A few years ago a small online Florida newspaper reported that Shaq beat up a guy in a bar and then covered it up by paying off witnesses. The mainstream media, which has always adored Shaq's bullying words as jokes, refused to report it.
I posted on ESPN back then, and I made a big deal out of it. I got mild interest from Blazer fans, but big interest from Miami fans, who came over to deny everything. I then told Blazer fans, look at how Portland is the only city that loves to berate its players. Other cities defend their players when accused of fighting, speeding tickets, etc.
I think it was the same small Miami newspaper. What interested me was 1) Shaq's retarded personality is the bully I always suspected, 2) the mainstream media wouldn't pick up the story, and 3) Miami fans wouldn't jump on their own player the way that hateful Portland fans always do.