Floyd Mayweather Jr's stormy week goes from bad to worse

The American boxer has been doing his best to lower the sport further into the gutter with a tasteless tirade against Manny PacquiaoWhile rape charities and the UK press have been busy condemning David Haye after he claimed his fight against Audley Harrison would be "as one-sided as a gang rape", the US fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr has been doing his best to lower boxing further into the gutter. Not only is he being investigated by police over allegations of assaulting his former partner and swiping a mobile phone, but the row over his racist tirade towards the boxer widely considered the best in the world, Filipino Manny Pacquiao, refuses to die down.There is little love lost between the two fighters, as they've so far failed to agree on a date to fight. That they might meet was clearly in Mayweather's mind, however, in a recent online video."I'm on vacation for about a year," Mayweather said. "As soon as we come off vacation, we're going to cook that little yellow chump. We ain't worried about that. So they ain't gotta worry about me fighting the midget. Once I kick the midget ass, I don't want you all to jump on my dick. So you all better get on the bandwagon now... Once I stomp the midget, I'll make that motherfucker make me a sushi roll and cook me some rice." He then referenced previous claims of drug use saying: "Don't worry, we'll kick 'Poochiao' ass. He's gonna take the urine and blood test," and concluded: "This motherfucker's name is Emmanuel. He got a fake name, taking power pellets."The inevitable furore followed as did an apology, of sorts. "There's nothing but love in my heart... The only thing I want to say is, if anybody who was affected by what I said the other day, I apologise as a man. I apologise." However, The National Federation of Filipino American Associations joined the fray, denouncing the "racist and homophobic rant" which "crossed the line of decency and respectability" and dismissed Mayweather's apology.Meanwhile, Pacquiao tried to play it all down. Writing his column for the Filipino boxing site, Philboxing.com, he wryly noted that he was pleased at the publicity Mayweather was creating for his upcoming fight with Antonio Margarito. Then, addressing the issue with a level-headedness entirely at odds with Mayweather's rant, he refused to respond to racial slurs with "violent and disrespectful statements" and offered "forgiveness and repentance".Comentators everywhere had already condemned Mayweather but, aptly, it fell to ESPN's Jeff MacGregor to sum it all up with the phrase: "He's a bum."It seems the only person left in Floyd's corner is rapper 50 Cent, who took to Twitter to defend the boxer from the assault allegations. "Another case of angry baby mama wanting money... She's claiming he hit her but has no bruises," tweeted "Fiddy". Fiddy's version of what happened to provoke the argument: Floyd "just asked her why the house was so dirty".Mayweather is due to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court on 9 November. ITALYVirtual spectators offer cheaper alternativeA fair few football traditions can be traced back to Arsenal: numbers on the backs of shirts, hooped socks and white balls ? but when they used a painted mural of fans to cover the construction of the new North Bank at Highbury in 1992 few could have thought it would catch on. But Corriere della Sera says the Serie B side Triestina are now following the North London side's lead ? with "virtual" supporters filling the entire Colaussi stand.The club have been having trouble filling their 32,454-seat Stadio Nereo Rocco, so made a decision to shut a whole stand to save money. Club officials have estimated that it will save them over �100,000 in operating costs, and, in order to mask the thousands of empty seats and create a sense of atmosphere, have paid for giant posters depicting celebrating Triestina supporters. With only 3,810 paying fans turning up to watch the team's 1-0 win against Pescara last Sunday, the decision looks like a good one. ARGENTINATaxman ready to spoil Maradona's partyLa Raz�n is keeping an eye on the Italian taxman as plans for Diego Maradona's 50th birthday celebrations are firmed up. The ex-Napoli captain is planning a huge Neapolitan celebration on 30 October, and has asked his former team-mate Salvatore Bagni to arrange a friendly between the 1987 and 1990 title winning Napoli sides. However, the Argentinian owes around �37million (�30.5m) in unpaid tax from his stint in Italy and the authorities are ready to pounce.Bagni has spoken of the possibility, saying: "In the past the taxman confiscated ear-rings, watches etc. This time he [Maradona] should come with nothing." But the tax agency Equitalia responded sternly: "He owes this money and we intend to recover it."Maradona has already invited the whole city to his party, saying: "I want for nothing, and certainly not money." He may now find that claim tested. AUSTRALIADumpgate 2010 stuns Sydney RoostersAustralian Rugby League has been rocked by its second poo scandal in a year. While English football is consumed by a succession of sex stories, the Sydney Morning Herald has revealed that two Sydney Roosters players have been sacked for defecating on tables and the floor of rooms in a Holiday Inn. The hotel cleaner, identified only as Sue, said the rooms were "disgusting, absolutely disgusting" and described the players Sam Brunton and Anthony Gelling as "a little bit feral".Remarkably, it follows just a year after their fellow Roosters player Nate Myles was suspended for six matches and fined $50,000 for roaming a hotel drunk and naked, and defecating in the corridor in an incident dubbed "Dumpgate 09". The addition of the 09 suffix suggests the Aussie press were prepared for a repeat ? perhaps just not so soon.Floyd MayweatherManny PacquiaoBoxingGiles RichardsToby Mosesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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