Just when you think you have figured out the NBA, a Clipper gets tangled in a stolen domain name scandal. Based on an Associated Press report, 25-year-old Daniel Goncalves of New Jersey allegedly hacked into a web account belonging to the owner of the domain P2P.com. (P2P stands for peer-to-peer, the common terminology for direct file sharing and content streaming on the web.)Goncalves changed the ownership of the domain, and put it up for sale on eBay (apparently in 2006). It sold for $111,000. The reported buyer: Mark Madsen. The AP reports this is the Mark Madsen, long-time Laker and Timberwolf. Goncalves was arrested at home in New Jersey last week.
As unreal as this sounds, Madsen was one of the first NBA players to have a substantial (if ... unrefined) web presence. He is a Stanford graduate. He does have a substantial annual salary ($2.8 million next season). Domain Name News reports that Madsen has invested in domain names before and is active in domain name forums on the web.
It's probably not the first time a pro athlete has purchased a stolen good. However, it's unlikely any previous hot item was this nerdy.
