re: SI attempted to bribe club owner and event promoter ***WITH LINK***

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The Oct. 22 cover story of Sports Illustrated is titled “Trials of the Honey Badger.” In the story, writers Thayer Evans and Pete Thamel document the struggles of former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, including allegations that he promoted a Baton Rouge club, The Palace, in violation of NCAA rules. A promoter for the club, Xavier Williams, not only denies the allegations but also accuses the magazine of bribing him to slander Mathieu for the story. “The guy with Sports Illustrated, he tried to bribe me and also offer me $2,500 just to say things that really didn’t take place,” Williams said in an interview with WBRZ-TV. “He wanted to know if we gave him [Mathieu] free drinks, and we don’t give anyone free drinks. And also he wanted to know if we let them in for free, and I told him no.” In addition, Mathieu hired a law firm last week in an attempt to stop SI’s interview requests, which he said had gotten out of hand. “They called from blocked numbers repeatedly, asking me why I was dodging them,” Mathieu said. “They came to my home and that of my elderly mother on multiple occasions.” Even as the Honey Badger spends 2012 on the sidelines with hopes of returning to LSU next season, he is still creating a stir.

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