MSR sports columnist Charles Hallman examines the NIL wild west in the first of a two-part series on the cost of college sports, tracing the legal battles that made player compensation possible and the congressional efforts now trying to roll it back.
Another View
Posted inAnother View
In a 30-year league, Black female head coaches are nearly extinct
The WNBA is 64% to 70% Black, yet there is not a single Black female head coach in the league this season. MSR sports columnist Charles Hallman examines why that disparity is not getting the attention it deserves.
Posted inAnother View
Royce and Kaelen: Working their way back to the show
Royce Lewis is working to rediscover his game after a demotion to the St. Paul Saints, while top prospect Kaelen Culpepper is making a case for a promotion, and the two Black teammates are leaning on each other along the way.
Posted inAnother View
The NFL blinked. Now what?Â
Charles Hallman examines the NFL’s rollback of minority hiring mandates under pressure from Florida’s attorney general, and the NAACP’s new Out of Bounds campaign calling on Black athletes and fans to boycott SEC programs in states targeting Black voting rights.
Posted inCoaching while Black
Gopher running backs Coach Mohamed Ibrahim and Tennis Coach Lois Arterberry
Former Gophers star Mohamed Ibrahim returns to Minnesota as running backs Coach Mo, while tennis head coach Lois Arterberry reflects on a difficult 2026 season and former Hamline coach Chip Taylor lands at Lehigh.
Posted inTwins/MLB
LaTroy Hawkins: From the Mound to the Dugout
LaTroy Hawkins, now in his first season as the Minnesota Twins’ bullpen coach, is the franchise’s first Black bullpen coach in history and the first Black pitching coach since 2018, bringing a 21-year playing career and a hard-earned college degree to his new role.
Posted inAnother View, Twins/MLB
Two Black aces, one rotation: Taj Bradley and Simeon Woods Richardson make history in Minnesota
Twins pitchers Taj Bradley and Simeon Woods Richardson are one of the rarest sights in MLB, two Black starting pitchers on the same team, and both say the bond they have built is making them better.
Posted inTwins/MLB
For Josh Bell, it all started in the backyard
Twins first baseman Josh Bell reflects on baseball, fatherhood and what it means to be part of a Minnesota roster leading the majors in U.S.-born Black players.
Posted inTwins/MLB
Twins’ top prospect Culpepper ready for ‘the big stage’
Kaelen Culpepper, the St. Paul Saints infielder and 2024 first-round Twins draft pick, is ready to make his big league debut and is leading the Saints in hits, runs and total bases early in the 2026 season.
Posted inAnother View
What would Jackie see?
Jackie Robinson Day 2026 raises the question of what Robinson would see in MLB today, as Black players hover around 7 percent of rosters and the Minnesota Twins lead with five Black players on their team.
Posted inCoaching while Black
Black women coaches lead on and off the court at Final Four Summit
Black women coaches are honored at the BCA Final Four Summit as Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin continues to elevate women’s basketball on and off the court.
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Black football players study: More than the game
Tackling the Everyday by Duke anthropologist Tracie Canada examines the lived experiences of Black college football players navigating academics, identity and exploitation at a PWI.
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More than a game at The Barn
Minnesota advances to the Sweet 16 after a historic NCAA matchup against Ole Miss highlighting Black representation and leadership.
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SWAC hoops put on a show in Atlanta, seeding debate remains
The SWAC basketball tournament highlights the strength of HBCU programs and their path to the NCAA tournament.
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Barnes building a conference, future leaders
Kiki Baker Barnes HBCUAC commissioner reflects on conference expansion, media partnerships and mentoring the next generation of Black women leaders.
Posted inAnother View
March Madness: A look at HBCU basketball’s intensity and spirit
The HBCUAC basketball championship in Tuscaloosa highlighted NAIA HBCU talent as Rust College and SUNO captured conference titles.
Posted inAnother View
The overlooked challenger of MN Twins’ segregation
Minnesota Twins spring training segregation practices ended after Kwame McDonald and civil rights activists pressured the team to abandon segregated housing in the 1960s.
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Who’s to thank for U of M’s athletic facilities?Â
McKinley Boston U of M athletic facilities upgrades in the 1990s modernized Minnesota athletics and elevated the Gophers’ competitiveness in the Big Ten.
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Same old elephant in the room Â
The NFL diversity problem remains in focus after zero Black hires among 10 coaching vacancies, prompting renewed scrutiny of the Rooney Rule and ownership practices.
Posted inBlack History
Long-overdue recognition for the Minnesota Up-Towns
The Minnesota Up-Towns were a dominant Black basketball team in the 1920s whose legacy has long been overlooked in state history.