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Archives for August 7, 2018

NBA: Oak Pleads No Contest

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LAS VEGAS – Former NBA big man Charles Oakley pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct to resolve a case in which he was accused of cheating at a Las Vegas casino last month.

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Charles Oakley

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Oakley was arrested on July 7 in Las Vegas and accused of attempting to commit a fraudulent act in a gaming establishment, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board. He was arrested by gaming officers at the Cosmopolitan.

The plea bargain calls for no jail time. TMZ reported that Oakley was fined $1,000.

Oakley, 54, was initially charged with a Class B felony, and a conviction could have led to a sentence of one to six years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

“Mr. Oakley has pled no contest to the simple misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct which fully resolves this situation,” Oakley’s attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, said in a statement provided to ESPN. “He appreciates the professionalism of the District Attorney and the Cosmopolitan in resolving this event.”

Oakley’s arrest came after he was suspected of adding to or reducing his wager on a gambling game after the outcome was known.

According to TMZ, Oakley pulled back a $100 chip after he realized he was going to lose.

Oakley played 19 NBA seasons, including 10 seasons with the New York Knicks. He averaged 9.7 points and 9.5 rebounds in 1,282 career games.

Oakley was arrested at Madison Square Garden in February 2017 and charged with misdemeanor assault after getting into a spat with security guards after trying to go after Knicks owner James Dolan.

The incident received notable attention, with Oakley filing a civil suit alleging defamation and libel against Madison Square Garden and Dolan after agreeing to a plea deal to have his charges dropped.

–Field Level Media

NBA: Magic, Bulls, Jazz to Mexico

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MEXICO CITY – The Orlando Magic will face the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz in a pair of games in Mexico City this December, the NBA announced Tuesday. It’s the third consecutive season in which two regular season NBA games will be played in Mexico City, all at Arena Ciudad de Mexico.

The Magic will play the Bulls on Dec. 13, a Thursday, before playing the Jazz on Dec. 15. Both games will be televised on ESPN and NBA League Pass International.

“Returning to Mexico City for two regular-season games this season reinforces our commitment to growing basketball in Mexico and Latin America,” commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “NBA teams have been playing in Mexico for more than 25 years, and the Bulls, Jazz and Magic organizations are excited to continue the tradition of bringing the live game experience to our passionate Mexican fans.”

None of the three teams have played a regular-season game in Mexico before. The Jazz have played three preseason games there (two in 1996, one in 2003), and the Magic did so in 2012. The Bulls have played in London, France and Brazil, but not in Mexico.

This year’s games will be the 27th and 28th in Mexico since 1992, more NBA games than any country outside of the U.S. and Canada. The NBA has played a regular season game in London in each of the last six seasons, after playing two in 2011.

In a partnership with Zignia Live, the NBA plans to continue scheduling games in Mexico City in future years.

–Field Level Media

Remy Fighting the Fight

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BOSTON – Popular Boston Red Sox color commentator Jerry Remy is continuing his decade-long battle against cancer and will miss time from his broadcasting schedule, according to a statement made by NESN.

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In a media statement issued today, the network said, “Jerry Remy has been diagnosed once again with cancer. At this time, Jerry’s focus is on his medical treatment.

“The thoughts and prayers of all of us at NESN and the Red Sox are with Jerry and his family during this difficult time.”

Remy, 65, was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 2008, which he attributed to years of smoking cigarettes. Remy suffered a relapse in 2013 and again before spring training in 2017 before having yet another recurrence that July that led to him having surgery to remove a small portion of his lung.

Remy tweeted in January that he had completed cancer treatment.

NESN re-signed Remy to a multi-year contract in 2017. The Fall River, Mass., native played seven seasons of his 10-year career with the Red Sox.

Remy has said in the past that baseball always kept him busy as he’s gone through treatments. NESN studios commentator Steve Lyons will fill-in for Remy as the Red Sox play their current and next series on the road, at Toronto, Baltimore and an interleague series at Philadelphia, respectively. The Red Sox return to Fenway Park on August 17th.

–Field Level Media

Who Should Start at Buffalo?

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BUFFALO – The Buffalo Bills drafted quarterback Josh Allen with their first-round draft choice, the seventh overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. Buffalo traded up to grab their QB of the future but now face the dilemma of whether to start the rookie quarterback out of Wyoming or to go with an experienced veteran like AJ McCarron.

Oddsmakers at MyTopSportsBooks.com analyzed the quarterback situation with the Bills and have just issued the following odds and props:

Odds to start for the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 of the 2018 NFL season:
– AJ McCarron: 1/4
– Nathan Peterman: 9/2
– Josh Allen: 54/1

MyTopSportsBooksoddsmakers says: “AJ McCarron and Nathan Peterman had been splitting reps with the first-team through the first week of camp, but McCarron has started to separate himself from the pack. At this point, it would take an injury to keep McCarron from starting Week 1 for the Bills.

“It’s a total unknown whether rookie QB Josh Allen is NFL-ready or not. But if AJ McCarron isn’t to blame for early struggles, he may hold onto the starting job until Bills are out of playoff contention. It’ll be tough to sell the Buffalo fans on sitting through more Nathan Peterman at that point.

“Buffalo will be forced to give Josh Allen a shot. But the odds suggest McCarron and the Bills will struggle early. And they won’t want to expose Allen to live bullets too early.”

MTS has the O/U total wins for Buffalo Bills: 6.5

“The Bills win total has been declining at many sportsbooks because of significant action coming in on the UNDER for their already-low total.”

Sports fans and gaming insiders are turning to the most reliable and accurate odds/information source available online at MyTopSportsbooks.comfor analysis.

MyTopSportsbooks.com (MTS) is a free service that keeps online sports bettors informed, as it offers unbiased reviews of online sportsbooks. The expert odds-making and betting review staff at MTS has over 17 years of first-hand betting experience through various providers. The MTS experts have made it their mission to share the most reliable and rewarding online betting sites, expert analysis, and odds information with both new and experienced bettors.

Sports Biz: France Leaves NASCAR

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SAG HARBOR – (Wire Service Report) – NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France has taken an indefinite leave of absence, NASCAR announced Monday, after he was reportedly arrested Sunday night and charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

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Brian France

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NASCAR vice chairman and executive vice president Jim France — Brian’s uncle — will serve as interim chairman and CEO.

TMZ, the first to report news of the arrest, stated Brian France was pulled over at 7:30 p.m. ET after running through a stop sign in the small beach town of Sag Harbor, on Long Island’s east end. According to the Associated Press, tests showed France’s blood alcohol content was 0.18, more than double New York’s 0.08 limit. He also failed a field sobriety test.

ESPN’s Bob Pockrass, citing a news release from the Sag Harbor Village Police Department, reported that France was held overnight, arraigned at Sag Harbor Village Justice Court on Monday morning, and released on his own recognizance.

“Mr. France was observed operating a 2017 Lexus northbound on Main Street failing to stop at a duly posted stop sign,” ESPN quoted the news release as saying. “Upon traffic stop, it was determined that Mr. France was operating said vehicle in an intoxicated condition.

“Upon search of his person, due to a lawful arrest, Mr. France was in possession of oxycodone pills.”

The AP said he had five oxycodone pills.

NASCAR issued an earlier statement Monday, before it announced France’s leave of absence.

“We are aware of an incident that occurred last night and are in the process of gathering information,” it read. “We take this as a serious matter and will issue a statement after we have all of the facts.”

France, 56, has been chairman and CEO of the family-run league since 2003. His grandfather, William H.G. France, founded NASCAR and his father, Bill France Jr., was in charge of the league before the youngest France took over.

Jim France, 73, is the younger brother of Bill France, Jr. and has worked for the company throughout his life.

–Field Level Media

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