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Team Twerk is shaking that ass... How low can you go!
Official Twerk Team: How Low from DTP TV on Vimeo.
Tiger Woods had surgery after enraged wife clubbed him in face with 9-Iron: U.S. sportswriter
BY STAFF, CANWEST NEWS SERVICE
Enraged over reports of her husband's philandering ways and set off by the discovery of an "incriminating" text message, Elin Nordegren smashed Tiger Woods in the face with a 9-iron on Thanksgiving Day and then chased a bleeding and woozy Woods as he fled from his Florida home, a prominent sportswriter relays in a Boxing Day blog that has caught the attention of celebrity gadfly Perez Hilton.
Furman Bisher, a retired sports columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who has covered every Kentucky Derby since 1950, posts on his blog, located here, what he says is a "legitimate message" he received from a "trustworthy journalist" he has known for years.
The source tells Bisher that Woods wasn't home when Florida State Troopers came to question him following the crash outside his home because he had already been whisked away to Phoenix, where he underwent reconstructive surgery to repair the damage to his face, which included a gash to the right side near the nose, a broken facial bone and damaged teeth.
According to Bisher's source, Tiger was kicking back and watching football after turkey dinner on that fateful day, texting his alleged mistress Rachel Uchitel about the National Enquirer story that trumpeted their alleged affair, when things began to unravel for the world's No. 1 golfer.
A friend of Woods invited him to play poker and he left for the game, leaving his cell phone behind, replete with a text message from Uchitel he neglected to delete, according to Bisher's source.
When Woods returned about midnight, according to the source, Nordegren confronted Woods and eventually blindsided him with a golf club. She chased a frantic Tiger through the house, causing significant damage to the interior of their home, and then chased Tiger as he fled in the Escalade, smashing out the windows.
Following the crash, the source continued, Nordegren phoned Woods' agent and accompanied Woods in the ambulance to hospital.
The source also claims that Woods is receiving sympathy from legendary golfer Arnold Palmer and that Woods is living in Palmer's Bay Hill neighbourhood, where he hits balls late at night beneath the lights at a driving range.
It will be at least a month before Woods is seen in public, the source said, because his injuries need time to heal.
Enraged over reports of her husband's philandering ways and set off by the discovery of an "incriminating" text message, Elin Nordegren smashed Tiger Woods in the face with a 9-iron on Thanksgiving Day and then chased a bleeding and woozy Woods as he fled from his Florida home, a prominent sportswriter relays in a Boxing Day blog that has caught the attention of celebrity gadfly Perez Hilton.
Furman Bisher, a retired sports columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who has covered every Kentucky Derby since 1950, posts on his blog, located here, what he says is a "legitimate message" he received from a "trustworthy journalist" he has known for years.
The source tells Bisher that Woods wasn't home when Florida State Troopers came to question him following the crash outside his home because he had already been whisked away to Phoenix, where he underwent reconstructive surgery to repair the damage to his face, which included a gash to the right side near the nose, a broken facial bone and damaged teeth.
According to Bisher's source, Tiger was kicking back and watching football after turkey dinner on that fateful day, texting his alleged mistress Rachel Uchitel about the National Enquirer story that trumpeted their alleged affair, when things began to unravel for the world's No. 1 golfer.
A friend of Woods invited him to play poker and he left for the game, leaving his cell phone behind, replete with a text message from Uchitel he neglected to delete, according to Bisher's source.
When Woods returned about midnight, according to the source, Nordegren confronted Woods and eventually blindsided him with a golf club. She chased a frantic Tiger through the house, causing significant damage to the interior of their home, and then chased Tiger as he fled in the Escalade, smashing out the windows.
Following the crash, the source continued, Nordegren phoned Woods' agent and accompanied Woods in the ambulance to hospital.
The source also claims that Woods is receiving sympathy from legendary golfer Arnold Palmer and that Woods is living in Palmer's Bay Hill neighbourhood, where he hits balls late at night beneath the lights at a driving range.
It will be at least a month before Woods is seen in public, the source said, because his injuries need time to heal.
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T,I, Home from Prison... almost! Click on the Original Link to read more...!
CNN) -- Rapper T.I. was released from prison on Tuesday after seven months, his attorney confirmed.
The performer, whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., will serve the remainder of a reduced sentence in a correctional center near Fulton County Airport in Atlanta, Georgia.
Harris was sentenced to a year and a day in March 2009 resulting from weapons charges related to purchasing machine guns and silencers.
Officials charged him with providing a bodyguard with $12,000 to buy weapons.
In May, he reported to a federal prison complex in Forrest City, Arkansas, to begin serving his sentence.
In addition to serving prison time, T.I. was placed on house arrest, given community service and was ordered to pay a $100,300 fine.
It was not the first time the platinum-selling artist had been in trouble with the law.
Harris was not permitted to own any guns because he had been convicted in 1998 on felony drug charges, possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, in Cobb County in suburban Atlanta.
After the rapper's arrest, he entered a plea agreement, which federal authorities called unique because it allowed him to remain out of prison for a year while he performed.
Steve Sadow, Harris' attorney, said prisoners with Harris' sentence are eligible for a 54-day sentence reduction for good behavior.
Harris is expected to remain at the halfway house for three months and will still be required to finish serving slightly less than 500 hours of community service and about 23 days of home incarceration.
Before reporting to prison, Harris threw himself a going-away party/concert attended by thousands at Philips Arena in Atlanta.
The performer, whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., will serve the remainder of a reduced sentence in a correctional center near Fulton County Airport in Atlanta, Georgia.
Harris was sentenced to a year and a day in March 2009 resulting from weapons charges related to purchasing machine guns and silencers.
Officials charged him with providing a bodyguard with $12,000 to buy weapons.
In May, he reported to a federal prison complex in Forrest City, Arkansas, to begin serving his sentence.
In addition to serving prison time, T.I. was placed on house arrest, given community service and was ordered to pay a $100,300 fine.
It was not the first time the platinum-selling artist had been in trouble with the law.
Harris was not permitted to own any guns because he had been convicted in 1998 on felony drug charges, possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, in Cobb County in suburban Atlanta.
After the rapper's arrest, he entered a plea agreement, which federal authorities called unique because it allowed him to remain out of prison for a year while he performed.
Steve Sadow, Harris' attorney, said prisoners with Harris' sentence are eligible for a 54-day sentence reduction for good behavior.
Harris is expected to remain at the halfway house for three months and will still be required to finish serving slightly less than 500 hours of community service and about 23 days of home incarceration.
Before reporting to prison, Harris threw himself a going-away party/concert attended by thousands at Philips Arena in Atlanta.
Since when don't we have value for human life! SMH Rest in Peace Chris Henry!
Chris Henry of the Cincinnati Bengals died on Dec. 17, 2009, after falling off the back of a pickup truck during what police are calling a domestic dispute with his fiancée. He was 26 years old.
MONTREAL – The National Football League is sending out the wrong message by asking teams to observe a moment of silence before this weekend's games to honour Cincinnati Bengals wide-receiver Chris Henry.
Henry's death this week was a tragedy, but all the evidence suggests Henry, who was once the poster boy for the National Felon League, was committing a criminal act when he was thrown from the back of a moving truck.
Police in North Carolina reported Henry and his fiancée were involved in a domestic dispute before she attempted to drive away. Henry jumped into the bed of the truck and a woman who called 911 reported he was banging on the rear window. "It's just crazy," the caller said.
If the police had intercepted the vehicle before Henry was thrown from the truck, there's a good chance he would have been arrested. And, instead of asking teams to honour Henry today, commissioner Roger Goodell would be suspending the receiver for the fourth time in his troubled career.
Domestic violence is a major problem in our society and Goodell's decision is an insult to every woman who has been a victim of spousal abuse.
In the hours after his death, much was made of the way Henry had turned his life around, but the hours before his death suggest he had stopped short of 180 degrees.
It was interesting to hear his college coach say Henry was never a problem. Except maybe for that time he was ejected from a game, or maybe the time he was suspended for another game. Henry was such a problem that he went from being a first-round draft prospect to a third-round pick.
During his NFL career, Henry was arrested five times in 28 months for assault, driving under the influence of alcohol and marijuana possession, and he served multiple suspensions for violating the league's personal-conduct policy, missing a total of 14 games. He served jail time for drinking in a hotel room with underage girls.
After serving an eight-game suspension in 2007 for violating the league's personal-conduct policy, he was arrested again for assault in April 2008. He was waived by the Bengals, and a local judge told Henry: "You've kind of become a one-man crime wave."
The Bengals gave Henry, a second - or was it a fourth of fifth? - chance. They did so, not because general manager Mike Brown is a social worker at heart, but because Henry had talent. He played well for eight games before breaking his arm, but in the end he proved he was one tiger who couldn't change his stripes.
MONTREAL – The National Football League is sending out the wrong message by asking teams to observe a moment of silence before this weekend's games to honour Cincinnati Bengals wide-receiver Chris Henry.
Henry's death this week was a tragedy, but all the evidence suggests Henry, who was once the poster boy for the National Felon League, was committing a criminal act when he was thrown from the back of a moving truck.
Police in North Carolina reported Henry and his fiancée were involved in a domestic dispute before she attempted to drive away. Henry jumped into the bed of the truck and a woman who called 911 reported he was banging on the rear window. "It's just crazy," the caller said.
If the police had intercepted the vehicle before Henry was thrown from the truck, there's a good chance he would have been arrested. And, instead of asking teams to honour Henry today, commissioner Roger Goodell would be suspending the receiver for the fourth time in his troubled career.
Domestic violence is a major problem in our society and Goodell's decision is an insult to every woman who has been a victim of spousal abuse.
In the hours after his death, much was made of the way Henry had turned his life around, but the hours before his death suggest he had stopped short of 180 degrees.
It was interesting to hear his college coach say Henry was never a problem. Except maybe for that time he was ejected from a game, or maybe the time he was suspended for another game. Henry was such a problem that he went from being a first-round draft prospect to a third-round pick.
During his NFL career, Henry was arrested five times in 28 months for assault, driving under the influence of alcohol and marijuana possession, and he served multiple suspensions for violating the league's personal-conduct policy, missing a total of 14 games. He served jail time for drinking in a hotel room with underage girls.
After serving an eight-game suspension in 2007 for violating the league's personal-conduct policy, he was arrested again for assault in April 2008. He was waived by the Bengals, and a local judge told Henry: "You've kind of become a one-man crime wave."
The Bengals gave Henry, a second - or was it a fourth of fifth? - chance. They did so, not because general manager Mike Brown is a social worker at heart, but because Henry had talent. He played well for eight games before breaking his arm, but in the end he proved he was one tiger who couldn't change his stripes.
Man attempts to steal under 300 bucks worth of stuff, and now he's dead! SMH
Wal-Mart should have just let this man go... now, his family is going to sue the crap out of them.
Alleged Wal-Mart shoplifter dies after scuffle with store cops
By Christian Boone
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
6:45 p.m. Monday, December 21, 2009
Dunwoody Police are investigating the death Saturday of an alleged shoplifter after he was forcibly apprehended by Wal-Mart loss prevention officers.
Marty Bridges, 38, was attempting to flee the store, at 4725 Ashford Dunwoody Rd., when the officers grabbed him, Dunwoody Police spokesman Sgt. Mike Carlson said. Another shopper intervened and a slight altercation ensued.
"It was basically a big pile-up," he said. "They had him pinned on the ground to keep him from running."
When police arrived around 1 p.m., two bystanders were administering CPR, but they were unable to save Bridges. He was pronounced dead shortly after being transported to Northside Hospital.
It's unclear what Bridges allegedly tried to steal, but Carlson said the amount of the item or items was less than $300, and would have amounted to a misdemeanor were he tried and convicted of shop lifting.
Wal-Mart employees were able to recover the item or items, police said.
It doesn't appear that any undue force was used on the suspect, Carlson said. An autopsy is underway.
Return to AJC.com for updates.
-- Staff reporter Marcus K. Garner contributed to this story.
Alleged Wal-Mart shoplifter dies after scuffle with store cops
By Christian Boone
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
6:45 p.m. Monday, December 21, 2009
Dunwoody Police are investigating the death Saturday of an alleged shoplifter after he was forcibly apprehended by Wal-Mart loss prevention officers.
Marty Bridges, 38, was attempting to flee the store, at 4725 Ashford Dunwoody Rd., when the officers grabbed him, Dunwoody Police spokesman Sgt. Mike Carlson said. Another shopper intervened and a slight altercation ensued.
"It was basically a big pile-up," he said. "They had him pinned on the ground to keep him from running."
When police arrived around 1 p.m., two bystanders were administering CPR, but they were unable to save Bridges. He was pronounced dead shortly after being transported to Northside Hospital.
It's unclear what Bridges allegedly tried to steal, but Carlson said the amount of the item or items was less than $300, and would have amounted to a misdemeanor were he tried and convicted of shop lifting.
Wal-Mart employees were able to recover the item or items, police said.
It doesn't appear that any undue force was used on the suspect, Carlson said. An autopsy is underway.
Return to AJC.com for updates.
-- Staff reporter Marcus K. Garner contributed to this story.
Cooking with weed, getting high and eating at the same time! Mission Accomplished.
Dec 17, 6:30 AM (ET)
By KRISTEN WYATT
DENVER (AP) - Any slacker living over his parents' garage can make pot brownies. Gourmet chefs are taking the art of cooking with marijuana to a higher level.
In Denver, a new medical-marijuana shop called Ganja Gourmet serves cannabis-infused specialties such as pizza, hummus and lasagna. Across town in the Mile-High City, a Caribbean restaurant plans to offer classes on how to make multi-course meals with pot in every dish. And in Southern California, a low-budget TV show called "Cannabis Planet" has won fans with a cooking segment showing viewers how to use weed in teriyaki chicken, shrimp capellini and steak sandwiches.
The evolution of pot cooking was perhaps inevitable given the explosion of medical marijuana around the country in recent years. Many health-conscious patients would rather eat the drug than smoke it. And they would prefer to eat something other than sugary treats.
"When I started using marijuana, I was eating a brownie every day. I gained a ton of weight," said Michael DeLao, a former hotel chef who hosts the "Cannabis Planet" cooking segments on Los Angeles' KJLA. "Then I learned how to really cook with marijuana, and once more people learn about all the possibilities, we're going to see a lot more people wanting this in their food."
Ganja Gourmet's menu includes lasagna ("LaGanja"), "Panama Red Pizza" and an olive tapenade called "ganjanade," along with a sweets such as cheesecake, muffins and brownies. Employees wear tie-dyed T-shirts that proclaim, "Our food is so great, you need a license to eat it!!!"
All patrons at the Ganja Gourmet must show a medical marijuana card that proves they have a doctor's permission to use pot for some kind of malady. The place opened last week, and so far, 90 percent of its business has been takeout.
The food isn't cheap. A whole pizza sells for $89, and a dozen sweet treats called Almond Horns cost $120.
"The food is really good," said Jamie Hillyer, a 41-year-old medical marijuana patient who paid $12 for a serving of vegetable LaGanja. Hillyer said that he can't taste the weed in the food and that it gives him a "more mellow" buzz than smoking pot.
Chefs are able to use marijuana in cooking because its key ingredient, the mind-altering drug THC, is fat-soluble, meaning it binds with oils or fats.
Marijuana chefs put leaves or buds in a food processor and grind the marijuana into green flour. Then they add the flour to oil or butter, cook it slowly for up to a couple of days while the THC binds to the fat, and strain out the green flakes.
The result is "cannabutter," or butter that makes a diner high. Chefs say 2 teaspoons of cannabutter typically contain the amount of THC in an ounce of weed.
The pot-infused oils and butters have a greenish tint and an earthy taste, but chefs say the flavor can easily be masked with garlic or other herbs and spices.
Denver's 8 Rivers Modern Caribbean restaurant does not serve pot-infused food, but its husband-and-wife owners, Scott Durran and Wanda James, plan to offer cooking-with-marijuana classes starting next month. They also own a medical marijuana dispensary, which they hope will eventually offer take-home soups and roasted chicken.
Marijuana chefs say it takes 20 minutes to two hours for the pot-laced food to produce a high. The biggest problem, they say, is that users often eat too much, thinking the food isn't working. While you can't exactly overdose on marijuana food, people who eat too much may feel more sluggish or disoriented than they would like.
So at Ganja Gourmet, customers are allowed to eat only one menu item every 45 minutes.
(The drug takes so long to start working that there's little chance of a customer developing a case of the munchies and getting hungrier the more he ate.)
Ganja Gourmet owner Scott Horowitz tried to get liability insurance of the sort bars take out to protect themselves against damage caused by intoxicated patrons. But he said he couldn't any insurers selling similar coverage for pot shops.
Ganja Gourmet does offer customers a ride home if they need one. "If someone leaves my place wasted, I'm liable," Horowitz said.
Horowitz's liability worry may be shortlived. Denver's City Council is considering an ordinance banning dispensaries from allowing marijuana to be smoked or eaten on site.
---
On the Net:
Cannabis Planet: http://cannabisplanet.tv
By KRISTEN WYATT
DENVER (AP) - Any slacker living over his parents' garage can make pot brownies. Gourmet chefs are taking the art of cooking with marijuana to a higher level.
In Denver, a new medical-marijuana shop called Ganja Gourmet serves cannabis-infused specialties such as pizza, hummus and lasagna. Across town in the Mile-High City, a Caribbean restaurant plans to offer classes on how to make multi-course meals with pot in every dish. And in Southern California, a low-budget TV show called "Cannabis Planet" has won fans with a cooking segment showing viewers how to use weed in teriyaki chicken, shrimp capellini and steak sandwiches.
The evolution of pot cooking was perhaps inevitable given the explosion of medical marijuana around the country in recent years. Many health-conscious patients would rather eat the drug than smoke it. And they would prefer to eat something other than sugary treats.
"When I started using marijuana, I was eating a brownie every day. I gained a ton of weight," said Michael DeLao, a former hotel chef who hosts the "Cannabis Planet" cooking segments on Los Angeles' KJLA. "Then I learned how to really cook with marijuana, and once more people learn about all the possibilities, we're going to see a lot more people wanting this in their food."
Ganja Gourmet's menu includes lasagna ("LaGanja"), "Panama Red Pizza" and an olive tapenade called "ganjanade," along with a sweets such as cheesecake, muffins and brownies. Employees wear tie-dyed T-shirts that proclaim, "Our food is so great, you need a license to eat it!!!"
All patrons at the Ganja Gourmet must show a medical marijuana card that proves they have a doctor's permission to use pot for some kind of malady. The place opened last week, and so far, 90 percent of its business has been takeout.
The food isn't cheap. A whole pizza sells for $89, and a dozen sweet treats called Almond Horns cost $120.
"The food is really good," said Jamie Hillyer, a 41-year-old medical marijuana patient who paid $12 for a serving of vegetable LaGanja. Hillyer said that he can't taste the weed in the food and that it gives him a "more mellow" buzz than smoking pot.
Chefs are able to use marijuana in cooking because its key ingredient, the mind-altering drug THC, is fat-soluble, meaning it binds with oils or fats.
Marijuana chefs put leaves or buds in a food processor and grind the marijuana into green flour. Then they add the flour to oil or butter, cook it slowly for up to a couple of days while the THC binds to the fat, and strain out the green flakes.
The result is "cannabutter," or butter that makes a diner high. Chefs say 2 teaspoons of cannabutter typically contain the amount of THC in an ounce of weed.
The pot-infused oils and butters have a greenish tint and an earthy taste, but chefs say the flavor can easily be masked with garlic or other herbs and spices.
Denver's 8 Rivers Modern Caribbean restaurant does not serve pot-infused food, but its husband-and-wife owners, Scott Durran and Wanda James, plan to offer cooking-with-marijuana classes starting next month. They also own a medical marijuana dispensary, which they hope will eventually offer take-home soups and roasted chicken.
Marijuana chefs say it takes 20 minutes to two hours for the pot-laced food to produce a high. The biggest problem, they say, is that users often eat too much, thinking the food isn't working. While you can't exactly overdose on marijuana food, people who eat too much may feel more sluggish or disoriented than they would like.
So at Ganja Gourmet, customers are allowed to eat only one menu item every 45 minutes.
(The drug takes so long to start working that there's little chance of a customer developing a case of the munchies and getting hungrier the more he ate.)
Ganja Gourmet owner Scott Horowitz tried to get liability insurance of the sort bars take out to protect themselves against damage caused by intoxicated patrons. But he said he couldn't any insurers selling similar coverage for pot shops.
Ganja Gourmet does offer customers a ride home if they need one. "If someone leaves my place wasted, I'm liable," Horowitz said.
Horowitz's liability worry may be shortlived. Denver's City Council is considering an ordinance banning dispensaries from allowing marijuana to be smoked or eaten on site.
---
On the Net:
Cannabis Planet: http://cannabisplanet.tv
Damn, sucks to be you... Cameron Pettigrew FIRED for playing fantasy football at work...
Fired Over Fantasy Football: The Unfortunate Case of Cameron Pettigrew
12/17/2009 8:30 AM ET By Tom Herrera
On the surface, Cameron Pettigrew seems a lot like many people you might know. A young, ambitious guy who felt he found his ideal job at Fidelity Investments in Westlake, Texas. He even joked one time about getting a Fidelity tattoo.
Good thing he didn't.
In late October, Pettigrew and three other fantasy football league commissioners were fired by Fidelity. Pettigrew, a distinguished employee in the Private Client Group who had been with the company for two and a half years, was left scrambling for further explanation. Pettigrew said he never received a single verbal or written warning before his dismissal.
His slip-up had overridden an impressive resume, which contains multiple company honors, including being the only person chosen for an exclusive, 10-member program (Future Leaders of Westlake) who was not already in a management position. Three weeks before his firing, he was offered a position at Fidelity's prestigious Wall Street branch, but Pettigrew said he chose to decline the offer due to the high cost of living in New York City.
"I loved my job, my coworkers, and frankly, I loved Fidelity. I practically begged to have my job back," Pettigrew told FanHouse. "I spent weeks trying to appeal my termination ... I even said I would take a demotion if they accepted me back."
Pettigrew was commissioner of a $20 entry fee league with nine other employees. According to Pettigrew, those other nine league members -- which included three team leaders and a manager -- were simply given warnings and got to keep their jobs. "They are all dear friends of mine and I would never want for them to be fired or additionally reprimanded," said Pettigrew, "but the way in which Fidelity applied our punishment was flawed and unequal."
According to Pettigrew, he was questioned by two company investigators for an hour and a half, where they wanted to know everything he knew about fantasy sports at the Westlake site. "They were insistent upon knowing about everyone involved, especially leadership, and whether those persons even mentioned a league," said Pattigrew. "I kept thinking, 'All of this over a $20 fantasy football league?' "
In the past, Fidelity made it known to employees via e-mail that participation in fantasy sports activities is not permitted on company time. However, Pettigrew says "nobody at the entire Westlake site took the policy seriously." He claims there are numerous different active leagues at Fidelity and team leaders, managers and directors discussed fantasy sports regularly. For many participants, fantasy sports is considered a harmless hobby that has potential to bolster camaraderie between employees and overall morale.
When FanHouse contacted Fidelity for details on the policy Pettigrew violated, FanHouse was told by spokesman Vin Loporchio that the company doesn't comment on either current or former employees "out of respect for their privacy and confidentiality" and that nothing should be construed from the lack of a comment.
"I kept thinking, 'All of this over a $20 fantasy football league?' "
-- Cameron Pettigrew "The only official communication I ever received about Fidelity's policy against fantasy sports was a very generic e-mail which could easily be overlooked," said Pettigrew. "We were definitely never told that this could be a 'fireable' offense."
According to Pettigrew, that fireable offense included two incoming instant messages from league members, wherein brief conversations followed about teams and players. "Those two messages were received when I was idle and not in contact with any clients."
The league Web page, which was hosted on Yahoo! Sports, is blocked from access on work computers, according to Pettigrew, so members did not check their lineups on company time. And he claims the $20 league buy-in was only paid by a couple of guys on work property. "I only accepted the money during a scheduled break or after work, so I thought I was not doing so on company time."
Despite his appeals to Fidelity, Pettigrew was labeled with a stain on the Termination Explanation of his U5 form (Uniform Termination Notice for Securities Industry Regulation) ... VIOLATION OF COMPANY GAMBLING POLICY INVOLVING FANTASY FOOTBALL.
"They see the word gambling and it's as though I am toxic," said Pettigrew, who made note of the tough economy. "I have been blackballed in my industry."
According to Pettigrew, his department director and local leadership fought hard for his job, but he was considered an "organizer of gambling activities" by the corporation, because he was commissioner of the league.
Interestingly, Pettigrew says he never played fantasy football before coming to Fidelity. "Last season I was approached by one of the managers who asked that I be in his league. I knew vaguely about the policy at the time but figured that if a manager was involved than the rule was probably just something of an outdated law, like how it's illegal in Michigan for a woman to cut her own hair without asking her husband first."
In a statement offered to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram last week, Fidelity spokesman Vin Loporchio said: "We have clear policies that relate to gambling. Participation in any form of gambling through the use of Fidelity time or equipment or any other company resource is prohibited. In addition to being illegal in a lot of places, it can also be disruptive. We want our employees to be focused on our customers and clients."
That "gambling" label has drawn the ire of leading Fantasy Sports Trade Association members. While fantasy sports may be considered gambling in a minority of states, it has been deemed one of the exemptions in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, according to Professor I. Nelson Rose, who is a published expert on gambling law.
Paul Charchian, president of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, had this to offer: "No fantasy sports company has been the subject of prosecution for gambling. No person has been the subject of prosecution for gambling related to fantasy sports participation."
A former Fidelity employee, who spoke to FanHouse on the condition of anonymity, claimed: "Saying the word 'gamble' at Fidelity is like saying 'bomb' on an airplane." He also alleges that "Fidelity likes to make examples out of people and this was probably seen as a good opportunity to do so."
With the evidence available, this seems more of a corporate culture issue than anything. On one hand, you could just ignore Pettigrew's strong track record and say company policy is company policy, end of story. Even if any given policy outlaws fantasy sports, or for that matter, Facebook usage and 15-minute smoke breaks. On the other, you can show leniency and let him off with probation, or perhaps even soften the termination explanation on his U5 form to exclude "gambling".
In a way, Pettigrew and three other employees are out of work because they were fantasy league commissioners -- the "organizers" -- and therefore the easier targets for Fidelity to exhibit that said activities will not be tolerated.
Certainly, it's not the first sympathetic termination story we'll hear, and it won't be the last. Yesterday, a woman e-mailed FanHouse to say her daughter was fired after eight years of service for bringing a one-pound puppy to work to show her friends for five minutes. One year later, she claims her daughter still can't find a job.
Sounds outrageous? In these times, you can believe it.
In the meantime, Cameron Pettigrew is available for employment.
He just wishes he could have his job and his life back.
12/17/2009 8:30 AM ET By Tom Herrera
On the surface, Cameron Pettigrew seems a lot like many people you might know. A young, ambitious guy who felt he found his ideal job at Fidelity Investments in Westlake, Texas. He even joked one time about getting a Fidelity tattoo.
Good thing he didn't.
In late October, Pettigrew and three other fantasy football league commissioners were fired by Fidelity. Pettigrew, a distinguished employee in the Private Client Group who had been with the company for two and a half years, was left scrambling for further explanation. Pettigrew said he never received a single verbal or written warning before his dismissal.
His slip-up had overridden an impressive resume, which contains multiple company honors, including being the only person chosen for an exclusive, 10-member program (Future Leaders of Westlake) who was not already in a management position. Three weeks before his firing, he was offered a position at Fidelity's prestigious Wall Street branch, but Pettigrew said he chose to decline the offer due to the high cost of living in New York City.
"I loved my job, my coworkers, and frankly, I loved Fidelity. I practically begged to have my job back," Pettigrew told FanHouse. "I spent weeks trying to appeal my termination ... I even said I would take a demotion if they accepted me back."
Pettigrew was commissioner of a $20 entry fee league with nine other employees. According to Pettigrew, those other nine league members -- which included three team leaders and a manager -- were simply given warnings and got to keep their jobs. "They are all dear friends of mine and I would never want for them to be fired or additionally reprimanded," said Pettigrew, "but the way in which Fidelity applied our punishment was flawed and unequal."
According to Pettigrew, he was questioned by two company investigators for an hour and a half, where they wanted to know everything he knew about fantasy sports at the Westlake site. "They were insistent upon knowing about everyone involved, especially leadership, and whether those persons even mentioned a league," said Pattigrew. "I kept thinking, 'All of this over a $20 fantasy football league?' "
In the past, Fidelity made it known to employees via e-mail that participation in fantasy sports activities is not permitted on company time. However, Pettigrew says "nobody at the entire Westlake site took the policy seriously." He claims there are numerous different active leagues at Fidelity and team leaders, managers and directors discussed fantasy sports regularly. For many participants, fantasy sports is considered a harmless hobby that has potential to bolster camaraderie between employees and overall morale.
When FanHouse contacted Fidelity for details on the policy Pettigrew violated, FanHouse was told by spokesman Vin Loporchio that the company doesn't comment on either current or former employees "out of respect for their privacy and confidentiality" and that nothing should be construed from the lack of a comment.
"I kept thinking, 'All of this over a $20 fantasy football league?' "
-- Cameron Pettigrew "The only official communication I ever received about Fidelity's policy against fantasy sports was a very generic e-mail which could easily be overlooked," said Pettigrew. "We were definitely never told that this could be a 'fireable' offense."
According to Pettigrew, that fireable offense included two incoming instant messages from league members, wherein brief conversations followed about teams and players. "Those two messages were received when I was idle and not in contact with any clients."
The league Web page, which was hosted on Yahoo! Sports, is blocked from access on work computers, according to Pettigrew, so members did not check their lineups on company time. And he claims the $20 league buy-in was only paid by a couple of guys on work property. "I only accepted the money during a scheduled break or after work, so I thought I was not doing so on company time."
Despite his appeals to Fidelity, Pettigrew was labeled with a stain on the Termination Explanation of his U5 form (Uniform Termination Notice for Securities Industry Regulation) ... VIOLATION OF COMPANY GAMBLING POLICY INVOLVING FANTASY FOOTBALL.
"They see the word gambling and it's as though I am toxic," said Pettigrew, who made note of the tough economy. "I have been blackballed in my industry."
According to Pettigrew, his department director and local leadership fought hard for his job, but he was considered an "organizer of gambling activities" by the corporation, because he was commissioner of the league.
Interestingly, Pettigrew says he never played fantasy football before coming to Fidelity. "Last season I was approached by one of the managers who asked that I be in his league. I knew vaguely about the policy at the time but figured that if a manager was involved than the rule was probably just something of an outdated law, like how it's illegal in Michigan for a woman to cut her own hair without asking her husband first."
In a statement offered to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram last week, Fidelity spokesman Vin Loporchio said: "We have clear policies that relate to gambling. Participation in any form of gambling through the use of Fidelity time or equipment or any other company resource is prohibited. In addition to being illegal in a lot of places, it can also be disruptive. We want our employees to be focused on our customers and clients."
That "gambling" label has drawn the ire of leading Fantasy Sports Trade Association members. While fantasy sports may be considered gambling in a minority of states, it has been deemed one of the exemptions in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, according to Professor I. Nelson Rose, who is a published expert on gambling law.
Paul Charchian, president of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, had this to offer: "No fantasy sports company has been the subject of prosecution for gambling. No person has been the subject of prosecution for gambling related to fantasy sports participation."
A former Fidelity employee, who spoke to FanHouse on the condition of anonymity, claimed: "Saying the word 'gamble' at Fidelity is like saying 'bomb' on an airplane." He also alleges that "Fidelity likes to make examples out of people and this was probably seen as a good opportunity to do so."
With the evidence available, this seems more of a corporate culture issue than anything. On one hand, you could just ignore Pettigrew's strong track record and say company policy is company policy, end of story. Even if any given policy outlaws fantasy sports, or for that matter, Facebook usage and 15-minute smoke breaks. On the other, you can show leniency and let him off with probation, or perhaps even soften the termination explanation on his U5 form to exclude "gambling".
In a way, Pettigrew and three other employees are out of work because they were fantasy league commissioners -- the "organizers" -- and therefore the easier targets for Fidelity to exhibit that said activities will not be tolerated.
Certainly, it's not the first sympathetic termination story we'll hear, and it won't be the last. Yesterday, a woman e-mailed FanHouse to say her daughter was fired after eight years of service for bringing a one-pound puppy to work to show her friends for five minutes. One year later, she claims her daughter still can't find a job.
Sounds outrageous? In these times, you can believe it.
In the meantime, Cameron Pettigrew is available for employment.
He just wishes he could have his job and his life back.
Man exhonorated after serving 35 years in prision.... SMGDH
I am getting a little tired of hearing about these stories about BLACK men being exhonorated, and freed by DNA after serving a CRAZY amount of time for crimes that they did not commit. Now, let's think for a moment if there are a few cases here and there that we hear about in the media... what about the ones we don't ...heat about. The judicial systems is in need of revamping their old slave ways! SMGDH
