The Sports Truth

Richie Anderson is the new Eugene Robinson.

The former Atlanta defensive back should send the recently fired Arizona wide receivers coach a box of chocolates following his arrest in a police prostitution sting operation last week.

Anderson, a fullback in the NFL for 13 seasons, was hired by new Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt in January - and then let go when he was accused of soliciting an undercover Phoenix police officer posing as a prostitute Thursday nighy.

“I wanted a chance to review the details of the situation before making any decision,” Whisenhunt said in a statement released by the team. “While it’s disappointing, I’ve decided that this is clearly in the best interests of our team in this particular instance. Our focus is now on finding a replacement and I am confident we will be able to do that relatively soon.”

Anderson played for the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys before retiring after the 2005 season. He was mostly used as a fullback, causing the whole hooker thing to be of less importance than this:

The Cardinals couldn’t find an actual wide receiver to coach this unit? No wonder they suck.

Louisiana State University learned about former head women’s basketball coach Pokey Chatman and her alleged sexual relationship with a former player from one of Chatman’s assistant coaches, multiple sources told ESPN.com.

Carla Berry, who has been an assistant for the Lady Tigers since 1999, first reported the allegation to university officials outside the athletic department. After determining that no current players aree involved, the university made athletic department officials aware of Berry’s allegation.

Berry didn’t respond to numerous requests for comment.

Chatman was not allowed to be alone with her players after Berry alleged improper conduct to the university, a school official with direct knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press on Monday.

Berry’s motivation for making the allegation to university officials isn’t clear. One athletic department insider said that Chatman continued to seek advice from Berry, a longtime friend and colleague, as late as Thursday, the day after Chatman unexpectedly resigned her position as head coach. By then, the scandal was reaching critical mass.

Berry, 37, played guard at LSU for Sue Gunter from 1989 to 1992, and she joined Gunter’s staff as an assistant coach in 1999. As LSU prepares for the NCAA Tournament — pairings are to be announced Monday night — Berry is still working as an assistant to interim head coach Bob Starkey.

Chatman abruptly stepped down Wednesday, saying she wanted to bang lots of women pursue other career opportunities.

Pity Lance Briggs.

The linebacker reportedly turned down a seven-year, $33 million deal in March 2006 and now the Bears general have placed the franchise player tag aroud his talented neck. This means the All-Pro will be forced to play the year for $7.2, missing out on the free agent riches that other, sub-par players have taken advantage of this off-season.

Or is he?

“I am now prepared to sit out the year if the Bears don’t trade me or release me,” Briggs told FoxSports.com on Monday night. “I’ve played my last snap for them. I’ll never play another down for Chicago again.”

Right. How dare the team agree with the rules made up by Briggs’ own player’s association and slap a franchise tag on him? Only $7.2 million? Merely the average of the five highest paid players at his position? That’s an insult that any hard-working Chicago fan paying hundreds of dollarsto attend a Bears game can fully relate to.

“People think I can’t afford to sit out the year — I can take out loans to get me through that year just fine because eventually I’ll have a deal somewhere,” Briggs told FoxSports.com. “There are things I can do to make sure I’m fine financially if I sit out. I can also decide what other course of action I can take as the season gets closer. The Bears have shown I’m not in their long-term plans so if that’s the case, I don’t want to be here.”

Is Lance Briggs saying he might apply for faxless payday loans? If so, we hope he’s aware of the triple digit APR on those resources?

But money might not be the only reason Briggs wants out of Chicago. He said he wants to be the leader of a team and knows he’ll never overtake Brian Urlacher in Chicago.

“I’ve talked to Brian about it,” Briggs said. “I’m a competitor and I want the same thing he has. I’ve learned a lot from Brian as a player and a leader and I eventually want to be ‘the man’ somewhere. I want to be like him and have everything put on me too. Obviously I’ll never be able to do that there.”

Maybe you should try to win a Super Bowl before you follow through on your personal, selfish dreams, Lance? Then again, without Thomas Jones - and with Rex Grossman still - that may not happen any time soon in Chicago.

Gary Matthews Jr. apologized to the Los Angeles Angels for causing a distraction to the team during spring training.

Well, his agent did at least.

Matthews allegedly was sent human growth hormone in 2004 from a pharmacy that’s part of a widespread steroid investigation, and Angels owner Arte Moreno has asked Matthews to publicly address the issue, a stance baseball commissioner Bud Selig backed Saturday.

“Gary regrets the distraction this story has caused the Angels front office, the manager and his staff, teammates and fans,” Matthews’ agent, Scott Leventhal, said in a statement. “However, given the ongoing investigation, he simply cannot discuss the matter until appropriate to do so. Gary sincerely apologizes for this distraction and is determined to resolve this issue in a timely manner.”

That sounds sincere. An apology for causing a distraction - not for illegally taking performance enhancing drugs - read by your agent is sure to quell the issue.

We don’t claim to be legal minds here at The Sports Truth … but if you didn’t take HGH, and your name is connected with taking HGH, we’re pretty sure you’re allowed to come out and say you didn’t take HGH.

In related news, Barry Bonds recently invited Matthews over for brunch.

Former NBA player John Amaechi became the first openly gay male athlete to sign an endorsement deal with a mainstream company.

HeadBlade Inc., creators of a popular head-shaving razor, announced Monday it had signed Amaechi to a multiyear deal. Financial terms were undisclosed.

“I think it’s fantastic that HeadBlade has approached me to endorse the brand,” said Amaechi in a statement.

Amaechi became the first NBA player to acknowledge his homosexuality with the release of his memoir, Man in the Middle in February. The book is currently on The New York Times Best Seller List.

Concern about endorsement deals is one reason some male athletes stay in the closet during their careers.

“John Amaechi is the newest face of the brand because he embodies many of the qualities representative of a HeadBlader,” HeadBlade chief executive Todd Greene said. “He is a man comfortable in his own skin and he’s not afraid to go against the grain.”

Here’s to hoping Amaechi sends a free razor to fellow former player and bald homophobe, Tim Hardaway …

Isiah Thomas has shown “significant and evident progress” as coach of the Knicks this season, says Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan.

As a result, the worst executive in the history of team sports received a multi-year extension today. After all, his team does possess the 8th best record in the most pathetic conference the world of athletic has ever seen.

New York is 29-34, having already surpassed last season’s victory total, sure,; but perhaps the bar should be set a little higher than 23-59 regardless of who is coaching. David Lee has emerged as an exciting sixth man and Eddie Curry is actually a feared post presence - but might Dolan be drinking from the poisonous Isiah Kool-Aid a bit too soon?

“I think every player has done well under Isiah,” Dolan said. “I think we have a great future.”

Compared to what? John Kerry in the White House?

Putting aside the seasons of Lee and Curry, Thomas has benefitted from injury good fortune this year. Quentin Richardson, Steve Francis and Jamal Crawford have all missed significant periods of time, shortening the rotation and removing the difficulities of finding floor space for players who occupy the same roles on the court.

Meanwhile, in case we didn’t emphasize it enough earlier, the Eastern Conference is a joke. Toronto sits in first place in the Atlantic Division … by five games … with a record of 34-29. This is the same team that had the first overall draft pick a few months ago and would be fighting for its playoff life in the West.

Why didn’t Dolan at least wait until after the season to reward Thomas? Why didn’t the fact that he instigated the brawl with Denver play any role in this decision? Why can’t Isiah at least be stripped of his general manager duties?

We’ll probably never receive any of these answers. But Knicks fans will be treated to first round playoff exits for years to come.

JaMarcus Rusell is a big, strong, athletic quarterback. Scouts compare him to Daunte Culpepper.

Of course, the last time we checked, Culpepper had lost his starting job in Miami to the immortal Joey Harrington.

We know Daunte was still recovering from a knee injury, but his only true talent during his glory years in Minnesota was throwing the ball high in the air and watching Randy Moss come down with it. True, Moss is now in Oakland, a potential target for Russell. But he stopped caring about football about three years.

First Round Quarterback Busts

More than any other position in pro sports, quarterback has seen its share of busts. Especially at the top of the draft. Need we remind San Diego fans of Ryan Leaf? Or those in Seattle of Rick Mirer? What about Akili Smith, Heath Shuler … the list goes on and on.

We know Al Davis is concerned solely with the allure of a big arm and deep passing attack, but maybe he should take a look around the league to see how the top teams have been built. Indianapolis, granted, made the right decision in drafting Peyton Manning first. He’s really good.

But the Patriots’ starting QB was a sixth round pick and that club is known for stock-piling draft picks. The Bears rely on a strong defense. San Diego actually traded out of the top pick in order to draft a supposedly lesser quarterback later on. And just how is Philip Rivers doing these days?

Bottom line: As important as a good quarterback is to a team, one is also easy to find later on in the draft. The most consistent teams are built around a sturdy offensive line (and Wisconsin tackle, Joe Thomas, is as solid a prospect as the league has seen in years) or defensive line.

But if Oakland must select a signal caller, it shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss Brady Quinn. He actually played in a pro offense in college - but he hasn’t won the big game, critics claim. Know the last college QB they claimed that about?

Peyton Manning.

Chelsea will play an exhibition game at the Los Angeles Galaxy on July 21 - and it could be the first game for David Beckham on his new team.

As part of an exhibition tournament called the World Series of Football (that’s what they call soccer in other, less intelligent parts of the world) Chelsea will play South Korea’s Suwon Bluewings on July 17 during a doubleheader that has the Galaxy meeting Mexico’s Tigres. The Bluewings will play Tigres on July 21.

Of course, Beckham’s knee injury makes this harder to predict. His wife’s large boobs, however, make the story of him coming to the States at least somewhat interesting.

Celebrities love their sports. Just look at George Clooney trying to throw a football.

Eva Longoria probably wishes she could. Instead, she’s stuck sitting courtside as the Kings’ mascot tries to steal her heart away from fiance Tony Parker. But it was a bad night all around for Sacramento: The Spurs prevailed.

And Parker probably got to have sex with Longoria.

We find this interesting:

John Amaechi simply says that he’s gay and it’s the topic of the sports world for weeks on end.

But LSU Women’s Coach, Pokey Chatman, has just resigned due to a rumored past relationship with a player - and we bet it’s off the front page before the weekend is over.

Louisiana State University, sources said, learned of the relationship from an employee within the basketball program. It was unclear when the alleged improper conduct took place - but it’s not unclear just how improper this conduct was.

Just imagine if it had been a male coach and a female player. The coach would be endlessly lambasted and shamed … as he should be. But who wants to wager that the name “Pokey Chatman” is forgotten about in the sports lexicon within days. And why is that?

Because lesbian relationships are somehow seen as less sordid? Because Chatman didn’t take advantage of this young woman, simply because they share the same gender? Chatman is 37 years old. It’s unknown when this relationship took place, but it’s safe to assume that the age difference was around 20 years.

LSU athletic director Skip Bertman told The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, which first reported Chatman’s alleged misconduct with one or more players Thursday on its website, that no formal inquiry into Chatman’s conduct had been opened by the university. Bertman did acknowledge, though, that an informal investigation “might have happened.”

“The girl did what she did and LSU had no control over that,” Bertman said, referring to Chatman.

Maybe not. But referring to Chatman as a “girl” underscores my point. The incident is being written off as harmless, swept under the proverbial rug, because it was a woman seducing a younger, impressionable woman.

Would the response be so tepid of a man slept with one of his players?