I’ve got another pathetic tale involving LeBron James in Vegas last weekend to tell you about - though this time it won’t be spiked by the site hosting it.

(Bird blurred in video)

Cleveland’s FOX 8 reports today that LeBron James flipped off an Akron man ran into the NBA player at a Vegas nightclub last weekend.

Last weekend, DJ Fig, from Mix 94.1 in Akron, was at the Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas. Early Monday morning, he spotted LBJ and his entourage partying at a nightclub.

As he took out his camera to snap a picture, the deejay said LeBron gave him the finger.

“I said ‘Hey, Akron still loves you man,’ and he gave the bird as you see in the picture,” said DJ Fig.

Apparently DJ Fig is a glutton for punishment, as that wasn’t the end of his requests of James that night. Read more…

Today the NFL confirmed my Wednesday report that the league had hired Jay Glazer and Daryl Johnston as analysts for NFL Network studio shows.

Additionally, the league confirmed another of my earlier reports this week - per John Ourand of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL - that it is now employing former ESPN programming chief Mark Shapiro as a “consultant” for NFL Network game broadcasts and studio shows.

The latter piece of news probably didn’t make NFL Network studio host Rich Eisen’s day. Read more…

ESPN announced today that the story of LeBron James acting the fool in Vegas last Saturday night by ESPN Reporter Arash Markazi will not be reposted.

The story, which ESPN claimed today was available only via web searches and never available for original viewing at ESPNLA.com and ESPN.com, was removed from a company web server a few hours after it was published Wednesday morning.

ESPN released statements today from Markazi and Rob King, Vice President & Editor-in-Chief, ESPN Digital Media. Read more…

There’s an interesting stealth sports merchandise trend going on here in Los Angeles that, until now, has been under the radar for most folks outside of SoCal.

For decades, Raiders gear has been the team of choice in L.A. gang culture, but in the past 2-3 years, local sports team affiliation has changed dramatically for those involved in that type of organized criminal activity.

The Dodgers have now clearly gained most-favored status among Los Angeles gang members. Read more…

A male fan wearing a LeBron James Miami Heat jersey was ejected from a Cleveland Indians baseball game last night at Jacobs Field.

A reader to sportsbybrooks.com was at the game and sent in this account of what happened:

A guy walked into the bleacher seats wearing a LeBron James Miami Heat Jersey. He was booed violently, and by the fifth Inning, people were throwing peanuts and beer cups at him.

That’s when police escorted him out of the section. While walking down the stairs, a guy knocked the beer cup out of his hand, and started swearing at him. By the end of the row, a fat guy in a green shirt (who was previously flicking him off), got up in his face. The police had to restrain him from attacking the Yankees & Indians fans who were booing him.

His girlfriend, who had been flicking people off and swearing was shoved to the ground by a guy in a grey shirt. She started crying, and also had to be restrained.

The police officers who escorted him out, got a standing ovation from the entire bleacher section.

Video of the incident below:
Read more…

With the MLB trade deadline approaching, one pitcher who may be on the move is Chicago Cubs starter Ted Lilly.

Today Gordon Wittenmyer of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES provided some insight into what makes Lilly so popular with other teams strapped for pitching.

One American League scout this week said that even if the salaries were the same, he’d rather have Lilly on his staff than Houston’s Roy Oswalt, who’s also being shopped.

”He’s not afraid of anything,” the scout said. ”The guy’s got huge balls.”

Lou Piniella confirmed that sentiment by telling Wittenmyer just how big a role Lilly played on the manager’s staff. Read more…

Last night after he was called on to start for the Washington Nationals only because Stephen Strasburg was unable to get loose in pregame warmups, pitcher Miguel Batista said of the jeering reaction of Nats fans: “Imagine, if you go there to see Miss Universe — and you end up having Miss Iowa.”

When informed of Batista’s comment, Miss Iowa Katherine Connors said today in an official statement, “I know I can throw a pitch or two! The question is, can Miguel Batista walk the runway in a swimsuit?”

Adam Kilgore of the WASHINGTON POST also followed up on the story with Batista today: Read more…

Delightful photo - sent in by an intrepid reader - of Pac-10 football coaches and their wives taken this week in Times Square:

Apparently Layla couldn’t be dragged away from the Naked Cowboy.

This morning ESPNLA.com published a fascinating ‘night-in-the-life’ piece on LeBron James by ESPN staff writer Arash Markazi. Markazi was apparently granted full access to James and his entourage last Saturday night in Vegas at Tao nightclub.

Markazi is a longtime reporter, formerly of Sports Illustrated, charged with writing ESPNLA.com’s “Velvet Rope” blog. He’s a veteran of the Vegas party scene and is the last person on ESPNLA.com’s staff who would set out to author a hit piece on anyone.

So it was stunning to read Markazi’s reporting of the evening’s proceedings. Proceedings in which James and his manager Maverick Carter come off as immature, cliched posers.

Equally stunning was ESPN’s apparent decision to pull the piece from the ESPNLA.com website just hours after it was posted. Though the story was not gone from the ESPN site until after it had been reprinted on several message boards and sports blogs. Read more…

John Clay of the LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER and Matt Jones and Thomas Beisner of KentuckySportsRadio.com has the latest on Rick Pitino’s testimony today at the coach’s extortion trial in Louisville.

Speaking inside a jammed courtroom, Jones reports this afternoon that Pitino admitted to having sex with the woman he’s accused of extortion, Karen Sypher:

Pitino admits to “unfortunate” action with Sypher. Says “she opened my pants” and they had sex “very briefly”

More from this morning’s trial testimony

- The night in question, “The Boys” got together to celebrate Reggie Theus’ hiring. Theus would ultimately leave the party early to catch a flight home. Read more…