[Seattle, November 8. Image via Getty]

SEATTLE - NOVEMBER 08: A Seattle Seahawks fan watches the game against the Detroit Lions on November 8, 2009 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks defeated the Lions 32-20. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

[Philadelphia, September 20. Image via Getty]

PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 20: Fans of the Philadelphia Eagles cheer during a game against the New Orleans Saints during their game at Lincoln Financial Field on September 20, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

• Michelle Obama may have skipped the CFDAs, but she'll celebrate the National Design Awards at the White House on July 24. The winners, chosen by the Smithsonian and including Francisco Costa, will participate in events around Washington. [WWD]

• The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving Chicago apparel manufacturer American Needle and the National Football League. American Needle contends that the league ran afoul of antitrust laws when its 32 teams canceled their individual apparel licenses to manufacture exclusively with Reebok in 2001; the NHL says that it is, in fact, a single entity entitled to do business with whomever it likes. [Breitbart]
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection had a banner week, seizing $10 million worth of counterfeit goods. Six different intercepted shipments included fake Nike sneakers, fake Coach bags, fake Gucci shoes, and fake Louis Vuitton purses. [WWD]
• Victoria Beckham is bringing in an all-new team to design and produce her dVb denim line ahead of its relaunch, expected for next year. "Victoria makes out she's hands-on, but she doesn't sit there cutting patterns," explains an anonymous friend. Not that there was much misunderstanding on that count. [Daily Mail]
• Ed Westwick — from that show about high schoolers with credit cards — posed for K Swiss shoes, and boy does he talk about the experience as one itching to be re-hired! "They know who they are," the actor said of the company, before casually mentioning that he'd just love to do another campaign. [WWD]
• Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy talked to New York about his Spring 09 couture collection, and his just-presented Resort 09 collection. Tisci, who ascended to his position five years ago, at the age of 28, calls himself the youngest couturier in history, despite the fact that both Yves Saint Laurent, who took the reins at Christian Dior at the age of 21, and Hubert de Givenchy himself, who founded his namesake line at 25 back in 1952, were younger. [The Cut]
• Model Chanel Iman's inability to distinguish between "their" and "there" has not hampered her ability to snag an internship at Teen Vogue. In a sweet touch of near-authenticity, the Condé Nasties had her clean out the styling closet. [Twitter]
• Urban Outfitters now sells its clothes via mobile phone, for those occasions when you yearn to smell of Vincent Gallo's ballsweat and early 90s desperation, but can't find your way to a store or a computer. [WWD]
• Of course American Apparel would market its new bedding with a bunch of "Oh hai Dov, this your bed? Tee hee!" shots. [AmApp]
• In other news of products that signal the apocalypse, you can now buy an Oscar de la Renta dress for your three-year-old. [W]
• These fashion-show-throwing Manhattan middle schoolers, on the other hand, seem self-sufficient enough to never be heard wailing, "But Mommy I want an Oscar noooooooow!" [Reuters]
• Valentino's owner, the U.K. private-equity firm Permira, is in talks with the fashion house's primary creditors to relax the terms of its €2.5 billion debt. Permira bought Valentino for €5.3 billion in 2007, when such buy-outs — and the easy credit they were financed with — were common. Head designer Valentino Garavani retired within months of the deal, and the house has struggled to express a coherent creative vision since his departure. [ToL]
• Madonna's wholesale transformation of her boy-toy, Jesus Luz, into a real runway model is proceeding apace. After his exclusive appearance on the Dolce & Gabbana runway for Milan's men's wear week, he headed to Paris — unburdened by any exclusive deal — and promptly racked up a spot in Givenchy's lineup. His outfit included studded gladiator sandals, harem pants, and a very busy floral/plaid shirt. [The Cut]
• Esteban Cortazar and Mounir Moufarrige, the C.E.O. of the house of Ungaro, continue to do the will-they-won't-they dance around rumors of designer Cortazar's departure. Cortazar was at the Ungaro men's wear show in Paris and, when asked about his differences with management, said "For now I am here." Moufarrige, for his part, when asked if he would be retaining Cortazar's services into the future, said, "He's here," and pointed at the runway. [WWD]
• The rumor that Pierre Cardin's Chinese shoe and leather goods licensee was in talks to take over the French brand outright has been denied by both Pierre Cardin and the shoemaker. [Reuters]
• American retailers just can't catch a break. If it's not the recession, the rising unemployment rate, or the precipitous drop in consumer spending, it's the risk of tornadoes and unseasonal torrential rain keeping the customers from their stores. [WWD]
• Versace saw a 13.4% decline in revenue during the first quarter of this year, but its sales results were stronger during the months of May and June, company chairman Santo Versace reported. [Reuters]
• Maybe part of the reason that Aéropostale is outperforming competitors like Abercrombie & Fitch to such a large degree is due to the fact that the company spends 80% of its marketing budget online, online being where most of its customers are? [WWD]

• The Pussycat Dolls are launching a clothing line for La Senza. It's underwear...or is it? [The Sun]
• Fashion "designer" Lauren Conrad knows her demo: sorority sisters! [NY Magazine]
• Gwen Stefani and those four hapless Harajuku girls will be in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Presumably their float will trail hers. [Racked]
• Chicago suiter makes hay: “Dressing Presidential. Pick Your Power Suit. President-elect Barack Obama Found His at Hart Schaffner Marx.” [WWD]

• Oh dear. Word is, Lucky is laying off editors. [Portfolio]
• Dame Vivienne Westwood's 'Chaos Point' show introduced her Gold Label line, raised money for environmental concerns. [ElleUK]
• Speaking of charity...here are the Dame's recessionista tips: “Women should try on their husband’s jackets and even boxer shorts for size as outer wear...Wearing political badges is also a great look and kerchiefs worn as knickers can be fun for the disco or beach. You can also tie tablecloths or even blankets around yourself to look good." [Daily Express]
• Plumes, Sarah Stein's new study of feathers —- and, by extension, of course, the fortunes of the millinery industry — is on our eccentric Christmas list. [WSJ]
• The NFL Shop is courting women. Seemingly, Jessica Simpson has failed to start a trend in skintight jerseys. [BrandWeek]
• Are we the only ones who find the Times' vicarious "critical shopper" column a despair? Especially when the clothes are as rad as these Oscar de la Rentas... [New York Times]
• Ralph Lauren donates $13 million towards the restoration of the Smithsonian's anthem-inspiring 200-year-old Old Glory. Well, he's made a lot of money off the stars and stripes; nice to give back. [USA Today]
• Do people still wear Docs? And would those people wear special-edition Raf Simons docs? [WWD]
• Cautious Burberry cuts costs. [WSJ]
• The drama of shopping H&M's new line! [Village Voice]
• Doll porn: "Nearly 90 dolls dressed by top designers were displayed at the Mini Palais in Paris Monday night ahead of an auction benefiting UNICEF. While most dolls were decked out sumptuous evening gowns by Lanvin or Oscar de la Renta, others were slipped into colorful and comfortable frocks, like Christian Lacroix’s freestyle patchwork. Chantal Thomass went cubist, making hers entirely with Ladurée pastry boxes." [WWD]
• A counterfeit bag plot thickens: is the mob involved? (The Godfather: Gucci edition.) [UPI]
• Designer Roksanda Ilinic: "When I go to the countryside or on a skiing holiday, I am always horribly under-equipped - I wear high heels when everyone else is in ski boots...It's a terrible mistake, but I can't say it won't happen again." Minus the part about holidays, skiing, and heels, we can totes relate! [VogueUK]

[Image via The Sun]

[Photo via Right Fielders.]

"i know that you are not going to beliewhat i have to say especially after satterday night but when i got your e-mail today i laughed a first but then it started to sink in and my heart started to break as i read over your words.

"i realize that i have [messed] up and I want to talk to you about being with you and how i can make it up to you. this is not a joke i want to have you in my arms and know that you are mine and ythat nothing that i have done or [a friend] has said caould ever change the way that i feel about you. when i think back to the night that i spent with you by ourselves i wish that i would have done one thing and that is, i wish i would have put ... "

Stevens then describes, in explicit terms, an anal-sex act he wanted to do to her. He closes with: "you whore dont ever utter my name again."

So at this point it probably wouldn't surprise you that someone like Jerramy Stevens was accused of drugging a virgin sorority girl and anally-raping her in the alley next to a frat house. It probably also wouldn't surprise you that aiding him in this effort, directly aiding the cause of clemency for Jerramy in this crime, were the University of Washington Athletic director Barbara Hedges, then-head coach Rick Neuheisel, current head coach Keith Gilbertson, the University of Washington legal department — who fought to get the accuser's name released in the civil aftermath after the rape case was dismissed — King County prosecutors Norm Maleng, Dan Satterberg and Mark Larson, and lawyer and loyal UW football fan Mike Hunsinger, who represented Husky teammates in many cases for pennies on the billable hour.

And finally, it probably also wouldn't surprise you that most of these people had the same reasons for maintaining "reasonable doubt" for Jerramy: Girls are gold-diggers, groupies, looking for attention; as if there is no other reason for the existence of women, no other source of affirmation for them, than perpetuating that mythic higher caste occupied by men whose raw, caveman-like aggression keeps the fans in the seats, the donors sending checks, the Fortune 500 companies shelling out a million for thirty second spots, and the wheels of the economy in motion.

The story of Jerramy Steens reminded Anna of a Joan Didion story in an early '90s issue of the New Yorker on a rapist group of Orange County high school football players, the Spur Posse. As explanation for his son's "unlawful sexual intercourse" with one or more girls, one father proffered (and yes she looked this up):

These girls pre-planned these things. They wanted to be looked on favorably, they wanted to be part of the clique. They wanted to be, hopefully, the girlfriends of these studs on campus.

When prosecutors decided not to charge Stevens, Neuheisel and Hedges agreed that Stevens should not be disciplined. Neuheisel's test was this: If a player embarrassed himself, his family or the university, he should be punished. This episode embarrassed the UW, Neuheisel said, but "given the prosecution's decision not to go forward, it looked as if Jerramy was not the reason for the embarrassment."

But what era is this? Who are we? Do people believe these things in their hearts? Does it ever strike them that any other black man in this country with Stevens' record — well, he wouldn't have been able to rack up a record like that, he'd be serving a life sentence by now? You've seen the MSNBC prison specials! Is that some sort of societal achievement, that an athlete's economic importance to his school can put him in the impunity ranks with Jeff Epstein? Because, you know, break a limb; contract a superbug — and it's All Motherfucking Over.

A few days ago Dodai's mom showed me some papers she had from an estate sale held in Alabama in the early 1800s. There was a man for sale, he was crippled; the asking price was one dollar.

"See, he cost less than the teacups," she pointed out.

As it was, all his legal problems have chipped a lot off Jerramy Stevens' asking price.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed him — on the cheap — for $600,000, which was $5,000 above the minimum for a player with his experience.

"He is a big, powerful, speedy tight end," said general manager Bruce Allen. "He has had some off-the-field issues that have hampered him a bit. We had a very serious talk with him today.

Convicted of assault and accused of rape, star player received raft of second chances [Seattle Times]
Related: The 2000 Washington Huskies Were Horrible People [Deadspin]
The Quarterbacks' Sideline Play [NY Times]