He May Be 48-Years Old, But Herschel Walker Can Still Dominate

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

He came, he saw, and he conquered. Herschel Walker, the man who was once known for being a jack of all trades, dominated his first opponent in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competition. The fight was against Scott Carson, the poor guy that Walker obliterated with a left hook in the first minute of fighting. After knocking Carson to the ground, Walker continued to pound away on him until the referee stopped the fight.

Walker's return to public competition at the age of 48 is nothing short of inspirational. The man who once said "My body is like an army" has proven it to the public by doing what many thought would be impossible. In addition to MMA fighting, Herschel has excelled in quite a few other sports as well: Walker is the only college football player in NCAA history to be listed in the top three in Heisman voting for all three years he was in college. He finished 7th in the 1992 Winter Olympics in the two-man bobsled. He nearly made the Olympic team as a sprinter. He is a fifth-degree black belt. He even did ballet.

 

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Eagles Star Michael Vick Finally Gets an Endorsement Deal

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

Embattled Philadelphia Eagles star Michael Vick has finally signed his first endorsement deal. The player signed a two-year contract with Unequal Technologies, a companies that provides the football pads Vick wore throughout the season. Terms of the deal are not disclosed, but both parties are excited.
"We're real excited about it," said Unequal's chief executive officer Rob Vito.

 

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Study Exposes Painkiller Abuse Among Former NFL Players

by Dr. Boyce Watkins – The Athlete Liberation Academic Reform Movement (ALARM)

According to a new study in a scientific journal, retired NFL players misuse opioid pain medication at a rate that is four times greater than the general public. The study goes on to connect the abuse to the number of pain killers athletes take during their playing days in the NFL. The results were published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, a peer-reviewed academic journal.
The study was conducted by scholars at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. It is also the first study conducted on pain killer misuse by former players. Linda Cottler, a professor of Epidemiology in the school's Department of Psychiatry led the study and it was also commissioned by ESPN.

 

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$300M Deal for U. Texas While Athletes Get Nothing

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

The University of Texas just inked a $300 million television rights deal for a 24-hour network that will broadcast Longhorn athletes and games. ESPN is the partner in the deal and will distribute the network via satellite in Texas and other states around the country. The network is expected to launch in September.
Given that college athletes are serving as the foundation for massive wealth being generated by schools like the University of Texas, it is time that we consider allowing these athletes to have the same labor rights as other workers who generate wealth around the nation. The United Steel Workers Union has actually spoken out on behalf of NCAA athletes, stating that they should have the right to unionize to ensure that their families can benefit from the wealth being created in these massive financial deals.

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Terry Harrington: Former High School Standout Does 25 Years for a Crime He Didn’t Commit

Click to watch the video about the case of Terry Harrington, a former highschool football standout who served 25 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

 

 

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Black Athletes Discussed on ESPN Town Hall Meeting at Morehouse College

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

I was sitting in front of my TV set flipping through one channel after another, and I found something that both intrigued and concerned me: An ESPN special about the image of the black athlete. I was curious to see what they had to say about black athletes, especially males, since that's something I think about nearly every single day of my life.

The panel consisted of Jalen Rose, John Calipari, Randy Shannon, Spike Lee, Robin Roberts and others. I was hopeful that the panelists would not succumb to the temptation of taking the paternalistic viewpoint that black male athletes are somehow destined to be ignorant and need to be told what to do. For example, unlike any other sport, men's basketball and football are the only ones in which there are age limits before the athlete can become a professional. The reasons for these regulations are driven primarily by the argument that the men are too young to go out and support their families by doing what they do for the NCAA without being compensated.

 

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Auburn Wins, the Black Community Loses

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action

When I saw the final score of last night’s NCAA championship game where Auburn University defeated the University of Oregon, I sent a tweet to my friends that said, “Congratulations.  Your plantation was the strongest tonight.”

As the southerners who love Auburn football celebrate their championship, they may want to take a second to absorb a couple of sobering realities.  First, the school got $21 million just for winning that one game.  Auburn’s coach, Gene Chizik is due for a multi-million dollar bonus and millions will flow into the pockets of administrators, coaches, commentators, and corporate sponsors, almost none of whom are black.

 

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Fox News: “Michael Vick Should Have Been Given the Death Penalty”

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson followed the company's interesting tradition the other day by making one of the most distasteful and egregious comments in recent media history. Filling in for Sean Hannity, Carlson said that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick should have been executed for dogfighting.

"I'm a Christian, I've made mistakes myself, I believe fervently in second chances," Carlson said. "But Michael Vick killed dogs, and he did in a heartless and cruel way. And I think, personally, he should've been executed for that. He wasn't, but the idea that the President of the United States would be getting behind someone who murdered dogs? Kind of beyond the pale."

 

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Why Would Barack Obama Defend Michael Vick?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University –Scholarship in Action 

Anyone following the worlds of sports and politics heard about President Barack Obama's decision to congratulate the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles for giving the embattled Michael Vick another chance to shine. The president called Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie to tell him that he condemns the crimes for which Vick has been convicted, but believes that those who've paid debts for their crimes deserve a second chance to contribute to society.

The symbolism of this moment can't be missed. Here we have an African American male going out of his way to express support for another black male coming out of the criminal justice system. While none of us knows Obama's true intentions, his public support for Michael Vick reminds us of the intricate connections that exist between many black males from all walks of life (Al Sharpton and I discussed thisvery same issue yesterday with regard to the arrest of the father of NBA star OJ Mayo): educated black politicians/doctors/lawyers who love sports have a great deal in common with athletes, who in turn have something in common with men in the criminal justice system, hip hop, etc. It's all connected at the end of the day (notice the close friendships between men like LeBron James and the rapper Jay-Z and the fact that many artists have friends who deal drugs).

 

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Ohio State Players Suspended for Selling their “Stuff”

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

Terrelle Pryor, the star quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes, is set to be suspended for four games next season as a result of receiving improper benefits. He wasn't the only Buckeye kicked out for 1/3 of next season: Four other players were also suspended: Daniel Herron, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams and Solomon Thomas are among the guilty and condemned.
Adams is being asked to repay $1,000 for selling his 2008 Big Ten Championship ring and Heron was busted for selling his jersey, pants and shoes for $1,000. Also among the list of offenses being investigated was that the players received free tattoos in exchange for autographs.
When I read this story, I thought, "Here we go again, the NCAA participating in their typical sanctimonious and hypocritical behavior."

 

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Tiger Woods Allegedly Abandoned His Relatives

Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

Tiger Woods' brother, Earl Woods Jr., had some interesting things to say about the golfing superstar. Woods is the oldest of three children who came from the previous marriage of Tiger's now-deceased father. Tiger's brother now publicly claims that Woods has cut the family off and that he hasn't spoken to him since 2006. This is in stark contrast to the fact that they spoke quite frequently when Tiger was a young man.

It seems that, according to Earl, the trappings of fame, entourages and piles of money may have detached Tiger from that which matters most: those who love us. At the same time, we can't say for sure what happened in Tiger's family that caused the division to occur in the first place. Tiger's brother says that while they were invited to ride on Tiger's jet to the funeral of his father, the golfer barely acknowledged them during the trip.

Click to read.

 

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The Rise and Fall of Kobe Bryant: How His Career Has Evolved

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

This week it was announced that Kobe Bryant, star of the Los Angeles Lakers, is leading the nation in All-Star votes. Bryant has over 722,000 votes thus far and is on his way toward once again being America's favorite basketball player (well, he might already be there). He is more popular than his nemesis, LeBron James, who lost a bulk of his popularity after improperly orchestrating his move to Miami. At the same time, the criticism of James was inherently unfair.

What's interesting about LeBron vs. Kobe is that one guy has always been a team player and stayed out of trouble. The other one was being accused of rape just a few years ago and was also once known as a prima donna who wouldn't pass the ball to anyone other than himself. My oh my how times have changed.

Click to read. 

 

 

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HS BBall Player Attacks Referee

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

 

A player from Desoto High School in Florida is in hot water after attacking a referee during a basketball game. Apparently, the player wasn't happy when the ref ejected him for hitting another player. It was then that the player hit the referee, eventually slamming him to the ground.
The game ended when the refs refused to continue officiating.
Obviously, this incident should lead to a serious punishment for the young man involved. Referees should not, in any way, feel that they are physically threatened when making unpopular calls during an athletic event. What I hope, however, is that we don't somehow conclude that the young man who made this mistake is some kind of irreparable social deviant. My interpretation is that there was plenty of testosterone flowing in the game and it simply got out of hand. Young people, often unable to handle hormonal changes, can sometimes do things that they regret. In fact, during college, I once threw another player to the ground in the heat of competition. After the incident, I immediately left the court and went home so I could cool off.

 

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Michael Vick’s Financial Woes Keep Him Living the Simple Life

Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University Scholarship in Action 

Oh what a tangled web we weave with our choices. A man with one of the most tangled financial webs in America is Mr. Michael Vick. Vick has re-positioned himself as one of the leading quarterbacks in the NFL, and I’m sure a massive financial offer is forthcoming at some point. But don’t expect Michael to be rolling pretty for quite a while, since I haven’t seen this many financial problems since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Where do we begin? Let’s start with Vick’s stellar salary with the Philadelphia Eagles. Michael brings home a cool $4.1 million, which might seem like a lot of money for a man who didn’t just file bankruptcy while serving time in prison. A condition of the bankruptcy is that Vick doesn’t get to spend nearly any of the money he earns for anything other than absolute necessities. So, that means no Cristal at the club, no ‘blingin, flossin', shinin' or stuntin’ allowed, which seems to be the mandatory calling for far too many African American athletes.

 

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Tiger Woods Update: Another Tiger Mistress Says She Was Paid to Keep Sex Tape Off the Market

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

Devon James is both a porn star and yet another woman who claimed that she slept with Tiger Woods. She is also a person who may be delusional, at least if you ask some of her friends. While it might be old news by now that Tiger likes to spend quality time with porn stars, the not-so-old news is that James claims that Tiger paid her a significant sum of money in order to avoid releasing their sex tape. By the way, she is also the one saying that she and Tiger have a love child.
James and her husband have been selling pre-orders for the tape for $19.99 through a website. The orders were to be shipped on December 1 of this year, but never arrived. There were also no explanations regarding why the tapes were never shipped. James says it's because she and her hubby were waiting for a settlement to come through from Woods' team, and that the settlement finally arrived (perhaps Tiger, like Obama, wanted to make sure that those in need received their benefits before Christmas).

 

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Black Love Gone Bad: Antoine Walker Sued for Taking another Man’s Finacee

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

Former NBA star Antoine Walker is being sued for $5 million dollars by a man who claims that Walker stole his fiancee. Kevin Jenkins says that he caught Walker and his fiancee in an "intimate moment," and confronted Walker about it. He said that Walker laughed in his face to deliberately cause him emotional distress.
Jenkins then says that he became so emotionally distressed that he thought about killing himself.
To date, I haven't heard of anyone being sued for cheating with another person's fiancee. However, I do know that in some states, you can be sued for cheating with someone else's spouse. These "alienation of affection" lawsuits are legal in several states: Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota and Utah.

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Former Colorado Coach Says New Coach Hired Because He’s Black

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

Jon Embree is a former tight end for The University of Colorado. He is currently an assistant coach for the Washington Redskins. The rumor mill has it that Embree may soon take the next step of becoming head coach at his alma mater.
Typically, such a bold move by a university to give an African American coach a chance might be applauded. In this case, heads are turning because of confusing remarks made by former Colorado coach Bill McCartney.
McCartney, who was one of three finalists for the job as of Wednesday night, shut down speculation by stating that the university had informally offered the job to Embree. He also went as far as stating that Embree was offered the job because he is African American.
"It was never about me doing it again," McCartney told the Denver Post. "It was about setting the table for a black man to come in (as head coach). And he (athletic director Mike Bohn) hired one. Now, give him a chance."

 

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How Race and Basketball Interact

As the great David Halberstam often observed, the racial politics of professional basketball have always been rather delicate. The sport, after all, sells the talents, style and power of mostly young black men to a largely white audience — and these uncomfortable racial dynamics have a tendency to bubble to the surface in strange ways. This summer, after LeBron James left Cleveland for Miami in a showy power grab, the move unleashed a tsunami of bile. According LeBron, the backlash was at least in part caused by the “race factor,” and it spawned a heated debate about the role of racism in the NBA.  For people looking for some perspective on the issue, ”The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History,” from the people behind the FreeDarko basketball blog, is a great place to start. The book is a collectivist account of the NBA’s racial, labor and cultural reverberations — with occasional jaunts into graphic novel format. “TUGTPBH” co-author Bethlehem Shoals is a primary contributor to FreeDarko, a site with a reputation for thought-provoking takes on the basketball world. Salon spoke to Shoals over the phone, about the LeBron controversy and the changing nature of race in the NBA.

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Study: College Basketball Players Have Lower Graduation Rates than other Students

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

A new study by The College Sport Research Institute at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill has revealed disturbing information about the academic hurdles of college basketball players. According to the study, the graduation rates for NCAA Division I men's basketball players is 20 percentage points less than the average for full-time male students.
The study goes on to show that the gap grows even further in top-ranking conferences. The authors present evidence that there is a 30.8 percent graduation gap when leading conferences are considered separately.
Women are better off than men in the study. Female basketball players find that their graduation rates are still worse than their peers, but the gap is not as great as it is for the men. For women, there is a 6.2 percent differential overall and a 14.6 percentage point differential in top conferences.

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Michael Vick Dominates the Redskins – He’s a Player Again

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

Last night, Michael Vick was the man. Vick became the first quarterback in NFL history to record more than 300 passing yards, over 50 rushing yards, four or more passing touchdowns and two or more rushing touchdowns, all in one game. Not only did he give what some are arguing to be the greatest quarterback performance in the history of the NFL, he did it on Monday Night Football, one of the biggest NFL stages other than the Super Bowl. Vick led the Eagles to franchise records for total yardage (592) and points in a half (45). They were leading 28-0 at half-time, which is the most for any road team since 1950. It was amazing.

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Three College Football Players Shot at U. Mississippi

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

This weekend there was a fight in a bar in Hattiesburg, MS. Three football players from Southern Mississippi University were involved in the fight, and all three were shot. The three players are in fair condition at a local hospital.
Martez Smith, Tim Green and Deddrick Jones were shot shortly after 3 a.m. There have been no arrests and police say that the shootings may have been gang related.

Allen Murray, spokesperson for the Hattiesburg police, said that the fight started inside the club and spilled out into the street. That's where the players were shot. The incident occurred a few hours after the team defeated Central Florida.

 

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NCAA Wants to Fine Its Players

NCAA Wants to Fine Players Who Get Extra Benefits

12:45 AMOct 26

Source: BV on Sports

The NCAA is working with various groups to find ways to keep college athletes from receiving benefits from sports agents. Most recently, there have been proposals put forth that would fine players for violating the rules. The penalties may even ... Read More

USA Today Author Says College Athletes Should Be Paid

by Dave Meggyesy

The question of whether colleges should pay their revenue-producing athletes — football and basketball players at the NCAA's top 120 college programs — is a no-brainer.

OUR VIEW: When student-athletes cheat, corrupt adults escape blame

The amazing reality is that these athletes, the hired help whose performance generates hundreds of millions for these top programs, don't get paid. Who wouldn't want a business where the cost of your product is virtually zero? The performance of college athletes is the product!

Yet, as a marketing ploy, the NCAA defines college-revenue athletes as "student-athletes" and the games as contests among amateurs, creating a huge distortion. In these "big time" college programs, even the term "athlete-student" would be a stretch; athlete-employee is more accurate, young men and recently young women who work year-round at jobs and don't get paid.

 

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Black Athletes to Get Featured on New HBCU Network

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

NewsOne.com is reporting that there are plans to launch a 24-hour network dedicated to HBCUs. The network is set to be focused on "edutainment" and lifestyle for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The company behind the platform, C3 Media LLC says that the network is set to fill a niche within the cable industry that has barely been reached in the past.

Much of the programming will also feature various sports teams sponsored by black colleges all across America. "The idea and vision behind the creation of the HBCU Network is to preserve and celebrate the African American colleges and universities, while also providing opportunities for their growth and further prosperity," CEO Curtis Symonds told NewsOne. "At the same time, we are passionate and excited about building a strong media brand and network from the ground up."

 

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Black Athletes Must Prepare for the NFL Lockout

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

For NFL fans and those who have teams in their cities, there's something you should know. Like a dark cloud hanging in the sky on a bright, sunny day, a pending NFL lockout is waiting on the horizon. A lockout is sort of like a strike, but the workers aren't the ones calling for it. Instead, team owners are the ones calling for a halt in NFL activities, where the league will be shut down and games cancelled. Even if games aren't cancelled, we might be forced to endure another season of tacky replacement players, and nobody wants that.
The AFL-CIO has decided to put it's power behind the NFL Players Union in this battle with team owners. The organization sent a letter to the owners of NFL teams, warning them that a lockout could have a powerfully detrimental effect on workers and fans in cities all across America. They also warned that cities could lose $140 million in revenue.

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Reggie, You Didn’t Need that Heisman Anyway

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

I am not sure if Reggie Bush has ever read a word I've written. But after I mentioned last week that I felt Bush should give the Heisman trophy back, I was proud to see that he gave it away. Again, I am not one to say that he gives a you-know-what about anything I might say in public, but I can certainly say that I am proud.
Bush gave the Heisman trophy back this week after rampant speculation regarding whether or not he received inappropriate benefits during his time at USC. The speculation was bothersome to me, primarily because Reggie Bush was a human highlight film who earned millions for the NCAA and the university. The idea that they would even consider taking his Heisman Trophy after he'd given the NCAA so much was nothing short of offensive. If a man earns millions of dollars for you and you get angry because he took a few thousand to give his mother a place to live, then you've clearly got a problem with your value system.
Bush's statement about giving the Heisman back is below:

 

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No Black Athletes to Follow Venus, Serena and Tiger: What’s Going On?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Most of us can appreciate, on one level or another, the tremendous achievements of Tiger Woods, Venus Williams and her little sister, Serena. They have all been, in one way or another, a tremendous source of pride for the African American community. Much of the reason we are so proud of them is because they've dominated like no other in sports that are not typically played by "us." I am personally more impressed with the Williams sisters than with Tiger, in large part because they've made it into a family affair, and seem to more directly embrace the idea of making their success into a "black thing." Tiger, on the other hand, seems to want to make his success into a "Caublinasian thing." I admittedly can't get with that.

 

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Black Athletes and Their Complex Relationships

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

One of my favorite films of all-time was "War of the Roses," starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. In the film, a divorced couple starts down a dangerous and hilarious path of mutual destruction, where the goal of each is to make the other person's life miserable. At the end of the movie, both parties find that while it was their goal to destroy the other person, they actually ended up destroying themselves. Just for the record, each character dies at the end.

I think about "War of the Roses" when I see the custody battle between NBA star Dwight Howard and his ex-wife, Royce Reed. Of course I don't expect anyone to end up dead, but it's already clear that Royce and Dwight have made each other's lives as miserable as possible. Royce recently called the cops after Dwight picked up her son from daycare at a time when he was not scheduled to do so. Before that, Dwight had filed a lawsuit against Royce for referring to him as a "douchebag" on the TV show, "Basketball Wives.

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Gilbert Arenas—No License, But Still Strapped

NBA star Gilbert Arenas didn't have a license to possess the guns he stored in his locker in D.C.,law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

Arenas could be charged with “CPWL", carrying a pistol without a license.

Uh oh!

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New doc explores the high school years of hoops star LeBron James

Between 1999 and 2003, the St. Vincent-St. Mary high school basketball team from Akron, Ohio was virtually unbeatable. It helped that the star player on the "Fighting Irish" was a kid named LeBron James, who now rules pro hoops as "King James" — an elite offensive force for the Cleveland Cavaliers and this year's NBA MVP.

'I wasn't supposed to come back but they never told me to leave and so I just kept showing up; that's pretty much how that whole season went.' —Kristopher Belman, on shooting More Than a Game

Director Kristopher Belman's new documentary More Than a Game is a fascinating look at LeBron James's almost premature rise to stardom and the thorny issues it presented for his high school teammates. It's easily the most comprehensive record we have of a star athlete's adolescence. James was no ordinary teenager: by his junior year he'd been profiled in a Sports Illustrated cover story, and St. Vincent-St. Mary games were being broadcast on ESPN.

Belman followed the team — dubbed the "Fab Five" — during their fourth and final year at high school, and used home videos, TV news reports and more recent interviews to assemble the rest of the story. Although the doc's substantial buzz is a direct result of the LeBron James connection, Belman's film is also a potent reminder that basketball is a team game: James isn't the only compelling character on the squad, nor is he the only one who struggles with being put through the media meat grinder.

CBC News spoke to Belman about how he gained access to the teenage phenomenon six years ago, and how his assignment for a college film class became a feature film.

Read the rest of the story by clicking here.

Rasheed Wallace a perfect fit with Celtics

The numbers told one story. Rasheed Wallace shot a career-low 41.9 percent from the floor last season, and his 12.0 ppg was his lowest average since his rookie year.

The eyes told another story. Wallace still had game. But heading into a 2009-10 season when he would be 35, the feeling around Detroit was that he simply couldn’t put said game on the floor for as long as he used to, that the intensity with which he played was draining him.

It also was rather clear that the Pistons’ fall from the top of the Eastern Conference and their mixed success in rebuilding on the fly were getting to everyone there.

So as much as the Celtics [team stats] needed Sheed, Sheed needed the Celtics.

“I think with a player like that, they need energy around them,” coach Doc Rivers said. “They need a reason to really play, and I think our group gives him that. “He picked the right place for him - and obviously for us. I do think it’s a terrific fit.”

Wallace concurs.

“At this point in my career, yeah,” he said. “I want to win, and this is a great place for that. We’ve got a lot of young, hungry guys and great veterans, and this group has already won a championship. They know what it takes, and they want to go back.”

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Your Black News: Iverson Can’t Get a Job?

Dr. Deborah Stroman, a leading scholar on Leadership and Sport, was asked why Allen Iverson can’t find a job.   Here is what she had to say.  Other notable athletes, Edgerrin James, Marvin Harrison and Derrick Brookes are also on the sidelines.

“Money is only one aspect of a good veteran not being picked up by a team. The other factor is leadership. If the organization is trying to develop new leaders, the coach and/or general manager will not gamble the new leader’s development and team chemistry with the introduction of a  veteran leader. And this veteran leadership may be displayed by performance or verbal acumen. For example, you may have a veteran wide receiver or running back who doesn’t talk much but has the potential to dominate on the field. A younger player may be drawn to that performer as a role model and not the new leader (often times the quarterback) who is trying to gain influence and control of “his” team. Or the veteran leader may be charismatic and draw attention to himself and away from the leaders that the organization is rightfully trying to impose on the other players. The organization feels that the signing of the veteran player is just not worth the risk.”

Dr Boyce on Sports: John Calipari and Kentucky

Dr Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

After reading about Kentucky Coach John Calipari being found guilty of cheating by the NCAA, I wasn't surprised in the least. Calipari has never been known for producing the most highly educated athletes in the world (his graduation rate among African American athletes is 44 percent), and he seems to want to win above anything else. The idea that my alma mater, The University of Kentucky, would immediately step in to pay tens of millions of dollars to a coach that has been proven to be a cheater makes a powerful statement about the ethical disposition of this university. Kentucky is like many NCAA institutions in their mass pillage of African American athletes for the sake of their multi-million dollar fortunes.

John Calipari and his old school, The University of Memphis, have been charged with having an SAT exam taken for a player on the basketball team (believed by many to be Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls). According to several published sources, the SAT exam was falsified during the 2007 - 2008 season. The team has been required to give back 38 wins from that season, costing the school millions in revenue. These kinds of abuses don't just occur at The University of Memphis. The University of Kentucky's basketball program has nearly received the death penalty for its long list of violations in the past, so it is only fitting that they hire yet another arguably unethical coach to continue their storied tradition. Here are some quick thoughts about John Calipari and The University of Kentucky:

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Carmello Anthony Sues His Former Manager

When athletes finally make it to the professional level, they're immediately surrounded by people they don't know but are forced to trust. And young athletes in their twenties who don't have any money-management skills whatsoever are ripe for being taken advantage of. That's what happened to Carmelo Anthony, but now he's fighting back.
Melo filed a $2 million lawsuit against his former business manager, Larry W. Harmon and his firm, Larry Harmon & Associates P.A. The suit alleges that Harmon breached their contract by transferring $1.75 million of Anthony's money without his knowledge or consent to a company formed by Harmon, most of it in 2008, according to the Associated Press. There was another $265,000 invested in companies that Melo had no knowledge of or given consent to.

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Black News: Is this Athlete a Man or a Woman?

No 1: Caster Semenya celebrates as she wins gold in Berlin Photo: AP

Semenya crowned a spectacular season by triumphing in 1min 55.45sec while Britain's Jenny Meadows produced a lifetime best of 1min 57.93sec to take the bronze - Britain's third medal of the championship. Fellow Briton Marilyn Okoro was eighth.

But instead of being able to celebrate her victory, Semenya found herself facing uncomfortable questions about whether she should really have been lining up in today's first-round heats of the men's 800m.

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News: calipari Found Cheating – Kentucky Coach Must Give Back 38 wins

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)—Memphis will be forced to vacate the record 38 victories from its Final Four season of 2007-08 under former coach John Calipari because of NCAA violations, The Commercial Appeal reported.

The newspaper, citing an unidentified source close to the situation, said on its Web site Wednesday night the NCAA will release findings of its investigation Thursday. The Commercial Appeal said it was unaware of any penalties beyond this season.

The NCAA investigated whether someone took the SAT exam for a player on that Final Four team. Memphis was notified of potential violations in January and met with the governing body in June.

The NCAA has said an unknown person took the college entrance exam for a player—with his knowledge—and that the player used it to get admitted. The governing body says the athlete played for the Tigers only in the 2007-08 season and the 2008 NCAA tournament. Just one person fits that description: Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls’ No. 1 overall draft pick in 2008 and its rookie of the year.

 

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Williams Sisters Considering Buying a Share of Miami Dolphins

Serena Williams and her sister Venus are in preliminary talks to become part-owners of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, the 11-time grand slam winner confirmed on Wednesday.

"There have been preliminary talks and hopefully it will work out," Serena Williams told reporters after her second round win over Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova at the Toronto Cup. "That would be a great opportunity for both of us.

"We'll see what happens, you never know."

If they did acquire a stake in the Dolphins, the Williams sisters would join musicians Jimmy Buffet and Gloria and Emilio Estefan, who became minority partners in the team earlier this year.

Buffett, owner of Margaritaville Enterprises, signed a deal in May, which includes the team's stadium being renamed after his LandShark Lager beer for the 2009 season.

The Williams, who live in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, are not described as big NFL fans but view the Dolphins as a vehicle to promote themselves.

"Venus and I are always trying to expand our brand," said Williams. "If the opportunity presents itself we would love to see where it can take us.

"Hopefully we'll be able to expand our brand."

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Dr Boyce Watkins: Michael Vick’s Return is Good for All of Us

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

He's back. After a 2 year saga that kept my head spinning, the young man who made a terrible mistake is finally being allowed to make a living. I have supported Michael Vick all along, but not because I felt that he was innocent. I've supported him because I do not believe that dog fighting is the kind of crime that deserves a lifetime punishment. So, to the extremists at PETA who want to see Michael Vick burn in the hell of unemployment and incarceration for the rest of his life, I only have one thing to say: grow up.

Michael Vick's reinstatement to the NFL and recent signing by the Philadelphia Eagles unleashed a plethora of thoughts within me. On some level, his return is a bit of an "Athletic Juneteenth" for those who tire of seeing our country make African American athletes into public enemy number one whenever they screw up. To this day, we act as if Marion Jones is the devil, Barry Bonds is a monster, and Terrell Owens is some kind of criminal. This treatment is nothing new, as black athletes have been getting villified for decades, and their molehills are consistently turned into mountains, ripe for high-tech lynchings. This is the tradition of America.

It only seems appropriate that Michael Vick sign his contract in a city like Philadelphia, the place that I love and fear at the same time. I love the city because they've supported me in my work with the great Wendy Williams, Dom Giordano andCharlamagne Tha God. But there is a dark side of "Killadelphia" that shows itself in the way they support their sports teams. They are the fans that cheered when it appeared that Michael Irvin may have broken his neck, so they sure as heck aren't going to pay much attention to animal rights protestors blocking their path to a Super Bowl. In a city like Philly, the slogan is simple: "If you win, we forgive all sin." Vick will be right at home.

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Your Breaking News: Michael Vick Gets a Job

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.

Enlarge photo

Courtesy of CBSMichael Vick discusses his situation with James Brown.

Related Falcons stories »

• Report: Vick to be an Eagle
• Bulldog QBs to take centerstage in Falcons' opener
• Vick regrets dogfighting, accepts full responsibility
• Schedule and results
• TV Listings

Vick will return to the NFL after two seasons away, including 23 months in federal prison, and a league suspension that will end after Week 6 this year.

The Falcons host the Eagles in a Sunday game on Dec. 6, at the end of the regular season.

The controversial signal caller has gone through a whirlwind of highs and lows since the Atlanta Falcons drafted as the No. 1 pick in 2001.

He inked a $62 million deal that included a $15 million signing bonus. After a year waiting in the wings, took over the starting position in the 2002 season, and led the team to its first playoff berth since the 1998 NFC Championship season.

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News: Kentucky Coach Rick Pitino Cheated on his Wife

University of Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino told police that he had consensual sex with Karen Cunagin Sypher at a Louisville restaurant where he'd been drinking on Aug. 1, 2003.

He also told police that he later gave Sypher $3,000 to have an abortion, according to Louisville Metro Police reports The Courier-Journal obtained under the Kentucky Open Records Act.

But Pitino denied Sypher's allegations that he raped her at Porcini, after the restaurant closed, and again a few weeks later at a different location, police records show. And prosecutors who have reviewed Sypher's claims say Pitino won't be charged.

Sypher has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiring to extort money from Pitino in exchange for her silence about the alleged crimes, and with lying to the FBI. She has pleaded not guilty.

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Tiger Gets Fined

Tiger Woods will be fined by the PGA Tour for his public criticism of a rules official after winning the Bridgestone Invitational, a tour official said Monday.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the tour does not publicize fines.

Woods was bothered after his four-shot victory Sunday because he and Padraig Harrington were put on the clock at the par-5 16th. He said that caused Harrington to rush three difficult shots, leading to triple bogey.

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Stop Praising Michael Vick and Let Him Play

By Glenn Minnis

Like most fair-minded and even moderately temperate souls, I am of the unwavering belief that Mike Vick has now paid his debt to society, served his time, and should again be free to live his life in the most upwardly mobile fashion he's blessed enough to navigate.

Being convicted of a crime, in and of itself, should in no way result in an automatic death sentence. Some of those who've sought to bury Vick by mercilessly stripping him of his already earned riches and NFL livelihood struck me as hypocrites of the highest degree in their straying beyond the law by insisting that Vick's transgressions not only be punished by the legal system but that his world forever be left in ruins.

That doesn't strike me as justice, but rather overkill. And yet, I couldn't help but feel as if the Vick Express on the road to redemption veered recklessly off course this week when he was to be honored in his Virginia hometown as something just short of a demigod.

'Celebration for Mike Vick' event organizer and Southern Christian Leadership Conference chapter president Andrew Shannon intimated that hundreds of youths were expected to be on hand to cheer Vick on and hear him speak before an unforeseen scheduling snafu caused the entire event to be scraped.

I'll call it divine intervention.

Admit it, in a world where black and minority men make up far to high of a percentage of those incarcerated, the image and implications born of Vick being paraded as some sort of cause célèbre of indisputable virtuosity before so many impressionable minds could be more than just a bit dysfunctional for its audience. Idolatry, you see, can be a form of imprisonment of its own.

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News: Lebron Has a whole Bunch of Options

LeBron James is going to make the Cleveland Cavaliers wait — and sweat.

James indicated Friday that he is unlikely to accept a contract extension from the Cavs until after the 2009-10 season and presumably will become a free agent.

At an event in his hometown to unveil Nike Air Max LeBron VII, the latest sneaker in his signature line, James made his strongest comments yet about his future. The NBA's reigning MVP said he signed a three-year contract in 2006 to give him more options once it expires.

"I signed a contract in 2006 with an option, and it would make no sense for me to sign that contract if I didn't keep my options open," he said. "I'll let you fill in the blanks."

The Cavaliers offered James a contract extension on July 18, the three-year anniversary of the signing of his current contract. The team could offer the extension — at the highest salary allowed — of up to three years. James can sign the extension offer anytime before June 30, 2010.

James, who will make $15.7 million next season, also has an option in his current contract that can extend his deal through the 2010-11 season.

However, it appears for now that James does not intend to sign the extension or pick up his one-year option for $17.1 million anytime soon.

 

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Your Black News: Another Day, Another Liar?

NEW YORK (AP) — David Ortiz (FSY) thinks legal supplements and vitamins likely caused him to land on a list of alleged drug users seized by the federal government, and Major League Baseball and the players' association said some of the names on the list never tested positive for steroids.

MLB said in a statement Saturday that at most 96 urine samples tested positive in the 2003 survey — and the players' association said 13 of those were in dispute.

The government seized the samples and records the following year from baseball's drug-testing companies as part of the BALCO investigation. The list of 104 players alleged to have tested positive has been the subject of a five-year legal fight with the union trying to force the government to return what federal agents took during raids.

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Suspected Killer of Vernon Forrest Appears in Court

By theGrio

As his grandmother sat nearby weeping, a 20-year-old man charged with killing ex-boxing champion Vernon Forrest had his first appearance in court Wednesday morning.

Demario Ware, who turned himself in to authorities Tuesday night, is charged with murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

He appeared at a jailhouse hearing in front of Fulton County Magistrate Sylvia McCoy, who read him the charges. Wearing a navy blue jail jumpsuit and handcuffs, Ware said nothing other than "yes, ma'am" and kept his eyes on the floor. He is being held without bond.

Ware's grandmother, Rose Thomas, sat in the courtroom crying.

"He wasn't raised up to do the thing he done," she said after the hearing. "I'm sorry to the gentleman that got killed and his family. I know if I'm hurting like I am, then I know they're hurting."

Police say Forrest, 38, was shot to death July 25 after he chased a man who robbed him of his championship ring and Rolex watch. No other arrests have been made in the case, but police do not believe Ware is the person who shot Forrest.

The investigation continues into the shooting.

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