BlacKosity Magazine

Dwight Howard the Orlando Magic star is suing Royce Lyndsay Reed, the mother of their 2-year-old son Braylon, once again. This time for $142,500! Reed broke yet ANOTHER order by posting pictures of Braylon on her Twitter account, which had 285 followers at the time.

According to documents filed by Howard and his attorney, Reed was ordered by a judge last year to refrain from posting photographs of Braylon on the Internet, whether it be a blog, a website, a message board, a social network, etc. The reason being that Howard thinks that posting pictures of the toddler on the Internet poses “a significant security threat to the child” due to him being a high-paid celebrity and all.

But where exactly does that $142,500 come from? A simple math equation. Royce, a former dancer for the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat, is being sued $500 for each of her 285 followers, plus attorney fees.

It’s a good thing she doesn’t have more followers. Regardless, we think she needs to stay away from the Internet for a while since she obviously doesn’t know how to use it without getting lawsuits hurled at her. However, this seems to be a bit much as well on the part of Dwight Howard!

There have been some bizare things going on in the sports world as of late with sudden deaths and arrests, but Gilbert Arenas’ locker room showdown with his teammate has got to be the weirdest. Arenas recently had a gun to gun showdown in the locker room with teammate Javaris Crittenton over a debt of 25,000 dollars. Gilbert allegedly owed Javaris the 25 grand after losing a few hands of  Texas Hold Em Poker aboard the team’s plane. After Javaris approached him about the money Gilbert pulled out three hand guns and placed them on the table. Then Javaris pulled out a gun which resulted in the two starring down the barrels of each others weapons.

This is crazy enough but what makes it even crazier is when the media asked him about it he said, “I’m taking this opportunity to relish in the spotlight. It’s not everyday Gilbert Arenas gets national attention.” “I’m like the black John Wayne.”

This is the most disgusting thing about he entire situation.

Redemption stories are the best kinds of stories. If someone’s failed, lost their way or made more mistakes than we deem acceptable, I always find myself on that guy’s side.

I’m not there supporting what they’ve done or making excuses for them, but hoping that they’ll find a way to be better. Hoping that they’ll learn from their mistakes, grow and become the person they can be. In one way or another, I think we’re all striving for that.

That’s what Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry was doing when he lost his life this morning after falling out of a truck reportedly driven by his fiancee.

We know the guy had made mistakes, getting arrested multiple times and being suspended for half of the 2007 season, but those aren’t important today. That was Henry’s past. By all accounts, his future was better and brighter, because he had worked his tail off to make it that way. Changing your life is not easy.

Henry was doing it, though. In the preseason, his quarterback, Carson Palmer(notes), had raved about Henry’s work ethic and his ability. According to Palmer, Henry had a great offseason and had “really turned his life around.” Unfortunately, his season was cut short by injury when he broke his forearm against the Ravens on November 8.

He was 26 when he lost his life this morning. For as many headlines as he had made, it seemed like he should be older. The fact was, though, that he was still a very young man. He was just entering his football prime, and considering his natural gifts and the signs he had been showing before being put on injured reserve this year, he could have gone on to have a great, great career.

That’s the tragedy here. It’s not that we’ll miss out on seeing a man who could have been a brilliant player, it’s that someone who had once been so far down the wrong path could have come back. He was on his way. If things had continued to go the way they were headed, Chris Henry could have one day stood in front of the world as an example that no matter what you’ve done in the past, that your future can be better. He could have told the at-risk youth of the world, “Yes, it can be difficult to change the direction of your life, but it can be done, and you have the power to do it. I did it, and you can do it.”

What a great thing that could’ve been for the world to have. Too many times, a gifted person comes along, and we automatically make them a role model. Inevitably, they end up doing something to let us down. The truth is, though, that those were never the role models we needed. The role models we need are the people who let us down first, and then show the strength and character to fight back from that.

Sooner or later, we’re all going to let somebody down. We’re all going to screw up. But life is about how you come back from it, how you learn from it and how you use it to make yourself a better, stronger person.

Chris Henry was becoming that guy. And we could have used that.

It’s just about finalized people! Floyd Mayweather Jr. is scheduled to fight number one contender Manny Pacquiao March 13th 2010 at Jerry Jones’ brand new Cowboys Stadium. This is the fight that every fan is exited to see and every boxer is ready to study. The date is still a tad tentative because Manny is running for congress in the Philippines and may have to campaign.

Mayweather Jr. met up with HBO Sports’ Joe Buck, and told the world that the fight will not be any different than anything they have already seen. He said, “He has been knocked out before so it won’t be much different, I will be victorious! Believe that!”

I can’t wait to see this because it is definitely the fight of the decade and both fighter’s biggest bout of their careers. Go Floyd!!

Track star Marion Jones is training for a comeback — in the WNBA.

San Antonio Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes confirmed Monday night that Jones has been training with his assistants to possibly play in the WNBA, more than a year after the 34-year-old was released from federal prison for lying about her doping use.

The New York Times first reported that Jones has been working on her skills and conditioning in San Antonio since October. Jones told the newspaper she received a call in May from someone in the NBA asking if she might play in the WNBA.

“I thought it would be an interesting journey if I decided to do this,” Jones said. “It would give me an opportunity to share my message to young people on a bigger platform; it would give me an opportunity to get a second chance.”

Jones played college basketball at North Carolina, where she was the starting point guard on the Tar Heels’ national championship team in 1994. She told the Times that she hopes to play in Europe this winter and in theWNBA next season.

WNBA spokesman Ron Howard did not immediately return a phone message late Monday.

Jones was released in September 2008 from a Texas federal prison after completing most of her six-month sentence for lying about doping and her role in a check-fraud scam.

After long denying she had ever used performance-enhancing drugs, Jones admitted in federal court that she used a designer steroid from September 2000 to July 2001. She was stripped of three gold medals and two bronzes she won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Hughes told The Associated Press that his assistants haven’t briefed him on Jones’ skill level or whether she has shown the ability to play in the WNBA. But he applauded Jones for trying, and said her prison time or admission of steroids use wouldn’t factor into his decision about signing her.

“I deal with people where they are right now,” Hughes said. “If she’s interested in playing, great for her. The past is the past.”

Jones said she thinks she can be an asset to a WNBA team.

“It’s important for people to know that it’s possible to make a mistake in your life, but it’s what you do after the mistake that people are going to remember you by,” she said. “Are you going to make whatever negatives that happened in your life a positive? Are you going to disappear? That has certainly never been in my horizon. How can I use my experience, my story, to help people and in the process hop on this journey of trying to make a team?

Michael Vick felt the tears welling up as he headed to the Georgia Dome.

He was all smiles on his way out the door.

One touchdown with his legs. Another with his left arm. Just like the good ol’ days, when this city belonged to No. 7.

“I’ll never forget this day,” Vick said, savoring his contribution to Philadelphia’s 34-7 rout of his old team, the Atlanta Falcons. “I’ve been waiting for this a long time.”

A long time, indeed. He was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Falcons and one of the most dynamic players in theNFL before his stunning downfall for dogfighting. After serving prison time and losing two seasons in his prime, he’s trying to rebuild his career as a backup in Philadelphia.

On Sunday, Vick showed his timing is still right on the mark.

Having made little contribution through nine games with the Eagles, he finally got a chance to shine in his return to Atlanta. Boy, did he ever take advantage of it.

Vick scored on a 5-yard run early in the third quarter, sprinting to his right, darting left, breaking a tackle and diving across the line for his first touchdown in more than three years. Once the game got out of hand — and what was left of the crowd kept chanting “We want Vick! We want Vick!” — he took over for Donovan McNabb and quickly drove the Eagles to another TD.

A 43-yard pass to Reggie Brown set up a perfectly executed pass for another score. On third-and-goal at the Atlanta 5, Vick rolled to his left, pulled up and threw back across the field to Brent Celek, who rumbled into the end zone to make it 34-0.

“I think things happen at the right time and things happen for a reason,” Vick said. “You look back at some of the games we’ve played, it just hasn’t been the right time for me to be out there and be as effective as we want me to be. Patience is everything. Timing is everything.

“It couldn’t have happened at a better time.”

Before the game, Vick chatted with Falcons owner Arthur Blank and several former teammates, including receiver Roddy White. When it was time to get down to business, No. 7 led the Eagles out of the tunnel, served as one of the captains for the coin toss and came in on Philadelphia’s fifth and seventh plays from scrimmage.

“Everybody rallied around him,” coach Andy Reid said. “I’m sure he had a little extra juice going.”

Vick did get emotional about returning to the Georgia Dome, where he produced so many brilliant plays during his six years with the Falcons. He even hoped to get a second chance in Atlanta after serving an 18-month sentence for his crimes, but realized his former team had moved on when Matt Ryan was drafted third overall in 2008.

There are no hard feelings, only a lot of good memories.

“I’ll never forget coming back to this stadium and I’ll never forget the bus ride over here and I’ll never forget seeing a lot of the landmarks I used to see and I’ll never forget shedding a tear on the bus ride over here,” Vick said. “I took that ride every Sunday coming in.”

Vick was showered with boos when he came in on Philadelphia’s first possession. By the fourth quarter, he heard nothing but cheers from what was left of the crowd.

Many Falcons fans wore No. 7 jerseys and made it clear they have forgiven Vick, even though their loyalties now rest with Ryan.

“Without Michael Vick, none of this would be going on right here,” said Raymon Thomas of Atlanta, who wore a Falcons No. 7 jersey with the city’s name instead of “Vick” on the back. “He’s the one who created all this stuff at the Georgia Dome. Before Vick came, the Georgia Dome had none of this. He electrified the fans and the city of Atlanta.”

There were no protests from the Humane Society or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Vick might have played more if not for striking his left hand on a helmet. It wasn’t serious, but Kevin Kolb finishing up the game at quarterback.

Still, the day was everything — and then some — that Vick could’ve hoped for. He completed his two passes for 48 yards and ran four times for 17 yards.

“You knew when Vick came back to Atlanta,” Falcons running back Jerious Norwood said, “he was going to be on fire.”

About the only thing that didn’t go right was Vick’s gesture after his first touchdown. He considered doing a Lambeau Leap into the stands, but decided that would be a little over the top. So he headed over to flip the ball to a fan sitting behind the end zone, only to have it blocked by the netting going up for the extra point.

The ball ricocheted into the hands of fullback Leonard Weaver, who got it to a fan on the second try.

“One of those crazy things,” Vick said with a smile.

He kept the ball after his TD pass. And once the final seconds had ticked off, Vick lingered on the field for interviews, then trotted off with both arms raised before blowing kisses in all directions.

“This,” McNabb said, “is the house he built.”