Maryland's Lieutenant Governor Visits UMES

Maryland's Lieutenant Governor Anthony G. Brown stopped by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Thursday for a visit. UMES recently joined the PGA golf management program and Brown received a lesson on the school's driving range. He says he's very excited to see what UMES is doing as a part of the university system of Maryland.

Lieutenant Governor Brown says, "Under Dr. Thompson's leadership, what you've seen is a campus that is focusing on where the needs are in Maryland." "The school has developed programs that make a contribution to meaningful higher education in the State."

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A&T's Simmons’ shot at big leagues a little late

The honor came 58 years late for Bert Simmons, but then, most everything did.

The former N.C. A&T baseball player who fought his way through lesser leagues of the South before getting his shot in the Negro Leagues, was "drafted" Thursday to play for the Baltimore Orioles.

Baseball's been trying to make up for lost time and accrued embarrassment for more than 60 years, embracing the ballplayers who were never given a chance to play in the majors simply because of the color of their skin. The gestures have been both grand and hollow since Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947.

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McCants establishes DSU scholarship fund

Former Hornets WR puts millions earned in NFL to good use

DOVER -- When Darnerien McCants attended Delaware State University, he was not always enamored with what he perceived as the campus' shortcomings and was not exactly a rah-rah person, even though he played for the football team.

Now that McCants has been separated from campus life since 2001, he said he is able to see exactly what his years at Delaware State meant. So, McCants, who went on to play wide receiver for the Washington Redskins and the Eagles, announced Thursday that he is establishing a $10,000 scholarship fund for students attending DSU.

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Freshman Golden Lion and SU Jaguar Named Louisville Slugger All-American

PINE BLUFF -- University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff freshman third baseman Matt Pace was named Wednesday to the "Louisville Slugger" All-America Baseball Team. He joins Southern University standout freshman Fraizer Hall, who was named to the team.

Pace, a former Warren High School standout, hit .369 with 5 home runs and a team-high 40 runs batted in during his freshman season with the Golden Lions. He was also among the nation's leaders in doubles with 23.

In addition to his recent All-American accolade, Pace was also named "Freshman of the Year" in the Southwestern Athletic Conference last month.

Southern University's Frazier Hall also earned a spot on the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American team. Hall, used at catcher, first base and as a designated hitter, hit .393 with three homers, nine doubles and 33 RBIs. Hall was one of three catchers on the team.

The SU Jaguars' Hall and UAPB's Pace were the only players named to the team from the Southwestern Athletic Conference. No player was named from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference or the HBCU Independents.

View Complete List: Louisville Slugger's Freshman All-American Baseball Team

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UAPB Players make All-American Football Team

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff linebacker Tim Turner, along with teammates Ledarius Anthony and Stewart Franks, were recently named as members of the Consensus Draft Services Preseason All-American squad.

Turner, a 6-2, 215-pound senior from Little Rock was named to the Division I-AA first-team defense after leading the Golden Lions in tackles last season with 122. The Parkview High product also notched seven tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Anthony, a 6-6, 270-pound senior defensive end from Pine Bluff was tabbed for a spot on the Division I-AA second-team defense, after registering 66 tackles and 11 tackles for losses. The NFL prospect was among the leaders in sacks last season in the Southwestern Athletic Conference with 8.5.

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NSU basketball player charged in pair of robberies at ODU

Photo: Brandon Monroe

Brandon Monroe, a junior forward on the Norfolk State men's basketball team, is facing four charges in connection with a pair of robberies on Old Dominion's campus.

Monroe and Alfred Noel II were arrested May 7 after they allegedly brandished weapons while stealing items, including a wallet, cell phone, handbag and credit cards, from a woman and man on April 28.

Monroe, 21, was charged with two counts each of robbery and unlawful use of a firearm. Noel faces one charge each of robbery and unlawful use of a firearm. Monroe and Noel each were released on a $10,000 secured bond and are scheduled to appear for a July 9 court date. As a condition of his bond, Monroe, a Raeford, N.C., resident, is not allowed to leave Virginia.

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Obama Clinches Nomination; First Black Candidate to Lead a Major Party Ticket

Senator Barack Obama claimed the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday evening, prevailing through an epic battle with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in a primary campaign that inspired millions of voters from every corner of America to demand change in Washington.

A last-minute rush of Democratic superdelegates, as well as the results from the final primaries, in Montana and South Dakota, pushed Mr. Obama over the threshold of winning the 2,118 delegates needed to be nominated at the party’s convention in August. The victory for Mr. Obama, the son of a black Kenyan father and a white Kansan mother, broke racial barriers and represented a remarkable rise for a man who just four years ago served in the Illinois Senate.

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Senator Barack Obama's Victory Speech - June 3, 2008, St. Paul, MN










2,118 needed A.P. Delegate Projections
Delegates: Won to date Super-delegates Total
Barack Obama 1,765 389 2,154
Hillary Rodham Clinton 1,637 282 1,919

Michael Wilbon: Broken Records

Photo: The late Bob Hayes is the only man in history to win both the Olympic gold medal and a NFL Super Bowl ring. Today, Hayes is still denied enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his accomplishments.

Used to be the two greatest titles in sports were "Fastest Man in the World" and "Heavyweight Champion of the World." Each meant the holder was invincible the world over. This wasn't small potatoes, like winning a league or a national championship. These were planetary designations. All comers welcome. The titles were unassailable, unimpeachable. There were no questions to be asked. No doubt conveyed.

In the 1930s Ralph Metcalfe was the "Fastest Man in the World." Then it was Jesse Owens, then Willie Williams, then Bob Hayes (Florida A&M University). You could trace the times going back to Don Lippincott in 1912, and the results were gospel.

But not now. A 6-foot-5 Jamaican man named Usain Bolt ran the fastest time ever in the 100 meters the other night, 9.72 seconds....

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Wilbon makes a great point, as I believe the same thoughts crossed many of our minds after watching the video of Usain Bolt record setting runs (watch below, June 1st posts). Bolt is not the Barack Obama of the track world--and what did he accomplish before the past two weeks record setting runs? Sad to say, Bolt needs to prove he is not a druggie.

-beepbeep

SSU baseball coach reinstated

Savannah State baseball head coach Carlton Hardy has been reinstated after being suspended from April 18 until May 23 while he was the focus of an internal investigation, SSU communications director Loretta Heyward said.

"Mr. Carlton Hardy returned to work on May 23," Heyward said of SSU's third-year coach, who was suspended from the Tigers' final 12 games. SSU was 3-9 without Hardy, and finished the season 20-25.

Because the case is a personnel matter, Heyward said she could not provide further information.

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Gruden in Grambling: Super Bowl-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach tours GSU campus

GRAMBLING — It gave Jon Gruden pause. The Super Bowl-winning coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stood for a long moment, looking around the practice fields adjacent to Robinson Stadium, taking it all in.

"Did (the late GSU) Coach (Eddie) Robinson coach right here?" Gruden said, quietly. "This is sacred ground."

In northern Louisiana for today's third annual Doug Williams-Shack Harris benefit celebrity golf tournament, Gruden had asked the former Grambling State quarterbacking greats to give him a tour of their former school.

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VIDEO: Jamaica's Usain Bolt sets 100m world record of 9.72 seconds in New York

NEW YORK -- Jamaica's Usain Bolt is officially the fastest man on the planet as he set a new 100 meters world record of 9.72 seconds at an international meeting in New York.

Bolt served notice of his immense talent ahead of the Beijing Olympics by breaking the world 100m record. Bolt was trimming two hundredths of a second off the record previously held by fellow-Jamaican Asafa Powell and for good measure relegated world champion Tyson Gay to a distant second.

The 21-year-old had served notice of his excellent form by running a world's second fastest time of 9.76 seconds in Jamaica last month and he quickly took control of Saturday night's Reebok Grand Prix showdown with Gay, who finished in 9.85 seconds, still a personal best.

VIEW USAIN BOLT 9.72 100m WORLD RECORD RACE (5/31/2008) New York.


VIEW BOLT'S PREVIOUS RECORD RACE OF 9.76 100m - BOLT IN LANE #3.


VIEW BOLT'S 19.75 200m RACE.


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A new color barrier?

Photo: Bethune Cookman University 2008 Baseball Team.

Baseball seeing fewer black athletes on deck.

Central High School junior Johnny Gray has never played organized baseball, although his friends have attempted to talk him into giving it a try. "They tell me I'd be good at it," said Gray, who plays basketball and runs track at Central. "But I'm so busy with basketball, I don't really have time."

Besides, Gray said, baseball just doesn't do anything for him. "It's kind of boring to me," he said. Gray's view seems typical of many young black athletes who dream of earning a college athletic scholarship. Baseball probably isn't their ticket. The number of black players in college baseball continues to decline, with black players comprising only 2.6 of the NCAA Division I total in 2006, the latest NCAA report.

That's down from 6 percent in a 2004 report by Richard Lapchick, director of the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports. Lapchick isn't pointing fingers at the college game or its coaches. He said the dwindling number of blacks in baseball is an across-the-board problem.

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Rolle reloads Miami Northwestern for another title run

MIAMI -- Tyresse Jones, the sinewy running back from Miami Northwestern High, was pondering his future Friday. He was concerned for the dearth of college interest when coach Billy Rolle emerged from the office.

"Here you go," said Rolle, tossing a bundle of mail with nearly 50 college pitch letters and offers. "Now you have choices, Tyresse."

With that the torch was passed. Jones felt like a hot prospect, knowing he'll have multiple college choices. "It feels good," said Jones, while smiling. "I didn't know where I stood (with colleges)."

Miami Northwestern High School Bulls (FL) vs. South Lake Carroll High School Dragons (TX) - 2007



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Former Rattler Billy Rolle was inducted into the Florida A&M University Hall of Fame in 2003.

Former Rattler Levy Brown making Splash in AFL

New York Dragons DB Levy Brown, #2.

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Former Florida A&M Rattler All-American defensive back Levy Brown is off to an all-star pace as a rookie in the Arena Football League. The Miami native, who stars for the AFL's New York Dragons, currently ranks first among Arena Football League rookies in tackles (65.5).

Among rookies, Brown ranks second in interceptions (5), ranks third in solo tackles (56) and has the third-most passes defensed (9). Last season, Brown was the 2007 Arena Football League2 Defensive Player of the Year, after a record-breaking season with the Florida Firecats, where he recorded 132.5 total tackles and 14 interceptions. In 2006, Brown recorded 66.5 total tackles and eight interceptions with the Firecats.

Brown spent three years at Florida A&M, playing from 2001 through 2003, finishing his career with 18 interceptions for 162 yards, along with 216.0 total tackles. Brown is 5-11/200 from the nationally renowned #1 ranked Miami Northwestern High School Bulls program.

Levy Brown and the New York Dragons can be viewed on Monday Night (June 2) vs. the Colorado Crush in Denver at the Pepsi Center, 10:30 p.m. LIVE, on ESPN2 and ESPN HD from coast to coast.

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New York Dragons TV 24/7: http://websvr01.neulion.com/dragons/console

New York Dragons Website: http://www.newyorkdragons.com/

New Orleans eliminates TSU in NCAA baseball

BATON ROUGE, La. — Texas Southern entered the NCAA Tournament with the worst record in the 48-team field. Accordingly, the Tigers didn’t last long, dispatched Saturday from the Baton Rouge Regional by the University of New Orleans, 18-5.

SWAC-champion TSU, crushed by host LSU 12-1 on Friday, ended its season 16-34. The Tigers were kept in check by UNO’s Jim McGonigle, a sophomore right-hander from Houston’s Second Baptist High School who improved to 2-2 as he kept the Privateers (43-20) alive for a 1 p.m. Sunday game against the loser of Saturday’s later game between LSU and Southern Miss.

Texas Southern learned a hard lesson that playing in the NCAAs is no SWAC picnic when you are undermanned in pitching talent.

“We didn’t play as well as I expected to play, but we played hard each game,” said TSU coach Candy Robinson, who finished his 19th season at the helm with his ninth losing season in a row.

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What's right with this picture? Ninth losing season in a row and getting stomped 30-6 in two NCAA games for a 0-2 Tournament record. TSU's Candy needs to be canned!

Harris-Williams Foundation gives back; Former GSU stars make donations

(L) James "Shack" Harris, VP of Player Personnel - Jacksonville Jaguars, and (R) Doug Williams, Player Personnel Executive, Tampa Bay Buccaneers are assisting local groups and Grambling State University athletic programs with their foundation charity donations.

Moments before making multiple donations to community organizations on Friday morning, former Grambling State and NFL great Doug Williams recounted how the Shack Harris and Doug Williams Foundation began.

He recalled playing in June Jones' golf tournament for charity in Hawaii. "After we (Williams and Harris) got through playing golf, we were talking and saying, 'Why don't we do this ourselves?" Williams said. They worked with Kevin Kaplan of Coaching Charities to form their foundation. There was one final step — finding a community to serve.

"We were trying to find the best place to hold the golf tournament and raise money to do something for the community," Williams said. "Hands down, the place I thought and James agreed, was Shreveport."

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NCAA Baseball Regionals: Ole Miss 14, Bethune-Cookman 1

CORAL GABLES, FL - Michael Guerrero homered twice in one inning as Mississippi eliminated Bethune Cookman 14-1 in the Coral Gables Regional Saturday afternoon.

Guerrero's home runs highlighted a 10-run sixth inning. The Rebels sent 14 batters to the plate against Wildcats starter Joseph Gautier and two relievers.

Guerrero drove Gautier's 2-2 pitch over the fence in left field for his ninth home run of the year and a 6-1 lead. His second homer of the inning, a two-run shot, put Mississippi ahead 13-1.

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Memorial held for North Carolina A&T Aggies football player

GREENSBORO -- Funeral arrangements have been finalized for North Carolina A&T football player Chad Wiley, who collapsed suddenly after a morning workout Wednesday. Friday, students and staff on campus held a memorial to also remember the senior offensive lineman.

"To me, with death, candles are always something that are calming and soothing," said one organizer at Friday’s memorial. The school closed out a tragic week with a moment of silence on the campus' quad.

The visitation will be this Sunday at 2 p.m. at Mills Chapel Baptist Church in Black Mountain. The funeral will follow at 3 p.m. The church is located at 328 Cragmont Road in Black Mountain , N.C.

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Former DSU McBride grabs attention in Eagles minicamp

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Wide receivers usually stand near each other on the sideline during practice, so Shaheer McBride quickly noticed that the Eagles have a herd of receivers in camp all closely resembling him -- somewhere in that 6-foot, 200-pound neighborhood.

That's one reason McBride reports to the NovaCare Complex each day feeling like he needs to be better than his counterparts. Them plus one, someone noted. "Plus two," McBride said. "Maybe three, sometimes."

Up and down the roster are receivers just like the 6-foot-2, 205-pound former Delaware State star, guys who ruled the roost at small schools or fell through cracks in bigger college programs: Penn State's Terrell Golden (6-2, 216), Nebraska's Frantz Hardy (6-0, 180) and North Carolina A&T's Jamal Jones (5-11, 205).

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SSU players start pro chase

Flegler, Coleman attend first showcase for North American and European pro leagues

RICHMOND, Va. - Joseph Flegler stood near courtside here Wednesday, with sweat running down his face at Virginia Commonwealth University.

While many college students have started their summer vacation, the former Savannah State University guard took the first step for a possible pro basketball career May 26-28 at the VCU International Basketball Showcase.

The annual event, held at ALLTEL Pavilion at the Siegel Center, attracted about 80 players who have ended their college eligibility.

Most were from Division I schools, including such programs as North Carolina State and Dayton. But Division II and III schools were also represented in the annual event that attracts scouts and coaches from pro leagues in North America and Europe.

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S.C. State football could bring windfall to school this year

A Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship and Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth are not the only “pots o’ gold” South Carolina State hopes to find at the end of this season.

With two more games against Football Bowl Subdivision teams, the SCSU Athletics Department could see as much as $607,500 in its coffers. More important for school officials is the increased visibility obtained from facing larger schools.

The S.C. State Bulldogs have an exciting home schedule for 2008, with Benedict College, Norfolk State, Hampton and Howard. (Photo by Mark's Digital Photography)

“We’re starting to get calls to play them,” said Brantley Evans, Senior Associate Director of Athletics. “I think it helps in recruiting because of the type of athletes that the coaches are able to go after and use these games as selling points. So it helps in those two areas, as well as financially.”

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Top-seeded Miami Defeats Bethune-Cookman, 7-4 in NCAA Regional Opener

Coral Gables, Fla. - Blake Tekotte had a big two-run single in the seventh inning to help top-seeded University of Miami--the nation's top-ranked team, win a 7-4 contest against Bethune-Cookman University in the NCAA Coral Gables Regional opener at Mark Light Stadium.

Leading 5-4 in the seventh inning, the Hurricanes (48-8) Ryan Jackson was hit by a pitch to start off the at-bat. He then advanced to second on a passed ball before Dave DiNatale and Adan Severino took back-to-back walks to load the bases. That's when Blake Tekotte stepped up and delivered a bloop single to centerfield that squeezed between B-CU (36-21) second baseman Mark Brooks and centerfielder José Ortiz.

The single scored two runs to push the Hurricanes lead out to 7-4 ... thus the final score. "I was just trying to put it in play," Tekotte said. "We knew we had our work cut out for us. This was the best fourth-seeded team in the nation."

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Getting feel for CFL, Cleve McCoy eager to learn at Bomber camp

Our balls are indeed bigger, our fields more expansive and there are bigger crowds on our gridiron. So, the biggest adjustments to the CFL game have to be made by quarterbacks who grew up with four-down football. And both highly-touted Blue Bomber pivots Bryan Randall and Cleveland McCoy got their first taste of it at Winnipeg's rookie camp before about 200 interested onlookers at Canad Inns Stadium yesterday afternoon.

"It's a different-size ball," said Randall, who still fired some zingers at practice. "The NFL ball's a little thinner than the CFL ball so that will take a little getting used to. But you keep throwing the ball over and over with more reps, you get a better feel for it.

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Southern Cook-ing

Esparto, California star headed to Division I Southern University on baseball scholarship

Sometimes, finding a Division I baseball scholarship can be a long, arduous process. Other times, it can be as lucky as stumbling upon an ESPN broadcast. Possessing a left arm that throws in the high 80's also helps. In late April, Suavae Cook signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball at Southern University, but months earlier it hardly seemed possible.

On Feb. 29, a Friday night, Esparto High School baseball coach Dennis Huitt was watching ESPN's telecast of the Urban Invitational at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. During the broadcast of UCLA's game against Southern University - a historically black school in Baton Rouge, La. - analyst Tim Kurjian mused about the lack of African American baseball players at the Major League level.

During the next night's telecast, when Southern played USC, the broadcasters were talking up Southern coach Roger Cador, who has won 13 SWAC Coach of the Year awards, and how in his 23 years as the Jaguars coach they had won 13 Southwestern Athletic Conference titles, when it struck a chord with Huitt.

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Jackson State named SWAC's top athletic program

Jackson State won its second straight SWAC Commissioner's Cup, league officials announced Friday. The Tigers had 164 total points, edging Southern University (142.5 points), Grambling (142) and Prairie View (142) for the James Frank Award.

Jackson State won championships in football and golf. The Lady Tigers were huge contributors, capturing titles in basketball, track and field (indoor and outdoor) and golf.

Coach Rick Comegy with the 2007 SWAC Football Championship Trophy.

"Winning the Commissioner's Cup is a testament to our university as a whole," Jackson State Director of Athletics Robert Braddy said in a statement released by the SWAC. "This demonstrates the quality of coaches and athletes that we have at Jackson State.

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