Sporting Goods

Friday, November 11, 2011

Sex-abuse scandal just got costlier for Penn State

The Times' Walter Hamilton is reporting that the Jerry Sandusky sex-abuse allegations at Penn State could prove costly.

Here's a bit of what Hamilton had to report on the Money & Company blog:

Moody's Investors Service announced Friday that it may downgrade the university's credit rating in light of the lawsuits and other "reputational and financial risk" the school is likely to endure. The shocking allegations of abuse may scare away prospective students and anger deep-pocketed alumni who make large donations to the football powerhouse.

"While the full impact of these increased risks will only unfold over a period of years, we will also assess the degree of near and medium term risks to determine whether to downgrade the current Aa1 rating," Moody's said in a news release.

One risk is that Penn State's insurers may balk at footing the bill for settlements with victims. They potentially could argue that top school officials, including its now-exiled president, Graham Spanier, were aware for years of the abuses allegedly committed by the football team's former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, but took no action.

How bad will the fallout be at Penn State? Legendary former coach Joe Paterno, fired on Wednesday, has hired a criminal defense attorney for possible representation in civil suits.

MORE:

Assistant coach Mike McQueary placed on leave

Paterno fired: Tom Bradley news conference highlights

Full coverage: Child sex abuse scandal rocks Penn State

--Dan Loumena

Photo: Joe Paterno, who earlier this season became the winningest Division I coach in college football with 409 victories, patrols the sideline during a game in 2003. Credit: Phelan Ebenhack / Associated Press

Joel Casamayor strips naked and still misses weight on first try

The wonders of boxing never stop. It has the decorum of a drunk at midnight Mass.

Friday in Las Vegas, they held the weigh-in for this weekend’s boxing card, featuring Manny Pacquiao versus Juan Manuel Marquez. A crowd of about 5,000 attended, raising questions again about the intellectual depth of our current society.

Weighing in before Pacquiao and Marquez were featured undercard fighters Tim Bradley and Joel Casamayor. They had to make 140 pounds and Casamayor came in at 141. So they did what any self-respecting sport would do. They had him strip off his underpants and held his sweat jacket in front of him to shield the vision of his private parts from the crowd. He still was 141, proving that underpants apparently weigh less than a pound.

All of this might have gone a lot better had the setting not been a sort of theater in the round. Nothing was left to the imagination, but, to their credit, the ever-present, skimpily dressed Tecate girls, standing a few feet away on each side of the stage, looked up and away.

Michael Buffer, marquee ring announcer (yes, there is such a thing), helped immensely with the taste issue when he announced to the crowd that Casamayor would have another chance in a hour to make weight and that “one trip to the restroom usually takes care of that.”

Casamayor did make weight on his next attempt.

ALSO:

Pacquiao vs. Marquez preview

These bouts worth more than a sequel in boxing

Hearing will be required to clear Antonio Margarito to fight

--Bill Dwyre

Photo: Joel Casamayor, right, is held back as he and opponent Tim Bradley exchange some words during the weigh-in Friday. Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Tim Bradley returns to action, sees Manny Pacquiao matchup in future

Should Manny Pacquiao defeat Juan Manuel Marquez and Floyd Mayweather Jr. not emerge as the Filipino superstar’s next foe, Coachella Valley’s Tim Bradley will.

The unbeaten Bradley (27-0, 11 KOs) reappears from promotional problems Saturday when he defends his World Boxing Organization junior-welterweight title against veteran Joel Casamayor (38-5-1, 22 KOs) on the Pacquiao-Marquez III pay-per-view.

“I’m a lot stronger mentally after everything that’s happened –- the promoters, the criticism,” Bradley said.

Bradley burned with anger after being deprived of a substantial portion of site money given to his promoters Gary Shaw and Ken Thompson by the Silverdome in Detroit in January. Bradley beat then-unbeaten Devon Alexander then.

Rather than accept a summer date against another 140-pound world champion Amir Khan, Bradley balked, opting to deprive the promoters of more cash. He was criticized for ducking Khan.

“It’s a sport, but it’s a business,” Bradley said. “I always wanted to fight Amir Khan. I still do. He’s one of the top guys on my list to fight, behind Pacquiao and Mayweather.”

By striking a nine-fight, three-year promotional deal with Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank, he’s well-positioned to ultimately get Pacquiao.

“I just have to take care of business Saturday,” Bradley said. “Line ‘em all up.”

-- Lance Pugmire

Photo: Tim Bradley. Credit: Christina House/For The Times.

Previewing the Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez fight

HBO Boxing commentators Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman and Emanuel Steward preview the upcoming HBO pay-per-view event, Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez, which happens Saturday.

The widely anticipated bout is the third between the two men.

"There are personal feelings here," Pacquiao told The Times' Lance Pugmire recently after 15 rounds of sparring at a Hollywood gym. "I'm not saying I'm angry, or that I hate him, but those feelings give me more motivation in training, and they'll inspire me to fight as hard as I can, because I'm expecting him to be at his strongest."

The 32-year-old Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 knockouts) has risen to become boxing's top pound-for-pound fighter with 14 consecutive victories that included knockouts of Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Erik Morales and Ricky Hatton.

Meanwhile, the 38-year-old Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KOs) has been the gritty counterpuncher who seems to have Pacquiao's number. Sure, Pacquiao knocked him down three times in the first round of their 2004 bout, but Marquez won nearly every round after and their first bout was called a draw.

In 2008, Pacquiao scored another knockdown of Marquez, but he was left bloodied in a back-and-forth 12-round battle. Pacquiao won the split decision by one point on the deciding judge's scorecard.

"They were wars," Marquez said. "You know you're not going to be short-changed watching us fight.

ALSO:

Manny Pacquiao video

These bouts worth more than a sequel in boxing

Hearing will be required to clear Antonio Margarito to fight

--Houston Mitchell and Lance Pugmire

Tim Bradley returns to action, looks forward to facing Manny Pacquiao

Should Manny Pacquiao defeat Juan Manuel Marquez and Floyd Mayweather Jr. not emerge as the Filipino superstar’s next foe, Coachella Valley’s Tim Bradley will.

“I’m a lot stronger mentally after everything that’s happened –- the promoters, the criticism,” Bradley said.

Rather than accept a summer date against another 140-pound world champion Amir Khan, Bradley balked, opting to deprive the promoters of more cash. He was criticized for ducking Khan.

“It’s a sport, but it’s a business,” Bradley said. “I always wanted to fight Amir Khan. I still do. He’s one of the top guys on my list to fight, behind Pacquiao and Mayweather.”

By striking a nine-fight, three-year promotional deal with Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank, he’s well-positioned to ultimately get Pacquiao.

“I just have to take care of business Saturday,” Bradley said. “Line ‘em all up.”

-- Lance Pugmire

Manny Pacquiao painted as icon through the inspired eyes of David Drebin photography

David Dreben fell in love with boxing because of Manny Pacquiao. And with his genius eye, boxing loves Dreben.

If you don't know Drebin's work, spend five minutes surfing through his website.

See ? He's full of joy. The way he plays with light, his eye for beauty, and tenacity to experiment with the world according to DD. He's created a book of images of Manny Pacquiao which are set to become iconic.

It all happened by chance. "I took this photograph the moment after Manny knocked out Ricky Hatton – I was on assignment for ESPN Magazine but I was so enamoured with the fight, so into it, I forgot to take pictures…so I was up in the raised platform because there were not enough seats at ringside. When the fight was ending I thought 'Oh my God, I've got no photographs…'

I took one frame. This was the only frame I took of the fight. And I looked at this photograph – I'm not a boxing photographer, I'm more of an art photographer, so I looked at this picture and I had goosebumps instantly. The world has to see this picture. I took the picture, I made it 60 x 80 inches I put it up with one of my dealers, people in boxing will see this picture and I will become the boxing photographer for all the big fights. I just knew…"

"It's crazy. One of dealers sends Todd Deboeuf, who loves the picture. I didn't know he was, but we started exchanging emails and he was like, I've got to have that picture. He's in the picture. Then, he was like who the hell are you ? He came to New York, we bonded, and since then I do all the ad pictures."

"This is my fifth book, but I think the world needs this book. There's a version for the fans, I had access to him, the photos are for his fans. The light is amazing in the Wild Card Gym…I'm obsessed with boxing.

Former Penn State player sends money to Jerry Sandusky

Sam Stellatella, who played football for Penn State in the 1950s, has donated money to Jerry Sandusky's defense and urged other former players to do the same.

Sandusky, a longtime Nittany Lions defensive coordinator, was charged with sexually abusing eight boys during a 15-year period.

"I told him he's going to need a million dollars to defend himself," Stellatella, who sent $100, told the Associated Press. "He called me back and said, 'What am I going to do with this money?' I said, 'Use it for your lawyer because you're going to need it.' "

FULL COVERAGE: Jerry Sandusky scandal

Stellatella also said he wrote letters to some of his former teammates and asked they also send money to Sandusky.

"I know some of the guys sent money," Stellatella said. "Here's the thing, these are horrendous charges against him. But he's still entitled to his day in court. Everybody's prejudged him. He's done horrendous damage to [Coach Joe] Paterno and [athletic director Tim] Curley and the football program.

"I don't listen to the news and I don't read the reports of what he did because I would get too upset. But he's still entitled to his day in court."