I had a chance to meet her and spend some time with her at the Final Four, and looking at her frame, I think she has a huge upside and a potential…”
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.
Countdown to the WNBA Draft 2016: Imani Boyette
“There’s a need for size around our league. If you want to compete for championships in our league, you’ve got to able to deal with [Brittney] Griner, Tina Charles and some of these great post players, preferably without a double team. So I think she brings value.”
Countdown to WNBA Draft 2016: Rachel Banham
Too many locals and others love to compare U-M redshirt senior Rachel Banham and current Minnesota Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen. Both Minnesota natives played their entire college career at the state’s only Division I school.
UConn topples Syracuse for fourth consecutive title
I witnessed first hand Connecticut’s first ever national championship in 1995. Tuesday we saw the Huskies capture the program’s 11th national title here on the Indiana Fever’s court, making it a clean sweep as all three division champions finished their season unbeaten.
Where does all that Final Four money go?
The cold, hard fact is that most visitors rarely venture beyond downtown for at least two reasons: One, Black-owned establishments usually aren’t located within their “safe zone” (translation: not located downtown), and two, the local chamber of commerce and event organizers haven’t put them in their visitors’ guides.
Outstanding basketball teams during the prep season
With the prep basketball season over, here are some teams that deserve a little recognition. I call them the Sweet Sixteen.
New Hamline football coach values his relationships with players
Spring football at Hamline University starts April 9 and will be led for the first time by the school’s first Black head football coach.
Eugene Parker, best agent ever, has passed
One of the most prominent and respected men in the NFL, Eugene Parker, has passed. He died of cancer at age 60. His reputation was that of a shrewd and ruthless negotiator. His magic was using escalators in contracts, and he knew how to get it done.
Lubbock Christian, Thomas More complete perfect season
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — UConn isn’t the only unbeaten team here in Indy. The Huskies go into Tuesday’s finals as the last team still playing with a zero in the loss column. Lubbock Christian (Division II) and Thomas More (Division III) also came to town over the weekend with unblemished records. Both squads left Monday still […]
Women’s Final Four – UConn, Syracuse advance to final
Indianapolis — After nearly a month, it is now down to two teams to battle for ‘last team standing’ rights.
Preview: Women’s Final Four
While most eyes are on the Lone Star State, some of us would rather turn our eyes toward Indianapolis, the site of the 2016 Women’s Final Four, which begins Sunday at the arena shared by the Indiana Fever and the Indiana Pacers: UConn vs. Oregon State followed by Syracuse vs. Washington.
Women’s Final Four: a look back with Lindsay Whalen
The semifinals are set for Sunday, and the championship game next Tuesday — in between the Division II and III title games will also be played on Monday. I hit the road, a 700-plus mile trek to this year’s Women’s Final Four in Indianapolis for the first time in a dozen years. It was 2004, a […]
What if one year the Final Four became the Cancelled Four?
Consider this: What if the April 4 Men’s Final Four championship game next week, with the whole world watching, suddenly didn’t take place as scheduled?
Architect of 1968 Olympic boycott reflects on Black athletes today
Black athletes, then and now, are willing or unwilling tools in a college sport machine, reflected the architect of the 1968 Olympic boycott, Dr. Harry Edwards.
Are Black athletes being prepared for life after sports?
Are Black athletes in college really being prepared for life after athletics? This is a question being asked by Dr. Billy Hawkins, a kinesiology professor at the University of Georgia.
The Shadow Side of March Madness: Epilogue
It’s so easy to ramble in print or media in general, offering uneducated guesses on who might win the NCAA men’s basketball championship, endlessly echo well-worn clichés, whine about who didn’t get in or teams getting bad seeding positions.
Twins reclaim Whitest Team in MLB title
This past off-season we saw another exodus of Black baseball players as the Minnesota Twins traded Aaron Hicks to New York and Torii Hunter announced his retirement after a season back with the club that originally drafted him.
St. Paul City Conference boys’ basketball roundup
It was quite the season in the St. Paul City Conference. Here is how the teams finished and the players who contributed.
Minnesota jettisons Black coaches!
We’ve learned nationally that Black men are under attack in this country — just look at our prisons. They seem to be under attack in Minnesota sports as well.
March Madness: Denver advances over Ferris State
Two teams played in St. Paul Easter Sunday afternoon. One is still alive.
