NFL's Sean Taylor dies of gunshot wound

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor died Tuesday, a day after he was shot by "an intruder who forcibly entered his residence," Miami police said.
Sean Taylor never regained consciousness after being taken to a hospital, says his ex-attorney.

Police said in a statement that Taylor, 24, died at 3:30 a.m. at a Miami hospital and they were treating the case as a homicide.
"The blood loss was too much. He didn't make it," said Taylor's former attorney, Richard Sharpstein, on CNN's "American Morning."
Many of Taylor's fans "loved him because [of] the way he played football," said his father, Florida City Police Chief Pedro Taylor, in a statement to the news media. Watch fans mourn Taylor's death »
"Many of his opponents feared him, the way he approached the game. Others misunderstood him, many appreciated him and his family loved him. I can only hope and pray that Sean's life was not in vain that it might touch others in a special way," Chief Taylor said.
His father said funeral arrangements would be announced soon, while a makeshift memorial was already sprouting up outside the Redskins Park, where fans have been leaving flowers and other mementoes.
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Team owner Daniel Snyder called Taylor's killing "the worst imaginable tragedy."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Sean's family," Snyder said in a statement.
The Redskins will paint Taylor's jersey number, "21," in a grassy area on the road leading into Redskins Park, and his number will be painted outside the Redskins Hall of Fame store at FedExField.
Sharpstein said that from the time of the attack, Taylor never regained consciousness.
"There was a brief moment where a nurse felt him squeeze her hand but that was false hope," the attorney said.
He called Taylor's death "completely tragic and unnecessary violence" and said he would be sorely missed.
"People loved him and he will be long missed by many, many people -- not just his fans, but the family and friends that knew him well," Sharpstein said.
At 1:45 a.m. Monday, a woman identified as Taylor's girlfriend called 911 and said someone had been shot. Taylor was airlifted to Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Sharpstein said Taylor's girlfriend told police what happened as she was hiding under bedcovers during the attack. Watch Sharpstein describe Taylor's death »
Sean Taylor
· Born: April 1, 1983
· High School: Gulliver Prep, Miami
· Father: Pedro Taylor, Florida City, Florida, police chief
· Daughter: Jackie, 1 year
· 2003 All-American, University of Miami
· First round, fifth pick 2004 NFL draft
· Fined at least seven times for NFL infractions
· Played in 2006 Pro Bowl
· Reputation as one of hardest NFL hitters

Source: AP, NFL
"Sean was awakened with his girlfriend and 18-month old baby," Sharpstein said. There were "noises, thumps in the living room." Taylor "got up and locked the bedroom door. Before he could do anything, the door was kicked in and two shots were fired -- one hit him in the leg, one went into the wall."
Taylor "was on the floor, non-responsive, bleeding out and chest heaving, eyes rolled back and he was pretty much gone from that point on," Sharpstein said.
Taylor's girlfriend "tried to call 911 and it's unclear whether the phone lines were cut or the phone was broken or off or unplugged or turned off," said Sharpstein. "She had to use her cell phone to eventually call 911."
"Whether this was a purposeful action in taking Sean's life or in shooting him or whether it was a burglary gone awry, the police are still investigating those circumstances," Sharpstein said.
The attorney said Taylor was home unexpectedly due to an injury, and "no one expected him there."
"I think he was surprised or they were surprised to find him there," Sharpstein said.
Lt. Nancy Perez with the Miami-Dade Police Department said investigators were looking for an "unknown suspect."
Taylor's home also was reported broken into eight days earlier on November 18, according to Miami-Dade police.
During that incident, someone forced open a window and left a kitchen knife on a bed, according to the police report. Several drawers and a bedroom safe had been searched during the break-in, the report said.
No one knows whether the first invasion is related to Monday's attack, Sharpstein said. "It is a high probability that it was the same people or some related people that returned."
According to the police report, Taylor's mother reported the break-in, saying it occurred while the house was empty. Police found a window pried open, but could not confirm if anything was missing.
Observers searching for a motive for his killing put Taylor's police record under renewed scrutiny. In 2005, he was arrested after he was accused of waving a gun at people he believed were stealing his all-terrain vehicles, according to Sharpstein.
"He got into fisticuffs, but no gun," Sharpstein said.
After originally being charged with aggravated assault, Taylor pleaded to a misdemeanor battery in the case, Sharpstein said. A civil suit stemming from the case remains open. "There's still a lot of open ends to that," he said.
Redskins coach Joe Gibbs called the incident a "tragedy" and said neither he nor the team had "experienced anything like this."
Taylor spent four years with the Redskins and was recovering from a sprained right knee at the time of the attack. He didn't play in Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which the Redskins lost 19-13.
Taylor was a first-round pick in the 2004 draft, according to his team's Web site. He played at the University of Miami, where he was an All-American in 2003. He had been a high school standout in the city.
Dubbing him as "the prototype NFL free safety" the Redskins credited Taylor's team-leading tackling prowess for sending him to his first Pro Bowl after 2006.
He was regarded as one of the hardest hitting players in the league. Taylor recorded 257 tackles (206 solo) during his brief career, two sacks and seven interceptions, according to the team Web site

Dr. Adams Won't Talk, Neither Will Oprah

SEE VIDEO CLIPThe doctor who operated on Kanye West's mom the day before she died bailed on Larry King last night, but his reasons for walking off the set don't add up.

TMZ has broken story after story, showing Dr. Adams has had multiple malpractice lawsuit filed against him, sexual battery allegations, three DUIs and a domestic violence restraining order.
The director of the Medical Board of California is currently going after his license.

So when Dr. Adams told Larry King the West family didn't want him talking, in reality he had plenty to talk about that did not involve Dr. Donda West.

And speaking of not talking, TMZ has been hounding Oprah, NBC and Discovery Health for more than a week, asking if they did background checks before putting Dr. Adams on the air. If they did, they would have discovered -- for starters -- that he's not a board certified plastic surgeon.

Oprah's company and NBC, which featured Dr. Adams on "The Other Half," have been completely unresponsive -- not a word. Discovery Health, which put Dr. Adams in a starring role in a plastic surgery series, finally responded yesterday claiming they did a background check but refused to say what it turned up.

Tyson in Jail And in Pink!

Mike Tyson checked himself into Arizona's infamous Tent City Jail to serve his one-day sentence on drug charges. The jail is an open-fair facility located near a dog pound and junkyard where inmates wear jail-issue pink underwear and striped jumpsuits. Pink should really bring out the color in his crazy eyes!
The former boxing champ plead guilty in September to one count of felony cocaine possession and one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence. He'll be on probation for three years.

Here's a compilation of funny/outrageous iron mike tyson interviews & spots on tv.


CHECK OUT THIS COMPILATION OF TYSON KO'S

R. Kelly Boots Ne-Yo from Tour

More drama unfolds with R. Kelly as R&B singer Ne-Yo was suddenly removed from Kelly's latest tour. Kelly's camp cited the lack of a signed contract as the reason for Ne-Yo getting dumped.

Ne-Yo's camp issued a press release about the incident earlier this week, saying Ne-Yo "expressed genuine concern regarding not having the opportunity to complete the tour."

Kelly has been known to have tour trouble. In 2004, he and Jay-Z's conjoined tour came to a halt after Kelly was blasted with pepper spray by a member of Jay-Z's entourage. Jay later said that R. Kelly was a weepy, emotional wreck, prone to crying fits during the duration of their tour. Just recently, Kelly's longtime publicist resigned, citing serious "lines being crossed" as the cause of the split. Somebody is a straight-up diva -- and it ain't Ne-Yo!

KANYE SPEAKS OUT during Concert

Kanye West LIVE onstage at Brussels, Belgium on 18/11/2007 talking about the passing of his mother, his emotion and the media.
Dedicates the song Don't Stop believing by Journey

Vick surrenders, jailed before sentencing on dogfighting charge

Michael Vick surrendered to U.S. marshals Monday and will remain in jail until his sentencing on a dogfighting charge in three weeks.

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 10 on the federal dogfighting conspiracy charge, but turned himself in because he was anticipating a prison term, according to a court document. Vick could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.

"From the beginning, Mr. Vick has accepted responsibility for his actions, and his self-surrender further demonstrates that acceptance," Billy Martin, one of Vick's lawyers, said in a statement. "Michael wants to again apologize to everyone who has been hurt in this matter, and he thanks all of the people who have offered him and his family prayers and support during this time."

Vick is being held at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw until his sentencing, U.S. marshals told The Associated Press. The mixed-gender facility houses about 450 inmates.

The order filed in U.S. District Court said "Vick has indicated his desire to voluntarily enter custody prior to his sentencing hearing. It appearing appropriate to do so, the U.S. Marshal is ordered to take custody of the Defendant immediately upon his surrender."

The order added that Vick was taken into custody "based solely on his desire to begin his period of incarceration prior to his sentencing hearing and not because of violation of any condition of his bond."

In an e-mail sent to the AP, the U.S. attorney's office confirmed Vick's surrender but declined further comment.

Vick's decision to begin serving time before sentencing was approved by the judge and Vick's lawyers.

The federal dogfighting case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick's cousin raided the property Vick owns in Surry County and seized dozens of dogs, most of them pit bulls, and equipment associated with dogfighting.

It's there that the dogfighting enterprise known as Bad Newz Kennels operated since 2001 on 15 acres of land Vick owned.

Vick initially denied any knowledge of the enterprise, then pledged after he was charged that he would fight to clear his name. After his three co-defendants pleaded guilty, Vick followed suit.

The gruesome details outlined in the federal indictment - dogs were hanged, drowned and electrocuted - fueled a public backlash against the Falcons star and cost him several lucrative endorsement deals, even before he agreed to plead guilty to the dogfighting conspiracy charge.

In his written plea, Vick admitted helping kill six to eight pit bulls and supplying money for gambling on the fights. He said he did not personally place any bets or share in any winnings, but merely associating with gambling can result in a lifetime ban under the NFL's personal conduct policy.

Vick and his co-defendants also face state felony dogfighting charges. Vick has been charged with two state felony counts - beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting. Each felony is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Suspended indefinitely by the NFL without pay, Vick was unable to stay out of trouble. He tested positive in September for marijuana, a violation of U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson's order that he stay clean in exchange for being allowed to be free.

After that positive test, Hudson ordered Vick confined to his home address between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., with electronic monitoring and random drug testing

Kanye Breaks Down On Stage

Kanye West broke into tears last night while attempting to perform the song "Hey Mama" at a concert in Paris.



In a video posted on YouTube today, Kanye can be seen holding his hands over his face and just standing in the middle of the stage as the band began to play the song. Eventually a few band members came to console him. The crowd can be heard chanting his name over and over again.

West left the stage, but eventually returned to perform the song "Stronger" with the audience yelling out their support. He is expected to return to the U.S. for his mother's funeral, taking place on Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

"Kramer's" Racist Tirade -- Has It Been a Year Already?

Where has the time gone?
It's been 365 days since Michael Richards, previously best known playing Cosmo Kramer on the hit TV show "Seinfeld," unleashed a verbal assault on a heckler at the Laugh Factory that featured the repeated use of the "N" word. (WATCH THE FULL VIDEO HERE)
Yesterday, the Laugh Factory "celebrated" the anniversary with a press conference at the club. Though it was promoted that Michael Richards would be there, he was not.

Perhaps he wanted to acknowledge this day in his own special way.

Donda West's Doctor found to be FRAUD!!

The doctor who performed surgery on Kanye West's mother was booked on some big TV shows, but it appears none of the producers knew about his malpractice suits, allegations of sexual battery and physical assault, DUI convictions and pending disciplinary action before the Medical Board of California.

It took three hours for us to turn up the goods on Dr. Adams. So why were Oprah, Discovery Health, NBC and others in the dark? We asked for comment. Watch the piece that aired tonight nd judge for yourself.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO

O.J. Will Go to Trial!

After four hours of deliberating, Justice of the Peace Joseph Bonaventure has decided that O.J. Simpson, along with two other co-defendants, will stand trial for twelve criminal counts associated with armed robbery. The counts include robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy, kidnapping and burglary.

The other three co-defendants in the case have all testified against O.J. and have accepted plea deals. Simpson has plead not guilty.
READ FULL STORY HERE

Donda's Surgeon -- I'm the Victim of "Sleaze"

Plastic surgeon Dr. Jan Adams has told TMZ that he was the doctor who performed cosmetic surgery on Kanye West's mother Donda before she died.

Dr. Adams told reporters her death, which followed a tummy tuck and breast reduction, was unforeseen and could have been caused by a heart attack, pulmonary embolism, or massive vomiting.

Dr. Adams tells us West consulted with him over a period of four months. He says she changed her mind numerous times, sometimes greenlighting the surgery and sometimes halting it.

As for the report that Beverly Hills doctor Andre Aboolian refused to conduct the surgery because of a medical condition that West had, Dr. Adams said of Dr. Aboolian, "He is sleazy and manipulating the truth to elevate his own importance."

Dr. Adams says he did nothing wrong.

Donda West Warned About Surgery

Report indicate that just weeks before Donda West died, a plastic surgeon refused to perform procedures on her because of a health condition that could have led to a heart attack.

We've learned Beverly Hills physician, Dr. Andre Aboolian, was set to perform a tummy tuck and breast reduction on Ms. West, but told her she needed to get clearance from an internist whom Dr. Aboolian recommended. We're told West never went to that doctor, and subsequently had the procedures performed -- but not by Dr.

Rapper Kanye West's Mother Dies

Donda West, mother of Kanye West and former chairwoman of Chicago State University's English department, has died, a spokesman for the rapper said. She was 58.
Donda West died Saturday night in Los Angeles, said the spokesman, who asked for anonymity because not all family members had been notified.
"The family respectfully asks for privacy during this time of grief," the spokesman said.
A cause of death has not been released.
Donda West was known for the strong bond she shared with her son, by whose side she was often seen at parties and award shows.
Kanye West, 30, often spoke of his close relationship with his mother, who raised him alone after her husband left when Kanye was 3.
She was the inspiration for the song, "Hey Mama," on Kanye West's 2005 album "Late Registration," in which he sings: "Hey Mama, I wanna scream so loud for you, cuz I'm so proud of you ... I appreciate what you allowed for me. I just want you to be proud of me."
Donda West frequently defended her son against critics who accused him of penning misogynistic lyrics and other purported transgressions.
"I support my baby," she said in a Chicago Sun-Times interview. "He is telling how he feels and he is speaking the truth as he sees it."
In May, she published the book "Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Star," in which she paid homage to her famous son.
Donda West served as chief executive of West Brands LLC, the parent company of her son's business enterprises, and as chairwoman of the Kanye West Foundation, an educational nonprofit that works to decrease dropout rates and improve literacy.
Kanye West told the Associated Press in August that he and his mother worked together to devise the foundation's first program, "Loop Dreams," which helps public school students get involved in music.
"Me and my mother were discussing ways to give back and came up with the concept," he said.
Donda West worked in higher education for 31 years, before leaving academia in 2004 to help manage her son's career, according to a biography on the Kanye West Foundation's Web site.
She began working at Chicago State University in 1980 and eventually chaired the school's English department, according to the site.
She started her teaching career in the early 1970s as an instructor at Brown College in Atlanta.
Kanye West's writing partner Rhymefest lamented Donda West's death Sunday in an appearance on Chicago radio station WCGI.
"She was everyone's mom," Rhymefest said. "A spirit never dies, a spirit lasts forever."
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Associated Press Music Writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody in New York and AP writer Sophia Tareen in Chicago contributed to this report.