New Grambling athletics director discusses his football scheduling philosphy

New Grambling athletics director Lin Dawson revealed a few of his thoughts on football scheduling during a meet-and-greet stop in Shreveport this week. Dawson, who has been the Grambling AD for four months, is researching the viability of playing a future game in Shreveport. He said he contacted SMU about the possibility.

“I think part of the reason we are here today is to explore options and relationships,” Dawson said. “We’re certainly open to playing. We want to go where our fans want to go. We have about 5-to-6,000 alumni in Shreveport. That would be very important to them.” A Shreveport game, though, would need to fit into the school’s scheduling philosophy.

Last year, Grambling traveled to Reno, Nev., to open its season against Football Bowl Subdivision member Nevada. The Tigers also played an in-state opponent with a visit to Northwestern State. “Our philosophy is, No. 1 to schedule competitive games,” Dawson said. “We want to be the best at competing at the highest level in our division. It’s important for us to beat the people we play against.

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HBCU Bands' Presidential March on Washington

Florida A&M University's Incomparable Marching 100 (420 Members)
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, "Musical Machine of the Mid-South" ('M4') Marching Band - (250 Members)

Delaware State University Approaching Storm Marching Band
Howard University Showtime Marching Band
HU Bison Showtime Marching Band

Hampton University Marching Force

Grambling State University World Famed Marching Tigers Band
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/grambling-band-preps-for-dc-parade/3134795440
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President Obama's Oath and Inaugural Address

Aretha Franklin Sings

Westlake’s Babb picks up offer from North Carolina A&T

Atlanta, GA - Westlake running back Devon Babb picked up his second offer last week, from North Carolina A&T in Greensboro that competes in the Division I-AA Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

Babb has an offer from Alcorn State and plans to visit both schools. He said he is leaning toward Alcorn because his quarterback, Louis Kindle, has committed to the Braves, who compete in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).

Morgan State Routs Bethune-Cookman

Boxscore

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Reggie Holmes scored 29 points and Kevin Thompson added 16 as Morgan State defeated Bethune-Cookman 78-44 on Monday. Holmes was 6-for-11 from 3-point range and 8-for-16 from the field for Morgan State (9-9, 4-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference). Cold shooting plagued Bethune-Cookman (9-9, 4-2), which had won four of its previous six games. The Wildcats shot only 26.5 percent (13-for-49) for the game, while the Bears shot 51 percent (25-for-49), including 10-for-18 from 3-point territory.

Morgan State never trailed in the game and led 15-12 with 7:30 left in the first half. The Bears used a 19-6 run to take a 34-18 advantage at intermission. Morgan State continued to widen the gap in the second half and led 73-38 with 2:20 left. Tyrel Adams paced the Wildcats with nine points, while Jarrell Thomas and John Holmes scored eight apiece.

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Florida A&M defeats Coppin State 60-56

Twitty leads FAMU to victory; Senior scores 21 points in a win.

Photo Gallery: FAMU Men Silence Coppin State 60-56

Senior forward Lamar Twitty takes his leadership role on the FAMU basketball team seriously. He demonstrated that Monday night when the Rattlers needed it in a pivotal MEAC game. Twitty scored a season-high 21 points to lead the Rattlers past Coppin State 60-56 to complete a four-game home-win streak at Gaither Gym. As if to put an exclamation mark on his work, Twitty sank the last two points of the game from the free-throw line.

"I just have to keep working hard — keep shooting," said Twitty, who also had six rebounds. "I can't lose my confidence as leader on this team. A couple of the conference games, I wasn't knocking it down. "As a leader on the team, I've got to go to the line and knock them down." As the Rattlers' only other double-digit scorer, freshman guard Dale Hughes got all of his 12 points on shots from behind the 3-point line. Three Coppin players scored 10 points or more, led by Sam Coleman's 14. Twitty gave FAMU its biggest lead of the night with a 3-pointer that put the Rattlers in front, 35-19, with 6:50 to play in the first half. FAMU connected on 8 of 18 from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes.

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Obama's Inauguration Parade Guide

There will be over 10,000 people marching all together, representing all 50 states. Based on Florida A&M University Marching 100 Band first division placement in the lineup, no doubt the hundred is the best band in the nation. It is the first marching band after Barack and Michelle Obama's alma maters.

FAMU Marching 100 Band --420 members

Here is the complete line up (as of last night) with the HBCU Bands highlighted:

Representatives from the US Army, United States Military Academy & US Army Reserve
Punahou School JROTC
Punahou School Marching Band
Whitney M. Young Magnet High School Navy JROTC
Isiserettes Drill and Drum Corps
Jesse White Tumbling Team
Florida A&M University Marching 100 Band

Crow Nation of Montana
Paul Laurence Dunbar Senior High School Marching Band (Washington, D.C.)
Illinois Home State Float
Brooklyn Music and Arts Program
Theodore Roosevelt High School Marine Corps JROTC Color Guard and Drill Team (Wash.,D.C.)
Colts Drum and Bugle Corps
Klein Collins High School Air Force JROTC
Cleveland Firefighters Memorial Pipes and Drums
Southern Ohio Ladies Aside
Redwood Middle School Marching Band and Auxiliary Units
Representatives of the US Marine Corps and US Marine Corps Reserve
Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association
University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hen Marching Band, The Pride of Delaware
Delaware Home State Float
Alexis I. duPont High School Band
Comfort Carriages
Tuskegee Airmen
Delaware State University Marching Band
Special Olympics Inc.
Sanford High School Marching Band
Peace Corps Community
Adams Central High School Patriot Band
Oneida Nation Veterans
Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps
Idaho State Leadership: State and Tribal Representatives
Roosevelt High School Marching Band
Suurimmaanitchuat Eskimo Dance Group
South Cobb High School Blue Eagle Marching Band
Representatives of the US Navy, US Naval Academy & US Navy Reserve
Brattleboro High School Marching Band
George Washington University
Petal High School Marching Band
Freedom Riders
Bonnie Brae Knights
Federal Protection Service
Trumbull High School Golden Eagle Marching Band

American Workers Contingent
East Greenwich High School Avenger Band
Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard, First Infantry Division, Fort Riley KS
Green Valley High School Marching Band
Angel Drill Team
Manning High School Golden Pride Marching Band
Wind River Reservation Youth Council
Lincoln Highway National Museum and Archives
University of Tennessee Pride of the Southland Band
Tempel Lipizzans of Tempel Farms
University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Marching Band
Representatives of the US Air Force, US Air Force Academy & US Air Force Reserve
Mountain Ridge High School Pride of the West Marching Band
United Tribes Technical College
Montana Delegation
Hampton University Marching Force
AmeriCorps Alums
North Allegheny High School Tiger Marching Band
World Famous Lawn Rangers from Amazing Arcola
Blue Springs High School Golden Regiment Marching Band
McCrossan Boys Ranch
Colony High School Knights Marching Band
54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment, Company A
54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment
Espanola Valley High School Mariachi Sol Del Valle
1965 Mustang of the DC Metropolitan Police Department
Grambling State University World Famed Tiger Marching Band
Nicholas County Army JROTC, the Wilderness Battalion
J. P. Taravella High School Band
Representatives of the US Coast Guard, US Coast Guard Academy & US Coast Guard Reserve
Morton High School Marching Band
U.S. Border Patrol
Harding University High School Marching Band of Gold
Hawaii Home State Float
Howard University Showtime Marching Band
Pennsylvania Home State Float
Lesbian and Gay Band Association
Mobile Azalea Trail Maids
Londonderry High School Marching Lancer Band and Color Guard
T.C. Williams High School Army JROTC
Windsor High School Marching Band
Michigan's Multi Jurisdictional Mounted Police Drill Team and Color Guard
Ohio State University Marching Band
Boy Scouts of America, Troop 358, Philadelphia, PA
Girl Scouts of the Nation's Capital, Troops 1803 & 382
Fergus Falls High School Marching Band
Representatives from the US Merchant Marine Academy
Evergreen High School Marching Band
Culver Academies
Carl Sandburg High School Marching Eagles
USO Float
Carnaval de San Anto, the URBAN 15 Group
Prevention Partnership, Warren County, KY Sheriff's Office
Siloam Springs High School Band
Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association CCBA
Get a Life Marching Band
Union High School Air Force JROTC
University of Utah Marching Band
Virginia Military Institute Corps of Cadets
NASA Astronaut Crew and NASA Lunar Electric Rover

Inaugural festivities kick off in D.C.

Son says MLK's dream being realized

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

-- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington, August 1963

Today the nation celebrates what would have been the 80th birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. The next day, the civil rights leader's dream will approach reality when the nation inaugurates its first African-American president. "With the election of Barack Obama, our nation has powerfully and decisively struck down a monumental barrier," says Martin Luther King III. "This moment serves as proof to the power of faith in ourselves and each other.

"It is proof that the idea of an America where no one will be judged by the color of their skin is real, tangible and something we can work towards in our lives. Let me be clear, it is delusional to think that centuries of pain and struggle endured by many in this country will somehow vanquish on Jan. 21. "This new presidency symbolizes a task accomplished, a hope achieved or a dream realized. It also signals that we have progress toward the summit of that mountaintop much sooner than any of us could have imagined."


1968 - Martin Luther King's Prophetic Last speech - Remember


On Sunday, King hosted the fourth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration and Realizing the Dream Award Celebration at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. The event honored Sen. Ted Kennedy, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the Rev. Claude Black and Nobel Peace Prize winner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The event, featuring a performance by BeBe Winans, was attended by Harry Belafonte, Al Sharpton and Andrew Young.

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Hampton tops WSSU 59-43

Reeling Rams commit 25 turnovers, lose their fourth straight

RICHMOND,VA - Another game, another loss for Winston-Salem State. The pattern was all too familiar for Coach Bobby Collins of the Rams. After sleepwalking through the early parts of the first half against Hampton, the Rams fell in a deep hole and spent the rest of the way trying to climb out. It all added up to a 59-43 loss to the Pirates in the Freedom Classic at the Richmond Coliseum.

In his postgame address to his team, Collins spent about 20 extra minutes in the locker room and his message was clear. "He just wants us to stay positive and he said we lost this game, it wasn't anything that Hampton did, we lost it," said reserve guard Brandon Hobbs of the Rams. The Rams (4-12) had a season-high 25 turnovers, shot 33 percent and looked out of sorts most of the game. It was the Rams' fourth straight loss.

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Florida A&M stops Morgan's streak with 63-58 win

Photo Galleries:
FAMU Men Edge Morgan State 63-58
FAN CAM - FAMU vs. Morgan State

Brandon Bryant scored 16 points and Florida A&M hit five of six free throws in the final 30 seconds to beat Morgan State yesterday in Tallahassee. Reggie Holmes led the Bears with 16 points, and Jermaine Bolden added 11. Morgan's three-game winning streak ended. The Rattlers (5-10, 3-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), who won their third straight game, are in a four-way tie atop the conference standings with Morgan (8-9, 3-1), Bethune-Cookman and Hampton.

Holmes' three-pointer with 17.5 seconds left cut the Bears' deficit to one. But Larry Jackson and Bryant each hit two free throws for the Rattlers in the last 17 seconds, and Bolden missed a three-point try. Yannick Crowder had 10 points for Florida A&M.

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Barlow satisfied with new Alabama State Hornets staff

Alabama State head coach Reggie Barlow went into this offseason with several ideas about how to improve his coaching staff. He wanted to fill his five vacant assistant positions with coaches who are loyal to the program and loyal to him. He wanted to add experience, specifically SWAC experience. And he wanted to put together a group of coaches that best fit the ASU program. In filling those slots, Barlow believes he's achieved every goal.

"I'm happy with the hires and believe they're really good fits here," said Barlow, who said it would be a few days before the hires are finalized. "We're happy to have them and feel all of these guys are quality coaches." There were a couple of familiar names among the group of new coaches. Roger Totten, who was Barlow's position coach when he was a player at ASU in the early 1990s, is leaving Alabama A&M to coach receivers again with the Hornets. And Cedric Thornton, a former linebacker who played with Barlow at ASU, will coach the linebackers.

Joining Totten and Thornton are defensive coordinator Jo Nixon, a former Florida State player and defensive coordinator at Langston University, running backs coach Vyron Brown, a former Grambling State running back and Doug Williams protg, and offensive line coach Kenneth Ray, a former Southern Miss player and offensive line coach at North Carolina A&T.

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Finally!: Timberland’s ‘Rock,’ host of recruits visit SCSU today

The “Rock” is coming to Orangeburg today for a visit. Shrine Bowl All-State running back Rockarius King of Timberland, who rushed for 2,056 yards and 31 touchdowns this season, highlights a group of 15 prospects slated to visit South Carolina State University today. This is the first of two recruiting weekends taking place on the Orangeburg campus as the Bulldogs look to replenish their roster on the heels of last year’s Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship and Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearance.

The 5-7, 170-pound King is among the leading rushers in state history. He emerged for the Wolves as a sophomore, amassing over 2,700 total yards of offense. As a junior, King surpassed the 1,000-yard plateau in his first five games and finished with close to 1,700 rushing yards. King finished his career with 6,343 rushing yards, good for fifth all-time among South Carolina High School League running backs, using his speed (4.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash) and strength (has bench-pressed 350 pounds) to his advantage. For all his success, Timberland head coach Art Craig said King’s work ethic and strong humility are among his greatest traits.

“I’ve had kids before that were high-caliber players that sometimes wouldn’t do the things that it took to be successful,” he said. “They made the least amount of workouts and he was always a leader on that part and that’s what made him unique and that was the thing that I think South Carolina State is going to get out of him. They’re going to get a hard worker. He’s probably going to play with a little chip on his shoulder because some of the bigger schools didn’t give him a chance because he’s five-foot seven. “I think (South Carolina State) is going to get him and he’s going to be a superstar for them.”

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Alonzo Lee era dawns at North Carolina A&T

Lee signed a four-year contract that will pay him $145,000 annually, said he was "ordained to be here, because I walk in faith."

GREENSBORO -- For all the weighty matters that lie ahead for Alonzo Lee -- implementing a new offense and defense, completing his staff, meeting with current players and recruits -- his immediate priority is decidedly mundane. Lee, introduced Friday as the head football coach of N.C. A&T, has a skeleton staff of coaches who have been in limbo throughout the university's prolonged search to replace Lee Fobbs. He plans to provide them with a schedule and offseason calendar as quickly as possible. That's because Lee, who is known among his peers for his organization and attention to detail, has much to accomplish this month, with 19 recruits paying a visit to A&T this weekend and the national signing day looming Feb. 4.

And there is no time to waste regarding the chore that might come to define his coaching tenure -- weeding out a small group of football players perceived by many last season as quitters and replacing them with athletes who fit his mold of tough, relentless Aggies. "There are a lot of things that haven't been done, but I can promise you we'll get them done and before the next season," Lee said. "And come next season we'll have some men who will fight for four quarters."

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Southern finalizes Thursday night football game

Coach Pete Richardson and the SU Jaguars will have lighter out-of- conference schedule in '09 facing Division II Central State (OH), Tennessee State and UL-L. The Jags are currently seeking a D-II or FCS D-I opponent for an Oct. 17 home date.

Jaguars to face Prairie View on Oct. 22

As expected, Thursday night football is coming to Southern. SU Athletic Director Greg LaFleur and coach Pete Richardson confirmed Tuesday that the Jaguars’ home game against Prairie View will happen on a Thursday — at 7 p.m. Oct. 22 in A.W. Mumford Stadium before a national television audience on ESPNU. SU’s move to Thursday night is a result of the television deal between the Southwestern Athletic Conference and the ESPN family of networks.The SWAC had three Thursday night ESPNU games in 2008: Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alcorn State on Sept. 18; Mississippi Valley State at Alabama State on Sept. 25; and Grambling at Texas Southern on Nov. 20.

Southern hosted Florida A&M on Oct. 18 on ESPNU. This, however, will be SU’s first Thursday night home game. “You never like to play on a Thursday night, especially with our fan base,” Richardson said. “But it was our turn to play, and we’ll play. It’ll be a little bit of a different experience, playing on a short week. You just hope you don’t come out with too many injuries the game before that.” Of course, at this point, Richardson doesn’t yet know whom he’ll play the week before the Prairie View game. SWAC teams will play seven conference games next season, leaving schools to fill out their schedules with four nonconfrence opponents (teams within the Football Championship Subdivision will play 11 games in 2009).

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Howard Bison Fall In Overtime To Florida A&M

Boxscore
Photo Gallery: FAMU 79 Howard 74
FAN CAM - FAMU vs. Howard University women's basketball

TALLAHASSEE, FL - Joe Ballard tallied 21 of his game-high 28 in the second half and extra period, but it was freshman David Buchanon's 14 points in overtime that proved to be the difference as Florida A&M University held off Howard, 79-74 in a wild and woolly affair at Gaither Gymnasium. After sophomore guard Kyle Riley sank two free throws to tie the game at 61-all and send it into an extra period, Buchanon took over. Ballard converted two free throws to give FAMU (3-10 overall, 1-1 in the MEAC) a 63-61 lead. Howard (1-13 overall, 0-2 in the MEAC) countered with a slam dunk by Paul Kirkpatrick off a nice feed by Riley to deadlock the score at 63.

Then Buchanon buried a three pointer from straight on to help the Rattlers regain the lead at 66-63 at the 3:38 mark. Kiley sank two free throws to get Howard to within, 66-65. Then Buchanon launched another bomb, this time from the right side to up the margin to 69-65. Brandon Bryant's layup increased the lead to 71-65 and Buchanon was at it again, hitting a three ball from the left side and giving FAMU its biggest lead at 74-65 with 2:15 left in overtime.

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Morgan State's Lee gets A&T job

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- N.C. A&T has a new head football coach. Morgan State defensive coordinator Alonzo Lee accepted the job Thursday, according to several university sources with knowledge of the search process. Athletics director Wheeler Brown said Thursday night he had extended an offer to one of the two remaining candidates -- Lee or interim coach George Ragsdale -- earlier in the day and that the candidate had accepted.

Brown said he would not identify the new coach until "personnel issues" -- presumably Ragsdale's fate -- were resolved. The announcement of Lee's hiring could come as early as today, Brown said. "I'm excited about our new coach and getting back to football," the AD said. "It's been a long process, but it's been worth it. I believe we've come out of this process with the best coach for A&T." Reached at home in Washington (D.C.) earlier in the day, Lee declined to say whether he had been hired.

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After beating Maryland for first time, Bears dominate MEAC foe N.C. A & T

MSU head coach Todd Bozeman and the Bears had first signature win Wednesday against Atlantic Coast Conference power Maryland.

No let down for Morgan State

Baltimore, MD - Rogers Barnes knew it was going to be a good afternoon when he scored Morgan State's first 16points yesterday against North Carolina A&T, topping his previous career high of 13 in the game's opening 13 minutes. Barnes finished with 24 points, Reggie Holmes added 26 and the Bears were never threatened in the 73-62 victory in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup. After Wednesday's historic win over Maryland, Morgan State kept its momentum by dominating both ends of the floor.

"I felt like I had to come out aggressive because it was a conference game," Barnes said. "I'm a senior and a captain, so I had to show my team what we had to do. Every [shot] that left my hand felt good. I was just looking for my shot." Morgan State (7-8, 2-0 MEAC) trailed only once, 5-3 in the opening minutes, and a late three-pointer by Holmes and a layup by Rico Myles gave the Bears a 39-29 lead at halftime. The Aggies' defense has also been solid, limiting opponents to 39.5 percent shooting from the field, but it wasn't quick enough on the perimeter to stop Morgan State's hot shooters. The Bears shot 47.2 percent in the game

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Photo Gallery: Bear Shots
Boxscore
Attendance: 1,108 @ Hill Field House, Baltimore, MD

Next: Morgan State (7-8, 2-0 MEAC) will host Norfolk State (3-10, 1-1 MEAC) on Monday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Hill Field House.

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Ed White pitcher signs with Bethune-Cookman

Athleticism comes easy for 18-year-old Spencer Johnson. Maybe it's the simple fact that it's a family affair. His father, Larry, played football for Jacksonville State University in Alabama and his mother, Phyllis, was on the tennis team for Miami University in Ohio. Both of his sisters, Megan, 19 (University of West Florida), and Emily, 20 (Howard University), earned full academic and athletic scholarships for softball. Now it's Spencer's turn. He received a scholarship to pitch for Bethune-Cookman University, becoming Ed White High School's first Division I signee in baseball in 15 years.

"They saw what I was capable of," Johnson said. After the historically black university took note of his 90-mph fastball, it offered him a full academic and athletic scholarship. His parents are proud that all three of their kids have full rides to college. "After seeing our daughters succeed," Larry said, "it's truly been a blessing to see Spence get a shot at it." It was an uphill battle for the senior, however. Standing next to the 6-foot-2, 215-pound man (who benches close to 300 pounds), you wouldn't have a clue that his health was once a challenge. By the time he was 11, Johnson was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, the same illness that affects Jaguars quarterback David Garrard.

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A&M's Totten leaves for SWAC rival

Roger Totten, who in two years turned Alabama A&M's receiving corps into one of the best units in the SWAC, has accepted a position on coach Reggie Barlow's staff at Alabama State. Totten, who coached Barlow during his playing days at ASU, will serve as the Hornets' assistant head coach and receivers coach. "It was a tough decision," said Totten, who will start at ASU on Monday. "The ultimate decision came down to the fact that this was an opportunity to advance in my profession by being assistant head coach."

Totten had reservations after ASU was placed on NCAA probation for five years last month. "I talked to the administration and they assured me what happened was out of Coach Barlow's control and they're going to support him 100 percent," Totten said. "They're going to do everything they can to help him work through this situation and get Alabama State back on track." Totten, who has 25 years of coaching experience, is expected to play a key role in the Hornets' offense. "I've been an offensive coordinator so I'll be very instrumental in helping Coach Barlow on that side of the ball," Totten said.

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FAMU's Marching 100 prepares for Obama inaugural parade

Photo Gallery: FAMU Marching 100 Preps for Inaugural Parade

YOUR Help Needed -- FAMU Marching 100 $23,000 short from achieving $175,000 goal to cover expenses to President Obama's Inauguration Parade.



It tops performing with hip-hop artist Kanye West at the Grammy Awards. It beats being featured with entertainer Prince. It outranks serving in numerous Super Bowl half-time shows. That’s how Florida A&M’s head drum major Michael Scott describes the band being picked to perform in the inaugural parade for president-elect Barack Obama. He said the words as if in awe: “The first black president of the United States.”

“It’s something you only dream about,” Scott, a 26-year-old music-education major, said. “But now that it has happened, (we’ve) got a chance to perform for the first black president of the United States. You won’t find too many people who will be able to say that.” On Jan. 20, FAMU’s Marching 100 will join nearly 90 other participants in Washington, D.C., for the inaugural parade. But before the nine buses and moving truck depart from the FAMU campus Jan. 18, administrators and students must meet certain goals.

Anyone interested in supporting the trip is asked to make a donation online at www.famu.edu/givetothe100

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TSU Tigers' 2009 Tentative Football Schedule Released

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

Tennessee State University will play an eleven-game football schedule for the 2009 season that features four home games and three “Classic” match-ups. The Tigers’ non-conference opponents consist of four traditional rivals, three from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (Alabama A&M, Jackson State, Southern) and one from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (Florida A&M). TSU’s seven-game Ohio Valley Conference schedule will consist of all OVC teams except Jacksonville State.

The 2009 season opens at home on Labor Day Week-end, September 5th, against Alabama A&M in the John Merritt Classic. The following week, TSU battles Jackson State at the Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis, TN (9/12). Closing out September, the Tigers travel on succeeding week-ends to face Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA (9/19) and Florida A&M in Atlanta, GA (9/26) at the Atlanta Football Classic.

TSU opens Ohio Valley Conference play on October 3rd at home against Southeast Missouri, then travels to Richmond, Kentucky to battle 2008 OVC Champion Eastern Kentucky. The month of October sees TSU host Murray State (10/17) followed by an open date before traveling to Cookeville, TN facing Tennessee Tech (10/31). Three games in November begin with Homecoming (11/03) against Tennessee Martin followed by road games at Austin Peay State (11/14) and Eastern Illinois (11/21).

2009 Tiger Football Schedule - 01/08/09

First-year Valley coach dealing with tough 0-14 start

The schedule was successful, raising about $550,000 in guaranteed payouts, almost twice as much as the previous record. But--at the cost of a 0-13 record for the Delta Devils and first year Coach Sean Woods.

The losses for Mississippi Valley State's first-year coach Sean Woods have come with such regularity, even he's having trouble keeping count. "I never thought my coaching career would start at 0-13," Woods said Monday during a presentation to the Greenwood Rotary Club. Actually, the Delta Devils' season-opening string of defeats ran to 14 Saturday, when Valley dropped its preseason SWAC opener to Arkansas Pine-Bluff.

Woods, who starred as a player at one of the nation's premier basketball powerhouses, the University of Kentucky, isn't used to such futility. "When you lose that many games in a row ... you forget how to win," Woods said. Woods, 38, inherited two major obstacles when he took over in July as the head coach, replacing James Green, who had moved on to Jacksonville State.

The cupboard of talent was fairly bare, with only three players returning from last year's SWAC championship squad, and not much time to replenish it. And he was handed a killer non-conference schedule - the third toughest in the nation, according to Woods. Except for the season-opener against Tennessee-Chattanooga, all of the other dozen non-conference games were played on the road.

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NEXT: The Delta Devils will host Alabama A&M at 7:30 p.m., Saturday

FAMU will play Miami this season

Three years after their last meeting and three decades since FAMU's stunning victory over the University of Miami, both teams will meet this season at Pro Players Stadium. The Oct. 10 match-up will be the fifth game on the Rattlers' 2009 football schedule, which was announced Wednesday. The Rattlers open the season on Sept. 5 against Delaware State, one of four games they will play at Bragg Stadium. The annual classics against Tennessee State and Bethune-Cookman University are scheduled for Sept. 26 and Nov. 21, respectively.

A specific date for homecoming hasn't been decided, although a Nov. 7 date with North Carolina A&T is most likely. The other option is Oct. 24 against Norfolk State, said sports information director Alvin Hollins. The date will be determined after FSU releases its schedule in order to avoid a potential crunch for hotel rooms. FSU can't announce its schedule until the Atlantic Coast Conference releases it.

"It's frustrating for our fans," Hollins said. The Miami game is the first of a two-year contract between the two schools. The deal, which athletic director Bill Hayes said guarantees FAMU more than $500,000, calls for the teams to meet in consecutive seasons. The back-to-back games are a first since the 1979 and 1980 seasons. FAMU opened that agreement by beating the Hurricanes in Tallahassee, but this time both games will be played in Miami.

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2009 Florida A&M FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 5 vs. Delaware State
Sept. 12 at Winston-Salem State
Sept. 19 vs. Howard*
Sept. 26 vs. Tennessee State
Oct. 10 at Miami
Oct. 17 at S.C. State.
Oct. 24 vs. Norfolk State*
Oct. 31 at Morgan State
Nov. 7 vs. N.C. A&T
Nov. 14 at Hampton
Nov. 21 BCU
Nov. 28 - NCAA FCS Playoffs -1st Round
Dec 5 - NCAA FCS Playoffs - TBD
Dec 12- NCAA FCS Playoffs - TBD

*—Conference games; @—Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic at Georgia Dome in Atlanta; #—Possible homecoming dates; $—Florida Classic at Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

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