Video game manufacturers must pay $60 million settlement for NCAA-branded video games that used athletes’ likeness

U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE CLAUDIA WILKEN has verbally approved a combined $60 million settlement that paves the way for thousands of football and men’s basketball players to be paid for their past appearances in NCAA-branded video games.

Video game manufacturer Electronic Arts, Collegiate Licensing Company and the NCAA are the parties in the class action lawsuit initiated by former player Ed O’Bannon over the use of players’ names, images and likenesses in video games without compensation and without their permission.

The maximum amount a player will be able to receive from the settlement is around $7,200.  More than 20,000 claims have been filed and the deadline for former or current players to seek payment has been extended to July 31, 2015.

The NCAA is also allowing current collegiate football and men’s basketball players who played during the period the games existed to receive their payments without losing their NCAA eligibility.

VIDEO Conversation: DL Hughley Objects to Caitlyn Jenner Receiving ESPY Arthur Ashe Courage Award and Media Calling Serena Williams Masculine

Comedian DL Hughley put the ESPY’s on blast regarding Caitlyn Jenner receiving the ESPY Arthur Ashe Courage Award and for the way the media is treating Serena Williams. Hughley Told TMZ:

“I think that it’s named after Arthur Ashe.

Arthur Ashe from Richmond, Virginia, a symbol of courage. He fought [a] segregated south, a very segregated profession, he fought AIDS with dignity and honor, and Caitlyn Jenner put on a dress. I don’t think it’s the same thing.”

“In the last month, we had the media telling us that Caitlyn Jenner was beautiful and that Serena Williams looks like a man,” Hughley said. “That was a little weird to me. The man looks like a woman, but the woman looks like a man. That’s ridiculous. Serena Williams is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen on a tennis court, and Bruce Jenner looks like every P.E. teacher I ever had.”

When asked by TMZ if Caitlyn Jenner looked beautiful, Hughley quipped, “In a, like, ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ way.”

Ouch!

VIDEO: FIFA engaged in pay-for-play scandal

The Federation Internationale De Football Association (FIFA) President Sepp Blatter and former Trinidad & Tobago politico, Jack Warner and all the co-signing countries who went along with the pay-for-play scam that has scarred the most popular international sport in the world, putting integrity and fair play aside for money and power.

VIDEO: Brandon Spikes' car found abandoned on highway and New England Patriots take action without explanation

Ex-New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes, and the New England Patriots are in the What’s The 411Sports Dog House.

Brandon Spikes is in the What’s The 411Sports Dog House because his car, a Mercedes-Benz Maybach, was left abandoned on the median of a Massachusetts roadway. The New England Patriots are in the Dog House because the team released Brandon Spikes seemingly without any knowledge of who actually left the car on the highway median. Additionally, the team was not forthcoming about Spikes’ release.

IRS Chief says FIFA scandal is "World Cup of Fraud"

The biggest sports story on the planet is the corruption charges against 14 present & former executives of FIFA, the world football governing body and its business partners.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), led by newly minted US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and the CIA, brought charges against FIFA just days after longtime FIFA President Sepp Blatter was re-elected. After an initial defiant press conference, Blatter shocked the sports world by resigning on June 2.

The tipping point, it appears, in the brash pay-for-play scandal, was the decision to give the World Cup to Qatar in 2022, which no one could understand. In the end, the whistleblowers took pictures of the envelopes of cash and cooperated with DOJ to generate the long-awaited indictments.

Rickie Fowler Quiets Critic By Winning TPC at Sawgrass

In a week in which professional golfer Rickie Fowler was called underrated by a national sports magazine, he proved the naysayers wrong by winning the Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass.

The “Old Gray Lady” Obviously Can’t See that Serena Williams is a Woman

Ben Rothenberg, a New York Times writer, wrote an article last Thursday, just before the Wimbledon Championships Finals on Saturday, discussing female tennis players’ body types. The essence of the article points to their body image being a balancing act. In addition, Rothenberg goes on to say that Serena's body is not the epitome of feminine beauty but one of masculinity. He goes on to contrast Serena’s body with that of skinny white girls like Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska (who resemble 13-year-old boys).

Radwanska purposely doesn't want to look fit or muscular because "I'm a girl." And Sharapova had the nerve to say she wants to be skinnier, which is a joke because she's barely visible now.

What's critical, from my perspective, is the timing of the article.

I believe some people will try anything to throw Serena off her game so that she does not win the 2015 Wimbledon title. And, more importantly, I believe it is to taint the immeasurable success that Serena Williams would enjoy after her imminent and historic victory.

VIDEO: Glenn Gilliam Tired of Robert Kraft and Tom Brady Dragging Out DeflateGate

I am putting Robert Kraft, owner of the ne patriots and QB Tom Brady on the bench. They are making me sick trying to defend the defenseless and dragging this deflategate on beyond need. Kraft had the nerve to make it sound as if he had some guarantee from Commissioner Goodell to reduce or remove Tom Brady's 4-game suspension, while apologizing to the Patriot fans and Brady. And Brady continues to try and restore something that cannot be restored, the genie is out of the bottle and to insist that you're completely innocent but destroyed your phone knowing the league's interest in seeing it, has guilty written all over it and only New Englanders are buying the BS he's selling. It's offensive and only reminds fans of why this persists and that when it comes to the integrity of the game, New England plays by its own rules.

VIDEO: WTA appears to be biased against Serena Williams

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) goes on the bench because of its rankings and grand slam tournament seeding and draws, especially the current Wimbledon championships, which has loaded Serena Williams' top half of the draw with Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Lucie Safarova, Sloane Stephens and her sister Venus Williams, whom she will play next in the quarter finals.

The on-air analysts and commentators never seem to question the WTA’s grand slam tournament seeding and draws. The tennis media always seem resigned to say well Serena will earn this championship if she can get through. Meanwhile the bottom half of the draw, where Sharapova normally resides, was occupied by defending champion Petra Kvitova until she was unceremoniously ousted by veteran bad girl, Jelena Jankovic.

As two-time US OPEN champ Tracy Austin pointed out, with Petra out, the bottom half of the draw has no major championships, while Serena's top half has 34 grand slam victories and even taking Serena's 20 out, that still leaves 14 major winners. And coincidently, American Madison Keys, is the only black player in the bottom half, while Serena has already played the match of the tournament against Great Britain's own black rising star, Heather Watson and miraculously staging a comeback with Watson’s two points from winning.

Serena will potentially play what would be three finals to get to the finals while her opponents will walk through and only have to produce their best tennis once for a chance at history. And they have the nerve to ask why the sisters pulled out of playing doubles. I don't think the powers that be want Serena to break the all-time record for majors and they definitely don't want her and Venus to meet in the finals.

So, WTA, you’re on the bench!

Women's Tennis Association's Wimbledon Grand Slam Seeding and Draws Seem to be Biased Against Serena Williams

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) goes on the bench because of its rankings and grand slam tournament seeding and draws, especially the current Wimbledon championships, which has loaded Serena Williams' top half of the draw with Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Lucie Safarova, Sloane Stephens and her sister Venus Williams, whom she will play next in the quarter finals.

The on-air analysts and commentators never seem to question the WTA’s grand slam tournament seeding and draws. The tennis media always seem resigned to say well Serena will earn this championship if she can get through. Meanwhile the bottom half of the draw, where Sharapova normally resides, was occupied by defending champion Petra Kvitova until she was unceremoniously ousted by veteran bad girl, Jelena Jankovic.

As two-time US OPEN champ Tracy Austin pointed out, with Petra out, the bottom half of the draw has no major championships, while Serena's top half has 34 grand slam victories and even taking Serena's 20 out, that still leaves 14 major winners. And coincidently, American Madison Keys, is the only black player in the bottom half, while Serena has already played the match of the tournament against Great Britain's own black rising star, Heather Watson and miraculously staging a comeback with Watson’s two points from winning.

Serena will potentially play what would be three finals to get to the finals while her opponents will walk through and only have to produce their best tennis once for a chance at history. And they have the nerve to ask why the sisters pulled out of playing doubles. I don't think the powers that be want Serena to break the all-time record for majors and they definitely don't want her and Venus to meet in the finals.

So, WTA, you’re on the bench!