Wednesday (February 24, 2010) stories developing. . .
Former NE Patriots Running back and One of Hawaii's Finest Athletes, Mosi Tatupu, Dies
Mosi Tatupu, Punahou and USC grad and long-time NFL running back, has died.
(Honolulu Advertiser) Mosi Tatupu, one of the finest athletes to come out of Hawaii, was remembered this morning as a football player's player and coach's coach.
Tatupu, who played 14 seasons in the NFL, died yesterday at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, Mass., at the age of 54. A hospital spokesman did not disclose a cause of death.
Reaction to his passing was swift — and universal in praise.
Tatupu had coached running backs at NCAA Division III Curry College in Milton, Mass., the past six years but took this season off to spend time with his family in the Seattle area, Curry coach Skip Bandini told boston.com this morning.
"He missed them and stuff and he wanted to go to spend time with them, and I'm glad he did it," Bandini said.
Tatupu, a multi-sport star at Punahou School in the 1970s, set a Hawaii career rushing record that stood for 17 seasons. He played four seasons at Southern Cal and was drafted in 1978 by the New England Patriots.
He played for the Patriots from 1978-1990 (he also played a season with the Rams) and generated such a following with his inspired special teams play that a fan section at Foxboro Stadium was called "Mosi's Mooses."
"They are great fans, but just to have your own section is an honor," Tatupu told boston.com in 2004. "I am sure if everybody had their own fan section like I did they would play just as hard as I tried to play. It inspired me to play harder because they were cheering for me and backing me up."
Former Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan told ESPNBoston.com this morning that Tatupu won the fans over with his "lunchpail attitude."
"I think football fans in this area appreciate ... someone who shows up for work every day and that's what Mosi did," Grogan said. "I think his personality, the spirit and fun he showed on the field, transferred to fans. That's why they loved him so much."
Mosi's son Lofa Tatupu plays for the Seattle Seahawks.
"Lost" Star Matthew Fox is the Latest to Be Caught in Sex Scandal!
Matthew Fox, pictured with wife of 18 years Margherita, is allegedly involved with an Oregon stripper.
(Radaronline) Lost star Matthew Fox is caught up in a sex scandal with a stripper who is young enough to be his daughter.
Fox, 43, who has been married for 18 years and has two children, is accused of cheating with 26-year-old stripper Stefani Talbott. Talbott worked as a dancer at Stars Cabaret club in Bend, Oregon.
The cheating allegations are contained in an explosive report in the new issue of the National Enquirer, which also contains an eyewitness account from cab driver Andi Watson who says she drove Fox and Talbott to the dancer’s townhouse on December 29.
“They kissed and touched each other in the cab,” Watson told the Enquirer. She picked them up at Talbott’s home an hour and a half after dropping them off and said, “they were more romantic than before, kissing a lot more and hugging each other.”
Sources indicate that Fox has been seen heavily partying and drinking which the actor denies.
Matthew Fox has been depicted as "devoted family man" who was planning to "retire" from showbusiness very soon and move permanently to Oregon. Fox and his wife have two sons, Kyle, 12, and Byron, 8.
This is his last season on the popular tv show "Lost" and he said he was making the move to doing films, after a long-stint on television (Party of Five and Lost).
Three Google Execs Are Arrested In Italy for An Uploaded Video!
The Google case may set a precedent on how the internet does its business in Italy and maybe around the world.
The "offensive" video shows an austistic child being beaten by bullies!
(AP) In a case that is being watched closely by the Internet industry, 3 Google executives were convicted of privacy violations on Wednesday in Italy because bullies posted a video online of an austistic boy being abused. The case has major implications on internet freedom in Italy and maybe around the world.
Italian Judge Oscar Magi sentenced the 3 to a 6 month suspended sentence and absolved of defamation charges. A fourth exec, charged only with defamation, was acquitted.
Google called the decision "astonishing" and plans to appeal.
Peter Fleischer, Google's global privacy counsel said that the decision by the Italian court means that the 3 executives are primarily responsible for the actions of teenagers for uploading this reprehensible video to Google.
The trial could define whether the internet is an open, self-regulating platform or if content must be monitored for abusive material. Google's considers the decision to be a threat to the freedom of the internet and may result in the impossible task of having all providers pre-screen thousands of hour of video content that are uploaded on the internet everyday.
LA Dodgers "owners" Frank and Jamie McCourt Living in a "Tax-Free" Paradise!
Divorce proceedings between Frank and Jamie McCourt have been quiet as of late but their financial dealings have raised "a lot of eyebrows in tinseltown!"
(LA Times) LA Times reporter Michael Hiltzik reports that thanks to some complex and rather brilliant financial manuevering, and with questionable real estate losses, the LA Dodgers owners Frank and Jamie McCourt are living "tax-free" (Federal and State) in Los Angeles! How sweet it is?
The couple are undergoing divorce proceedings and the documents filed showed that the McCourts pocketed a total income of $108M from 2004-2009. On that sum, the couple paid ZERO federal and state taxes.
"The court papers indicate that the McCourts deliberately structured their business at least partially to allow them to live tax-free. The McCourts have also borrowed against future business income — in 2007 they took out a $140-million loan against future Dodger ticket sales, of which $20 million went to fund their lifestyles, tax-free.
The tax benefits reaped by the McCourts helped turbocharge their lifestyle. There are eight houses, including four in Holmby Hills and Malibu. The McCourts treated their family and business checkbooks as “largely one and the same,” according to an e-mail from a McCourt executive Jamie filed in court. (Oddly, the e-mail ascribes to her the philosophy of “why have a family business but to support the family lifestyle.”) This paid for meals in the best restaurants, floral arrangements for home and office from the finest florists, country club dues, personal travel on the Dodgers plane, Jamie’s makeup “for Dodger events” ($386 a month)."
You'd think whoever is behind the McCourt's financial manuevering is a highly-sought guy or gal! Dang!
U.S. Men's Figure Skater Johnny Weir is under Attack!
U.S. Men's figure skater Johnny Weir, is finding it difficult getting a medal and being himself at the Winter games!
(Perez Hilton) U.S. Men's figure skater Johnny Weir will be holding a press conference this afternoon to address homophobic remarks made by two French broadcasters and two hosts from Australia. The French broadcasters made outrageous remarks this past weekend stating that Weir is damaging to figure skating and that he should be made to take a gender test while viewers in Australia complained that 2 hosts on Channel Nine joked about Weir and other skater's masculinity.
Weir will address the controversy and possibly fuel the situation even more with his own outrageous remarks.
The flamboyant figure skater is finding himself under tremendous attack lately that began before the Winter games when he was sent a letter from an animal rights group wanting him to "stop wearing fur" on his costumes. Weir felt threatened enough that he asked for extra security during the Winter games.
He has also been under attack from Gay and Lesbian groups for NOT "coming out of the closet." Weir had released a statement to let the world know that he was keeping his "sexual preference" private. For some reason, Weir continues to receive some kind of backlash for not revealing whether he is straight or gay.
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HOLLYWOOD SHORTS!!!!!
A reflection of the times we live in, ABC News is cutting jobs!
(Perez Hilton) ABC News is reportedly planning to cut up to 300 jobs or 20 percent of its total staff. All news department staffers will be receiving buyout offers over the next few days. ABC News president David Westin explains:
"The response to this voluntary program will determine the extent to which we will need to make further reductions. We anticipate that between now and the end of the year ABC News will undergo a fundamental transformation that will ultimately affect every corner of the enterprise.
"The time has come to re-think how we do what we are doing. When we are finished, many job descriptions will be different, different skill sets may be required, and, yes, we will likely have substantially fewer people on staff at ABC News."
Ratings battle between "Team USA" and "Team Idol!"
(EW) In a battle of titans, the 2010 Winter Olympics versus "American Idol," the Fox show took back the No. 1 spot with the 12 lady finalists taking the mike (the men are scheduled for tonight) while the Winter games struck back with the always highly-rated women's figure skating.
AI had 24.0M viewers while the Winter games took second with 21.2M viewers.
Meanwhile, "Lost" regained some viewers that were lost the week before.
WHO IS SUING MICHAEL JACKSON?
Those "little claims" that were six-figures and filed in the past few weeks has been replaced with a monster $300M claim by ALLGOOD Entertainment!
TMZ reports the "Motha" of all creditor claims goes to ALLGOOD Entertainment who is claiming that Michael Jackson's Estate owes them $300M for reneging on a Jackson Family concert and opting for the London series of concerts instead. The lawsuit was filed back in October 2009 and is asking for profits from "This is It" along with revenues from the Sony catalog.
AllGood claims that Michael's agent Frank Dileo and AEG Live conspired to produce a series of concerts in London (without their permission).
The creditor's claim was filed last Friday. MJ Estate Lawyer Howard Weitzman calls the claim and lawsuit "frivolous and without merit."
The niche vehicle "for the rich" HUMMER will be closed down because GM and a Chinese manufacturing company could not close the deal!
(CNN) General Motors tried to sell its brand Hummer to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co. Ltd (China) but an agreement could not be reached. The large SUV brand is based on the Humvee military vehicle. It was always a niche vehicle but its image and sales were hit particularly hard by rising gasoline prices earlier this decade. Last year, GM only sold 9.046 Hummers, down 67% from 2008.
Hummer is the third brand that GM is being forced to shut down as part of its bankruptcy reorganization last year. A deal to fell Saturn fell through and GM is also closing the Pontiac brand, which it never attempted to sell.
Detroit may be a "dying city" but the airport is a favorite among travellers, according to J.D. Power and Associates!
(CNN) J.D. Powers and Associates ranked the top airports (serving 30M passengers or more) in the U.S.--according to 12,000 travellers-- and Detroit Metropolitian International took top honors! Air travelers seem to like the airport's "two clean, pleasant and efficient new terminals with fun shops and restaurants," Robinson said in a statement. The airport's North Terminal opened in fall 2008; its McNamara Terminal has been operating since 2002.
Tied at no. 2 was Denver International and Minneapolis/St. Paul International.
Other notable airports were Orlando at No. 3, Las Vegas at No. 8, Seattle at No. 9, and San Francisco and Chicago's O'Hare airport at No. 11 and 12 respectively.
Finishing at the bottom were the "mega" aiports JFK (13), Miami (15), and Los Angeles (16). Dead last was Newark, New Jersey airport.
Welterweight title-holder Andre Berto will fight against rugged Carlos Quintana on April 10 and in a match that will help benefit Haitian earthquake victims!
(ESPN) Welterweight-titlist Andre Berto (25-0, 19 kos) will return to the boxing ring against Carlos Quintana (27-2, 21 kos) on April 10 at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, which will be televised on HBO. The announcement comes weeks after Berto withdrew from his match on January 30 against Shane Moseley AND after Berto left for Haiti to mourn loved ones who died in the Haiti earthquake.
An official news conference to announce the card, from which a portion of the proceeds will go to benefit Haitian relief, is scheduled for March 3 at the Fontainebleau South Beach Hotel in Miami Beach.
"Andre is energized and ready to fight again," proclaimed Promoter Lou DiBella said. "The working title of the card is 'Fighting for Haiti.' There will be a lot of charitable elements to the event."
DiBella said there would also be appearances by celebrities and musical acts to help raise money for Haitian relief.
Berto's parents are from Haiti, and although the 26-year-old was born in the United States and raised in Winter Haven, Fla., he represented Haiti in the 2004 Olympic Games.
Eli and Abby Manning have a special place in the hearts of the staff at St. Vincent's Hospital, New York.
(NY Post) St. Vincent's Hospital, a Catholic-run medical facility, may annoint NY Giants Quarterback Eli Manning, as "St. Eli," after what he did. Seems that the hospital had made a marketing agreement with Eli and his wife Abby awhile back that would have owed the quarterback $500,000. However, the hospital has run into difficult times with a debt of $700M, layoffs, and dramatically slashed salaries.
"When Eli learned that the hospital was in financial difficulties, he released them from the contract . . . from the monetary agreement," said the spokesman for sports-marketing firm IMG
What a nice guy. . .
In fact, he not only tore the contract but he will continue to represent the hospital and raise funds with no compensation. BTW, Manning's contract with the Giants is reported to be over $20M a year if you're counting endorsements.
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Hopefully, the Police, the fire department, an ambulance, and FEMA are on stand-by. 
Kevin Spacey - 
