Sports

The Minnesota Lynx, as expected, chose Maya Moore with this year’s top pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft in April. But what about Amber Harris, who the Lynx selected three picks later as the fourth overall pick? Harris, an Indianapolis, Indiana native, once was considered the country’s number-one high school player by one hoops publication […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Laurel J. Richie on May 16 becomes the first Black woman to head a professional sports league as she assumes her new duties as WNBA president. She formerly was senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Girl Scouts of the USA. When asked about her historic new role during […]

The Twins are 9-18 in last place in the American League Central, losers of six straight as of May 2. They are a complete mess: The Vikings are locked out again after drafting a quarterback, number-one Florida State’s Christian Ponder, with the 12th pick. Boy, it’s been a rough stretch after a 45-day NFL owner […]

Despite efforts to change this, baseball remains the least chosen sport among Blacks. Richard Lapchick’s 2011 Major League Baseball Racial and Gender Report Card recently shows that the percentage of Black MLB players has decreased to 8.5 percent, the lowest since 2007 and third lowest in decades. Furthermore, only 5.6 percent of Division I college […]

With the state track meet nearly a month away, there are some outstanding performers who hope to participate in the big show in June. Here are five outstanding track-and-field athletes who could have an impact on the event, to be held next month at Hamline University in St. Paul. DEVIN CRAWFORD TUFTS (Edina) has been […]

Blacks have had a rich swimming history dating back to pre-slavery days in Africa, but in this country fear and racism have played a huge historical part in keeping them away from it. There was Jim Crow in the South, and de facto Jim Crow in the North kept Blacks from public swimming pools during […]

Conclusion of a 3 part series: Last week we talked about two athletes whose overall contributions to society assisted the inclusion of Black players in American athletics and in American life in general. PAUL ROBESON and JACKIE ROBINSON have perhaps been the most influential athletes in our history in changing the racial attitudes of Americans. […]

This Easter weekend we continue the celebration of Carol Fitzgerald with the Seventh Annual benefit weekend. Carol died April 10, 2003 of breast cancer. This is year seven of the mission in her memory of raising awareness and money to support the causes that were especially important to her during her lifetime of 47 years: […]

-Photos by Charles Hallman PHILADELPHIA — I watched the Philadelphia 76ers last week play their last regular season contest and fail to clinch their first winning season since 2004-05. At the same time, the hometown Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t fail to clinch the NBA’s worst record for the second consecutive year. Philadelphia is in the playoffs […]

DAVID HICKS (St. Thomas Academy) quietly led Long Island University to NCAA men’s basketball’s last tournament last month. While much was made about Minnesota natives’ participation in the tournament, Hicks was rarely, if at all, in the conversation. The 6’-1” guard, who led St. Thomas Academy to a Class 3A third-place finish in 2006 while […]

Part two of a three-part series: In DR. COLUMBUS SALLEY’s informative book The Black 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Africans-Americans Past and Present, his list included 14 people who had significant athletic experience. These athletes’ exploits, life experiences and athletic achievements have contributed to advancement of people of African descent in particular and […]

Charl Schwartzel of South Africa shot a final round 66, the best of the day, and birdied the last four holes on Sunday at Augusta National to capture his first Masters by two shots. It was an incredible Masters. However, Augusta National, since it was Tiger-proofed years ago to 7,435 feet, no longer humbles the […]

When you have the top overall pick in any draft, especially a draft that clearly has the best player in America, the choice is so obvious. Yet not until Maya Moore’s name was called first Monday afternoon in the 2011 WNBA Draft could Minnesota Lynx fans finally stop being like Whitney Houston — “Waiting to […]

COLUMBUS SALLEY, an accomplished historian and author, ranks the most influential 100 Black people in America in his book The BLACK 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential African-Americans Past and Present. Among the 100 are 14 who have exhibited extraordinary athletic prowess in their life experience. The REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. is […]

Marquette University point guard ANGEL ROBINSON (St. Paul Central) and University of Iowa shooting guard KACHINE ALEXANDER (Benilde-St. Margaret’s) were dominant players during their prep and collegiate basketball careers. Now both hope to continue that dominance at the pro level, coming back to the state in which both learned their craft. Robinson, who led St. […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer and Onika Nicole Craven MSR Intern Two former Twin Cities prep stars were the only Minnesotans selected in Monday’s WNBA Draft. Angel Robinson (St. Paul Central) was the 22nd overall pick by New York but was later traded to Minnesota in one of two “pre-arranged trade deals” completed by the […]

Not since the heyday of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the late 1990s has the NBA had a lightning-rod team like the 2011 Miami Heat, that one team that moves the sports fans VU meter of curiosity like the Jordan-led Bulls, the Philadelphia 76ers of Dr. Julius Erving and Moses Malone in the […]

As was the case five years ago when Seimone Augustus, now a sixth-year veteran, clearly was the best player in the WNBA draft, University of Connecticut forward Maya Moore holds a similar distinction this year. The Minnesota Lynx holds the WNBA’s top overall pick for the third time in franchise history. In a recent interview, […]

ESTAN TYLER (St. Paul Johnson), ROOSEVELT SCOTT (St. Paul Johnson), BRETSON MCNEAL (DeLaSalle), JONAH TRAVIS (DeLaSalle), LUCAS BROWN (Roseville), DAVID STANLEY (Roseville), MALIK EL-AMIN (Minneapolis North), CALVIN JENKINS (Minneapolis Roosevelt), CLARENCE THOMAS (Minneapolis Washburn), MARVIN SINGLETON (Hopkins), T.J. OKAFOR (Champlin Park), ZACH LOFTON (Columbia Heights), MARCUS ALIPATE (Bloomington Jefferson), MARQUEL CURTIS (Robbinsdale Armstrong), and TEREZ […]

Many young people are led to believe that a successful career in sports will subsequently lead to freedom. Much of that notion emanates from the fact that the high salaries from playing professional sports are a sure path to freedom. Nothing could be further from the truth. Few people, regardless of race, creed or color, […]