Florida Sentinel Bulletin

A day after coach Jim Tressel’s forced resignation for lying about Ohio State players receiving improper benefits, the focus has shifted to the investigation of star quarterback Terrelle Pryor and his succession of used cars.

The salesman who put Pryor behind the wheel of several vehicles said in a sworn affidavit released by Ohio State on Tuesday that he didn’t offer any special deals to Buckeyes.

“The deals that I did for Ohio State student-athletes were no different than any of the other 10,000-plus deals that I’ve done for all my other customers,’’ Aaron Kniffin said in the statement.

Tressel’s 10-year reign as coach of the Buckeyes ended in disgrace Monday as he was forced to step down for breaking NCAA rules. He knew players received cash and tattoos for autographs, championship rings and equipment and did not tell anyone at Ohio State or the NCAA what he knew for more than nine months. NCAA rules – and Tressel’s contract – specify that he must disclose any and all information about possible violations.

Pryor, the highest profile recruit of Tressel’s 25-year coaching career, is one of five Buckeyes who have already been suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season for taking money and tattoos from local tattoo-parlor owner Edward Rife, who pleaded guilty last week to federal drug trafficking and money-laundering charges.

It looks like Jason Terry’s tattoo of the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy is either going to be a great story about how he believed in his team from the beginning or a painful story, both literally and figuratively.

Terry told reporters on Sunday that he will get the tattoo removed from his right biceps if his Dallas Mavericks lose to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals

Magic superstar Dwight Howard said Monday he has no ambition to follow the lead of Shaquille O’Neal by heading to another contender and would rather make his own path in Orlando.

There has been increasing speculation Howard would move to a larger market like Los Angeles, or New York with the Knicks, when he becomes a free agent next year.

But in an interview, the 6-foot-11 center said he does not want to go anywhere.

“I’m not trying to run behind nobody like Shaq or be behind somebody else,” Howard said, referring to O’Neal’s move from the Magic to the Lakers after the 1995-96 season.

“I want to have my own path, and I want to start that here in Orlando. But I can’t do it alone. Not only do I need the right teammates, but I need the city behind me.

Howard is contracted to the Magic through to the end of the 2012-13 season, but has the option of becoming a free agent in the summer of 2012. He said he has never discussed leaving with the franchise.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo married local reporter and pageant queen Candice Crawford – little sister of “Gossip Girl” star Chace Crawford – at a historic Texas mansion Saturday night, People reported.

The couple were married at Dallas’ Arlington Hall, with Romo’s teammates, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Chace Crawford all believed to be on hand for the nuptials.

The reception was organized by wedding planner Todd Fiscus, who was responsible for Giants quarterback Eli Manning’s wedding.
No outside cameras were allowed into the event.

Candice Crawford, a former Miss Missouri, began dating one of Dallas’ most eligible bachelors in 2009, two months after he infamously dumped singer Jessica Simpson.

Romo, 31, was also previously linked to “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood – who was a one-time love of Chace Crawford.

Romo proposed with an eight-carat yellow diamond ring on December 16, 2010 at Crawford’s 24th birthday party, which was held at the Dallas restaurant Five Sixty.

While Kim Kardashian is celebrating her engagement to New Jersey Nets play Kris Humphries, her ex-boyfriend Reggie Bush is reportedly feeling pretty down over the news.

The New Orleans Saints player was supposed to attend a launch party for the Gumball Rally 3000 in London on May 25, but back out at the last minute, supposedly due to the news that Kardashian was engaged.

Bush and Kardashian began dating in 2007, but went their separate ways two years later. The ups and downs of their relationship were also played out on the E! reality show ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”

BY LEON B . CREWS
Sentinel Staff Writer

Middleton High School baseball coach, Vernon Slater, is a very happy man. Of the 25 baseball players from Hillsborough County that played in last Wednesday’s Senior All-Star Game, three came from Middleton. The only other Hillsborough County School sending three players is King.

Coach Slater said he and five other coaches from Middleton selected infielder Jordan Morrell, pitcher Eric Comstock, and outfielder Demetre Taylor to represent Middleton.

Taylor, who also plays football, has been given a football scholarship to Eastern Illinois State University where he’ll also be able to play baseball.
“I’m alright going that far from home, although I am a momma’s boy,” said Taylor.

Eric Comstock will be attending Eastern Michigan University on a full scholarship, and Morrell said although he’s committed to the University of South Florida, he’s still not sure.

“All of the Major League scouts were there and that’s big with the draft coming up,” said Coach Slater. “There were also scouts from junior colleges and universities evaluating the players. But, this game was mostly for the Major League Baseball draft.”

Coach Slater said this is the fifth year the game has been played and this year it was held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

“Hillsborough County has won the tournament every year,” said Coach Slater.

“This was my first year selected to coach at the game. This was also an excellent opportunity to promote the program at Middleton. We’ve had more than 17 players who’ve either gotten scholarships or signed Major League contracts.”

Taylor’s mother, Ms. Joyce Taylor, said the coaching staff at Middleton deserves all the credit.

BY LEON B. CREWS
Sentinel Staff Writer

In January of this year, Ricky Sailor founded an organization called Unsigned Preps. His mission is to help high school athletes in their efforts to succeed.
“A lot of kids don’t get scholarships, and I want to make sure they at least have an opportunity to attend college.”

“My personal journey took me from West Tampa to Texas Tech University and now Iím trying to find a kid to take the same journey.”

Sailor said working with Tyrone Keys and his organization, All Sports Community Services, Unsigned Preps has helped more than 70 kids nationwide to attend college.
“The new program I’ve started with the help of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a preparation session with kids who have already gotten scholarships. I want to give them the tools they need to be successful. While they are in college, the support will still be there.”

Sailor collaborated with Eric Vance, Tampa Bay Buccaneers player development, to devise a program to benefit college bound high school student-athletes. Seniors from Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties participated in a one day symposium.

The curriculum was designed to promote awareness and ease the difficult transition from high school to college as well as tackle common challenges faced by numerous collegiate level athletes.

The program deals with real life issues which often arise and adversely impact many college football players.

Unsigned Preps is looking forward to expanding and creating many future partnerships which enable them to continue annual programs and events to uplift youth, athletes and more importantly, the community.

An unstoppable one-man show against Dallas five years ago, Dwyane Wade is bringing LeBron James and Chris Bosh to the rematch.

And the Miami Heat, who celebrated like champions last July, can throw an even bigger party if they can beat Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks again.

In the first season with their Big Three, the Heat welcome the Mavs back to Miami on Tuesday (tonight at 9 p.m. on ABC) for an unusually early NBA finals, the first in 25 years that will begin in May.

The Heat clinched the first of multiple finals appearances that were forecast for them last summer, when James and Wade led a late rally to beat Chicago 83-80 on Thursday, setting up another series with Mark Cuban’s team.

“There’s no sense of relief right now,” James said. “We still have lots of work to do. We have a little bit of time tomorrow to go over what we accomplished. We don’t take for granted this win and being Eastern Conference champion. We have a lot of work to do still and we look forward to the challenge.”

Two months after being arrested for aggravated assault, Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib is being indicted for shooting at his sister’s boyfriend. Police have said that they believe the football star and his mother shot at the man, Shannon Billings, on March 21, but he was not injured.

The cornerback, 25, was let out on bail at the end of March, totaling $25,000 bond. The charge is a second-degree felony, which could mean five to 20 years in prison.

The indictment does not mean Talib has been convicted of a crime, but there is an official charge at hand.

Talib denies the accusations that he shot the gun, but his mother tells police a different story. NBC says that Talib’s mother, Okolo Talib, told officials that she did hear a gunshot and it could have been from her son. ?The cornerback is also accused of whipping Billings with the pistol.

The police have said that while talking to Talib, they received many confusing statements and opted to indict him in relation to the events.