Las Vegas police have questioned former football star O.J. Simpson and named him a suspect in an armed robbery at a casino hotel room. Simpson said he went to the room to recover sports memorabilia that belonged to him but denied breaking in, according to The Associated Press. The armed robbery was reported Thursday night at the Palace Station Casino, Las Vegas Metro Police Capt. James Dillon said at a press conference Friday afternoon. He said that the robbery victim said that Simpson was involved but emphasized that no weapons had been recovered and that the investigation was in its infancy. Dillon said Simpson, who was questioned and released, had been cooperating with the investigation.

David Cook, a lawyer for the family of Ron Goldman, who was murdered with Nicole Brown Simpson, told ABC News that a sports memorabilia dealer contacted him Friday to say that he had been robbed by Simpson and several other people. Alfred Beardsley, the memorabilia dealer, said that guns were drawn during the incident at the Palace Station hotel room and said Simpson took his property, possibly including the suit Simpson wore when he was acquitted of killing ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, according to Cook. Beardsley didn't return a phone message seeking comment. He gave a similar description of the incident to the Web site TMZ.com.

Simpson, who is not in police custody, told The Associated Press he went to the hotel room to try to recover his property but denied breaking into the room. Las Vegas police spokesman Jose Montoya told ABC News that Simpson told detectives that he believed some of the sports paraphernalia in the hotel room belonged to him Simpson told The Associated Press that he was conducting a "sting operation" to collect his belongings at the Palace Station casino. An auction house owner called Simpson several weeks ago to say some collectors "have a lot of your stuff and they don't want anyone to know they are selling it," according to The Associated Press account. The owner set up a meeting with collectors, saying he had a private buyer interested in purchasing Simpson's items. "It's stolen stuff that's mine. Nobody was roughed up," Simpson told the AP.

Simpson told The Associated Press he was accompanied by several men he met at a wedding cocktail party, and they took the collectibles, including his Hall of Fame certificate and a picture of the running back with J. Edgar Hoover. Simpson said he wasn't sure where the items were taken. A spokeswoman for the Las Vegas district attorney said the office had not yet reviewed the police reports or made a decision on whether Simpson would be arrested or charged.

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Londoners Hate Their New Olympic Logo

The logo for the London 2012 Olympics has just been released -- and everyone really hates it. Which is not surprising, because it is absolutely hideous.

The "iconic" logo for the 2012 London Olympics was unveiled here on Monday, but critics immediately condemned it as "hideous" and a waste of money. The jagged emblem, designed to define the image of the Games in five years' time, comes in a series of bright shades of pink, blue, green and orange, and includes the signature five Olympic rings emblazoned onto the "0". "This is the vision at the very heart of our brand," said London 2012 organising committee chief Sebastian Coe, the former 800m and 1,500m world record holder who won gold in the 1,500 metres at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics.

"It will define the venues we build and the Games we hold, and act as a reminder of our promise to use the Olympic spirit to inspire everyone and reach out to young people around the world," he said at the London launch. Organisers hope the logo, designed to be instantly recognisable worldwide, will help boost its campaign to raise two billion pounds to stage the Games. "This is an iconic brand that sums up what London 2012 is all about -- an inclusive, welcoming and diverse Games that involves the whole country," said Olympics minister Tessa Jowell. But critics were not impressed.

Bob Neill, 2012 Olympics spokesman for the main opposition Conservative Party, was disparaging about Coe's optimism, despite him being a fellow Tory lawmaker. "Lord Coe has described this logo as 'ambitious, interactive and youth-friendly'. I would describe it as hideous," he said. "Questions need be answered as to how we have ended up in this situation. Was there an open competition to supply the designs? If so, what on earth do the rejected ones look like! "We need to know how much money this exercise has cost, because whatever it was, it's been a complete waste of money."

Initial public reaction was also less than positive. "This logo makes me embarrassed to be English," said a contributor called Clumbers on one online message site devoted to the logo, which was devoid of supporters of the chosen design. "It looks like it could have been done by a six year old. I could do better with my eyes closed," added someone called Bige. A poll by the BBC News website asked readers to give it a gold, silver or bronze medal, or a wooden spoon if they really didn't like it. Eighty three percent gave it a wooden spoon.

We think it looks like a post-modern version of the Nazi swastika. Which was probably not exactly the image that that Olympic Committee was going for. Time for a do-over.

Posted on June 5, 2007
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Bob Cooper Named Rock, Paper, Scissors World Champion

The new world champion of rock, paper, scissors is Bob Cooper from London, England. Cooper told the BBC how he came to be the very best rock, paper, scissors player in the entire world.

So how did he achieve it, last week in Toronto, defeating a field of more than 500 contestants and an American in the final?

"Hard work, training and lots of research into tactics, body language and basic psychology," he says.

His sunglasses helped him to the top prize, he believes.

"It's similar to poker when you're out there bluffing, putting out the right or wrong signals. The eyes give away a lot so the shades are a definite benefit."

Bluffing is called "priming" and enables a player to either fake a move or provoke the opponent into a wrong move, he says.

If you want to be the next rock, paper and scissors champion start researching body language and look for a cool dark pair of shades. Dark enough so that no one can see your eyes and know that you are thinking "rock" or "paper." You will also need lots of practice. The article says Cooper practiced one to two hours each day. You will also need to learn how to predict what your opponent is predicting about you.

Bob Cooper: "It's not about knowing what your opponent will throw; it's about predicting what your opponent predicts you'll throw."

Posted on November 22, 2006
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The Real Mexican Wrestlers

Photographer Malcolm Venville reveals the secret life of Mexican wrestlers in his upcoming book of photography, Lucha Loco. We have seen Jack Black's comic portrayal of these wrestlers in Nacho Libre but the mexican wrestlers are very real and wear dramatic and unusual costumes. You can see some of the photographs on Venville's website.

Lucha Loco is the artistic result of Venville's quest to find and capture the essence of these masked gladiator-like showmen throughout many different trips to Mexico City in 2005. Venville says, "Lucha Loco represents something that is missing from life in the western world since the disappearance of the circus and vaudeville. There is poetry in its vibrant and expressive style that is lacking from wrestling."

As a child of profoundly deaf parents, Venville is fascinated with the unspoken language and still countenance of the luchadore mask. It is through Venville's tenacity and desire to observe this serious form of expression while revealing the humanity underneath that culminates in the stunning portraiture series Lucha Loco.

Detailed color photos introduce the figure, the name reveals the character, but the quote reveals the mind behind the mask -- ranging from the emotional -- Super Porky who says, "Here in Mexico us wrestlers work every single day. Sorry, do forgive the tears" -- to the humorous -- Coco Verde, "We don't mix the character from free wrestling with sex," -- to the simple -- Las Momias, "We're the mummies, here to serve the people."

In the introduction, Mexican poet, novelist, and literary critic Sandro Cohen, astute to the ironic imagery, observes that "El Solar, strangely, found it necessary to confess that he once wanted to be a lawyer, and in Mexico that still means fighting for the little guy. Real life didn't allow him to be an avenger for the downtrodden, but wrestling did."

Some of the photographs actually look even more ridiculous than Jack Black's costume. Mexican wrestling is definitely a very expressive form of entertainment.

Posted on August 24, 2006
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Shaq Turns Into a Beanie Baby

Basketball great Shaquille O'Neal has been immortalized by Ty: he now has a Beanie Baby in his likeness. The ShaqBear is available online at www.ty.com/Shaq for $6.00. The official press release elaborates on this exciting launch:

ShaqBear(TM) is a 10" medium brown Beanie Baby(R) bear, wearing a white jersey and shorts, with red and yellow trim. The jersey front is embroidered with "SHAQ" and the Dunkman logo; the jersey back reads "O'NEAL" and has the number 32, all in red lettering. ShaqBear(TM) also wears Dunkman athletic shoes with the name "SHAQ" on the tongue. ShaqBear(TM) has 3 different hang tags; each tag variation has its own poem, Shaq Fact, and an inspirational message for children from Shaquille O'Neal.

"I am honored to be the first athlete for whom Ty created a Beanie Baby," said Shaquille O'Neal. "Beanie Babies have been providing companionship and strong values to children around the world for a long time. Those things are important to me, and partnering with Ty to continue to spread those messages really means a lot."

"We believe that ShaqBear has universal appeal," said Ty Warner, Chairman and CEO of Ty Inc. "Sports fans will want this item for its collectability, and children, adults and Beanie Baby fans will want this piece for our usual high quality, attention to detail and overall cute characteristics."

You're just a nobody until they've created a Beanie Baby in your likeness.

Posted on June 17, 2006
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The Mystery of the USC Cheerleader and the Inappropriate Cheer

The UCLA fan message board has been discussing this photo of a USC cheerleader showing inappropriate enthusiasm when UT (the opposing team) scored during the Rose Bowl. So what was she thinking? Did she not realize that it was the other team that scored? Was she a mole placed by the UT cheerleaders to destroy the USC cheerleaders' morale? So far, the mystery remains unsolved.

The look on the other cheerleaders' faces is priceless. (Hat tip to Deadspin).

Posted on January 13, 2006
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GSN Turns Dodgeball Game Into Hit Show

Remember the hilarious film called Dodgeball starring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn? Well the GSN cable network has taken the idea from the film and turned Dodgeball into a real sport. Even more surprising is the fact that people are watching GSN's Extreme Dodgeball -- it's the number one show on the network for ages 18 to 34. The teams, which compete for a championship victory prize of $170,000, have ridiculous names like the Chicago Hitmen, New York Bling, L.A. Armed Response and the Philadelphia Benjamins. An Associated Press article has more about the "new" sport.

"Our version of dodgeball has moved away from the fourth-grade game and moved toward the NBA more than anything else," says executive producer Mark Cronin in the newly designed arena at Hollywood Center Studio. "It's an exciting sport to watch and it's an exciting sport to play."

The schoolyard game, discouraged in some areas for being too violent, has become an all-out sports craze on college campuses and among adults in recent years.

"Dodgeball is the new softball - it's very social," says GSN President Rich Cronin (no relation to the show's producer).

"We came up with the idea a year ago when we noticed it was catching on on college campuses. Then we read about the dodgeball movie (starring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn) and we thought, `Great, we will debut our dodgeball series at the same time as the movie. We'll jump on this hot trend of dodgeball as a growing sport (and) help fuel the trend.' That's exactly what happened."

"Extreme Dodgeball" is now the highest-rated show on GSN among 18- to 34-year-olds, according to the network, and in many ways has become key to the channel's programming strategy.

Posted on August 5, 2005
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Lance Armstrong Wins 7th Tour de France

Lance Armstrong has done it: he won his seventh Tour de France title. Sponsored by the Discovery Channel, who took over after the U.S. Post Office as his main sponsor, Armstrong confirmed that he will retire after his amazing win.

In a brief speech after a French military band played "The Star-Spangled Banner" and the American flag was raised on the Champs-Élysées, Armstrong praised the two riders flanking him on slightly lower steps, Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich. Basso, the Italian leader of CSC from Denmark, finished second by 4 minutes 40 seconds and Ullrich, the German leader of T-Mobile from his homeland, was third, 6:21 behind.

As is the custom, the opening part of the final stage was marked by general hilarity and conversations in the pack. Armstrong even shared a Champagne toast en route with his Discovery Channel team director, Johan Bruyneel, who was driving a car. Neither did more than clink glasses. Once the hijinks were over, the race turned serious in Paris, with frequent attacks and careful bike handling on the wet cobblestones of the broad Champs-Élysées. For his labors, Armstrong won 400,000 euros, or $500,000, in addition to a handsome bowl just like the six others at home in Austin, Tex.

"There was nothing on the line this year, no history, no record, no financial reward, just a promise," he said Saturday, explaining his participation. When Discovery Channel signed on as sponsor for three years this season, replacing United States Postal Service, Armstrong promised to ride the Tour one more time. As for his retirement, he said, "Absolutely no regrets."

Armstrong fought an intense battle with cancer.

For six hours, the surgeon scraped tumours from Lance Armstrong's brain. Once the delicate operation was over, and as the anesthetic was wearing off, the doctor checked whether his knife had done lasting damage by asking the patient his name. "Lance Armstrong," came the reply, according to his autobiography. "And I can kick your ass on a bike any day."

Congratulations to the indomitable Lance Armstrong!

Posted on July 25, 2005
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Blog Tracks Craig Biggio's Painful Record Attempt

Houston Astros player Craig Biggio is closing in on the painful record for getting hit by the most pitches in Major League Baseball. Biggio has been hit by a pitch 268 times which leaves him just 20 away from the all-time record holder Hughie Jennings, who was hit by a pitch 287 times during his career. A blog called Plunk Biggio is tracking Biggio as he closes in on the record. Plunk Biggio informs us that Craig Biggio has been hit by a pitch 4 times on the release weekend of a new Harry Potter novel. Since Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is out this weekend maybe Biggio will get plunked by another pitch?

Posted on July 16, 2005
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Ref Peeved Over Women Tennis Players' Grunting

Wimbledon referee Alan Mills has had enough of loud female grunting on the tennis courts, and wants it stopped. One of the worst offenders is the youthful Maria Sharapova, who reportedly makes a 100-decibel grunt. That's as loud as a small aircraft landing nearby.

Grunting noises made by female tennis players as they strike the ball are getting out of hand, and rules should be changed to crack down on the practice, Wimbledon referee Alan Mills has said, according to a report.

Mills, Wimbledon's chief official for 22 years who retires after this week's tournament, which begins on Monday, told The Sunday Times he believed coaches were teaching young women players to grunt. "I don't like it at all. Today there is probably more grunting than there has ever been," he said. "If I was playing an opponent making so much noise, I think I'd just laugh. But it's what young players are being coached to do. Many of the non-grunting players are unhappy about the noise pollution and a kind of counter-grunt culture has emerged in recent years whereby offended parties ape their opponent's noises."

He added: "Officials can only act if the player is shown to be making the noise on purpose, which is virtually impossible to do."

We have to admit that we were a little surprised to hear loud grunting emanating from the TV and discovering that it was a women's tennis match. We thought it was a wrestling match. But what if Ms. Sharapova can't play her best without imitating a landing aircraft? Let the woman grunt, howl or whoop as need be.

Posted on June 21, 2005
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Assemblyman Doesn't Like Hockey Team's Evil Name

New Jersey State Assemblyman Craig Stanley wants to exorcise the demons from New Jersey's hockey team, the New Jersey Devils. Stanley told KFMB he is horrified every time he hears someone say they're going to see the Devils:

"I've always cringed when people say they're going to see the Devils," said Stanley. "The merchandise, the paraphernalia is based on the actual demonic devil. Personally, it causes a little bit of an issue with me."

The Devil's mascot (pictured on right) is a seven foot tall devil with horns and a goatee. KFMB reports that the team isn't really named after the biblical devil but after a horrifying monster instead.

However, the team's name, chosen in a 1982 fan contest, comes from the mythical Jersey Devil, not the Christian symbol of the antichrist, according to Weird N.J., a travel guide to the state's most offbeat attractions.

The mythical Jersey Devil with bat-like wings, a forked tail and oversized claws was said to terrorize Pine Barrens dwellers in the 18th-century after being born the 13th child to poor South Jerseyans and morphing into a dinosaur-like beast.

Stanley plans to introduce a resolution to rename the team in the Assembly next month. If he gets his way, a new name for the team will be selected in a statewide competition. But Devil's owner Jeff Vanderbeek isn't about to be undeviled: "He's hellbent on keeping the Devils name," Stanley said.

Posted on May 31, 2005
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