Notorious late-night Manhattan hangout for athletes shut down by authorities: Report

A pair of notorious Manhattan nightclubs favored by many famous athletes — and the location of a rash of violent incidents involving them — has been closed by the City of New York.

Troubled Soho celebrity hot spots Greenhouse and W.i.P. were raided by cops and shut down over the weekend — and they may never reopen, sources told The New York Post.

The Varick Street nightclubs were closed down by the police early Saturday for having too many customers and blasting music above the legal limit, the sources said.

A day later, a sign outside the club claimed it was closed for renovations, with no indication of when the doors would reopen.

The sister clubs made headlines eight days ago when a Greenhouse brawl that broke out between some University of South Carolina football players and a club promoter ended with one of the players stabbed and the promoter’s face smashed.

The violence erupted at around 3 a.m. April 11 in the VIP room, where a group that included some NFL prospects from South Carolina objected to another group allegedly smoking pot, sources said.

Sources said cops want to question defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles and cornerback Victor Hampton — who are expected to be snapped up at next month’s NFL draft — about the assault.

They have not been charged.

The most high profile incident involving an athlete happened upstairs at W.i.P.  when a 2012 fight sparked by a feud between musicians Drake and Chris Brown allegedly over singer Rihanna turned into a bottle-throwing melee.

San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker suffered a serious injury to his eye after innocently getting caught in the crossfire before suing the owners.

A judge shut both sites down for 10 days after that brawl.

Well guys, there's still the 40/40 Club. Just avoid the allure of Rihanna.

Tony Parker uses Chris Brown-Frank Ocean fight as evidence in lawsuit

Tony Parker is using singer Chris Brown's fight with Frank Ocean as evidence in his $20 million lawsuit filed against the owners of a Manhattan nightclub where the San Antonio Spurs star injured his eye during a bottle-throwing brawl last summer.

TMZ reports that Parker has filed new legal documents in his lawsuit against the nightclub W.i.P. — the site of a reported dust-up between Brown and his fellow rapper Drake's posses.   During the wild melee, a shard of flying glass went flying into the NBA star's left eye.

After a possible career-ending scare, the Spurs guard had to wear protective goggles while playing for the France team in the London Olympics because of the injury.

Parker is suing the management of Entertainment Enterprises, Ltd. for the millions claiming they should have never let Brown into the celebrity hangout.

Parker is now using Brown's alleged volatile temper as evidence in the lawsuit, citing the January 27th Brown-Ocean parking lot altercation outside a Los Angeles recording studio.

The misdemeanor battery charges against Brown were dropped when Ocean decided not to press charges.

According to TMZ, Parker claims the reported Brown-Ocean fight proves that Brown is, "unfit to socialize in places where he's likely to fly off the handle."  His lawyers believe there is enough evidence to prove Brown should have been denied entry the night of the W.i.P. brawl — which allegedly started over the sultry singer Rihanna.

Brown is still on probation for his 2009 assault on Rihanna.

Tony Parker wears protective goggles in game vs. Spain

The Miami Heat might have made big-framed, black eyeglasses all the rage during the NBA Finals, but Tony Parker is wearing his new eyewear for reasons other than fashion.

The San Antonio Spurs guard suffered a scratched cornea during a nightclub brawl between R&B stars Drake and Chris Brown on June 14.  Now Parker will wear the black Bolle goggles to protect his eyes as the French team prepares for the London Games.

Resembling a miniature version of a goggled Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Parker looked like he was back to form after concern if the eye injury would jeopardize his chance at playing in the Olympics— or even derail his career.  The Spurs' team doctors cleared the point guard to play and he scored 11 points in 30 minutes in a friendly against Spain Sunday.

Last month, the 30-year old Parker filed a $20 million lawsuit against the Manhattan club W.i.P. —where the wild bottle-throwing melee broke out.

While Parker wore his frames in a game against Spain, the French team still lost, 75-70.

France opens its Olympic basketball competition against the U.S. squad on July 29.

You never know, the French star may bring the Horace Grant look back in vogue.

Tony Parker cleared for Olympics after eye injury from club melee

San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker has been given clearance to play for France in the Olympic Games after the the NBA team's doctors agreed that he has recovered from an eye injury suffered as a bystander in a Manhattan nightclub bottle-tossing brawl.

Parker scratched his left cornea during the wild fight and has been wearing special eyeglasses since the June 17 incident.

"The ophthalmologists (from the Spurs) confirmed the opinion of the French doctor who operated on Tony Parker, and the two Swiss specialists also examined the player last Thursday, and indicated that he can resume playing playing," the French Basketball Federation said on Friday, adding that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich also gave his blessing.

Parker is joining the French team in Orleans and he could play in a tuneup against England on Saturday.

France's first game at the Olympics is against the United States on July 29.

"It is great news and a relief for the whole French team," said coach Vincent Collet.  "I spoke with Tony on the phone and he sounded very happy— and also releived— about his development.  It was a difficult and alarming situation for everyone."

Parker was included on the team's 12-man roster even as he waited to see if he would be cleared to play.  The French team is already without the services of Joakim Noah who will miss the Olympics because of an ankle injury.

Parker was hit by flying glass after a brawl broke out at the Soho nightclub W.i.P. between members of rappers Chris Brown and Drake's entourages. Parker has said he was sitting with his friend Brown when the trouble started.  Six other people were hurt in the early morning fight.

Parker has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the operators of the club.

Chris Brown, Drake offered $1 million each to get into boxing ring

Tough guy rappers Drake and Chris Brown have been offered $1 million apiece to continue their unfinished, nightclub sparring session within the confines of a boxing ring.

The New York Daily News reports that celebrity boxing promoter Damon Feldman said billionaire soda bottling heir Aiki David has offered to back the fight and give another $1 million to charity if the two Rihanna rivals agree to put up their dukes.

"Obviously, they have a grudge.  It's just three 1-minute rounds.  No one will get seriously hurt," Feldman told the Daily News.

Feldman— who has promoted fights with D-list celebrities like Jose Canseco, Danny Bonaduce and Tonya Harding— said the pay-per-view event could be in Las Vegas or Los Angeles with a target date of Aug. 25.

The infamous, bottle-throwing brawl at a lower-Manhattan nightclub on June 14 left Brown, his girlfriend and six others injured from the melee.  San Antonio Spurs guard— and Brown's friend— Tony Parker has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the club, W.i.P., for damage to his left eye after getting hit by flying glass.

NYPD is still investigating claims that Drake taunted Brown and his posse with overtures related to his former girlfriend singer Rihanna— whom they both dated.

The Daily News said a Brown representative told them they had "never heard" about Feldman's offer.

Feldman said he'd like Rihanna to participate in the proposed grudge-match. The scrawny Brown was convicted of beating her up in 2009.

"I would love to have Rihanna as the ring girl," said Feldman.

That might be the best part of the whole fight.

Let's see— without bottles or bodyguards— I would make Drake a legitimate favorite.

Tony Parker sues for injury in Chris Brown-Drake brawl

NBA star Tony Parker— who was injured in a free-for-all bottle-throwing melee at a Manhattan nightclub— has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the club operators for negligence in security and supervision.

The San Antonio Spurs guard got caught in the middle of rap stars Drake and Chris Brown's brawl— provoked by their love-triangle relationship with singer Rihanna— at the Soho hot spot W.i.P last week.  The object of their affection was not at the club that night.

In papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Parker holds W.i.P.'s owners responsible for the "corneal laceration of the left eye and other injuries" he suffered at the scene where seven others— including Brown and his girlfriend— were injured.  The club has since been shut down.

Parker's lawyer, David  Jaroslawicz, blamed the club for knowingly allowing the two men, who have both dated the singer, into the club and creating a volatile atmosphere.

"The defendants were reckless, careless and negligent in permitting Drake's and Brown's entourage to be in the same club at the same time despite knowing the tension between the two," the filing says.

"She's been known, like Helen of Troy, to cause trouble," said Jaroslawicz about Rihanna.

Neither Brown or Drake were named in the suit but blame each other for instigating the Trojan War.


Jaroslawicz said selling booze with bottle service is like "throwing gasoline on the flames."

The suit says Parker wasn't sitting with either side but has said he was "with my friend Chris Brown" when the fight began.

"Me and my friends took some punches," said Parker.  "They started throwing bottles everywhere."

Parker was preparing to play with the French team at the London Games this summer but said he'll be sidelined for a week as his eye heals with the aid of a "therapeutic" contact lens.

"I'll be missing the the start of the French team because I can't do anything for a week except keep the lens in and then take drops," he said.

Spurs' Tony Parker was injured in Chris Brown-Drake bar brawl

Tony Parker might have more than one reason to wish his San Antonio Spurs team was still in the NBA playoffs.  The NBA star was in the wrong place at the wrong time early Thursday morning when he suffered a scratched retina on one of his eyes during the bottle-hurling brawl at a New York City nightclub involving rappers Chris Brown and Drake— reportedly over the singer Rihanna.

Parker , wearing dark glasses, described the incident Friday in Paris during a news conference posted on YouTube.  He said he expects to be sidelined about a week while the French Olympic team prepares for the London Games.

The Spurs' guard said he was wearing a "therapeutic" contact lens and had to go to an emergency room after arriving in Paris.

The French basketball star described the melee and aftermath: "I was with my friend Chris Brown and me and my friends took some punches, so I'll be missing the start of the French team because I can't do anything for a week except keep the lens in and then take drops."

Those relatively quiet nights banging elbows against the Oklahoma City Thunder probably don't seem so bad now.  The Spurs were knocked out of the playoffs by the Thunder 4-2 last week.

The fight turned into a bottle-tossing free-for-all and police said Brown, his girlfriend and his bodyguard were among several people injured in the fight at the Soho club.

Parker said, "They started throwing bottles everywhere.  I don't know what happened.  At first it was OK, but then it started getting worse and when the plane landed it was really hurting so I went straight to the ER."

The glass and bottle-throwing was so bad, a NYC council member is looking to curb "bottle service" at all city clubs and bars.

The San Antonio Spurs declined comment.

Parker is used to making the gossip pages with his ex-wife, actress Eva Longoria, but I'm sure he never hoped he'd be making headlines linking him to Rihanna in this scenario.

SEE YOUTUBE VIDEO (Warning: It's in French)