Marcus Vick May Have Been Involved In Club Shooting!

The Michael Vick club shooting story has new revelations by the day. The latest twist is that Vick's brother Marcus Vick may have been involved somehow in the shooting. Now to be fair this is just speculation, but it's already known that Marcus and Michael Vick did not leave in the same car and that Michael left prior to the shooting.

The primary question regarding all things Michael Vick is whether this is enough to get him banished from the N.F.L. under an assumed zero tolerance policy. Unfortunately for Vick, that's going to be commissioner Roger Goodell's decision.

Is Wooing Of King James Justified?

LeBron James is just a few hours away from becoming an unrestricted free agent and able to negotiate with any team in the N.B.A.. The fascinating thing about the wooing of the 2 time MVP is that while James is undoubtedly a great player, he is heading into his 8th season in the league and has yet to win a championship. Yes it can be argued that he hasn't had the supporting cast of Kobe Bean Bryant, but his mental toughness justifiably came into question this year when his team the Cleveland Cavaliers lost in the playoffs to the Boston Celtics after having the league's best record.

It has to asked whether LeBron James is as tough as fellow peers Bryant and Dwyane Wade, who also has a championship. If LeBron James wants to have the legacy of a Bryant he needs to stay with his current team and ultimately lead them to the promised land. He has an owner that is willing to spend money, and he needs to trust management to make the right decisions as well as his teammates. A one man band cannot win a championship, just as Kobe.

A Slow Drip On Michael Vick Party Story!

The Michael Vick birthday party story seems to bring new revelations everyday, which may not be a good thing for Mr. Vick. When the story first broke about the 30th birthday party held in Virginia Beach last week, Vick's former friend and co-defendant in his dog fighting conviction Quanis Phillips apparently showed up, confronted Vick and possibly threw cake at Vick. The fact that Phillips was shot outside the nightclub after the altercation is where the story gets sketchy.

Vick states that he had left the club at the time of the shooting, however, in this New York Post story it states that according to witnesses the shooting occurred within 5 minutes of the alleged altercation. As part of Vick's parole, Vick is not allowed to associate with any of his co-defendants. This story is like a slow drip which may not be good for Mr. Vick. If he was at the party at the time of the shooting and he's lying about his account it could be the end of his football career.

Welcome Back El DeBarge!

As usual the quality of the BET Awards held last night in Los Angeles was in the eye of the beholder. There were some very good performances and bewildering ones all in the span of over 3 hours. I won't comment on the Michael Jackson tribute since everyone thinks that Chris Brown did M.J. proud. I was glad to see El DeBarge resurface in a national television performance with a medley of his hits.

El had had a well chronicled drug and legal issues, but Rick Ross stated on the after party that he was ready to record with falsetto voiced singer. I'm not sure how relevant DeBarge's music can be in today's music climate, but the old music still sounds so so good.

Elin Getting $750 Million!

Reports are circulating that Tiger Woods and his wife Elin are close to signing divorce papers with Elin walking away with $750 million. All I can say is Wow! If she's truly walking away with that much loot, then Tiger is worth far more than the $1 billion that's been estimated.

Michael Jackson's Death, 1 Year Later!

Everyone remembers where they were when news spread that Michael Jackson died one year ago today. One year later, tribute and specials will abound in the name of the pop icon. The sad part of the story is that everyone who can is still trying to make money in the name of Michael Jackson. The money that is being generated through Jackson's estate is all legitimate money authorized in the name of the his estate's executors, however, the unauthorized documentaries, and lawsuits scream of exploitation which is not any different from when Jackson was living. I even understand the family continuing to make accusations against Dr. Conrad Murray, but the legal system will handle Murray in due time.

Today is a day to simply celebrate the greatness that was Michael Jackson's talent.

Kwame Kilpatrick Indicted on 19 Counts By Feds Including Tax Evasion!

The bad news continues for former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, as yesterday he was indicted on 19 counts of fraud and tax evasion for allegedly using money from his non profit organization the Kilpatrick Civic Fund for personal expenses including golf lessons to college tuition for relatives. Kilpatrick is accused by prosecutors of not reporting $640,000 in taxable income while mayor if Detroit.

These indictments could keep Kilpatrick, who is already serving jail time for the issues related to the text messaging scandal in jail for a very very long time. The Detroit Free Press reports all of the sordid details of the indictments for a man who essentially has lost everything because of the enticements of power.

Does McChrystal Have To Go?

President Obama now has to deal with another public relations and administration nightmare after his top commander in Afghanistan Army General Stanley McChrystal made disparaging comments in a Rolling Stones Magazine article about the president and his staff including V.P. Joe Biden. McChrystal is scheduled to meet with the president today to discuss the situation and reports are that he's already offered his resignation. McChrystal aide, Duncan Boothby has already resigned over the furor as he's the one who apparently arranged the article.

The war in Afghanistan has been plagued with problems, but President Obama may not have a choice but to fire McChrystal simply for insubordination. If he doesn't fire him, he will look weak, but that could come at a cost if the person replacing McChrystal doesn't have success in Afghanistan.

Why Do Cities Try To Minimize Murder Rates?

I find it amazing that after the city of Baltimore just finished a weekend rash of shootings, with 3 dead and 8 injured that the Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III understandably has asked for calm within the city, but to rationalize that murder rates are down and that's a reason for celebration is ridiculous. The Baltimore Sun reports that homicides are down 14 percent from previous year levels, and that the city has been aggressive with removing illegal guns off of the streets, but one murder is just one murder too many, and justifying a result with statistics is a weak way to justify effective leadership. .

Will Rahm Be Gone By The End of The Year?

There is heavy speculation that White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel may be gone by the end of the year according to the Telegraph.co.uk. Factors that may lead to Emanuel's exit range from conflicting styles with President Obama's inner circle, to running for mayor if his home town in Chicago. If Emanuel does exit, the president will have concluded the usual growing pains of a first term administration. The wear and tear of the job is wearing on President Obama, but if he can get through this year without any additional hiccups, things should begin to smooth out for him.

1 More Than Shaq For "The Bean!"

The Los Angeles Lakers won their 16th N.B.A. Championship defeating the Boston Celtics in one of the uglier games in recent memory last night. Series M.V.P. Kobe Bryant, who I affectionately refer to as "The Bean" won his 5th ring and as he stated in his press conference now has one more than Shaq. I'm on record as not being a big fan of "The Bean" but I can't deny his greatness. He's a top ten all time player right now and ultimately could land one level behind Michael Jordan when his career ends.

Is There Beef Between Maxwell, Jill and Erykah?

R&B singer Maxwell has been touring with fellow superstars Jill Scott and Erykah Badu for the past month to mainly sold out crowds. This week word leaked out that the second leg of the tour is either being postponed or cancelled due to friction within the camps of the three singers. The initial rumor has been that Maxwell's camp is not happy with the female superstars due to their sets going a little long. Jill Scott's people are denying any issues and Maxwell's publicist hasn't issued a statement regarding the matter.

New York dates at Madison Square Garden are completely sold out meaning this tour has the potential to make a lot of money for all parties. I would be a shame if egos derailed these talented performers from entertaining their fans based on the original tour schedule.

Michael Jackson's Brother Randy Hospitalized!

Randy Jackson, Michael's younger brother was hospitalized yesterday after experiencing mild chest pains. Speculation is that it may have been a mild heart attack, but that hasn't been confirmed. Randy Jackson is only 48, but the family continues to deal with the drama that has become Michael Jackson's death almost 1 year to the day of his passing. With his father Joe Jackson making crazy accusations blaming his mother Katherine for Michael's death, to dealing with the ongoing Dr. Conrad Murray hearings, the stress has to be constant for Randy Jackson.

Teacher Fired For Having Premarital Sex!

I found this interesting story from the New York Daily News in which Jaretta Hamilton, who was a teacher at Southland Christian School in St. Cloud, Fla. requested to take maternity leave. This would normally be a simple request with most employers, however, Mrs. Hamilton, admitted that the baby was conceived 3 weeks before she was married, and subsequently was fired from her job for violating the terms of her contract forbidding premarital sex for school employees. Hamilton is now suing the school for discrimination.

Video of Vince Young In Strip Club Fight!

Seriously, what is Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young thinking about after video has surfaced of Young getting into a fight at a Dallas area strip club this morning. Young was issued with a Class C citation for assault which is punishable with a fine of up to $500.

Young returned from oblivion to regain some form of normalcy in his NFL career last season. It's amazing that he would jeopardize all of his hard work by getting in a fight at a strip club of all places.

"The Karate Kid" No. 1!

The Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan movie "The Karate Kid" beat weekend estimates as it debuted with a weekend box office take of $56 million. The movie, which cost an estimated $40 million to make is well on it's way to being a box office smash and setting the young Smith up to be a future star at the age of 11 years-old. Seeing Will and Jada's son doing the media blitz for the movie, he seems like a seasoned veteran and not blinded by the lure of the big stage.

"The Karate Kid!"

Young Jaden Smith, the 11 year-old son of Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith stars along with Jackie Chan in "The Karate Kid" which premieres tomorrow at movie theatres. The movie is produced by Smith's parents as an Overbrook Entertainment vehicle and is tracking to have a decent opening weekend projected to be in the $30 million plus range according to the Hollywood Reporter. The young Smith and his sister Willow have been thrust into the family business at young ages, and it will be interesting to see how their careers progress over time. When your father is the biggest box office in the world, that's a heavy burden to carry for anyone.

Now We Will Find Out If Avery Johnson Can Really Coach!

Avery Johnson will be named the new head coach of the New Jersey Nets as early as tomorrow, eventually signing what is believed to be a 3 year contract. Johnson has the best winning percentage of any coach in N.B.A. history, but that was with the Dallas Mavericks and with Johnson blowing a championship opportunity at the hands of Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. Johnson hasn't even won a championship, so I hope that the Nets aren't expecting a savior.

Avery Johnson will probably survive long enough for the Nets to become respectable and then head back to the analyst booth at ESPN. No one in their right mind will turn away millions of dollars to babysit millionaire athletes on a mediocre basketball team.

Kanye West Returns To Chicago For A Good Cause!

Superstar producer and hip-hop artist Kanye West returned from his self imposed exile with performances at 3 Chicago schools in which he recognized the students' improvement in the areas of grades, behavior and attendance as reported by the Chicago Tribune. The 3 schools:Farragut Career Academy, John Marshall Metropolitan and Percy L. Julian High School were also treated to performances by Chicago products Common and Lupe Fiasco.

The Kanye West Foundation's third annual Stay In School Event shows that Kanye West still has his head on straight, and the fact that he celebrated his 33rd birthday with the performances shows his humility.

R.I.P. Marvin Isley!

Marvin Isley died yesterday at the age of 56. Marvin was the bassist for the Isley Brothers on their many hits after he joined the group in early 70s. When I was listening the to the incomparable Isley Brothers during the 70s and 80s, Marvin's brother Ronald's fluid voice lead the vocals on all of their hits. The one thing about groups and music back then was that the groups were self contained units that flourished because of many moving parts. Marvin's bass playing can be heard on hits such as "Voyage to Atlantis" and "For The Love of You." In his later years Marvin suffered from diabetes which resulted in both of his legs being amputated.

Marvin Isley leaves a lasting legacy of family music for all of us to enjoy, may he rest in peace.

Is President Obama Tough Enough!

President Barack Obama is being hammered right now during this BP oil fiasco. Even supporters of the President from Spike Lee to James Carville have criticized the Commander and Chief on what appears to be his lax handling of the crisis. When pictures began to appear last week of oil soaked birds, the perceived effects of the oil spill became a reality. Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News writes about how it's time for the president to hammer BP.

President Obama was elected to run our country, but his handling of the BP oil spill is raising red flags. New reports of the oil spill being fully fixed by late summer isn't acceptable. The President does need to get tougher with the company and restore the confidence in the people of our country that we showed him when we elected him as President.

What's Up With Mrs. Wade?

Basketball star Dwyane Wade has been involved in divorce proceedings so contentious that his estranged wife Siohvaughn has fired 9 attorneys. Yesterday the Wades's 2 sons were turned over to their father after an emergency order was granted due to Mrs. Wade interfering with Mr. Wade's visitation privileges. This divorce has been messy, but I hope Mrs. Wade gets a bearing on herself, because 9 attorneys is a lot to be going through in a short period of time. Clearly Dwayne is going to have to write a major check, so perhaps she may need to consult with the former Mrs. Michael Jordan.

Ebony Magazine Has New Editor-In-Chief!

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Ebony Magazine has hired a new editor-in-chief, Amy DuBois Barnett. Barnett brings a wealth of experience in the print world having run Honey and Teen People magazines in the past. She will have the challenging job of making Ebony relevant again. Technology has rendered the print media an endangered species, and Ebony which was once a staple within the black community is on that list. It was rumored to that Ebony was going to be sold to Magic Johnson earlier this year, but that sale never materialized.

Bloods Recruiting Young Girls As Prostitutes In New York!

The New York Daily News reports on a crazy story about Blood gang members being busted for running a sex trafficking ring that recruiting girls as young as 15. The girls and women reportedly were beaten and denied food unless they made $500 a day. An unnerving story to say the least but not at all surprising. The crazy world we live in gets crazier by the day.

R.I.P. Ali-Ollie Wilson

Ali-Ollie Wilson former lead singer of The Temptations has died after a bout of cancer. He was only 58 years-old. Wilson lead the group during it's 80s resurgence singing lead on the hit "Treat Her Like A Lady." While Wilson wasn't an original member of the group his voice is unmistakable on the group's hit songs during the 1980s when he replaced Dennis Edwards. Prayers go out to his family for their loss.