According to a federal lawsuit filed by Rodriguez in Pennsylvania, he says he was accepted into the elite Drive for Diversity program back in 2005 — a program designed to “provide opportunities for female and minority drivers.”

But when he showed up to the combine, NASCAR made him feel “unwelcome” because he has fair skin and light blue eyes.

During the combine, Rodriguez claims he suffered a head injury 20 minutes before his first race but was cleared by doctors. He says he still wasn’t allowed to drive and then he allegedly heard race officials comparing him to members of the KKK.

The next year, Rodriguez claims he once again applied for the D for D event but he says that, during the selection meeting, his photo was placed on an overhead projector and an official said “he is the poster boy for the Ku Klux Klan and we can’t have him at the combine.” Rodriguez says he wasn’t accepted into the combine that year or in 2007.

He’s suing NASCAR and a marketing company for an undisclosed amount.

Now, he finds himself involved in a new legal matter, a lawsuit filed by the lawyers who represented him back in ‘07. The Russ August & Kabat law firm claims Joe Bryant never paid them the $76,520.78 he owes for the work they did in the Sparks case.

The law firm is suing for the balance due plus interest. Pocket change to Kobe, apparently an issue for his dad though.

In the lawsuit, actually filed by a company run by Shaq, the basketball star claims the businessman tried to shut down Shaq’s hilarious ESPN commercial, in which he goes to the desert, finds the Shaqtus, and refuses to let anyone else touch it. ESPN ignored the man’s demands but Shaq has now taken matters into his own hands.

But according to the court papers, the defendant argues that Shaq consented to his use of the Shaqtus because Shaq once took a photo with a guy and autographed a shirt for him. Without knowing more about the legal claims and requirements for trademark infringement and squatting, this seems like an interesting case. But the guy sounds a little kooky.

According to the U.S. Attorney, Arenas’s problems started during a chartered flight on December 19, when Arenas and a fellow Washington Wizards teammate became “involved in a verbal exchange following a card game.” During the spat, Arenas — who claims it was just a joke — and the teammate made “mutual threats to shoot one another.”

The U.S. Attorney says two days later, Arenas brought four firearms to the Verizon Center. Prosecutors claim that Arenas “placed the firearms on the chair of a teammate with a note stating, reportedly in jest, “PICK 1.’” When the teammate arrived, Arenas stated, “You said you were going to shoot me, so I thought you would like some firepower. Pick One.”

After this, Arenas admitted to team management that he brought the firearms from his home in Virginia and that the teammate also had a gun.

The investigation of the reported possession of a firearm by the teammate is ongoing, according to the U.S. Attorney. Media has widely reported that the other teammate involved was Javaris Crittendon. The court documents do not identify him by name, pending conclusion of the investigation.

Ken Wainstein, a lawyer for Gilbert Arenas, said afterward that Gilbert “accepted full responsibility for his actions, acknowledged that those actions were wrong and against the law, and has apologized to all who have been affected by his conduct.”

A rep for the Wizards released a statement that says, “Gilbert Arenas has been a cornerstone of the Washington Wizards for six years. We are deeply saddened and disappointed in his actions that have led to the events of this afternoon. Gilbert used extremely poor judgment and is ultimately responsible for his own actions.”

Arenas is due back in court on March 26 for sentencing.

In the court documents, Lopez alleges that she and Shaq have had an intimate relationship since 2004, though they have known each other longer than that. She claims that Shaq told her that he wanted to have a child with her repeatedly during their relationship. In September of 2009, when Lopez told Shaq that her period was late though, he allegedly reacted negatively and accused her of sleeping with someone else.

Lopez alleges that she was upset by his response and, even after he apologized, she asked Shaq to leave her alone – even threatening to tell his wife if he didn’t. She claims that, within minutes of this threat, she was contacted by Shaq’s sisters who left her threatening messages. Her petition takes pains to point out that Shaq’s sisters are 6′6″ and 6′8″ tall.

She says that Shaq flooded her phone with texts and messages over October and November, forcing her to hire an attorney to send him a cease and desist letter. She claims that he ignored the attorney’s letter and continued to harass her through December.

Other allegations in the lawsuit include claims that Shaq hacked her mobile phone, intercepted her messages and sent an associate by plane from California to threaten her.

Lopez says she “fears that someone is after her … I want to feel safe again.”

Back in 2007, Lopez reported to Lake Mary, Florida police that she was being harassed by the brother of another basketball player and former boyfriend, J.J. Redick. Police indicated that David Redick called Lopez and said he would leave her alone “when she leaves J.J. alone.”

Back in 2006, then-Boston Celtics player Delonte West called hotel security on Lopez, claiming she refused to leave his Orlando hotel room. Police were called to the room — where Lopez, according to the police report, then accused West of making unwanted sexual advances toward her.

West acknowledged that he had slept with Lopez in the past — but claimed he never hit on her that night. West said Lopez tried to seduce him — but he rejected her because he had another woman coming over. Police ultimately removed Lopez from the premises.

In 2007, Lopez reportedly had a one-night stand with another NBA star, Kenyon Martin. She then allegedly rifled through his wallet and used his credit card to purchase several thousands of dollars of clothing without Martin’s permission.

Shaq is in the midst of a divorce. Shocking.

This morning, Williams went to court and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated assault. He apparently agreed to serve at least 18 months in prison.

The plea seems like a good idea for all (save Christofi and his surviving family, I guess). Prosecutors didn’t have a bang-up case, as evidenced by the hung jury last time around. This way, they got a conviction for something, a little culpability.

And Williams has been spiraling out of control for a while. In the last year alone, he was tasered by cops after destroying a hotel room while allegedly suicidal; faced divorce court; was arrested for a bar fight in North Carolina and was, most recently, charged with DUI.

It was time for Williams for stop running from his problems.

Williams, whose vehicle careened into a tree just off the 20th Street exit of FDR Drive, was in the passenger seat of his black Mercedes when cops arrived on scene — but witnesses say he was driving and officers said no one else was in the car.

Jayson was taken to Bellevue Hospital with minor injuries. Williams is currently in the midst of a divorce and is awaiting retrial for the 2002 manslaughter shooting death of his driver.

Arenas and Crittenton are being interviewed by law enforcement. The prosecutor will then call the Wizards’ coach and a member of the Verizon Center security staff, as well as investigating officers to testify before a federal grand jury. After considering the evidence, the grand jury will decide whether to charge either or both players.

Charges could include weapons charges and assault. Both players have denied that the incident was serious.

Kimberly Shpeley filed suit in Erie County, New York, alleging that Lynch was drunk while driving his Porsche Cayenne in Buffalo at 3:30 AM on May 31, 2008 and that struck her as she was attempting to cross the street.

Lynch was not charged with DUI but pleaded guilty to “failure to exercise due care toward a pedestrian”, paying a $100 fine. Shpeley claims severe personal injuries and unspecified monetary damages.