he looks like he’s ahead of the learning curve in preseason, then maybe the Rams can visit the idea of starting him as a rookie.

Until then, let the kid learn.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

Lawrence Taylor indicted on rape charges

The New York Daily News reports that Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor has been indicted on charges of rape, criminal sexual act and sexual abuse.

He was also hit with charges of endangering the welfare of a child and patronizing a prostitute. Taylor was busted on May 6 at a Holiday Inn after the 16-year-old told cops he paid her $300 to have sex with him.

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said the teen told them she’d been driven to the hotel by a Bronx pimp – and that she had been verbally threatened and physically assaulted.

Taylor has denied the charges – and has reportedly come up with a dubious defense, namely that he pleasured himself and never touched the girl.

But in an interview with The Daily News, the baby-faced teen insisted she and Taylor “definitely had intercourse.”

“If he’s saying we didn’t, that’s not true,” she said.

I find it hard to believe that Taylor paid someone $300 so that he could flog the dolphin while she just sat there. Then again, this was also the same man that claims he hired and sent hookers to opponents’ hotel rooms the night before games in an attempt to tire them out and has been arrested multiple times for trying to buy coke from undercover police officers. So who knows what he’s into.

Lawrence Taylor likey the vices.

2010 World Cup: United States advances thanks to Donovan’s goal in closing minutes

Just minutes away from elimination, Landon Donovan saved the United States’ World Cup hopes with a thrilling last-minute goal off a rebound to beat Algeria 1-0 on Wednesday. The win means that the U.S. will advance to the second round of the World Cup.

From ESPN.com:

It gave the Americans first place in Group C. With just its fifth shutout in World Cup play, the United States (1-0-2) won a group for the first time since 1930 and will face the runner-up in Group D this weekend.

After his U.S. record 44th international goal, Donovan joyously ran to the corner flag and his teammates ran down the touchline to mob him. Donovan was in tears when the game ended and the United States had moved into the second round.

As the final whistle sounded, the U.S. bench raced onto the field and piled on top of the players on the far sideline. At midfield, Steve Cherundolo and Jay DeMerit collapsed to the ground. They all bearhugged Donovan, who with his fourth World Cup goal tied Bert Patenaude (1930) as the American leader.

As the team returned to the sideline, goalkeeper Tim Howard bounced up and down in elation. Benny Feilhaber took a water bottle and sprayed his teammates, champagne-like.

“We’re not done yet,” Donovan said. “We believe, man. We’re alive, baby.”

What an unbelievable, thrilling ride it has been so far for the U.S. soccer team. Their win today makes the tie against England that much more important and the controversy versus Slovenia a distant memory.

Do yourself a favor and check out the highlights of the win today against Algeria. The U.S. had so many opportunities to score throughout the game and at one point, it appeared as though the ball would never find the back of the net. Both teams played incredibly well – especially both goalies, who each put on a clinic today.

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