Sports

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 […]

The Concordia women’s basketball team picked up wins at Winona State and Upper Iowa over the last weekend. As did the men. The Golden Bear women moved to a 12-5 record after a one-and-five start in the tough Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. In the WSU game, Jineen Williams and Maurika Hickman finished with 22 and […]

Indiana says its new center is ‘the only way to go’ By Charles Hallman Staff Writer A new basketball practice facility for University of Minnesota basketball? Is it needed? According to U of M Men’s Coach Tubby Smith, wanting one isn’t a case of being a copycat or keeping up with the Joneses — although […]

DALLAS — How do you like that? The Green Bay Packers are the champions of football again after surviving the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 at the spectacular Texas Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Yes, the Packers are taking the Vince Lombardi Trophy back home to Green Bay, the NFL’s smallest city. The thrilling Packers win was seen […]

Fitz Beat Larry Fitzgerald HONOLULU, HI — For the 31st time, the Pro Bowl returned to Hawaii but this time before the Super Bowl. Two years ago, the NFL decided to move the Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl and rotate the game. The NFC stars forced six turnovers in a 55-41 […]

Gerald “Chip” Armelin Maverick Ahanmisi Photos courtesy of the U of M Among the 11 total newcomers on the two U-M basketball teams this season, seven are Black. Since the start of the season, three of them have seen their respective roles change. Kionna Kellogg: adjusting to ‘freshman transition’ Gopher forward Kionna Kellogg naturally had […]

Prep Scene Mitchell Palmer McDonald At the midseason point, let’s take a look at a few boys’ basketball players who are making their mark. Remember, these are just a few. All are seniors: ESTAN TYLER (St. Paul Johnson) — The four-year starter is leading the defending Class 3A champs in scoring, averaging 18 points per […]

So many of us hoped that participation in sports would result in a lifetime of fun, recognition, adulation, money and a retirement with financial security. Each and all of these are reasons worthy of diligent pursuit. That is, if these great means are followed by an intelligent and persistent search of ways to advance one’s […]

They could make history (and make a prediction come true) by hiring Reneé Brown By Charles Hallman Staff Writer The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), which will begin its 15th season later this year, continues to be the “out of sight, out of mind” league among U.S. major pro sports. It is rarely talked about during […]

 The Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears 21-14 Sunday in the 182nd meeting  between the two oldest franchises in the NFC Championship game. Green Bay built  a 14-0 first-half lead and held on to become the first NFC number-six seed to reach  the Super Bowl. Green Bay will play the Pittsburgh Steelers February 6 […]

By Kwame McDonald MIKE TOMLIN is the youngest coach to lead an NFL team to the Super Bowl twice. The 38-year-old coach’s charges won their second semi-final game on Sunday, January 23 by beating the New York Jets 24-19. They will face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, February 6 in Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas, […]

Fitz Beat By Larry Fitzgerald For the second year in row, the NFC Championship will feature an NFC North representative. Vikings fans can hardly forget last year’s 30-27 overtime NFC title loss at New Orleans. This year the Green Bay Packers, led by red-hot Aaron Rodgers, will travel to Chicago to play the NFC North […]

Another View By Charles Hallman For most Minnesotans at this time of year, their favorite pastime is not ice fishing but selective second-guessing. U of M Men’s Basketball Coach Tubby Smith currently is this season’s selected recipient. A recent Pioneer Press top sports story, “Why so many transfers?” (January 8), slyly cast doubt on Smith’s […]

Prep Scene Mitchell Palmer McDonald Minneapolis South guard SATTORIA RULE scored 12 points — all three-pointers — in the first two minutes on her way to a game-high 37 in a 74-55 victory over St. Paul Johnson in a nonconference girls’ basketball matchup. Teammates KANEESHA GREEN, LAURA THOMAS and SAQIDAH JIHAD also contributed to the […]

Kwame’s Kapsules By Kwame McDonald During my 79-plus years of earthly existence (I’ll be 80 years old on April 20, 2011), sports has occupied an inordinate part of my life. I have watched, played, coached, written and commented about a sport most of my life. I remember the many times I drove the rural roads […]

Fitz Beat Larry Fitzgerald Glendale, AZ — It was supposed to be one of the highest scoring shootouts in BCS Bowl Championship history — the over and under was 75. Auburn was a three-point favorite. If you’re a betting man and you bet the over on the Tostitos BCS Championship game, you lost. But fans […]

Prep Scene By Mitchell Palmer McDonald Finally got a chance to see Columbia Heights mix it up in boys’ basketball with St. Paul Como Park last Friday evening. Before I could sit down to enjoy my popcorn, Columbia Heights’ ZACH LOFTON (21 points) had dunked twice and teammate BEN GLOVER (15) had one slam as […]