By Charles Hallman Staff Writer First it was Proposition 48 in the early 1990s. Then regulations were passed in the early 2000s holding schools more accountable for student-athletes’ graduation rates. Is it now time for real reform in college athletes, since student-athletes still seem to lag behind the NCAA, coaches and the schools in terms […]
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Bears dominate inept Vikings
By Larry Fitzgerald Contributing Writer CHICAGO, ILL — If Sunday’s Vikings game in Chicago against the Bears was a must-win game for the Vikings, than the reality is now quite clear: The Vikings are done! Playoffs? Are you kidding me? When you continue to lose close games, and any games to good teams, sooner or […]
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Not all spin moves are the same
By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer Coaches hope officials will make more consistent calls Basketball Hall of Famer Earl “The Pearl” Monroe perfected the spin move into an art form during the 1960s. Two decades later, Allen Iverson took it to another level, but too many over-copied it to the point that, when not executed properly, […]
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Local standout athlete passes
By Mitchell P. McDonald Contributing Writer As a senior lineman at St. Thomas Academy during the 1989 football season, AKOBAYE DREXELL STAFFORD quietly led the Cadets to the semifinals of the Class AA state playoffs. Stafford, described by family, friends and colleagues as a husband, father, poet, athlete, soldier, advisor and care provider, died Friday, […]
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Are college student-athletes playing ball or being played?
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer A long-held belief that a college student-athlete gets a “full ride” or a “free ride” in which his or her college expenses are fully paid is debunked in a recent report that sheds light on the actual financial circumstances of many athletic scholarship recipients. Whatever a scholarship does not cover, […]
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Women’s hoops still stepsisters in ESPN family
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer ESPN last week held its 24-hour college hoops marathon: 22 live games played all across the U.S. However, just one women’s game was included — UConn vs. Baylor. “We’ve had one [women’s] game per year for three years,” admitted ESPN Vice President of Programming and Acquisitions Carol Stiff during a […]
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Vikings comeback brings Larry Fitzgerald, Jr. and the Cardinals to their knees.
By Larry Fitzgerald Contributing Writer When you pay the greatest quarterback in NFL history, three-time MVP Brett Favre, $1 million per game to play his final season and final chapter of a Hall-of-Fame career with the hope that at age 40 he can again generate the kind of magic from that position he did in […]
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Black coaches go 2-3; Iowa dominates Concordia-St. Paul
By Kwame JC McDonald Contributing Writer Chicago (LOVIE SMITH) 22, Buffalo 15; Pittsburgh (MIKE TOMLIN) 27, Cincinnati (MARVIN LEWIS) 21; Philadelphia 26, Indianapolis (JIM CALDWELL) 24; Atlanta 27, Tampa Bay (RAHEEM MORRIS) 21. San Francisco (MIKE SINGLETARY) was idle. The Black NFL coaches are now 24-24 in their composite win-loss record. Iowa trounces Concordia-St. Paul […]
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Quarterback’s win is his former coach’s loss
By Mitchell P. McDonald Contributing Writer Quarterback MUNEER AL-HAMEED (Minneapolis Washburn) had a 73-yard touchdown run and fired a 14-yard scoring pass in leading Augsburg College to a 17-14 victory over Gustavus Adolphus in an MIAC Conference football game last week. The senior, who played wide receiver the previous three seasons, sealed the victory with […]
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Three more Blacks who could rescue Gopher football
By Charles Hallman Staff Writer A lack of ‘notoriety’ should not rule out these seasoned coaches A barely-got-noticed historic occasion in college football took place two weekends ago. Virginia defeated Eastern Michigan by 27 points October 23 in a first-ever game where two schools with a Black head football coach and a Black athletic director […]
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Washburn’s Millers overcome Central setback
By Mitchell P. McDonald Contributing Writer For Minneapolis Washburn, it’s as if the Twin Cities football game never happened. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Millers were losing handily to St. Paul City Conference champion Central. Washburn, who shared the Minneapolis crown with South and Southwest, lost 56-6. The setback, which some feel led […]
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Vikings lose again and cut Randy Moss!
By Larry Fitzgerald Contributing Writer Childress makes a costly emotional decision I give up. I have seen it all over the last three decades come full circle: Vikings founder Max Winter and team President Mike Lynn’s ownership fight, Pecos River, the Herschel Walker trade, the Love Boat cruise, the Dennis Green years, Head Coach Mike […]
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Study reveals City failed to monitor hiring, contracting jobs and income
By Ron Edwards Guest Commentator Result for Blacks: shameful loss of jobs and income My last column of November 18 was Part I of my examination of one of the most outrageous misrepresentations and miscarriages of racial justice (the denial of jobs) in the history of the City of Minneapolis. I refer to the “disparity […]
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And how are the children?
By Sondra Samuels Guest Commentator Their well-being belongs at the center of all our decisions After living in Botswana, Africa for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer, I visited Kenya, where members of the Masai tribe greeted me warmly. The Masai are known for their elaborate adornment and fearless warriors. Little did I know […]
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Bristol wins, Brandy loses: a modern-day lesson for Black folks
By Sheletta Brundidge Guest Commentator My momma called me the other day with tears in her voice. Her words broke up as she tried to explain the reason for her sorrow. And if my momma is crying, that means somebody is dead and she is in jail for killing them. The woman is strong, and […]
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Honesty about our racism is best hope for change
By Frank Erickson Guest Commentator “The case against defendant Johannes Mehserle has provoked racial unrest at every turn, and police in Oakland, the scene of the killing, were on alert for more problems following a sentence that many thought was too light.” (Pioneer Press, November 6) The community’s reactions to the Oakland Transit officer’s sentence […]
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Disparity study finally released
By Ron Edwards Guest Commentator It took 15 years to tell us what we already knew “Disparities Found in Contract Awards” was the Friday, Nov. 5, 2010 headline in the Star Tribune about a study kept under wraps for five years, a study which cost $500,000 and took five years to complete. The disparity problem […]
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The Empire Strikes Back: explaining the Republican wave
By Deepak Bhargava Guest Commentator What a difference two years make. In 2008, President Obama swept into office on a platform of hope and change. All across America, there was a groundswell of voices calling for an end to a political system that upholds the powerful special interests that ran America into the Great Recession. […]
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Top Republican goal: Get rid of the Black guy
By Ron Edwards Guest Commentator This election highlights the continuing impact of race on our politics As I write late on election night, November 2, 2010, Republicans have won back control of the U.S. House and Democrats have retained control of the U.S. Senate. It could mean the opportunity for the compromise voters obviously are […]
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Don’t believe what you hear about Avatar’s racism
By Dwight Hobbes Guest Commentator I remember well last year’s accusations that the hit film Avatar has racist overtones. Undertones. Something. Never thought about it twice. Hollywood making a racist movie is not exactly man-bites-dog news. And didn’t go see Avatar. My loss. Until I swung by my favorite DVD dealer — the pawn shop, […]