Mirage Casino Sues LaMont Jordan for $20K Gambling Debt

Here's to hoping LaMont Jordan makes the Denver Broncos roster. New head coach Josh McDaniels brought in just about every available free agent running back this offseason to compete for a handful of spots.

And in light of the recent news that the Mirage hotel and casino in Las Vegas has sued Jordan over allegations that he owes them $20,000 in gambling debts, well, he could probably use the steady paycheck.

Via the Las Vegas Sun:

The suit, filed in Clark County District Court, says that on June 26 and June 27, 2008, Jordan signed six check-like negotiable gaming debt instruments. They were for $1,000, $4,000, $6,000 and three more for $3,000 apiece.

But when The Mirage presented them to Bank of America, three were returned marked "unable to locate account" and three more were returned marked "not sufficient funds."

Who knows, maybe this is all a big misunderstanding. For the sake of argument, let's say it's not. Here's my question: do athletes ever get away with this? I mean, has a professional athlete ever outsmarted any large corporation when large sums of money are involved (Alex Smith's contract with the 49ers doesn't count)? Nothing comes to mind. In which case it makes me wonder why it keeps happening.

Okay, not really. I know why -- people are stupid -- but despite my cracks about Jordan needing the dough, he signed a five-year, $27.5 million deal with the Raiders in 2005. (And knowing Oakland, the whole thing was guaranteed.) Presumably, he can spare 20 grand.

Silver lining: Jordan's better off than former Broncos running backs Travis Henry and Maurice Clarett. Gambling debts > cocaine trafficking > holding up a bar followed by a high-speed chase. It's all relative.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

8-07-2009 @ 12:38PM

E said...

Probably should switch the ">" signs the other way to better make your point about Jordan being better off.

> = greater than
< = lesser than

8-07-2009 @ 7:05PM

txksurges said...

He is using the symbol to mean "leading to" or "followed by". Its an arrowhead, not as the math symbol. First he had gambling debts, then he was trafficking cocaine, after that he held up a bar and was in a high speed chase.

8-07-2009 @ 12:50PM

NightFire said...

Thinking the same as E here. Apparently Wilson isn't good at math. :P

8-07-2009 @ 3:41PM

ryan said...

I was actually using '>' to mean 'better than.' That works, right?

8-07-2009 @ 10:59PM

ktrose51782nh said...

That's how I read it

8-07-2009 @ 3:06PM

chilco said...

HOPE & CHANGE

8-07-2009 @ 3:43PM

gonzo1 said...

typicaln our socity these days ..... somebody trying to get something for nothing . did lamont jordan go to college ? if so colleges are dumbed down further than i imagined . what a pea brain.

8-07-2009 @ 4:04PM

Jan A. Niles said...

I'm holding my nose now when I read these NFL stories.

8-07-2009 @ 5:47PM

reneepns4 said...

Why do people continue to waste money on gambling. If you want to grow your money why not invest into something that could actually pay off.

8-07-2009 @ 7:36PM

mluptak said...

people,with the exception of professional gamblers don't expect to make money gambling.. they do it for the rush.. making a good play with cards or seeing a longshot horse come from behind is much more of a rush than hoping your mutual fund with gain an extra percent for the year... just because somebody gambles doesn't mean they don't invest something either....

8-08-2009 @ 12:01PM

lucky138 said...

That all true reneepns4. But what do you say to those people that were millionaire's based on investments and are now broke? Especially the woman that is now cleaning hotels and was a millionaire before she found out her investor was crooked along with many others. A chance is sometimes just that, a chance. No different than gambling is gambling. You just pray for the best.

8-07-2009 @ 6:38PM

earsstinks said...

TYPICAL! YAWN.BLING,BLING,BLING.BROKE.

8-07-2009 @ 7:29PM

Bruce said...

Why should this idiot even have a CHANCE to play for an NFL team? Passing bad checks is a FEDERAL OFFENSE, people-- he should be considering how much time he will be spending in the SLAMMER, not how much playing time he is going to get!

8-07-2009 @ 6:39PM

IN SIX MONTHS HE WILL BE PART OF THE DESERT.wink,wink !

8-07-2009 @ 8:13PM

blakewelding said...

He better stick to football.............or learn how to count to 21.....

8-07-2009 @ 8:30PM

stephis352001 said...

Is that Fred Sanford's son LaMont, a.k.a. Big Dummy?

8-07-2009 @ 8:35PM

richrokosz said...

Maybe we need to pay professional athlete's more.

8-07-2009 @ 8:38PM

rybalaw said...

I thought the casinos killed people for less than that. That may be a thing of the past.

8-07-2009 @ 10:23PM

eztotouchme said...

It's in the attitude that comes with signing those big contracts. All of a sudden, these players think they're bigger than life itself. Most of them aren't like this and find a way to live within the life styles they lived before. Bigger houses, more property to keep the lingering fans out. Aside from that, they live well within themselves. Then you always find the ones that have to walk the line. They give the rest of them a black eye. I'm sure this guy has that attitude no one really likes. Well, maybe Mike Vick would want to hang out with him.