Barclays Center: It’s a hard(hat) life

It couldn’t have made for a more bizarre photo opportunity. Donning hardhats and carrying shovels were New York state governor David Paterson, who is at the centre of a scandal that alleges he pressured his aide’s girlfriend to drop domestic violence charges against the aide, and who has been allegedly caught "nuzzling" women other than his wife; New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is coming under fire for pushing a tax on sugary drinks in the city to raise money for the cash-strapped metropolis; rapper Jay-Z, whose tops hits include Dopeman, Nigga What, Nigga Who and So Ghetto; and Barclays president Bob Diamond. The event was to kick off the building of the Barclays Center, an entertainment and sports complex in Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards. The 675,000 square-foot development will be home to professional basketball team the Nets, of which Jay-Z is a part owner.