Washington Wizards player Gilbert Arenas pleads guilty to felony weapons charge
Gilbert Arenas, a 28-year-old member of the NBA’s Washington Wizards, has pled guilty to a felony charge of carrying a pistol without a license, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy L. Lanier announced today.
The guilty plea follows an investigation in which it was determined that Arenas had brought four firearms to the Verizon Center in December 2009. On December 21, Arenas placed the firearms on the chair of a teammate with a note stating, reportedly in jest, “PICK 1.” This incident followed an argument Arenas and the teammate had on a plane two days earlier.
Arenas entered his plea this afternoon before Judge Robert Morin in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. When Arenas is sentenced on March 26, 2010, at 2:30 p.m., he will face up to five years of imprisonment. Pursuant to the plea agreement between Arenas and the government, the government agreed that it will limit its allocution at the low-end of the applicable guidelines, which is estimated to be between 6 and 24 months, with probation, a split-sentence, or incarceration permissible.
“Playing with firearms is no joke,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “Today’s guilty plea to a felony count of carrying a pistol without a license reflects the seriousness and grave risk of such conduct. Such reckless action can always be expected to garner a swift and firm response from this Office. We commend Mr. Arenas for accepting responsibility and hope he fully appreciates the gravity of his actions.”
According to the government’s proffer of evidence, on or about December 19, 2009, during a chartered flight from Phoenix, Arizona, Arenas and a fellow teammate became involved in a verbal exchange following a card game. Although Arenas maintains that the statements he made during this exchange were made in jest, the exchange between Arenas and the teammate involved mutual threats to shoot one another. Arenas also told the teammate that he would burn the teammate’s Cadillac Escalade.
On the morning of December 21, 2009, Arenas arrived at the Verizon Center, and entered the team’s locker room. When Arenas entered the locker room that morning he was carrying at least one firearm in his backpack. Once Arenas entered the locker room, he placed four firearms on the chair located directly in front of the locker of the teammate with whom he had the prior verbal exchange. Arenas then wrote the message “PICK 1″ on a piece of paper, and placed it on the teammate’s chair near the firearms. Arenas remained in the locker room.
Moments later, the teammate walked into the locker room and approached his locker. He saw the handguns and he and Arenas once again exchanged words. During this exchange, Arenas stated, “You said you were going to shoot me, so I thought you would like some firepower. Pick one.” The teammate picked up one of Arenas’s firearms from his chair, threw it across the locker room, then reportedly took out what appeared to Arenas to be a silver-colored semi-automatic handgun.
After this exchange, Arenas admitted to team management that he brought the firearms from his home in Virginia into Washington, D.C. He also told team management that the teammate also had a firearm. The teammate has since denied that he ever had a handgun. Team management directed Washington Wizards security personnel to secure Arenas’s firearms and to remove them from the premises.
On December 24, 2009, following the first report to law enforcement that Arenas had possessed firearms in the locker room on 21, 2009, members of the Metropolitan Police Department responded to Virginia, where Arenas’s four firearms were surrendered to the Metropolitan Police Department. These unloaded firearms consisted of a .50-caliber Gold-Plated semi-automatic Desert Eagle with magazine; a 500 magnum, Smith and Wesson revolver; a .45 caliber, black semi-automatic Kimber Eclipse with magazine; and a 9 millimeter Browning with a magazine.
The investigation of the reported possession of a firearm by the teammate is ongoing.
In announcing today’s guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the work of MPD Detectives Robbie Saunders, Timothy Smith, and Joseph Oh, Officer Jeff Janczyk, and Sergeant James Black of MPD’s Intelligence Branch. He also acknowledged the efforts of members of his own staff including Investigators Christopher Brophy and Larry Grasso, Paralegal Kalisha Johnson-Clark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh, who is handling the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
National Martial Arts League to become reality
Ground-Floor Opportunity to Own a Sports Team
Competitors of all martial arts styles will be given an opportunity to represent their city or state team and compete for the National Championship — The Kumite.
“For over sixty years, martial artists have honed their skills in one-on-one combat in hopes of being the best of the best, or becoming the next Chuck Norris or Bruce Lee,” said Dexter Kennedy, President of the National Martial Arts League (NMAL). “But so far no one, including investors, has yet to reap the rewards this sport can generate when it breaks out of its current limitations.”
The NMAL is poised to propel this exciting sport to a new level by bringing the fragmented martial arts world into organized events culminating in city/state championships across the nation. It provides a controlled scoring environment to standardize competition for male and female martial artists, ages 18 and over.
“This is a true ground-floor opportunity in sports team franchising,” Kennedy said. “Franchises may be owned by an individual, partnership, corporation or existing martial arts school, and each franchise operates autonomously within the NMAL. This is one of the most affordable franchises to own and operate in professional sports today.”
The NMAL is making a powerful move toward professionalizing the sport into state and national-level recognition. It offers the masses another venue choice for spectator entertainment. And, it creates niche market advertising and sponsorship opportunities for corporations and franchises.
Each team develops its own identity and logo, and owns team tryout rights for its defined and protected territory to secure team members, coaches, trainers, etc. The teams compete locally, regionally and nationally with other NMAL teams, like other major league sports.
As a team owner, franchisees are required to support The Kumite’s mission of “making people better for life,” by either establishing a new Kumite Fightclub martial arts studio or converting their existing school to a Kumite Fightclub martial arts instruction and training facility.
Like most martial arts schools, Kumite Fightclubs offer traditional structured white-to-blackbelt certification programs. But, Kumite Fightclubs also provide solution-based programs designed to resolve real community issues, including stress, domestic violence, bullying and obesity.
The Don’t Bully Me Program empowers children and teens who feel threatened by bullies to take a stand by learning positive solutions to resolve conflicts. Other programs include onsite self-defense for businesses, courses that educate women on how to fight back and regain control over domestic violence, health and fitness solutions for child/teen/adult obesity, and a teen social network called TeenScene.
“The NMAL recently conducted a full review of its business model, molding new strategies to better serve the long-term success of the league and franchises,” said Kennedy. “Each year of operation and success will enhance the overall team operation and add value to the teams and franchises.”
http://www.thekumite.com/
Source: National Martial Arts League
College football fans select University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy as the AT&T All-America Player of the Year
AT&T Lets Fans Determine the Best Player in the Country with Only College Football Award Determined by Text Message Votes
College football fans made their voices heard and selected the best college football player in the country. AT&T* announced today that University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy is the AT&T All-America Player of the Year, the only major college football award chosen exclusively by fans. Receiving more than 137,000 text votes, McCoy is the people’s choice for best college football player in the nation.
McCoy led his team in total offense with 3,328 passing yards and 368 rushing yards, averaging 308 yards per game. During the Longhorns’ undefeated season, he threw 27 passes for touchdowns and rushed for three. McCoy’s 70.5 completion percentage ranks third nationally. McCoy is the first player in the school’s history to be nominated twice as a Heisman finalist. In addition, he won AT&T’s All-America Player of the Week in week 13 when he passed for 304 yards and ran for a career-high 175 yards with five total touchdowns in Texas’ win at Texas A&M. He beat out an impressive field of nominees for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year award, including University of Alabama running back and Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram placing second, and University of Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, placing third and fourth, respectively.
“AT&T congratulates Colt on having a spectacular season and for winning the AT&T All-America Player of the Year award,” said Jamie Kerr, senior manager, AT&T National Sponsorships.
“We are proud to offer this unique award that enables fans to vote for the player they believed excelled on the field throughout the entire season. Congratulations again to Colt and the other nominees, and thanks to all the college football fans who participated and voted all season long.”
Fans – regardless of wireless carrier – were invited to submit a text message to vote for their pick among the following candidates:
– Colt McCoy (University of Texas)
– Mark Ingram (University of Alabama)
– Ndamukong Suh (University of Nebraska)
– Tim Tebow (University of Florida)
Polls stayed open until midnight ET Wednesday, Jan. 6. In addition to the AT&T All-America Player of the Year award, AT&T offered fans the chance to vote for the AT&T All-America Player of the Week awards through text message voting, all season long.
Last year, Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell was honored as the AT&T All-America Player of the Year, edging out Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, Texas’ Colt McCoy and Florida’s Tim Tebow.
AT&T customers can view video highlights and photos of each candidate and track select teams through AT&T’s wireless NCAA Football Portal, which is accessible on AT&T handsets equipped with AT&T MEdia(TM) Net by launching the application and clicking through to the sports category.
Through the AT&T MEdia Net, fans can also download fight song ringtones from more than 150 colleges and universities. Animated screensavers and 3-D mobile wallpaper are available for more than 100 colleges and universities.
Source: AT&T Inc.
3ality Digital’s first-ever Live 3D broadcast of an NFL game named one of Sports Illustrated’s Innovations of the Decade
Dec. 4, 2008 Broadcast Set Standard for Next Generation of Sports Viewing
A groundbreaking 3D broadcast by 3ality Digital LLC (www.3alitydigital.com) has been named one of the decade’s best innovations by Sports Illustrated magazine. The Dec. 4, 2008 live 3D broadcast of the National Football League’s Oakland Raiders versus the San Diego Chargers marked the first time a league game had been carried live in digital 3D.
The landmark event carried on a proud tradition of sports broadcast innovation by the Modell family. For years, Art Modell shaped NFL broadcast policies as the owner of the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. Modell’s sons, David and John – 3ality Digital’s chairman and co-founder, respectively – were instrumental in the landmark 3D broadcast.
“On behalf of everyone at 3ality Digital, we’re thrilled and honored that Sports Illustrated chose our NFL broadcast project as one of the most notable innovations of the decade,” said David Modell. “It was a pleasure to partner with the NFL to make this industry first a reality and lay the groundwork for the more comprehensive slate of live-action 3D programming now hitting the market.”
“We started development of real-time 3D production systems over ten years ago,” said Steve Schklair, CEO of 3ality Digital Systems, the technology arm of 3ality Digital. “3D for cinema is easy compared to live broadcast, yet we always knew that the right set of technologies would make live broadcasting in stereo a reality. Our live 3D broadcast of the Raiders versus Chargers was a key milestone in 3D’s migration from the cinema to the living room.”
In describing the broadcast experience, Sports Illustrated wrote in part: “If a one-sided snoozer of a game can be that engaging, one can only imagine the excitement of a postseason game or Super Bowl in three dimensions.” The magazine went on to say, “the brilliant final product is a testament to their (3D telecasts’) inevitability.”
“We approached the live 3D broadcast of Thursday Night Football as a proof of concept and came away extremely impressed with the results,” said Howard Katz, the NFL’s senior vice president of broadcasting and media operations. “The NFL has a long tradition of using emerging technologies to enhance the consumer experience, and live-action digital 3D clearly has enormous potential in this regard.”
“I’m proud and humbled to see our work included on such an exclusive and prestigious list of achievements,” said John Modell, who also serves as a 3ality Digital producer. “High-profile projects such as the NFL broadcast clearly demonstrate the value of the medium to every segment of the entertainment industry and firmly establish 3ality Digital as the premier 3D broadcast provider.”
The live 3D broadcast of the NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football was shot and transmitted by 3ality Digital and shown to invited guests at theatres in Boston, Hollywood and New York City. The three-dimensional nature of the broadcast, which incorporated state-of-the-art technology built into 3ality Digital’s camera platforms, was acclaimed for conveying the sense among viewers that they were actually on the field with the players.
“This is an amazing way to close out 2009 and begin what promises to be another watershed year for 3D,” said 3ality Digital LLC CEO Sandy Climan. “I’m thrilled to see the impact this broadcast and similar 3ality Digital projects have had on the global broadcast community. From the United Kingdom to Spain to Japan, broadcasters around the world have seen the potential of live-action 3D and will be launching dedicated 3D initiatives in 2010.”
The success of the NFL broadcast led a month later to the first live 3D broadcast to consumers, when 3ality Digital produced a live 3D broadcast of college football’s national title game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the University of Florida Gators.
Source: 3ality Digital
Lisbon Treaty gives a boost to sport
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is delighted to see the position of sport in the European Union (EU) strengthened through the Lisbon Treaty. The new EU Treaty will come into effect tomorrow, and, for the first time ever, will provide a legal basis for sport – something for which the Olympic and Sports Movement has been fighting for the last 15 years. Articles 6 and 165 stress the significance of sport in Europe, recognise its specific nature and define the promotion of sport as a Community objective.
Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said: “We have come a long way. I thank the member states for their strong commitment to sport over the last years. The impact of sport in the EU is huge, as is the influence of EU policies on sport. It really is time to move from a case-by-case approach to an environment where the specific characteristics of sport can be taken into account properly.”
The reference to sport in the Lisbon Treaty, which also mentions the “specific nature of sport”, provides the necessary instrument to do so. It should allow sport to be looked at not only from a purely economic point of view, but also from its voluntary structures as well as its social and educational role. Furthermore, sport’s fundamental principle of financial re-distribution for the purpose of sporting development distinguishes it from other industries. In this regard, the Olympic and Sports Movement has been confronted with several challenges in the past, especially when it came to judgments of the European Court of Justice on pure sporting rules. For instance, the protection of national teams and the regulations concerning free movement of professional athletes need to be addressed in the light of sport-specific rules and the particular characteristics of international sport.
Whilst the European Union is not given any direct legal competences for sport, its role will be to support and promote actions of the member states in this field, following the principle of subsidiarity. “We fully support this approach since the European Union should support and not regulate sport”, stated Patrick Hickey, President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC).
This indicates that sport organisations in Europe will gain momentum through more funding opportunities. The reference to sport in the Lisbon Treaty enables the set-up of a specific EU sports funding programme as well as a better mainstreaming of sport in existing programmes.
In the coming months, the focus of the Olympic and Sports Movement, which took a clear and unified position on the autonomy and specificity of sport last year, will now be on the proper implementation of articles 6 and 165. It is about protecting sport’s autonomy on the one side, and safeguarding the integrity of sporting competitions on the other side. “We are ready to contribute with our expertise to fill the new articles on sport with life and make it a success story for everybody. The Spanish government has already invited us to work closely together in the first half of 2010. We are ready to do so and also to continue with the regular and structured dialogue that we have built up with the EU institutions”, said Mario Pescante, IOC Vice-President and Chairman of the IOC International Relations Commission.
Under the Spanish Presidency, a formal Council of Sports Ministers will take place for the first time ever.