Florida Sentinel Bulletin

Just when you thought it was all good as the NBA season is finally about to begin.  Kobe Bryant suffered another loss this week.

After Lamar Odom was traded to Dallas this week, his wife, Vanessa Bryant is also allegedly packing her bags.

According reports, Vanessa filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences.”

Sources say Kobe “desperately” wants to win Vanessa back and will do “whatever it takes” to save their 10 1/2 year marriage. Vanessa could walk away with half his fortune.

According to the legal docs, Vanessa is asking for joint custody of their 2 daughters — 8-year-old Natalia and 5-year-old Giana but Vanessa is asking that Kobe get visitation rights.

She’s also requesting spousal support and Kobe, who filed his response to the divorce minutes after Vanessa filed her petition, says he will pay her spousal support.

Vanessa signed the divorce petition on December 1. Kobe signed his response on December 7.

Scottie Pippen took legal issue this week with several media outlets who he says falsely reported he filed for bankruptcy.

The former Bulls star filed a $9 million federal lawsuit Tuesday in Chicago claiming the reports earlier this year were wrong and damaging, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

CHICAGO — The attorney for Sam Hurd said Friday that his client had never sold drugs to other NFL players, hoping to put any rumors to rest as the wide receiver without a team prepares to fight federal drug charges that could put him in jail for 40 years.

Less than an hour after Hurd was cut by the Chicago Bears, defense attorney Brett Greenfield told reporters that his client planned to fight the charges and wanted one thing made clear.

“Sam has asked me to address one point, with respect to the rumors that Sam has been supplying drugs to other members of the NFL, out of respect to the NFL, out of respect to teammates and out of respect to other players, he 100 percent denies that allegation,” Greenfield said. “It is patently and totally false. It just didn’t happen.”

League spokesman Brian McCarthy said the NFL was closely monitoring the situation. Asked about a report that authorities have a list of NFL players with ties to the drug case, McCarthy said: “We are not aware of such a list.”

A judge has stayed Barry Bonds’ sentence of 30 days of house arrest and 2 years of probation pending an appeal.

The 47-year-old Bonds was sentenced Friday following a federal conviction on obstruction of justice charges. Bonds was convicted in April of giving misleading testimony to a grand jury. The former Major League Baseball star faced up to 21 months in prison, and prosecutors had asked for a 15-month sentence.

In handing out her sentence, the judge observed that she agreed with the jury that Bonds tried to obstruct justice. Just that he failed. She noted that he did not threaten witnesses, for example. “When I first read his grand jury testimony three and a half years ago I observed the same thing. You can tell Barry wanted to perjure himself. He just was pretty damn bad at it. The judge also noted that the sentence took into account that Bonds has a strong record of philanthropy, much of which is unpublicized.”

For now, Bonds’ sentence is on hold pending appeal.

LOS ANGELES — Police say the stolen 1985 Super Bowl ring of Chicago Bears wide receiver Willie Gault has been recovered from a downtown Los Angeles jewelry store.

Los Angeles police said in a statement Saturday that Gault’s ring from the Bears’ victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX along with a wedding ring and five stolen watches were found Thursday. The jewelry was stolen in a Nov. 8 home burglary.

Police say 46-year-old store owner Ramin Cohan of Beverly Hills was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property. He was released Friday after posting $20,000 bail.

The message at Tampa Bay Buccaneer headquarters is loud and clear. Now is the time to start preparing for next season.

After suffering their 7th straight loss, a humiliating 41-14 thumping by the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bucs (4-9) can now start allowing their starters to heal for next season, and give playing time to second and third string players.

The Bucs front office will also decide whether they will retain head coach Raheem Morris, in spite of glowing support from the players that he stay on.

This Saturday, the Bucs will face off against the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium. The Cowboys are coming off a heartbreaking loss to their division rivals, the New York Giants. The Cowboys now are tied for the lead in the NFC East division.

Depending on what sports show you watch or listen to, Josh Freeman needs to be benched for the rest of the season to allow his ailing shoulder to heal, along with other players nursing nagging injuries.

Kickoff Saturday will be at 8:20 p. m.

The final two games for the Bucs are against the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons, both road games.

David Price likely headed for a car wash after the incident.

Tampa Rays pitcher David Price is 6-foot-6, but even he doesn’t want to tangle with a man in midstream.

The star was attacked by a man he caught peeing on his car after a charity fundraiser Friday night, according to the St. Petersburg Times. The 26-year-old left was not injured, but the man pushed him and threw a wild punch after the pitcher approached him outside the restaurant, where Price had been serving as a celebrity bartender.

“I was relieved with how it turned out,” Price joked later.

Price, 26, followed up his breakthrough 2010 season, in which he won 19 games, with a somewhat disappointing 12-13 season for the Rays. Still, he is considered one of baseball’s top young pitchers. His manager, Joe Maddon, was hosting the charity event at Tampa’s 717 South restaurant and was no doubt glad to see his star avoid any injury at the hands of the unidentified peeing man.

The drama surrounding Chris Paul and the NBA is not just bad news for the New Orleans Hornets on the court. It also could be very bad news for the future of that franchise and other NBA teams in smaller and less attractive markets.

Since a team cannot control a player’s rights once they hit free agency, there’s nothing to stop them from joining up with other stars in big markets and forming super teams. It has become the haves vs. the have-nots.

ORLANDO, FL — Magic CEO Alex Martins says he met with center Dwight Howard and is still holding out hope that the franchise will be able keep him.
Martins made his comments Monday.

Howard can opt out of his current contract in July 2012.