Eight HBCU Marching Bands Selected to Perform at the 11th Annual Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase

ATLANTA, Georgia  --  The votes are in and eight of the nation’s top Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching bands have been selected to perform at the 11th Annual Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase, presented by Verizon Wireless and official banking sponsor, SunTrust Bank. The Showcase is a one-of-a-kind celebratory experience widely known in the HBCU community as “The Honda.” Tens of thousands of HBCU alumni, family and marching band fans will make the journey to Atlanta’s Georgia Dome on January 26, 2013, to witness this spectacular display of music, choreography and showmanship in one of the largest marching band showcases in the nation.

Eight bands have earned a $20,000 grant each from Honda for their school’s music education programs and an all-expenses-paid trip to Atlanta to perform at the 2013 Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase. These eight bands include a number of America’s most iconic marching bands, as well as one first-time participant, Alcorn State University.



The eight bands performing at “The Honda” are:

• Albany State University, Marching Rams (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Alcorn State University, The Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
• Bethune-Cookman University, Marching Wildcats (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
• Edward Waters College, Triple Threat Marching Band (Independent) Gulf Coast Athletic Conference
• Jackson State University, Sonic Boom of the South (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
• North Carolina A&T University, Blue and Gold Marching Machine (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
• Tennessee State University, Aristocrat of Bands (Independent) Ohio Valley Conference
• Winston-Salem State University, The Red Sea of Sound (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association)

Three lucky fans will win a personally-customized trip to the 2013 Invitational Showcase and a chance to take home an all-new 2013 Honda Accord. Fans who want to win the trip for themselves and a guest can enter the sweepstakes by visiting the www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com website, where they can find complete information and rules*.

“The Honda Battle of the Bands is a truly unique event that celebrates and affirms the great tradition of the HBCU marching band experience and the incredibly positive impact that these programs have on the lives of young people, their schools and surrounding communities,” said Marc Burt, assistant vice president, Office of Inclusion and Diversity, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “As we continue into our eleventh year, Honda is happy to support these music education programs and looks forward to another amazing Invitational Showcase.”

The final eight bands are chosen through a voting process incorporating online fan votes, band directors, the presidents of HBCU schools and representatives from American Honda. For the eight participating bands, the journey to the Invitational Showcase involves months of intense practice and training, all in preparation for their Georgia Dome performance, where each band will have 12 action-packed minutes to showcase the musical excellence, distinctive style and superior showmanship that earned them a place in the 2013 Invitational Showcase.

The Honda Battle of the Bands actively engages with fans through social media, providing access to the latest updates, photos and videos. Fans can connect with the Honda Battle of the Bands at:

Twitter – @The_Honda, #HBOB2013 (http://twitter.com/The_Honda)
Facebook – (www.facebook.com/HondaBattleOfTheBands)
YouTube – (www.youtube.com/hondabotb)
Instagram – #HBOB2013

For more information on the 2013 Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase, including group and individual tickets, updates, photos and video footage, and all details about the program, please visit www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com.

Struggling SSU women fall to BCU

SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  Savannah State’s women struggled offensively, didn’t take care of the ball particularly well and lost the battle of the boards Monday afternoon.  That’s not exactly a winning formula.

The Tigers fought, but couldn’t overcome a rough day and fell to Bethune-Cookman 50-41 at Tiger Arena.

SSU (6-13, 1-5 MEAC) dropped its fourth straight game and seventh in the last eight outings.

Bethune (8-9, 3-2) won for the third time in its last four games.

The Tigers’ lone bright spot was Erin Hogue. The Alabama transfer recorded her fifth straight double-double (eight overall), scoring 19 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.

Despite Hogue’s solid outing, SSU had its second worst shooting game (26.9 percent), had only five assists and 23 turnovers and was outrebounded 47-39.

No one was looking forward to five days off before the next game more than Tigers’ coach Cedric Baker.


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FAMU Coach Holmes' big plan starts with the fans

COURTESY FAMU ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Earl Holmes is putting the onus for digging FAMU athletics out of a financial hole squarely on himself and the football team he will lead next season in his first year as a head coach.

Holmes, a former linebacker for the Rattlers during an era when winning championships was the norm, was hired 10 days ago as the 16th head coach in the program’s history. He takes over at a time when FAMU’s athletics department is facing a financial deficit to the tune of more than $7 million.

Holmes said he couldn’t disclose all of the plans he has for promoting and marketing the Rattlers’ football program until his four-year contract, with an annual salary of $200,000, is approved next month by FAMU’s Board of Trustees. However, he said a big part is to bring fans back to Bragg Stadium.

“It all starts with winning,” Holmes said. “We are going to do our part. We will make sure that we play the type of football that excites people.”

The former FAMU defensive coordinator, who took over as acting head coach late last season, said a passionate fan base impacts more than just the bottom line. He believes their support can also lead to improved play on the field.

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FAMU Community Welcomes Earl Holmes With Rally

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  –  Rattler fans, make sure you don't miss the official FAMU Athletics welcome of Earl Holmes as the 16th head coach of FAMU football. The community welcome rally will be held at The Moon (1105 E. Lafayette St., Tall., Fl. 32301).

Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor and "The Almighty" Joe Bullard are the hosts of the affair. Admission to the event is absolutely FREE. There will be free hors d'eouvres, live music and door prizes.

In addition, you can visit the table of the FAMU Foundation to offer a donation to the football program. The Rattler Boosters will also be there, so you can renew your Booster memberships.

FAMU Athletics would like to challenge all fans to support our efforts. Let's make 2013 a banner year for donations and a record year for our Rattler Boosters.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Freeman, VUU Rally Past Slumping VSU

ETTRICK, Virginia – Virginia Union University women’s basketball coach Barvenia Wooten-Cherry called her players’ first-half performance against Virginia State “unacceptable.” She summoned another word altogether to describe their showing after halftime “fortitude.”

Propelled by 24 points from sophomore Ashle Freeman, the visiting Panthers overcame an 18-point deficit to defeat the Trojans 65-52 on Saturday in a CIAA Northern Division showdown in Ettrick.

VSU started the contest with a 23-5 burst singlehandedly outscored the home team in the second half. The 5-foot-6 guard poured in 21 points in the final 20 minutes, starring in a period that saw the Panthers outscore their rivals 42-19.

“Once [Freeman] found that rhythm, she’s that type of ball player,” Wooten-Cherry said. “She’s going to make it happen.”

The loss was the sixth in seven games for the Trojans and their fourth in a row at home.


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JSU's Hunter Named Interim Coach of the NBA's Suns

PHOENIX, Arizona  --  The Phoenix Suns selected former Jackson State standout Lindsey Hunter to be the interim coach for the second half of the season.

After former four-year coach Alvin Gentry's departure Friday morning, Suns General Manager Lance Blanks led the decision on picking an internal replacement and chose Hunter over Suns veteran assistant coaches Elston Turner, Dan Majerle and Igor Kokoskov.

The former first round pick also played at Alcorn State during the 1988-89 season where he was named to the All-SWAC Freshmen Team. He would eventually transfer to JSU and went to earn the conference Player of the Year award while leading the league in scoring with 27.6 ppg. his senior year.

Hunter, 42, joined the Suns last season as a scout and was named the head of a new player development unit in the summer. Hunter has sat in the second row behind the Suns' coaching staff during most games but had not coached since ending his 17-year NBA playing career in 2010. Hunter was a part of 12 playoff teams and two championships (the 2001-02 Lakers and the 2003-04 Pistons).

Hunter will ran his first practice Sunday in preparation for the team's next game Wednesday at Sacramento. Hunter's hire signals that the Suns intend to use more of their youth, as he has been a proponent of first-round draft choice Kendall Marshall. At 13-28, the Suns are in last place in the Western Conference and assumedly out of the playoff race.

 
COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Hunter Charged With Giving Suns a Jolt

PHOENIX, Arizona  --  When Lindsey Hunter went to bed last night, he was the head of player development with the Suns. When he woke up this morning, he was the franchise’s new head coach.

After the organization and former Suns Head Coach Alvin Gentry parted ways Friday morning, Phoenix’s front office spent the next 48 hours talking with the players and interviewing internal candidates, which were comprised of Hunter and Suns assistant coaches Elston Turner and Igor Kokoskov. On Sunday morning, about an hour before practice, Hunter received word that the job was his.

“The organization needed a jolt,” Suns General Manager Lance Blanks said. “We needed something that would shock the systems of us and the players. And the risk trumps safety in this business, and we felt this was the right person to take a risk on.”

A 17-year NBA veteran as a player, Hunter retired following the 2009-10 season after a successful career with the Pistons, Bucks, Lakers, Raptors and Bulls. During his career, Hunter won two NBA Championships, one with Lakers during the 2000-01 season and one with the Pistons during the 2003-04 season.

Coming exactly at the season’s midpoint, Hunter will be charged with leading the team for the remaining 41 games of the season. After the conclusion of the season, the Suns front office will re-open the search for the organization’s next head coach.

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