First of two parts This reporter learned a lesson recently during an unscheduled interview with actor Bill Murray: expect to laugh. “You’re one of those serious ones,” observed Murray as we chatted during the August 2 American Association All-Star Game at the St. Paul downtown ballpark. His perceptiveness was uncanny. He and Mike Veeck co-own […]
Sports
Local and national sports reporting and commentary by the state’s leading African American sportswriters, including award-winning columnists Charles Hallman and Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald, with a special emphasis on the local prep scene and disparities in sports administration and media coverage.
Posted inSports
Sportswriter’s notebook: foreign report card — poor grades for female leadership
2012 London Olympic all-around gymnastics champion Gabby Douglas was unable to defend her title this year in Rio because of a new rule that only allows two gymnasts from a country to advance. Douglas placed third. If you’re curious about the origin of the two-per-country rule, look no further than the various sport federation leadership, […]
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The ‘Bronze’ is back!
“The ‘Bronze’ is back,” said Darwin Dean, president and sponsor of the Upper Midwest Bronze Amateur Memorial Golf Tournament. The “Bronze” began in 1939 as an open tournament that gave minorities an opportunity to play golf and compete against the best golfers in the area. Men of that day opened the doors to golf for […]
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Minnesota six go for Rio gold!
Minnesota Timberwolves President and Head Coach Tom Thibodeau and Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve will both work as assistant coaches with the men’s and women’s 2016 Olympic basketball teams in Rio de Janeiro. Four Lynx stars — Lindsay Whalen, Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles — all earned spots on the women’s team. The United […]
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WNBA rookies on the rise
For 20 weeks, to commemorate the WNBA’s 20th season (the MSR having covered each season), the MSR sports section will feature a column or article on the W in our “20 in 20” series. This week: The rest of 2016 draft class Seattle’s Breanna Stewart, judging from election-year talk, is the presumptive rookie of the […]
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Keeping it in the family
Five brothers who shared the state tournament experience Let it be known that there is a family in St. Paul in which each male member participated in the boys’ basketball state tournament. Brothers Charles Pattain (Mechanic Arts), Kevin Pattain (St. Paul Central), Derrell Pattain (St. Paul Central), Terrell Pattain (St. Paul Central), and Marlon McCoy […]
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Benin youth seek their own Field of Dreams
Visiting team takes America’s national pastime to West Africa Benin, a country in West Africa that is slightly smaller than Pennsylvania, is situated east of Togo and west of Nigeria. Originally a French colony until its independence from France in 1960, it was called Dahomey until it was renamed Benin in 1972. Its official language […]
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Excitement builds for Northside kickball playoffs
Sunday is win-or-go-home day at North Commons Park as this summer’s Squad of Players Adult Kickball League playoffs begin. All nine teams qualify, and the eighth and ninth seeds face off in a play-in game at 3 pm this Sunday, the league’s co-directors told the MSR after last Sunday’s scheduled all-star day of games and […]
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WNBA coaches put Olympic break time to good use
The WNBA is now on a month-long Olympic break because many of its players are participating in Rio. But while league play is on pause, we recently asked if the time off is an advantage or a disadvantage, and for whom. “I think all the teams just look at it” as positively as possible, says […]
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A historical prep sports countdown
10 — Number of girls’ basketball state tournament appearances by Minneapolis North under Head Coach Faith Johnson-Patterson: The former Marshall University High School and University of Wisconsin star led the Polars to five championships in 1998-99 and 2003-05 with additional appearances in 1997, 2000-02 and 2009. 9 — Number of boys’ basketball state tournament appearances […]
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WNBA players demonstrate Olympic-class commitment
For 20 weeks, to commemorate the WNBA’s 20th season (the MSR having covered each season), the MSR sports section will feature a column or article on the W in our “20 in 20” series. This week: the W in Rio The 2016 USA Women’s National Team begins its Olympic quest for gold Sunday against Senegal […]
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Vikings hit Mankato running
Defending the NFC North after winning their first Division title since 2009, the Vikings are talking big stuff. This is the 51st consecutive year the Vikings, the state’s most prized sports franchise, is in Mankato, Minnesota — but only for nine days. This week the Vikings break ground on construction of their new Eagan practice […]
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From a sportswriter’s notebook | Comcast customers are in for an Olympic treat
Viewers of past Olympic Games pretty much depended on live and tape-delay single-network coverage, but NBC and Comcast officials say their upcoming Rio Olympics coverage is designed to reach “a new generation of Olympic viewers.” Over 6,000 hours of live, on-demand and online streaming content is expected to be available through 11 broadcast and cable […]
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All-Star Game Preview
The 2016 American Association All-Star Game was just a few hours away when the MSR chatted with St. Paul Saints players Tony Thomas and Alonzo Harris. Thomas said it was a “phenomenal feeling” to be playing in the All-Star game. He is one of five infielders on the North squad, and told the MSR that this is the […]
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All-Star Dispatch | Harris comes close but short at Home Run Derby
Before his appearance in Monday’s American Association Home Run Derby, Alonzo Harris said he hoped that he could reach the seats at least once. He did 13 times. The St. Paul Saints outfielder reached the contest finals before losing to Lincoln designated hitter Curt Smith 2-1 under the starry skies at the Saints’ ballpark in Lowertown St. […]
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All-Star Dispatch | Alonzo Harris has something to prove
It may not be on the same level as the so-called mid-season classic in the majors, but don’t say that to the players in the American Association All-Star Game at the St. Paul ballpark. “I’m soaking it all in,” exclaimed St. Paul outfielder Alonzo Harris, one of four Saints selected on the North squad that will face the South Tuesday. “It’s […]
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Same old news on Timberwolves’ diversity hiring
The National Basketball Association again gets high marks for racial hiring, according to the latest Racial and Gender Report Card (RGRC) by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES). “The NBA remains the industry leader among men’s sports for racial hiring practices,” states TIDES Director Richard Lapchick of his latest RGRC released July […]
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Local WNBA alumnus reflects on career highlights
For 20 weeks, to commemorate the WNBA’s 20th season (the MSR having covered each season), the MSR sports section will feature a column or article on the W in our “20 in 20” series. This week: The city in the house Tracy Henderson, a Minneapolis Henry and Georgia grad, was the first city native to […]
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Women’s sports coverage still ‘dismally low’
It’s too bad that the latest on women’s sports coverage is still the same old story. “Even when the media do cover women’s sport, the coverage often trivializes women’s athleticism and hetro-sexualizes female athletes,” said Purdue Professor Cheryl Cooky in the Washington Post’s Kevin Blackistone article published in June. Cooky, along with Michael Messner and […]
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Allen, Brown giving back through SAQ camp
St. Paul Highland Park student athletes are learning valuable lessons from two who walked in their shoes during the 1990s. Johnny Allen Jr. and Marc Brown — who played football for the Scots during the mid-1990s — are getting them ready for the up-and-coming season through a Speed, Agility and Quickness (SAQ) program they developed […]