Thứ Ba, 20 tháng 10, 2015
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, right, talks with forward Lamar Odom in 2008.
Chris Carlson / Associated Press
Former NBA star Lamar Odom continues to improve at a Las Vegas hospital after he was found unconscious in a brothel, his family reported Monday.
"Each day, Lamar is getting stronger and reaching significant milestones in his recovery," Odom's aunt, JaNean Mercer, said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. "We are committed to remaining by his side as a family for our champion, who we love immensely."
Chris Pizzello / AP
Meanwhile, Odom's estranged wife, Khloé Kardashian, "hasn't moved" from his bedside, a source close to the situation told BuzzFeed News.
His father, Joe, and two children, Destiny and Lamar Jr., have been spotted at the hospital.
Multiple outlets on Monday reported that the former Clippers and Lakers star, who was rushed to the hospital Oct. 13, will be moved to a facility in Los Angeles later in the week to continue his recovery. A family spokesperson could not immediately confirm the reports.
"Lamar has always been blessed with a tenacious, fighting spirit, overcoming insurmountable obstacles to achieve the impossible," Mercer said in the statement. "These past few days have been no different. He is defying the odds in his toughest battle to date with GOD's grace."
Witnesses at the Love Ranch South brothel, located in the rural town of Crystal, Nevada, told dispatchers that Odom had what appeared to be blood coming from his nose and mouth, along with “a white substance,” the local sheriff said.
A sign advertises the Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Nevada.
Chris Carlson / AP
Blood samples taken from Odom at the hospital are being analyzed by law enforcement to determine what exactly was in his system at the time, officials said.
Last Friday, Lamar was conscious and able to say "hi" to Khloé, but his condition remained guarded.
Odom married Kardashian in 2009 and became a regular presence on the family’s stable of reality TV shows. The pair has since filed for divorce, however, the papers are still pending in court.
LINK: “Devastated” Khloé Kardashian Is Making Medical Decisions For Lamar Odom
CEO of the National Rugby League Dave Smith has quit after a three year stint filled with controversy.
Quinn Rooney / Getty Images
The Daily Telegraph reports that NRL Chairman John Grant will take over as interim CEO while the organisation looks for a replacement.
Much was made of Smith's appointment in 2013 when he replaced now-Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop. Previously a senior banker, many questioned Smith's knowledge of the game having no background in rugby league.
It is believed a breakdown in TV-rights negotiations and his relationship with NRL clubs led to Smith's resignation this morning.
Isiah Thomas
HBO
New York Knicks owner James Dolan says he believes sexual harassment claims against former general manager and coach Isiah Thomas were made up, despite a jury finding otherwise.
A jury in 2007 found Thomas and Madison Square Garden each liable for the claims filed by former Knicks executive Anucha Browne Sanders, who was awarded over $11 million in damages.
In an interview on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel — which HBO claims is the first time Dolan has addressed the sexual harassment lawsuit — Dolan is asked if he believes Browne Sanders fabricated claims that Thomas called her a "bitch" and a "ho" and that he had made unwanted sexual advances when she was employed by the team.
“A bunch of it, I think she did [make it up]," Dolan said.
Dolan acknowledged that he "could have settled" the dispute and avoided a trial, but viewed that option as an admission of guilt.
“The fighter in me came out," he said. "I’m not gonna settle because that’s an admission of guilt, and we’re not guilty."
Browne Sanders was fired by Dolan after making her complaints known — the basis for damages in her sexual harassment lawsuit against Thomas and the team.
“I fired her because while she was working for me, she was coercing her own direct reports to come build her case to her lawyers,” Dolan told Gumbel.
A jury disagreed.
Browne Sanders, who has spoken about the lawsuit and her time with the Knicks in the past, declined to be interviewed by HBO.
James Dolan
HBO
Earlier this year, Dolan appointed Thomas as team president and partial owner (still pending WNBA approval) of the New York Liberty, which was met with public skepticism and disdain.
"I understood that there might be some people who were angry,” Dolan said before laughing as Gumbel read the headlines regarding his role with the Liberty. "It's terrible. What do you want me to say about it?
“We totally understood that, got it, accepted it — and not only accepted it, but respect it, their thoughts, their feelings around this issue."
But like Dolan, Thomas maintains Browne Sanders' claims were fabricated. He laughed in response when Gumbel read alleged quotes from Thomas.
"Never happened," Thomas said after each one. "Never happened."
The program begins with an uncharitable description of the WNBA and New York Liberty, saying their games might be "the last place you’d expect to find basketball royalty,” referring to Thomas.
A two-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer, Thomas has a long history of imploding storied franchises as a member of their front offices, as is detailed during the program.
Late in the interview, Gumbel asked Dolan why — beyond the optics of hiring a man found guilty of sexual harassment to run a WNBA team — he would appoint Thomas, taking into consideration his career failures as a front office executive.
“He and I are close friends, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for his skill and abilities,” Dolan explained. “Isiah’s a guy who doesn’t believe in his limitations.”
Dolan called the Liberty and the WNBA a "never-ending pit of money," and said he was ready to "just give the keys back" to the league before hiring Thomas.
"I didn't think I would get a better person to do that job than him. And he would draw attention to the team," Dolan said.
For Thomas, who was also asked why he decided to come back to basketball, the reason was simple: “I’m addicted, I love it.”
The HBO Real Sports interview airs at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday. A preview of the interview can be watched below:
Thứ Hai, 19 tháng 10, 2015
“Just ads, ads and some more ads because ads.”
Comedy group All India Bakchod has uploaded a photo album on Facebook, called #CricketThenAndNow.
All India Bakchod
The photo series highlights how much cricket has changed, ever since the game started getting commercialised.
All India Bakchod
It also makes some pretty believable predictions for the future, like Harsha Bhogle's estimated hairline.
All India Bakchod
And how branding is slowly taking over the post-match presentation ceremonies.
All India Bakchod
“You don’t see many Aboriginals shopping at David Jones.”
Less than a month after retiring from the AFL at the end of a torrid season full of racial controversy, two-time Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes has been been flooded with abusive messages after he was announced as the new face of a David Jones campaign.
David Jones.
Goodes appears in David Jones' new It's In You campaign alongside five other well-known Australians.
"I am committed to using my name to advocate the things that are important to me, especially education, to create a better Australia for all Australians and I believe this role will give me the opportunity to do this," Goodes said as his new position was announced over the weekend.
But it was the former AFL superstar who was singled out for abuse.
