Sports

U.S. District Court Judge David Doty of Minneapolis, a Ronald Reagan conservative, delivered a huge victory for the NFL players’ union. He ruled the NFL owners were in violation: The lockout insurance to the owners from the TV networks of $4 billion was a no-no. His ruling on punitive damages is soon to come in […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Even before the bids were announced Sunday afternoon, nonstop talk about this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament began and continues on both television and radio.  However, barely an hour, plus a second on another channel, was devoted to the 2011 NCAA women’s team selections on Monday, nearly 24 hours after […]

Whenever I heard this week’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament referred to as “The Big Dance,” my annoyance meter blasted into the red. But after reading Thabati Lewis’s new book, Ballers of the New School (Third World Press), I have a new perspective. Just three years ago, 34 participating schools earned an average of $9.4 million […]

According to recent erroneous reporting, WILT CHAMBERLAIN’s astounding National Basketball Association professional career record of between 220 and 230 double-doubles was allegedly broken by KEVIN LOVE last week. This is a record that was never mentioned until recently when, supposedly held by the great MOSES MALONE, it was about to be recognized by the professional […]

Journalism Professor Marie Hardin Penn State Coach Coquese Washington Photos by Charles Hallman Gender equity has to some degree existed in sports for some time, but not where March Madness is concerned. For women’s basketball followers such as me, it’s more like March inequity, which makes me mad. The annual month-long hoop-a-thon officially began last […]

Shortly before the boys’ basketball season got started, Minneapolis Washburn Coach REGGIE PERKINS indicated that his team would make a little noise before it was all over. The Millers did more than that. The City Conference champs made a profound statement by defeating defending Class 3A champ St. Paul Johnson 85-80 in the Twin Cities […]

Official Minnesota often supports and licenses the hate visited upon Black athletes. The normal and general hostility that Black athletes face is the reason they are cited more than non-Black athletes for misdeeds when found in similar situations. America has a dismal record in all areas of humanity. Each and all of us underestimate the […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer From the film The Mighty Macs With the nation’s hoop fans’ attention directed to the season’s cumulating event — crowning a national championship — three new basketball films, all based on true events, are set to premiere. The Mighty Macs tells the true story of Immaculata College’s women’s basketball team […]

It’s really a shame how poorly the Minnesota men’s basketball team have played in February; their record this past month is 1-6. It’s very possible that they have allowed a certain NCAA tournament bid to slip from their grasp. They have lost seven of their last eight games and four in row at home. The […]

Where are the Black voices or Black faces in local sports electronic media — radio and TV? On one sports station, there’s Henry Lake, whose weekly show airs during the most segregated hour in America — Sunday mornings at 11 — and Trent Tucker, who’s relegated to second banana to an overzealous Green Bay Packers […]

With the possible closing of Minneapolis North, I wanted to give a historical perspective on their dominance in boys’ and girls’ basketball. The Polars were so dominant that they can claim six players who have been named the state’s top player following their senior seasons. REDD OVERTON (1981), BRETT MCNEAL (1985), DEREK REUBEN (1988) and […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer One of this year’s WNBA “A” free agents, Taj McWilliams-Franklin says, “A lot of teams expressed interest in my services,” but ultimately she signed with Minnesota. The Lynx signed McWilliams-Franklin, a six-time all-star and 12-year veteran, on February 18. She began her professional career in 1996 and played three seasons […]

Los Angeles — I don’t know about you, but for me the melodrama is over. The last three months of constant trade-to-New-York speculation and rumors involving Denver All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony, the sixth-leading scorer in the NBA, was getting on my last nerve while I was covering the 60th NBA All-Star weekend. Clearly Anthony wanted […]

Having the opportunity to work with aspiring athletes, it is my feeling that proper academics, physical training and spiritual experiences must go hand in hand for a student-athlete to gain the maximum benefit from such a well-rounded and versatile learning experience. Black athletes would be much better physical performers if they had more self-confidence. The […]

Billionaire Jerry Jones, owner of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and fabulous Texas Stadium, site of last week’s Super Bowl XLV, said recently, “Are we going to be playing in the fall?” Football that is, like games? Hall-of-Famer Ronnie Lott told me at the Super Bowl that this contract with the owners and players is the […]

Kim Prince Both University of Minnesota basketball teams last month held their respective annual alumni days. It presented the perfect opportunity to ask several former male and female Gopher players, as well as others, their thoughts on their best-evers. Melvin Newbern (1987-90): “Julius Erving. I loved the way he played the game and how he […]

JORDAN TAYLER’s (Benilde-St. Margaret’s) 27-point performance in Wisconsin’s 71-67 victory over top-ranked Ohio State has propelled him into one of the elite point guards in the country. Taylor, who averages 18 points per game for the Badgers, was Minnesota’s Mr. Basketball in 2008 after helping his team capture the Class AAA state championship. TAYLER HILL […]

Standing in for Bob Williams were (l-r) son Randy Williams (proudly holding his father’s 1955 Lakers’ picture); son Don Alan Williams;  Bob’s two oldest children, Rasheed Bilal and Debra Williams Jones, holding the award; and Bob’s youngest daughter Casandra Williams-Sims. Robert (Bob) Williams was one of 12 honorees to receive the 2011 Minnesota African American […]

Rene Pulley Rene Pulley inspired this year’s series of Black history columns. While watching a boys’ basketball scrimmage back in November, Pulley was talking to a bunch of us, telling hoop stories. Those recollections gave me the idea to do a time-honored barbershop tradition: debating who the “best ever” is in some sports. Since we […]