Murder Was The Case

Former Los Angeles/Oakland Raider Anthony Smith has been charged with murder according to a report by Ann Simmons of the Los Angeles Times. Smith and two other men were charged with killing a 31 year old Lancaster man, Maurillio Ponce,  in October 2008.

Reports say the victim was beaten and shot several times before he was dumped near the Antelope Valley poppy fields. Charles Eric Honest and Dewann Wesley White were also charged.

Smith was a former first round draft pick of the Raiders back in 1990 out of the University of Arizona and played with the Raiders from 1991-1998.

This also wasn't his first brush with the law. Smith waas charged with arson of a Simply Sofas furniture store in Santa Monica, when he thought it would be wise to firebomb the store after a dispute over a few hundred dollars and a statue on consignment.

There's no truth to the rumor the Cincinnati Bengals are trying to lure Smith out of retirement.

Loose Ends

When was the last time you heard of a hockey player being tossed for a loose jersey? Same here. It hardly happens if it happens at all. Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins had it happen to him.

Letang received a game misconduct for not having his jersey tied down. He didn't loop the belt through the tab on the back of his jersey which was caught while he was duking it out with Travis Zajac of the New Jersey Devils.

How about that? Getting kicked out for not tying up some loose ends and not for fighting. Well as they say rules are rules. But rules are made to be broken and this is one the NHL should've let go. At least let him go to the locker room and have the equipment manager hook him up.

Rule 46.13 states that jerseys not  “tied-down on”  on player who egnages in fisticuffs and that jersey become dislodged, a game misconduct must be called. A player doesn't receive the sanction if his jersey comes off even when its tied down due to equipment failure, although it does have to be reported to the NHL.  

I think this is a rule that sould be modified.