Baseball: sports criminals night canceled

you just had to see this one coming!!!!

Rascals cancel 'Sports Criminals Night'


By Joe Lyons
Of the Post-Dispatch
05/24/2004


Less than 24 hours after announcing "Sports Criminals Night," the River City Rascals of the independent Frontier League have canceled the promotion.

The event, scheduled for June 2 at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon, Mo., was designed to poke fun at how the media sensationalizes athletes who end up involved in the justice system. It was called off Monday after fans reacted negatively.

Bernie Miklasz of the Post-Dispatch wrote about the event in his Monday column.

"Our intent wasn't to honor or celebrate any criminal acts that were committed or alleged by a professional athlete, and was actually an attempt to identify how the media has changed in recent years as a result of these incidents," Rascals director of broadcasting Phil Giubileo said in press release.

"However, there were some who were upset and since we do not want any fans to be disappointed, the event has been canceled. We apologize to anyone who was upset by this planned night."

The team plans to award the prizes, which include a trip to Jamaica, through a different contest.

River City management refused further comment or interviews on the matter.

I think this sounded like a good idea

I was thinking about starting a thread with all of the recent criminal charges brought about to sports figures, but I just didn't feel like putting that many links into it...

i believe that they were gonna give discounts to any fans who wore a shirt or brought a baseball card of a athelete charged with a crime, your thread sounds like a good idea to me, start it out and let the rest of us add to it..lol

I'm sure they were just trying to sell tickets and with this national attention I bet they get their wish even with cancelling "criminal night". Pretty clever marketing technique.

How about just using this thread?


Darryl Strawberry



12 Mar 1962 Darryl Strawberry born, Los Angeles CA.

26 Jan 1990 Arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, after striking his wife and threatening her with a .25 caliber pistol.

20 Feb 1992 Guest stars in episode 8F13 of The Simpsons, Homer at the Bat, where he and several other major-leaguers are hired by Mr. Burns to help defeat Shelbyville.

8 Apr 1994 Enters Betty Ford Clinic where he stays one month.

8 Dec 1994 Indicted on federal tax charges, for failing to report income related to memorabilia shows and autograph signings.

1995 Bud Selig suspends Strawberry for 60 days after he tests positive for coc aine.

3 Oct 1998 Two-and-a-half inch long cancerous tumor removed from colon, along with sixteen inches of his intestines.

20 Aug 1998 Sued by attorney Robert Shapiro (of O.J. Simpson fame) regarding contract negotiation fees.

9 Feb 1999 Named spokesman, National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.

Feb 1999 Recipient You Gotta Have Heart award.

14 Apr 1999 Arrested for soliciting a prostitute (lady cop), and for the 3/10'ths gram coc aine found on his person.

24 Apr 1999 Bud Selig bans Strawberry 90 days because of his arrest.

1 Mar 2000 Enters rehab again, for 3 months.

7 Aug 2000 Cancerous tumor removed from Strawberry's colon.

11 Sep 2000 Arrested for hit and run, Tampa FL.

29 Apr 2002 Sentenced to 18 months prison, a sentence previously suspended, for his coc aine arrest. He serves 11 months.

www....-------------------------/library/bio/sports/darryl-strawberry/

espn.go.com...

Of course there is the classic OJ SImpson trial, and Rae Carruth's murder conviction.
And don't forget the on-going situation in Colorado...

who can forget tanya harding?

February 24, 2000
Tanya Harding in Hubcap Assault

It seems former Olympic skater Tanya Harding has gotten herself in trouble again. While drunk, she hit her boyfriend, Darren Silver, in the face with a metal hubcap yesterday. The blow drew blood; in the words of a witness, "She started beating the # out of him". The hubcap was damaged during the attack, receiving a good sized dent. It is expected to recover. Tanya Harding is famous for her involvement in the Detroit attack by her husband on one of her opponents, Nancy Kerrigan, in 1994, wherein she was stripped of her U.S. title.

Speaking of that situation in Colorado, Looks like Gary Barnett is going to get his job back soon.
Here's an interesting take on the whole issue -

story link

Then there is that whole deal with the Mike Danton murder-for-hire plot. Here's a link to the latest, I guess his lawyers want a change of venue -
story link

The Mike Danton one seems pretty funny, the way his teammates acted. It sounded to me like they thought he was guilty, and that they were surprised that such a good guy would do something like that. I kinda figured they would be telling the media that it couldn't have been him and that he would never even think about having somebody knocked off.

It must be that his teammates think he is capable of these type of actions. It's a real weird story.

Oh yeah, and another wierd story was Rae Carruth, ya'll remember that one?

YEah for sure

Didn't they find him hiding in a car trunk?

and then there is bob probert.....again

Former NHL enforcer Probert arrested after scuffle with police

By JILL BARTON, Associated Press Writer
June 4, 2004
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Former NHL enforcer Bob Probert was arrested Friday in Delray Beach after a scuffle with police that led to him being shocked with a Taser gun.

Police officers first spotted Probert just before 1 a.m. when he parked his vehicle pointing in the wrong direction on a downtown side street and began hanging out of his window to yell at several men.

Four officers intervened when Probert got out of the car and tried to start a fight with one of the men, according to a report. He then fought with the officers and refused their orders to drop to the ground, the report said.


As two of the officers struggled to handcuff Probert, another officer shocked him with a Taser gun. Probert still resisted attempts to handcuff him so he was shocked several more times.

He was then handcuffed and taken into custody.

``He was so combative in our jail that we didn't take a booking photo of him because we didn't want to struggle with him again out of handcuffs,'' police spokesman Jeff Messer said.

Probert, who listed his alias as ``The Bad One'' on booking documents, was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence and disorderly conduct. He was being held without bail Friday at the Palm Beach County jail.

It was not clear if he had retained a lawyer.

Probert, who turns 39 on Saturday, played 17 seasons in the NHL, the last eight with the Chicago Blackhawks. He also played for the Detroit Red Wings.

Before joining the Blackhawks, Probert was arrested six times for driving under the influence and convicted of smuggling coc aine across the Canadian border.

After retiring Probert began working as a Blackhawks broadcaster, but three months later the NHL announced he was seeking more help for a substance abuse problem.

I just found this helpful link to keep track of famous trials. I bet we can find a few related to sports on here -

Crimes 'R' Us link