Vince Wright started “Sports Done Wright” with an iPad in his basement and no real plan. On Blacklight on Sports, he talks with Charles Hallman and Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald about covering Minnesota sports, the missing Black fans at Gophers games and why the university should make peace with Clem Haskins.
Charles Hallman
Posted inSportfolio
Medved sees a better Gopher team in year two
Gophers coach Niko Medved is in his second season at his alma mater with four returners and nine newcomers. He tells sports columnist Charles Hallman how Clem Haskins shaped him as a coach, and why he believes the program is on the right path.
Posted inBlacklight On Sports
Blacklight on Sports: Brett Buckner on North Commons, Community Building, and the Work That Never Stops
Brett Buckner does not call himself an activist. He calls himself a servant. On Blacklight on Sports, the North Minneapolis organizer talks with Charles Hallman about the 12-year push for the North Commons fieldhouse, the Blue Line extension, voting and the lessons he took home from Hampton University.
Posted inSports
Tommies blend veterans, newcomers in Summit chase
St. Thomas men’s basketball is picked second in the Summit League preseason poll with a program-high three first-team selections. Sports columnist Charles Hallman talks with assistant coach Cameron Rundles about team chemistry, freshman JoJo Mitchell III and his own growth as the staff’s defensive coordinator.
Posted inTimberwolves/NBA
Pistons, Wolves retool around their stars
The 2026-27 NBA season is underway. Sports columnist Charles Hallman previews two teams led by charismatic stars with new casts, the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves, and asks whether fans can afford to watch.
Posted inSports
Critics say Protect College Sports Act protects the powers that be, not athletes
The Protect College Sports Act passed the Senate 77-22 and now heads to the House. Sports columnist Charles Hallman argues it should be called the “Protect the Status Quo Act,” and asks why the players are missing from the table.
Posted inCoaching while Black
Marshall Faulk embraces rookie role as Southern University head coach
This week: Former NFL star Marshall Faulk Marshall Faulk is the latest former big-time NFL player to become a head football coach at an HBCU, and he is in his first season at Southern University. The New Orleans native was named SU coach last December after his first season as Colorado running backs coach under […]
Posted inCoaching while Black
SWAC media days offer access and Black voices the Big Ten can’t match
Sports columnist Charles Hallman chose Birmingham over Chicago for a second straight year, covering SWAC basketball media days with near-total access to coaches and players. He has the preseason polls, key voices and a SWAC TV expansion.
Posted inAnother View
Black fans remain a rare sight at Twins games
The Twins had the most Black players in the American League this year, but Black fans remain a rare sight at Target Field. Sports columnist Charles Hallman asks what it will take to bring them out to the ballpark.
Posted inWNBA
Brunson sees a wide-open race for the WNBA title
As the 2026 WNBA Playoffs kick off, veteran broadcaster Cindy Brunson calls it the most competitive title race in league history. Sports columnist Charles Hallman breaks down the bracket, plus the case for keeping award votes private and this season’s record-setting performances.
Posted inBlacklight On Sports
Blacklight on Sports: Dr. Gary F. Green II on “Playing the Game,” Black Athletic Brilliance, and the Narratives That Limit Black Men
WORDPRESS EXCERPT
Dr. Gary F. Green II joins Blacklight on Sports to unpack his book “Playing the Game,” arguing that what’s dismissed as raw physical talent in Black athletes is actually embodied, ancestral intelligence. Host Charles Hallman digs into Green’s framework built around Marshawn Lynch, Steph Curry and Deion Sanders.
Posted inAnother View
Dr. Queenie, Ixchel McKinnie use social media to push back for the W
Two Black women, Dr. Queenie and Ixchel McKinnie, are pushing back against toxic social media discourse targeting Black WNBA players and coaches. Sports columnist Charles Hallman talks with them about race, fandom and building a positive space for women’s basketball talk in the second installment of his series.
Posted inNews
Dave Winfield reflects on Hall of Fame career, new memoir amid milestone year
Hall of Famer and Rondo native Dave Winfield reflects on his new memoir, “Touching All the Bases,” a statue in his childhood neighborhood, and 50 years of the Winfield Awards. Sports columnist Charles Hallman has the full story.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Tamryn Spruill’s new book chronicles three decades of WNBA history
Sports columnist Charles Hallman talks with journalist Tamryn Spruill about her new book, “The W: A History of the WNBA,” a comprehensive account of the league’s 30-year fight for legitimacy. Plus, Unrivaled 3-on-3 brings its cross-country tour to Minneapolis in January.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Time for a Black woman to lead the WNBA
As WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert prepares to retire, Black women dominate the shortlist of possible successors. Sports columnist Charles Hallman makes the case for why the league’s next leader should be a Black woman.
Posted inAnother View
UST’s full-speed climb to Division I
Pushed out of Division III for being too dominant, the University of St. Thomas fast-tracked its way to full Division I status. As national exposure grows, MSR examines the numbers behind the program’s athletic success and its diversity efforts.
Posted inCoaching while Black
Coaching while Black: New chances and new voices
From junior college sidelines to high school gridirons, Black coaches in Minnesota are paving pathways for youth, proving that representation on the whistle changes lives on and off the field.
Posted inBlack College Sports Report
SWAC coaches sound off as HBCU football season kicks into gear
With the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in the books, HBCU football is in full swing. Dive into what SWAC head coaches are saying about preseason hype, college football chaos, and big matchups ahead.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Taylor, Smith give Gophers reasons for optimism
As the Minnesota Gophers kick off its 2026 season against Eastern Illinois, running back Darius Taylor and defensive lineman Anthony Smith step up as the heart and hustle of Dinkytown. Here is how mentorship, family motivation, and unfinished business brought them back to lead.
Posted inAnother View
Could this college athletes’ union finally stick?
Previous attempts to unionize college players for some reason or another failed without getting any meaningful traction. Over 100 women’s college basketball players last month signed union cards with the new United College Athletes Association (UCAA). The Oregon State players at the same time filed a formal petition with the state for collective bargaining. In […]