Muscled up, mustachioed and prawn-red, the wrestling hero Hollywood Hulk Hogan is now at the centre of two controversies that in combination deliver a near-perfect, four-way smackdown of American obsessions with race, s*x, money and violence.
On Friday, Hogan ring name for Terry Gene Bollea was abruptly fired from World Wrestling Entertainment after tapes recorded in 2007 revealed him ranting about his daughter sleeping with a black man and liberally using the N word to embellish his point of view.
Odious, certainly, but Hogans diatribe was lifted from court-sealed tapes at the centre of a libel case brought against the gossip website Gawker, itself at the centre of a storm over a series of gay outings that have forced its gay, married proprietor to disown his own publications editorial practices.
The newly unemployed Hogan, who has since described the outburst in which he said I am a racist, to a point, f**king n****rs as offensive and unacceptable, now has further problems.
The recording is from tapes at the centre of a $100m libel case Hogan brought against Gawker after the site posted film of Hogan in sexual congress with the wife of his best friend, DJ Todd Allen Clem, who legally changed his name to Bubba the Love Sponge.
While Love Sponge did not seem to be fazed by this arrangement he can be heard saying that Hulk and wife Heather can do their thing and he will be in his office it was uncomfortable for Hogan.
Hogan sued Love Sponge for invading his privacy, settled, and then sued Gawker which has long hinted there was something more to the tape than s*x for posting part of it online.
The case is due to be heard near Hogans hometown in Florida in October. Legal analysts say the audio tape could bolster Gawkers public interest defence that it had a right to publish the clip to prove its existence, and because Hogans behaviour is newsworthy.
While Gawker has denied it was behind the leak of Hogans racist rant, and Hogans lawyer has vowed to bury Gawker if it that is found to be the case, Gawker Media proprietor Nick Denton, a former Financial Times journalist, is clearly hoping to deflect attention from the companys current problem.
Ten days ago, the site published a story about a married publishing executive involved with a gay prostitute. The story was soon removed after readers and advertisers objected. Denton issued a lengthy mea culpa, disowning this practice of outing, which has previously been directed at CNN news host Anderson Cooper and NFL star Michael Sam.
Friends say that as a member of New Yorks so-called gay mafia, Denton had long believed that gay men in positions of power have an obligation to be public about their sexuality. They say Denton, who is now out of the closet and happily married to a man, has changed his views.
Responding to inquiries from the Observer about Gawkers editorial policies, Denton responded crisply: Superseded by Hogan.Others within the fish-bowl of New Yorks online media environment point out that whatever Gawkers policy over celebrity and sexuality, online news sites are facing a crisis as surplus of online content is forcing down CPM (cost per mille, or thousand impressions) value to media advertisers.
After two senior editors resigned following removal of the outing story, Denton told employees that this or similar controversies can cost the company up to $20m in annual revenue.
Media observers point out that internet sites, especially those trading in celebrity and gossip, are faced with a dilemma: to win ad revenue from traditional media and achieve growth, they will have to spend to install editorial-standards safeguards to protect skittish advertisers from being drawn into controversies.
Gawker, they point out, has not been able to grow to the billion-hit size of Buzzfeed, may not be large enough to sustain such additional costs and probably could not afford a $100 million payout to Hollywood Hulk Hogan.
Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence shows off her toned legs during a live reading of "The Big Lebowski" script. The special presentation was part of Montreal"s famous "Just For Laughs" comedy festival on Friday 24 July 2015.
Splash
Maria Shriver attends the Opening Ceremony Of The Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
Splash
Michelle Obamaattends the Opening Ceremony Of The Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
Splash
Actor Colin Farrell attends the Opening Ceremony Of The Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
Splash
Nicole Scherzinger showed off her curves in a stunning white bodycon dress with a small fishtail hemline. as she sand the American national anthem at the Special Olympics at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. The 37 year old former Pussycat Doll matched the dress with n**e heels, red lipstick and red nails.
Splash
Justin Bieberattends the Opening Ceremony Of The Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
Splash
Paula Abdul attends the Opening Ceremony Of The Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
Splash
Singer Avril Lavigne performs at the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 Opening Night Ceremony held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California, United States.
Fight Night Chicago: Miesha Tate - The Exchange with Megan Olivi
Theres really only one dream match in womens MMA, and thats Ronda Rousey vs. Cristiane Cyborg Justino. However, with Rousey unwilling to move up to Cyborgs weight class, and with Cyborg unable to move down to Rouseys, the fight between the two may never happen. But, we could end up getting the next best thing, as Miesha Tate says that shed be willing to fight Cyborg at a catchweight of 140 pounds.
Tate said during a recent Q&A that, while a fight with Cyborg isnt in her immediate plans, she would be open to fighting the dominant Invicta featherweight.
It all started at a fan Q&A in Manila when a fan asked me if I would fight Cyborg at 140 because Ronda wasnt willing to. I said, Of course I would. It has to make sense, but I would do it. Then the media took it and ran saying I challenged Cyborg, and Cris took it very positively. She knows what I meant. Her and I are friends. Its nothing personal, but its the kind of attitude a fighter should have because its a challenge and I wouldnt run away from it.
I think her and I are on the same page that if that opportunity presented itself at 140, we would both accept the fight. As far as the logistics of it, I have no idea how that would work with the UFC. Obviously Im fighting with the UFC, so Im not going to leave to go over to Invicta and do a catchweight. It would have to happen inside the UFC octagon. They would have to agree to put on a catchweight of 140, which I dont even know if they really do that anymore or if they would do that.
As for right now, Miesha Tate is focused her fight thats taking place on Saturday night against Jessica Eye. Some are saying that if Tate defeats Eye, she could get the next shot at the UFC Womens Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey, which she badly wants.
If Rousey and Tate fight again, it would be the third time, with Rousey winning each of the previous two encounters by submission via armbar, and while most fans wouldnt exactly be dying to see the two of them collide for a third time, Tate is the only one of Rouseys opponents who has made it out of the first round with her. Furthermore, if Tate wins this weekend and if Rousey destroys Bethe Correia on August 1, theres really no one else out there for Rousey to fight, and the UFC isnt just going to have Rousey sit on the sidelines until there is.
Jim Harbaugh Interview Gets so Painfully Awkward Colin Cowherd Abruptly Ends It Surprise
Colin Cowherd is departing ESPN after a 12-year run.(Photo: Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images, Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images)
Radio host Colin Cowherd has been pulled from the airby ESPN for hisoffensive remarks on Dominican baseball players in the big leagues.
"Colin Cowherds comments over the past two days do not reflect the values of ESPN or our employees," read an ESPN statement. "Colin will no longer appear on ESPN."
ESPN had previously announced that Cowherd"s 12-year run at the network was about to expire by mutual accord -- he"s widely expected to join the Fox network -- but his show was still supposed to run through next Friday.
On Friday"s show, Cowherdattempted to clarify theremarks that started the firestorm, but only made matters worse.
"I did not intend to offend anyone with my comments," Cowherd said in a statement."I realize my choice of words was poor and not reflective of who I am. I am sorry."
On Thursday, Cowherd was expressing his belief that general managers are capable of switching roles and taking on managerial duties, as the Miami Marlins Dan Jennings has done this season, when he said, You dont think a general manager can manage? Like its impossible? The game is too complex? Ive never bought into that, Baseballs just too complex. Really? A third of the sport is from the Dominican Republic.
Cowherd went on to add that the Dominican Republic is not known for its world-class education and that many of its players come from underprivileged backgrounds.
Major League Baseball and the players association independently denounced the remarks, even after Cowherd tried to remedy the situation.
Cowherds explanation that his comments were taken out of context did not satisfy officials from either organization, with baseball issuing a statement demanding an apology.
Major League Baseball condemns the remarks made by Colin Cowherd, which were inappropriate, offensive and completely inconsistent with the values of our game, the statement said.Mr. Cowherd owes our players of Dominican origin, and Dominican people generally, an apology.
On Friday, Cowherd complained that the second part of what he described as a 57-second rant was not published in the numerous online items and tweets that decried his comments, and he mentioned four reports that detailed the educational deficiencies in the Dominican Republic.
Cowherd called his wording clunky but stopped well short of an apology. He also replayed the rant to underscore his point.
I get, when published out of context, a single quote and you stop the tape, I understand it, he said. I could have made the point without using one country, and theres all sorts of smart people from the Dominican Republic. I could have said a third of baseballs talent is now being furnished from countries with economic hardships, therefore educational hurdles.
For the record, I used the Dominican Republic because they furnish baseball with so many great players. But they do rank 122nd out of 144 countries in primary education according to the World Economic Forum Global Competitive Report. Nobody says everybodys anything. And I understand when you mention a specific country, they get offended. I get it. I do. And for that, I feel bad. I do.
That didnt placate the players union, several of whose members were incensed over Cowherds remarks. Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista was among the first to respond, tweeting to Cowherdthat he would like to get an explanation before i rip you a new one.
Bautista, who has a foundation that aims to improve access to higher education for young athletes,released a statement late Friday afternoon before the Blue Jays" game against the Mariners in Seattle.
"In regards to Colins comments, while I do appreciate his attempt to clarify his previous remarks, I do not believe it was an acceptable one,"" the statement said. "I also want to take this opportunity to share how I feel.Not only am I proud to be from the Dominican Republic, but it is an honor to be representing the DR in MajorLeague Baseball.
"Unfortunately there are hardships that do existfor people of every background, and in some circumstances, yes there are "educational hurdles. However, there is a difference between that and ignorance or stupidity, which I believe was implied.""
Earlier in the day,MLBPA executive director Tony Clark had issued a statementsaying, As a veteran of fifteen MLB seasons, I can assure you that our sport is infinitely more complex than some in the media would have you believe. To suggest otherwise is ignorant, and to make an ignorant point by denigrating the intelligence of our Dominican members was not clunky -- it was offensive.
These recent comments are particularly disappointing when viewed against the backdrop of the important work being done to celebrate and improve the cultural diversity of our game. Baseball"s partners and stakeholders should help such efforts, not undermine them."
Both ESPN and Fox Cowherds expected new employer after a recent announcement that he would end his 12-year tenure at ESPN are rights-holders to MLB games.
On Thursday, a person with close ties to the union suggested its relationship with the networks could be damaged if they did not condemn Cowherds comments. The person requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic.
The next day, ESPN took a stepto mend fences by taking Cowherd off the air a week ahead of schedule. It"s not clear what impact his comments may have on his future with Fox.
John Russell Houser Lafayette Theater Shooting Hoax Exposed (Redsilverj)
Danielle Leigh, KING 5 News 10:23 a.m. PDT July 25, 2015
The group Moms Demand Action held small rally in Downtown Seattle on July 24, 2015, in response to a shooting at a Louisiana movie theater.(Photo: KING)
Moms who support gun control rallied outside theaters nationwide Friday in response to the shooting in Louisiana.
In Seattle, a small group of moms gathered outside the Regal Cinemas downtown.
Those moms were passing out small flyers asking people to call their lawmakers in favor of gun control.
"It"s almost like the wind has been knocked out of you," said Cathy Munsen, a mom with the group Moms Demand Action. "I just think it could have been any of us in that theater."
Munsen gave up her Friday to talk with potential voters passing the theater downtown.
Specifically, she was asking voters to ask Congress to close a provision in the federal background check law that allows gun sales to proceed after three business days even if a background check is incomplete.
Munsen admitted it would not have prevented the shooting in Lafayette but she said it may have prevented the recent shooting in Charleston, South Carolina.
"In this country we have no higher rate of mental illness. We have no higher rate of criminals. What we have is a very easy access to guns," argued Munsen.
Alan Gottlieb founded the Second Amendment Foundation in Bellevue.
Gottlieb shares in Munsen"s outrage over the violence but as a supporter of gun rights, he disagrees with her solution.
"No one wants these things to happen but the other side feels like the answer is to take people"s rights and freedoms away," Gottlieb said. "In a free society, that is not the way to do it. It"s obvious more gun control isn"t going to solve this problem. It might stop a gun from getting in but it may not stop something else."
As the shooting prompts renewed focus on the gun debate, other Seattleites responded to the shooting with a much more subtle message.
A drummer who goes by Josh "Beatstock" Orion played just a block from the Regal Cinemas. He said he hoped his music brought people joy following the tragedy.
"I like to consider playing downtown kind of like missionary work," Beatstock Orion said. "Every time I hear bad news it makes me want to grab my drum. If love hides under a bed, hate wins. You have got to get up every day and dust yourself off and keep going."
Read or Share this story: http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/seattle/2015/07/24/seattle-moms-guns-rally/30650157/
Powerful earthquake possible in San Franciscos Hayward FaultZone
SAN FRANCISCO Tuesdays magnitude-4.0 earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area caused relatively little damage, but it gave a glimpse of the potential geological threats the region could face.
Scientists believe theres strong evidence to suggest that a major quake will strike the Bay Area, the only question is when.
Geophysicist Tom Brocher with the U.S. Geological Survey said scientists are confident that a major earthquake will happen on the Hayward Fault Zone, a 74-mile-long fault line that runs along the the east side of the San Francisco Bay Area, near cities such as Oakland and Fremont. The only question is when.
The zone is known for destructive earthquakes. We know about it very well because it produced a big earthquake in 1868, Brocher said in an interview with CNN.
The quake Brocher is referring to was a magnitude-6.8 earthquake. Several people died in that event, which caused damage of around $350,000 about $5 to $10 million in todays money.
Anything larger than a magnitude-6 earthquake can be very dangerous if it is near a city, Brocher said.
The reason why geologists are concerned right now about earthquake safety is because they have been studying the 1868 earthquake and the 11 quakes that happened before it on the Hayward Fault and noticed that the earthquakes seemed to happen in loose patterns.
The average is about 140 years and some (earthquakes) are only 90 years apart. Others are 160 years apart, he said.
It has been 147 years since the 1868 earthquake struck San Francisco.
The most recent scientific study indicates that for the entire San Francisco Bay Area there is about a 70% chance of a magnitude 6.7 or greater in the next 30 years occurring on one of the several earthquake faults that run through the area, Brocher said.
In 1989, a magnitude-6.9 quake hit the Bay Area during baseballs World Series. The Loma Prieta earthquake caused 63 deaths, 3,757 injuries and an estimated $6 billion in property damage, according to the Geological Survey.
Since then, more than $30 billion has been invested by various businesses and companies to strengthen the citys infrastructure.
Brocher said most people in the Bay Area will be fine after a quake its the potential lack of services such as water, gas and electricity that might cause problems.
But earthquakes do not happen like clockwork, according to Brocher. The most important thing people can do is to prepare by stocking up on water and emergency supplies.
It is a challenge for geologists to convey the seriousness of earthquakes, because large scale quakes are relatively uncommon and quakes are far more difficult to predict than other natural disasters such as hurricanes, Brocher said.
Earthquakes are rare enough that most people only experience one and they dont know what it really is like, Brocher said.
In April, a magnitude-7.8 earthquake hit Nepal claiming more than 8,000 lives. The powerful quake ravished the country, separating families, decimating historical landmarks and leaving tens of thousands of people with injuries.
Earthquakes also struck Peru, California, Chile and Iceland in 2014.
BREAKING: "Shooting Movie Theater Lafayette Louisiana 3 Dead Photo Outside the Grand Theater in Lafayette, La., where a man fired on people at a screening of "Trainwreck." The gunman was one of the dead. Credit Lee Celano/Reuters
LAFAYETTE, La. The picture that emerged Friday of the gunman who killed two women and wounded nine other people in a theater here was one filled with instability and rage, from a history of mental illness, to vandalizing and booby-trapping a house, to venting his fury at womens rights, minorities and liberals.
The gunman, John Russell Houser, 59, of Phenix City, Ala., who had a history of mental illness, took his own life in the theater here Thursday night, after gunning down the others during a screening of the comedy Trainwreck, the police said.
If you gave me 40 names and 40 pictures of people who might have done that, I wouldnt have hesitated to point him out, said Calvin Floyd, the former host of a television talk show in Columbus, Ga., that frequently featured Mr. Houser as a guest in the 1990s.
I could just sense the anger was there, Mr. Floyd said in an interview. Maybe I should have been afraid of him. He had a very hostile personality at times.
Mr. Houser believed that women should not work outside their homes, and had a lot of hostility toward abortion clinics, Mr. Floyd said. He was the sort of person who believed that all the trouble started when they took Bibles out of school and stopped prayer.
Photo An undated photograph of John R. Houser that was provided by the Lafayette Police Department.
On Twitter, on antigovernment discussion boards, and on other forums online, a person using the names Rusty Houser and John Russell Houser praised the Westboro Baptist Church, which has drawn ire for demonstrating against gays at military funerals; Timothy J. McVeigh, who bombed a government building in Oklahoma City in 1995, killing 168, and even Adolf Hitler. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks racist and antigovernment groups, said the posts were all from Mr. Houser.
America is so sick that I now believe it to be the enemy of the world, he wrote on one discussion forum. I know next to nothing about Iran, but the little I do know tells me they are far higher morally than this financially failing filth farm.
Mr. Houser was treated in the Phenix City area for an unspecified mental illness in 2008 and 2009, according to Heath D. Taylor, the sheriff of Russell County, Ala. Court records show that he filed for bankruptcy protection in 2002, and the superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, Col. Michael D. Edmonson, said his finances had been poor; he recently received money from his mother.
Mr. Houser lived most of his life in Columbus, Ga., just across the Chattahoochee River from Phenix City, and his LinkedIn profile described him as an investment manager with a law degree, an accounting credential and experience running restaurants. He ran for local office in Columbus, Mr. Floyd said, but he was spotted removing his opponents signs, an affair that drove him from the race.
He and his family moved into a house in Phenix City, in 2005, and that year, his wife made a domestic violence complaint against him, but it did not lead to an arrest, Sheriff Taylor said. The next year, Mr. Houser applied for a permit to carry a concealed pistol, but the application was denied by the sheriffs office; Alabama, however, does not require a permit or license to buy or own a handgun.
The reason for the denial was we had the report of the domestic violence against him, and in 89 or "90, he was arrested for an arson case in Columbus, Ga., which did not result in conviction, Sheriff Taylor said.
Continue reading the main story Video Lafayette Police Identify Theater Gunman
Jim Craft, the chief of the police department in Lafayette, La., on Friday identified and described the gunman who killed two people, and then himself, in a movie theater on Thursday night.
By WBRZ via Associated Press on Publish Date July 24, 2015. Photo by Paul Kieu/The Daily Advertiser, via Associated Press. Watch in Times Video
In 2008, Mr. Housers family members sought a temporary protective order in court in Carroll County, Ga., and asked that he be committed involuntarily to a mental hospital, and his wife grew fearful enough that she removed weapons from their home, court records show. He was subsequently admitted to a hospital in Columbus.
In court papers, they said he had perpetrated various acts of family violence, and cited a substantial likelihood of future family violence. They described him as having bipolar disorder, for which he had been prescribed medication, which he sometimes failed to take.
His condition apparently deteriorated in April 2008, with his daughters wedding approaching, when, the family told the court, he expressed vehement opposition to the planned nuptials, exhibited extreme erratic behavior, and made ominous as well as disturbing statements that the wedding would not happen.
That month, the police in Carrollton, Ga., investigated a report of a mentally disturbed person after he arrived unannounced at his daughters office, and later threatened another family member. It was the following day that family members sought to have him committed.
In March 2015, Mr. Housers wife, Kellie Houser, filed for divorce in Georgia after 31 years of marriage, and listed his location as unknown.
Mr. Houser lost his house to foreclosure, and an eviction order was served on him in March 2014, the sheriff said. A criminal complaint was later filed accusing Mr. Houser of vandalizing the house, including pouring cement into the plumbing, and tampering with gas lines in a way that could have started fires.
Photo Law enforcement and other emergency personnel responded to the scene of the shooting. Credit Brad Kemp/The Advocate, via Associated Press
The buyer of the house, Norman Bone, and his daughter, Beth, and her boyfriend, Dan Ramsel, described what Mr. Houser had done as booby-trapping the house, and said his rampage required more than a year of repairs. They said he destroyed many of its fixtures, dumped hundreds of fish into the swimming pool, and left human feces and cement throughout the house, where he once flew the Confederate battle flag.
Mr. Ramsel said that Mr. Houser, known as Rusty, had cultivated a reputation as somewhat of an anarchist.
The family members apparently had not been in contact with him recently, Chief Craft said, Mr. Housers only known connection to Lafayette was a long-dead uncle who once lived here.
Law enforcement officials here said they were looking into where and when Mr. Houser acquired the gun he used in the assault, and why he was in Lafayette, a 500-mile drive from Phenix City. A purchase at a store requires a federal background check, and serious mental illness can be grounds for denial, but the check system is imperfect, and does not cover person-to-person sales.
Because of the brand of weapon it is, its more difficult to trace that type of weapon than it is other types, said Chief Jim Craft of the Lafayette Police Department, but he would not elaborate.
The police said Mr. Houser had been in Lafayette since early July and had been staying in a motel. They appealed to the public for help in learning more about him.
Continue reading the main story
University of
Louisiana at
Lafayette
The gunman parked a blue 1995 Lincoln Continental, with illegally switched license plates, near an exit door to the Grand Theater, and in his motel room, we found wigs and glasses and disguises, basically, Chief Craft said at a Friday morning news conference just outside the crime scene.
It is apparent that he was intent on shooting and then escaping, Chief Craft said. What happened is that the quick law enforcement response forced him back into the theater, at which time he shot himself.
Colonel Edmonson, of the State Police, said, To put a motive to it is just something that we simply cant do right now. He said there was no known connection between the gunman and any of the victims.
Mr. Houser bought one of 25 tickets sold for a showing of the film and sat for several minutes in the theater, the authorities said. Shortly before 7:30 p.m., he began shooting, firing at least 13 rounds from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun.
He was by himself, he sat by himself, and the first two people he shot were right in front of him, Chief Craft said.
He identified the two dead women as Mayci Breaux, 21, and Jillian Johnson, 33. The wounded ranged in age from their teens to their 60s, and one was listed Friday in critical condition. Two were treated and released.
Witnesses said Mr. Houser stood at the back of the auditorium, which had steeply pitched, stadium-style seating, and fired down at others. Mr. Houser reloaded at least once as he tried to flee the theater, Chief Craft said, and returned when he saw the police.
