AEW star Anthony Bowens opened up about wrestling’s physical toll, the company’s commitment to diverse talent, and how quitting college baseball paved his path to the ring.
Charles Hallman
Charles Hallman is a contributing reporter and award-winning sports columnist at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.
Posted inAnother View
Fear strikes again: the manufactured panic over transgender athletes
Trans athletes make up less than 0.002% of college sports, yet politicians and media figures continue to stoke fear. MSR Sports Columnist Charles Hallman breaks down the science, the WNBA noise, and the reality behind the outrage.
Posted inOdds and Ends
FAMU’s Thailan Payne gets an all-star education as WNBA HBCU intern
FAMU’s Thailan Payne worked WNBA All-Star Weekend as an HBCU intern, and even met Barack Obama.
Posted inSports
Jalen Travis throws ceremonial first pitch for the Twins
At every Minnesota Twins home contest, the team selects individuals to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game. MSR recently talked to two Black individuals in separate interviews who participated in the time-honored pre-game ceremony. Pitch 1 – Jalen Travis: from Princeton to the NFL, giving back at home From Princeton to the […]
Posted inBlacklight On Sports
Blacklight on Sports: Arriel McDonald on Playing for Clem Haskins, a Career Across Eight Countries, and Why He Never Regrets Choosing Minnesota
U of M basketball legend Arriel McDonald joins Blacklight on Sports to break down his epic journey from playing under Clem Haskins to an 18-year international career and why Minnesota remains home.
Posted inWNBA
MSR presses Engelbert on WNBA’s lack of Black women coaches
MSR asks WNBA’s Cathy Engelbert why the league has so few Black women head coaches.
Posted inCoaching while Black
Coaching while Black
NBA Summer League isn’t just a proving ground for players on the bubble, it’s a launchpad for the next generation of Black head coaches. MSR Sports Columnist Charles Hallman caught up with Timberwolves assistant coaches Kelly McCarty and James White as they hone their craft on the sidelines.
Posted inWNBA
Obama stops by
The 2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend kicked off in Chicago with an unannounced visit from 44th President Barack Obama, who took the court to honor the league’s stars and celebrate its growing cultural impact.
Posted inWNBA
W30 second half: All-Stars, analysts weigh in on stretch run
The WNBA’s second half is officially a sprint. From Natasha Howard’s defensive focus to expert insights from Cindy Brunson and Erica L. Ayala, here is how the league’s stretch run is shaping up.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Let’s Go Red: The Minnesota Vixen chasing history in WFA championship
Minneapolis native Cynthia “Red” Bryant has been playing tackle football for 27 years. Now, the 52-year-old grandmother is leading the Minnesota Vixen to Canton, Ohio, with a national title on the line.
Posted inSports
Blakely opens up on race, resilience ahead of return to elite gymnastics
Fresh off titles at the U.S. Classic and an NCAA podium finish with Florida, world champion Skye Blakely shares her journey navigating identity, prejudice, and community in elite gymnastics.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Softball in color
MSR sports columnist Charles Hallman covers the 2026 Summit League Softball Championship at the University of Minnesota, spotlighting the Black players who stood out, including Omaha’s Bailey Sample and St. Thomas sophomores Zoe Trotter and Miley Wichman.
Posted inSports
More Black history made at The Barn
Last Wednesday’s Minnesota-Alabama A&M women’s basketball game at Williams Arena was a historical one in nature. All three game officials were Black, the first time at The Barn this season. It was the only WBB game coached by a Black woman — second-year Dawn Thornton. “Even to hear the Negro National Anthem was something that […]
Posted inAnother View
Reeve on women coaches, racial allyship and advocacy
Cheryl Reeve calls the absence of Black female head coaches in the WNBA a major concern. In a recent St. Thomas conversation, she spoke about women coaches, racial allyship, and the Lynx history of advocacy.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Wood leads St. Olaf volleyball to historic season
Alicia Wood guided St. Olaf to one of the school’s best volleyball seasons ever, finishing the MIAC regular season undefeated at 11-0 and earning the league’s top seed in last month’s postseason tournament in her second season on the Hill in Northfield, MN. The Oles captured two of the league’s four major awards: Wood was […]
Posted inSports
Cleaning up notebook
A new study shows Timberwolves ticket prices are among the highest in the NBA. This week’s sports roundup also covers brain injury awareness in athletics, congressional delays on the SCORE Act, and Netflix hiring its first full-time sports anchor.
Posted inAnother View
‘Playing the Game’ calls out stereotyping of Black athletes
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in St. Paul will host a new book launch on Wednesday, Nov. 19, of Rev. Dr. Gary F. Green III’s first book, “Playing the Game: Embodied Brilliance beyond the Moral Limits of Race in Sport” (Fortress Press). Green is a pastoral theology and social transformation associate professor and […]
Posted inOdds and Ends
Augsburg, Hamline bring two Black head coaches to the field
Augsburg’s KiJuan Ware and Hamline’s Chip Taylor made MIAC history as two Black head coaches faced each other for only the second time. Charles Hallman highlights why the moment matters for representation in college sports and shares other key MIAC sports updates.
Posted inSports
Michigan State’s ‘65,’66 Spartans subject of book/film controversy
Former NFL and Michigan State football player and local corporate executive Gene Washington, his family, and other former student-athletes have been battling with Michigan State University officials over a published book and a film project based on it that is full of falsehoods and plagiarism. Washington and his daughter Maya have led the fight against […]
Posted inAnother View
St. Thomas men poised to excel on national stage
Tommies football Amari Powell recently put on a show for the ages. The senior QB from California in his first start of the season threw for 265 yards and three TDs, and rushed for a score himself, accounting for four of the seven touchdowns St. Thomas scored in its 55-17 victory over Valparaíso Oct. 18. […]