As hockey fans, we're not really sure what's more offensive about the lawsuits recently filed by roughly 19 current and former NHL players:
1. That Las Vegas-based golf-course mogul Ken Jowdy is alleged to have taken the $25 million they invested for the construction of two Mexican resorts and used it on "lavish parties that included various female porn stars, escorts, strippers [and] party girls," according to the New York Post.
2. Or that Jowdy didn't invite any of the hockey players to these so-called "lavish parties that included various female porn stars, escorts, strippers [and] party girls"; while MLB icons like Roger Clemens and Reggie Jackson allegedly were.
As you can see, these lawsuits are all kinds of sexy.
The players are seeking their investments back along with $15 million in damages. From TMZ.com, the list of NHL players involved in the suit includes:
Michael Peca, Columbus Blue Jackets; Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh Penguins; former New York Islanders and current KHL player Chris Simon; Greg deVries, Nashville Predators; Jay McKee, St. Louis Blues; Darryl Sydor, Dallas Stars; Glen Murray, most recently of the Boston Bruins; as well as former NHLers Jason Woolley, Mattias Norstrom, Vladimir Tsyplakov, Raymond Murray, Bryan Berard, Dimitri Khristich and Jozef Stumpel.
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The NHL investors only learned in May that they may [have] been duped, after Jowdy testified in a separate court case brought by investors in another troubled project. Public records show Jowdy is being sued in Arizona and California. He also faces fraud charges in Mexico, where a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
The larger lawsuit by the NHL stars seek $25 million in damages related to a planned resort in Cabo San Lucas. On that project, Jowdy defaulted and owes money to a PGA star and golf-course designer Phil Mickelson, the suit claims.
The Post reports that Norstrom lost $600,000, while Peca and Berard both lost $700,000. Berard told the paper: "He's taken our money without telling us, and it's supposedly all gone."
The baseball side of the suit has some sexy intrigue, with the Post reporting that Jowdy hired trainer Brian MacNamee, Roger Clemens's Congressional steroid snitch, as a favor to Clemens. Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, alleged in the suit to be one of the "lavish party" goers, already issued a denial to TMZ.
Poor guy. Look at the bright side, Joe: You're the guy denying having partied with porno stripper escorts, when you could be one of the guys that's out $25 million without seeing a single new golf course, Mexican luxury resort or porno stripper escort for his investment.
More about this story from The Sporting Blog, Deadspin and the NY Daily News, which had this bit from the defendant:
The players said they learned they'd been hoodwinked when Jowdy gave an under-oath deposition in a lawsuit against Phillip Kenner, an unlicensed Arizona financial adviser accused of scamming other NHL players out of millions.
Jowdy said the Cabo golf course is on target to be completed in the fall, and he showed The News photos of several completed greens.
"We're building one of the nicest golf courses in the world," Jowdy said.
Hey, and only seven years behind schedule. Thanks to Cody Haggerty for the original tip.