Seven identified after threats made against referee John Higgins

[Halldan1]

http://collegebasketball.nbcsports....-higgins-following-kentucky-elite-eight-loss/

By Scott Phillips

College basketball referee John Higgins received threats to his home and business in late March after some controversial calls in North Carolina’s win over Kentucky in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

Seven people have now been identified for making threats against Higgins, according to an Associated Press report. The FBI’s Omaha, Nebraska field office said that information on the seven people will be referred to authorities in their jurisdictions.

An investigation over the last few months helped find the culprits, as the Omaha-based Higgins received emails, phone calls and voicemails to his personal home and roofing company following Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament departure. Wildcat head coach John Calipari might have ignited some of the anger in Kentucky fans by criticizing the officiating following the North Carolina loss.

“Based on the investigation’s findings, our office has determined that no local charges will be filed and that pursuit of any criminal charges would be best served by deferring to authorities in the appropriate jurisdictions,” Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov said in a statement to The Associated Press. “The length of the investigation was drawn out due in part to the large volume of potential evidence requiring analysis, and the multi-jurisdictional issues arising from the multiple states in which the communications originated.”

Polikov also said that at least two media outlets were exposing and promoting Higgins’ contact information.

“This information has been referred to the Federal Communications Commission for further investigation of the potential violations related to applicable federal communications regulations,” Polikov said.

Higgins received about 3,000 phone calls at his office in the two days following the game. Sheriff’s investigator Matt Barrall told the AP that an estimated 75 percent of the calls were from Kentucky area codes.

The roofing business that Higgins owns was also flooded with bad online reviews and negative star ratings, causing his Google rating to fall while also forcing Higgins to take down the Facebook page for his business.

 

[Halldan1]

John Calipari, just a smiling phony. A used car salesmen right up there as one of the reasons that college BB in particular and college sports in general will always be questioned by its critics.

 

[catholicman]

Which media outlets were publicizing his personal contact info?

 

[Halldan1]

That's far worse than what Calipari did.

I hope they get their butts sued.

 

[HallLine69]

John Calipari, just a smiling phony. A used car salesmen right up there as one of the reasons that college BB in particular and college sports in general will always be questioned by its critics.

He criticized the officiating after the game in question. You're not suggesting he had some other involvement in these Higgins threats, are you?

 

[Halldan1]

No. But his behavior throughout his career has been nothing but a blight on both pro and college BB. Or have we forgotten his racial slurs spewed at a reporter while he was coaching the Nets. Or his past issues at other colleges.

This is just another example.

Here's the one with the Nets
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/24/sports/ethnic-insult-from-calipari-results-in-apology-by-nets.html

 

[dcPirate]

Could you possibly fathom what would happen if the John Clougherty call happened in this day and age AGAINST on of the Blue Bloods? Ooph...

 

[hallgrad80]

Somehow too many in America have come to embrace outrageous, classless , sickening behavior and yet it was good to see the extent of the backlash against Kathy Griffin. I have no problem with people criticizing a referee or a politician but there is a right way to go about it. Clearly the Kentucky fans crossed the line as did Kathy Griffin .

 

[Halldan1]

More hatred from people that are sub-human.

LeBron James’ home vandalized with n-word
By Jaclyn Hendricks

May 31, 2017 | 12:05pm | Updated


LeBron James’ Los Angeles home was the target of a suspected hate crime, TMZ reported Wednesday.

According to the website, the LAPD and neighborhood patrol responded early Wednesday to James’ home, where the word “n—r” was spray-painted on the front gate.

James, who purchased the property in 2015, was not at his residence at the time of the incident and does not spend a lot of time there, according to the gossip site.

The racist graffiti since has been covered up, and authorities are said to be looking into security footage and are investigating it as a potential hate crime.

James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will face the Golden State Warriors on Thursday in Oakland for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

 

[Section112]

Society has degenerated into a very bad place currently. Things like this happening to Lebron and a referee. Kathy Griffin holding a decapitated head of the Pres? No matter how you feel politically or about sports or about your team, none of this is acceptable behavior and it will keep people out of the public eye, out of running for office and out of refereeing. We are seeing a massive decline of decorum and manners and sensibility in our society. It's really getting bad and I'm not sure it won't get even worse.

 

[hallgrad80]

I was surprised by how quickly CNN , which loves all things liberal, fired Griffin from being the New Year's co-host with Anderson Cooper but I'm glad they did.

 

[Halldan1]

LeBron after N-word vandalism: Keep talking about this
By Post Wire Report

May 31, 2017 | 5:59pm


LOS ANGELES — LeBron James said he hopes the racial slur spray-painted on the front gate of his Los Angeles home shows the level of racism in the country today, and hopes it can be used as a means to spotlight the issue.

Speaking in Oakland, where his Cleveland Cavaliers face the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals beginning Thursday night, James said, “If this is to shed a light and continuing to keep the conversation going on my behalf then I’m OK with it.”

Police are investigating after an unidentified person spray painted the N-word on the front gate of James’ home in the Brentwood neighborhood Wednesday morning, said Capt. Patricia Sandoval, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department.

“Being black in America, it’s tough,” James said. “And we’ve got a long way to go as a society for us as African-Americans until we feel equal in America.”

James wasn’t at the home at the time, but the property manager told officers that they believe the incident was captured on surveillance video, Sandoval said. Police are investigating it as an act of vandalism and a possible hate crime.

Someone painted over the slur before officers arrived to investigate, Sandoval said.

“My family is safe, they’re safe and that’s the most important,” James said. “But it just goes to show that racism will always be a part of the world, a part of America. You know hate in America, especially for African Americans, is living every day. Even though that it’s concealed most of the time, you know people hide their faces and will say things about you and when they see you they smile in your face, it’s alive every single day.”

James bought the house in 2015 for over $20 million. The 9,440-square-foot home is not James’ primary residence. He lives in Bath, Ohio.

In 2015, James and his production company signed a developmental deal with Warner Bros. worth $15 million, an agreement that has him spending more time in Southern California. James spent several weeks in Los Angeles last summer working with his production company.