Little League Coach Punched by Father of Suspended Kid - A word of warning to youth baseball coaches: if you kick a kid off the team for insubordination, you can probably assume the little acorn hasn't fallen far from the big nut tree. In Lake Carmel, NY, Robert Andrews, 48 was coaching a Little League team of 9 and 10-year-olds when he ran into a little problem with one of his players. Andrews suspended the kid and shortly thereafter the boy's father showed up to ask the coach why. The answer apparently didn't satisfy Eugene Barnett, also 48, who--according to police--started off by grabbing Andrews wife and then punching him in the nose. (News Channel 9)

#97! Youth baseball coach arrested in Indiana Internet sting operation. Thought he was meeting up with a 13-year-old boy for sex. NOT! (NBC5)

NASCAR Owner Arrested for $20 Million in Tax Evasion Scheme - How do you save $20,000,000 in taxes? Claim $50 million in phony expenses for your company, or at least that's what the U.S. Attorney's Office is accusing Gene Haas, the 54-year-old owner of  NASCAR's Haas CNC Racing. Haas was arrested this week on charges of conspiracy, filing false tax returns and--for good measure--witness intimidation. Not surprisingly, he is being held without bail because well, our guess is he'd jump into a really fast stock car and burn rubber . . . but that's just what we'd do. (Press Telegram)

NZ Bikini Streaker Update: Teen Inspired by Lisa Lewis Streaks College Rugby Match - The tiny island nation of New Zealand seems to be the new home for sports streakers as a 17-year-old HS girl stripped down to her boxers and ran across the field to a waiting car during a college rugby match. According to the TV report (they interview the proud young lass) she was inspired by bikini streaker Lisa Lewis who drew national attention for not only running out onto the field but also auctioning off her bikini to cover court costs. Although that part of the story may have hit a snag as it turns out the high bidder ($4010) was actually a 10-year-old boy using his father's computer. Happy Father's Day! (One News - link includes video clip)

Top Long Island HS Lacrosse Coach Arrested for . . . Stealing Neighbor's License Plate? In one of the stranger stories we've ever covered here on BadJocks, William "Doc" Dougherty, who's won more than 500 games over the past 30 years at the lacrosse coach at Garden City High School on Long Island, was caught on a surveillance camera taking a license plate from his neighbor's car. Why? According to the neighbor, the incident is likely part of a decade long feud between the two that allegedly also included Dougherty's taking a child's bicycle and throwing it into a nearby canal. The coach was charged of petty larceny and released. (NewsDay) Thanks to Max Pax for the link!

World Cup Fan Stupidity Update - So many great stories, so little time. A thief stole a woman's purse and discovered a "free" world cup ticket in it so, of course, he went to the game. Unfortunately for him, the guy in the next seat was the woman's husband. Yeah, he got arrested. And second, a drunk England supporter somehow got himself in trouble by wearing a Scottish kilt. According to police, he was exposing his backside to people in a public viewing area when a female police officer followed him to his seat where he promptly sat down next to his friends and his kilt fell open so that "his genitalia were visible to everyone." Even in Germany, that'll get you arrested. (Speigel) 

Rugby Streaker Update: Bikini Auction Nets $4000, Court Fines Her Only $330 - Lisa Lewis, 25, who streaked a New Zealand rugby match last week, was arrested, then auctioned off the bikini she wore to raise money for court costs, will keep almost $3700 in her pocket after a judge fined her a minimal amount for her drunken dare. On the down side Lewis, who now runs a wedding planning business on the tiny island nation, is afraid she might lose business after customers find out about her past work as a stripper. (Waikato Times)

U of Iowa Baseball Initiation FOIA Request Day 5 Update - Kind of a "good news, bad news" day for this story. We actually received a nice email from someone at UI on Monday, which read:

Mr. Reno,

University of Iowa Sports Information Director Phil Haddy forwarded me your public records request, which he received June 15, because I am the custodian of public records for the UI. 
I am checking to see whether we have copies of the photos in question. Otherwise, it appears that the only document that we have regarding this incident is the memo to President Skorton from Prof. Altmaier and Associated Athletic Director Fred Mims. 
If that is all there is, I will e-mail a copy to you and there will be no
charge. I should be able to respond fully yet this week.

Steve Parrott
Director of University Relations
University of Iowa

The bad news is that we asked for more than just that final report: we also wanted any transcripts of interviews that the investigators did with the baseball team and either they didn't take any notes, or we didn't ask for the right thing. Damn! Now we wish we had finished law school . . . or college for that matter. We sent an email back asking for any documents related to the interviews, if any exist. Our guess is that they never put any of it in writing. Either way, we hope to get post that memo to the prez for you later in the week.

Santonio Holmes Arrested . . . Again - It's not been a good month for the Pittsburgh Steelers. First, top draft pick Santonio Holmes gets arrested in Florida on Memorial Day weekend, charged with disorderly conduct. Then QB Ben Roethlisberger used his face to wipe up a section of the street outside of town. Now comes word that former Ohio State wide receiver and Steelers first-round draft pick Santonio Holmes was charged--hey wait a minute, didn't we already do this story? What? He was arrested a second time and he hasn't even played a down in the NFL yet? He's good! The second time Holmes was charged with domestic violence and assault following an incident late Sunday night involving his girlfriend. No word on a trial date yet, but Holmes' lawyers are already buying themselves big Christmas presents this year. (NBC4i) Thanks to Craig F. for the link!

Australian Man Arrested for DUI While Driving Golf Cart, Cops Have to Use Pepper Spray on Him - With a BAC of only .12%, you'd think this guy would be a little more cooperative! According to Australian police, they were called to the Palmerston Golf and Country Club following reports of a golfer doing burnouts and doughnuts in a golf cart on the first three holes while someone else was hanging on for dear life to the roof. When they arrived to question the duffer, he not only refused to take breath test, but then struggled with officers to the point that they had to use pepper spray to subdue him. According to the course manager, the 1st hole green and fairway was damaged during the joy-ride which allegedly followed a "bucks night" which sounds like the Aussie version of bachelor party. (News.com.au)

Union College: Women's Soccer Team Committed Hazing - In a follow-up to one of our "Dirty Dozen" schools, Union College has determined that hazing occurred on the women's soccer team during the 2003-04 academic yea, and that "appropriate actions will be taken." Unfortunately, because the incident happened so long ago, the only players left to punish are those who will be seniors this fall when the team returns to play who were freshman at the time of the hazing. For those of you who may have forgotten the UC pictures, the most interesting one showed a freshman--allegedly after a night of drinking--with her head deep in a wastebasket, with a caption that said, "1st Rook that couldn't hang!!" (Times Union)

#96! Coach allegedly attacked 22-year-old woman in dorm room during summer football camp. (News 14 Carolina)

College Football Player Arrested for Role in Brawl, Father Lets Him Sit in Jail for Three Days - The first part of this story isn't that uncommon: a freshman football player at Utah gets involved in a brawl between his old high--Oaks Christian High--school and their rival. Allegedly during the fight Joe Giuliani, a freshman linebacker for the Utes, hit another guy with a golf club and was arrested for using a deadly weapon. What's unusual is the response of Guiliani's father who, rather than complain that cops were picking on his boy, decided to let the young man sit in jail a few days before bailing him out. Said his father Mike, "I purposefully left him in there for three days so he could sit in there and think about everything. He had a chance to look at the other side of the world and see what he doesn't want to be a part of, and what he isn't a part of. He just has to realize that he can't get into these altercations."

Day 4 Update: Still no response from UI, however an astute reader pointed out that Iowa has its own FOIA law, so we may have to resend our request under that code.
 U of Iowa Baseball Initiation Incident FOIA Request, Day 1 - Pictures of freshmen baseball players naked except for ball caps covering their genitals, singing the school fight song. The University of Iowa investigated this incident, said it was their players, it did involve only freshman and it was part of some team event . . . and then concluded it wasn't hazing. Hazing experts disagree. At BadJocks, we have just one question: What criteria did the investigators use to determine whether this was a case of hazing or not? Of course, we started with the school's own stated hazing policy, which reads in part:

Hazing is any intentional or unintentional reckless action or situation – with or without consent – that endangers a student or creates risk of injury, mental or physical discomfort, harassment, embarrassment, and/or ridicule – whether on campus or off campus – for the purpose of initiation into, affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in any student organization or team . . .

It sure seemed like singing naked would fall under that definition, so we sent an email to Richard Klatt, Associate Athletic Director, External Affairs at UI with some follow-up questions about their investigation and he promised to pass them along to the appropriate staff. That was Wednesday, June 7. On the 9th I sent a follow-up email to Mr. Klatt asking if there was any progress with my question which was basically this: what criteria did the two investigators use to determine whether this incident was hazing or not? Seems simple enough, doesn't it? We were curious because a source who claimed to have spoken to UI told BadJocks that the school ruled it wasn't hazing because, a) freshman were not forced to participate and some opted out, and b) it was conducted at a "non-traditional" time of year for hazing . . . apparently not right at the beginning of the season--once the team roster is set--as is customary. And, while those points do make for good debate, the written policy does not allow for those exceptions. So did the school ignore its own policy or not? Does the athletic department have a different policy? If they did, that's fine with us, we'd just like to know what's going on in case some members of the lacrosse team decide to spank freshmen with wooden paddles next year (with their consent of course) while singing "Stand By Your Man" at the END of the season. Hazing or not?
No response to that email either, so on Thursday, June 15 at 6 PM ET we faxed our first ever FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request asking the university to turn over transcripts of all interviews with members of the baseball team, the final report given to the president of the university and, oh yeah, a copy of the pictures themselves. We think you'll find the way this plays out interesting so we plan to keep a daily log of any progress we might make. They'll be a link at the top of the right hand column to a separate page that will have details about this story (see below for now) and the progress of our FOIA request. Stay tuned