Florida Sentinel Bulletin

NEW YORK — An NBA spokesman confirms that the league is investigating Jay-Z’s presence in Kentucky’s locker room after the Wildcats clinched a Final Four berth.

The rapper visited the players after their victory over North Carolina on Sunday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J, home of the Nets.

Jay-Z is a part-owner of the team and attended the Nets’ 120-116 loss at New York on Wednesday.

NBA rules prohibit team personnel from having contact with players who are not yet draft eligible, and spokesman Tim Frank told the Associated Press the league is looking into it.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich.  – Dennis Rodman has been voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Rodman says he was informed Thursday to be in Houston for Monday’s announcement before the championship game of the NCAA tournament.

The five-time NBA champion and two-time defensive player of the year was honored Friday night by the Detroit Pistons, who retired his No. 10 jersey during halftime of their game against the Chicago Bulls.

Rodman was among 12 finalists for the Hall of Fame this year along with players such as Jamaal Wilkes, Maurice Cheeks, Chris Mullin and Ralph Sampson.

The induction ceremony is in August.

Detroit selected Rodman in the second round of the 1986 draft of Southeastern Oklahoma. The native of Trenton, N.J., also played for Chicago, San Antonio, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas.

Former New York Knicks center Eddy Curry recently worked out for Heat president Pat Riley, causing speculation that the team might be interested in adding the big man before the playoffs.

BOSTON — Boston Celtics center Shaquille O’Neal limped off the court 5-1/2 minutes into his first game back in more than two months with a new injury that casts new doubt on his ability to help the team in the playoffs.

After missing 27 games with a sore right leg, O’Neal entered Sunday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons with 4:43 left in the first quarter. He scored on Boston’s first two possessions and again later before grabbing a seat for the final play of the quarter.

Former Chicago Bear William “The Refrigerator” Perry claims to be in much better health after suffering a relapse of Guillain-Barre syndrome two years ago.

Perry, who says he was barely walking as recently as this January, says he is able to run at times now and is working out regularly.

“I was coming back really slowly, but it’s picking up and I’m getting around, back out in the world instead of locked up in the house,” Perry said as he signed autographs for fans at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. Perry, at times, still uses a motorized scooter to get around, but the fact that he’s walking more often is major progress.

BY LEON B. CREWS
Sentinel Staff Writer
(An Analysis)

Federal prosecutors trying Barry Bonds for perjury have so far presented a strong case with testimony from several witnesses that the record-setting retired baseball player did in fact use steroids. Bonds admitted to a grand jury in 2003 that he thought the cream was Flaxseed oil. The question the government needs to prove is whether or not Bonds lied about knowing the cream had steroids.

According to testimony from his former girlfriend, Kim Bell, Bonds told her he was using steroids and that he blamed the drugs for an elbow injury.

All of this makes for good drama and is great for the moronic sports analysts who are always clueless about the raw facts. The point is Bonds is not on trial for using steroids. However, the focus of the media is that he is on trial for steroid use, and they have even revealed information Bell provided to prosecutors about Bonds’ physical appearance. None of this is relevant to the fact that he is on trial for perjury, not for alleged steroid use.

The Giambi brothers, Jason and Jeremy, admitted to using steroids, and testified they received steroids from Bonds’ former trainer, Greg Anderson. By revealing that fact, we are supposed to think that Anderson also fed Bonds steroids.

Putting the cart before the horse couldn’t come close to the perception the media is laying out on Bonds.

Also keep in mind, perjury is hard to prove because one must be able to establish beyond a reasonable doubt what the defendant was thinking at the time of the alleged perjury. That means one must clearly establish an internal mind set based on external behavior.

There is also the problem of jury instruction about the legal standard needed for conviction.

The federal government has spent in excess of $6 million in their effort to not just ruin Bonds’ career, but have him sent to prison.

Bonds is Major League Baseball’s record-holder for home runs in a career (762) and a season (73), and like Henry Aaron before him, there is a segment of society that still recognizes Herman “Babe” Ruth as the king, and are not willing to relinquish that claim. Oh, letís not bring up the character of Ruth. No one ever wants to bring that up when talking about baseball’s best.

The fact is, even after Bonds has walked out of court clear of this alleged perjury, the government will continue to spend our hard earned dollars to get him behind bars, or at least disgraced and removed from any consideration of entering Cooperstown.

BY LEON B. CREWS
Sentinel Staff Writer

Congratulations go out to Donoven Hough, who on March 6th competed in the Florida Amateur Wrestling Association State competition and brought home the gold.

Hough wrestled four challenging rounds in the 98 pound Schoolboy Division as a member of the Caveman Wrestling Club. He accomplished his win in the championship match by pin in the second period.

Hough began wrestling at the age of 9, and has successfully progressed into a strong and competitive wrestler. He attributes his success to former wrestlers, his father, Don Hough, and his godfather, John Martin, in addition to the coaching staff at Caveman Wrestling Club.

Hough has had a successful year in which he has competed in the middle school nationals, the Games of Rome Nationals at Disney World, and numerous tournaments in which he has placed in the top 6.

Hough now looks forward to his upcoming year at Armwood High School. There he will be joining the wrestling team for the 2011-2012 year and will also be a part of Armwood Culinary Arts Program.

Donoven Hough expresses gratitude to his parents, Don and Justine, godfather, John Martin, grandmother, Everaleen Hough, brother, Chico, and the entire Hough family for all of their support and encouragement.

In the summer of 2004 when any suggestion of Butler University playing for a national championship might have drawn laughter, an unknown assistant coach made a cost efficient, wide ranging recruiting trip to Florida. He squeezed in one more stop, wandering over to Wharton High School’s gymnasium to watch their workouts.

Butler head coach, Brad Stevens, checked out Shawn Vanzant and liked what he saw. He saw a defensive-minded, versatile player that fit their system. Vanzant became a recruiting priority.

It may have seemed unusual when Vanzant signed to play at Butler, a 4,200 student, mid-major school. But, the 6-foot guard said it was perfect for him.

After four consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament – and two straight trips to the Final Four – Vanzant will conclude his college career with a chance to win a national championship this weekend at Houston’s Reliant Stadium.

The 8th-seeded Bulldogs (27-9) will meet the 11th seeded Virginia Commonwealth Rams (28-11) in Saturday’s national semi-final contest.

Vanzant averages 8.1 points and 3.2 rebounds, and had his greatest moment in the Horizon League tournament semi-finals. Vanzant scored 18 points in the final 13 minutes of the game as his team defeated Cleveland State 76-68.

In last Saturday’s 74-71 region final victory over the Florida Gators, Vanzant directed a floating pass toward the rim where his teammate, Khyle Marshall, grabbed it and slammed it home.

GARLAND, Texas – According to police in the Dallas suburb of Garland, Texas, Tampa Bay Buccaneer cornerback Aqib Talib turned himself in on a warrant accusing him of firing a gun at his sister’s boyfriend.

Police said Talib was released Wednesday after posting a $25,000 bond.

According to police reports, Talib and his mother, Okolo Talib, shot at the man March 21st. The man was not injured.

Authorities issued arrest warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for Talib and his mother.

Talib’s mother turned herself in on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and bonded out Tuesday.