Reprisal for Reggie?

Ah, it's October again, and as the Yanks bask in the glory of their 7,564th consecutive World Series title, an old alum, Mr. October himself (that’s Reggie Jackson, for those who don’t live in the U.S. and/or missed the 70s), is swinging his ferocious bat at online casino proprietors who have allegedly hijacked his identity.

It began this summer when Jackson, who sold his name and image for use by Worldnet Casinos at an online casino/sportsbook called "Reggie Jackson Casino," took exception to the company using his image to market a sister site at www.placethatbet.com. Jackson wanted out of the deal and took the matter to court.

Now he says that he was never informed that Reggie Jackson Casino was a real-money wagering site, and according to an Associated Press report, the two Costa Rica-based sites were ordered Monday to shut down by a Florida Judge.

"Our name was used without permission on the gaming site in reference to sports betting and we disassociated ourselves," Jackson said in August. "We're disappointed, embarrassed and humiliated and don't want any association with the word gambling. . . . I'm out of it. I cut the cord and parachuted out.'

Jackson's attorney says the court order prohibits any further wagering on the reggiejackson.com site and terminates the placethatbet.com site.

It looks like a shut case and a fire extinguished by an American court, but don't slip into that homerun trot too soon, Mr. O. ReggieJacksonCasino.com, as of Friday still bore your name and image, and it's been proven in the past that a judge in the United States has no jurisdiction over companies providing Internet content via servers located outside the U.S.

My guess is that a server based in Costa Rica can be taken down about as easily as the New York Yankees.