Delaware State University cuts two sports programs

Athletic Director Derek Carter and DSU may soon be facing Attorney Ronald G. Poliquin, who cited the fact that both the women's equestrian and men's tennis teams are comprised almost entirely of white student-athletes at a historically black college.



DOVER, Delaware - Delaware State University announced on January 13, 2010, that it will eliminate two sports programs to address budgetary issues and to help the institution's other athletics programs become more competitive within its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The University will drop the men's tennis and women's equestrian programs at the end of the 2009-2010 athletics year. The university will continue to honor its financial commitment to the student-athletes who are impacted by this decision and will assist those interested in transferring to another institution of higher education.

The DSU athletics budget is approximately $12 million during the current 2009-2010 athletics year - the largest budget among institutions within the conference. DSU Athletics Director Derek Carter said that the Board of Trustees has recommended that the athletics budget be reduced to a level that is more comparable with the top teams in the MEAC. "The five MEAC institutions that are below DSU in what they spend on athletics all have budgets that are $8 to $9 million this year," said Mr. Carter. "Couple that with the tough economic times that this University is facing, it is impossible to justify such a disparity between DSU and the other top institutions' athletics spending."

Mr. Carter said that DSU regrets the impact this decision will have on the affected student athletes. "We know today's announcement is not good news for our Men's Tennis and Equestrian team members, their dedicated coaches and their faithful supporters," the DSU athletics director said. "While we hope that the student-athletes from the affected teams will continue to attend DSU, we will understand if they decide to transfer to another institution and are prepared to assist them any way we can."

The DSU athletics director said he recommended making the announcement at this time to give the student-athletes as much opportunity as possible to weigh their future directions. The elimination of men's tennis and women's equestrian will reduce the number of DSU intercollegiate athletics teams to 15. In 2009, the University dropped its wrestling program. There are no plans to eliminate any additional DSU sports programs at this time, Mr. Carter said. DSU President Harry L. Williams said while the decision to drop the programs "was extremely difficult," it is nevertheless consistent with his vision of excellence for the overall athletics program at DSU.

"We want all of DSU's athletics teams to be competitive and win championships in the MEAC. But it is impossible to support all our teams toward that end with a budget that is spread too thin," said Dr. Williams. "While it is not a decision we wanted to make, we are confident that it is in the best interest of the overall athletics program and the University as a whole."

Dr. Williams added that as a founding member of the MEAC, Delaware State University has an obligation to continually strive to be a strongly competitive institution within the conference. "This reduction in the number of sports programs helps DSU continue to be a strong permanent partner of the MEAC," the DSU President said. Mr. Carter said that the elimination of the two sports will save the University almost $700,000. He said he will be recommending other cost saving measures that can be implemented to enable the athletics budget to most effectively support the remaining 15 DSU sports programs.

Both the university's men's tennis and the women's equestrian teams will continue to compete in their respective remaining 2009-2010 seasons. DSU will continue to field and support its remaining 15 NCAA Division I sport programs. Those include the women's sports of basketball, bowling, cross country, indoor and outdoor track, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball, as well as the men's sports of basketball, football, indoor and outdoor track, baseball and cross country. All of the remaining DSU intercollegiate teams compete in the MEAC with the exception of the women's soccer team, which plays in the Great West Conference.

Delaware State equestrian team may ride to court

DOVER -- There is a place for a women's equestrian team at Delaware State University, its members said Thursday, one day after the school announced it was eliminating the program to cut costs. The complete roster of riders assembled at Delaware State's Administration and Student Services building Thursday afternoon -- including three on horseback -- to protest the school's decision. DSU will also eliminate men's tennis.

The Equestrian team has a 100 percent graduation rate, has served more than 400 hours of community service, has raised $50,000 by itself to help fund the program and has an average grade point average of 3.0. "Sometimes the only way to remedy these kinds of problems is to go to court."

Attorney Ronald G. Poliquin and team member Morgan Scuse addressed DSU's Board of Trustees for a little more than five minutes. No members of the men's tennis team spoke at the meeting. DSU athletic director Derek Carter said the school's decision was final. "Of course it was a difficult decision and a lot of thought went into arriving at the decision," Carter said. "The decision was made and approved by the board. It is final." The team, which has several meetings scheduled with school officials over the next couple of days, is not so sure about that. It did not rule out taking Delaware State University to court to save the program.

Poliquin cited the fact that both the women's equestrian and men's tennis teams are comprised almost entirely of white student-athletes at a historically black college. "In a school that celebrates diversity, it certainly smells bad," Poliquin said. "I think African-American students, caucasian students and Asian-American students should look at this as a sad day at Delaware State. "Sometimes the only way to remedy these kinds of problems is to go to court."

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Norfolk State wide receiver Chris Bell enters NFL draft

Norfolk State wide receiver Chris Bell, who left Penn State after a host of legal and academic issues, announced Thursday he is leaving school a year early to enter April's NFL draft.



The Virginian-Pilot reported the NFL Advisory Board informed Bell he could be selected anywhere from the fifth to seventh rounds, and Bell is working out in New Jersey preparing for the draft. Bell (6-3, 210) caught 51 passes for 958 yards and 13 touchdowns and was Norfolk State's best receiver. The rest of the team combined for just five touchdown passes and 1,279 yards. "Once the NFL said he was draftable, it was pretty clear he was gone," Norfolk State coach Pete Adrian said. "I wish him the best."

2010 Hall of Fame Inductees Announced by MEAC

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA - The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced today the five members of its' 2010 Hall of Fame Class that will be honored during a banquet on Friday, March 12, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the M.C. Benton, Jr. Convention Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. "We are excited to recognize another outstanding class of inductees who have made a significant impact on their institutions and our conference during their collegiate days and beyond," said Dennis E. Thomas, MEAC Commissioner. "I'd like to congratulate the 2010 MEAC Hall of Fame Class for all of their achievements both athletically and professionally."

The Hall of Fame Class will be honored in conjunction with the 2010 MEAC Basketball Tournament, held March 8-13 at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (LJVM) in Winston-Salem. Enshrinees were selected by an 11-person committee made up of administrators from each member institution. The MEAC Hall of Fame includes former student-athletes, coaches, university and/or conference administrators as well as special contributors, who have enriched the legacy of the conference since its inception in 1969.

The MEAC Hall of Fame inducted its first class on May 29, 1981, during a 10-year anniversary banquet in Greensboro, N.C. Since its establishment in 1981, the Hall of Fame has enshrined 103 people, including the Class of 2010.

The 2010 MEAC Hall of Fame Inductees are:

Inducted as a Student-Athlete:
Rickey Anderson, South Carolina State: was the first South Carolina State football player to surpass the 1,000 yard mark with 1,195 total yards. In 1977, he guided the Bulldogs to a 6-0 conference mark en route to their fourth consecutive MEAC title. That same year, he earned All-MEAC First-Team accolades and was named the MEAC Offensive Player of the Year. The 1977 Associated Press College Division All-American holds the school record for career averages per carry (6.5; 1974-77). Anderson was a third-round draft choice by the San Diego Chargers in the 1978 National Football League (NFL) draft. He was inducted into the South Carolina State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 and was a member of the South Carolina State Centennial football team in 2008.

Jacquay Nunnally, Florida A&M: was a three-time football Division I All-American at Florida A&M, who led the Rattlers to the NCAA Division I FCS (formerly I-AA) playoffs in 1997-2000. He is second all-time in NCAA Division I FCS football record books in career pass receptions with 317 for 4,239 yards and 38 touchdowns. Nunnally holds the NCAA Division I FCS record for most yards gained by a freshman during a game in his 284 yard performance on October 11, 1997 against North Carolina A&T. He caught 13 passes in the victory. Nunally led the FCS in 1998 in receiving with 96 receptions for 1,316 yards and 12 touchdowns. The four-time All-MEAC First-Team honoree (1997-2000) was named the Black College Player of the Year in 1998 and 2000. He concluded his collegiate career with 362 catches and was inducted into the Florida A&M Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

Ira Smith, Maryland Eastern Shore: led the nation and was the NCAA Division I batting champion in 1989 (.488) and 1990 (.519). Smith is sixth all-time in the NCAA Division I record books with the highest season batting average of .519 (1990) and 14th all-time with a .431 batting average from 1986 and 1988-90. Smith was Maryland Eastern Shore's Valuable Player in 1989 and had a career batting average of .330. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1991 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft and played professionally up until 1999. He was inducted into the Maryland Eastern Shore Hall of Fame in 2004.

Ted White, Howard: served as quarterback for the Howard football team from 1995-1998 and was named the MEAC Offensive Player of the Year in 1996. He holds the MEAC and school record for passing completions (638), passing yardage (9,908) and touchdown passes (92) during his tenure at Howard. White set the MEAC record for a single-game best mark in passing yards with 561 and eight TD's against Florida A&M on October 17, 1998. He leads the MEAC with 1,169 passing attempts and 9,845 total offensive yards in his four-year career. White played professionally in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1998 and the Kansas City Chiefs in 1999.

Inducted as a Conference Administrator:

Ed Hill, Howard: has served as the Sports Information Director at Howard for over two decades (1983-present). The talented writer's stories have appeared in USA Today and the NCAA News. Hill is a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and Black College Sports Information Directors of America (BCSIDA). He is also active in the Washington, DC community where he served as head coach and co-founder of the DC Warriors basketball program and as a counselor for the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP). Hill is also an adjunct professor at Howard where he teaches a course on Sports and the Media. He has worked 283 consecutive Howard football games and has not missed a game since the 1984 season. In 2005, Hill was honored by CoSIDA as the Bob Kenworthy Award recipient for his community service outside the profession. He was honored by CoSIDA again in 2009 when he was presented with the 15-Year Service Award. Prior to his appointment at Howard, Hill was a staff writer for the Winston-Salem Chronicle and the Black College Sports Page. He has also worked as a news aide and freelance writer for the Washington Post.

FAMU marching band picked to perform at Super Bowl pregame show

Florida A&M University's marching band has been selected to perform in the Super Bowl XLIV pregame show at Dolphin Stadium on Feb. 6 -- and they're rehearsing a tribute to Michael Jackson. This marks the third time in five years that the marching "100" has been invited to participate in a Super Bowl. "We are extremely honored and proud to be selected by the National Football League to perform during the pregame show," said Julian White, director of bands and chair of FAMU's Department of Music, who received a telephone call from the entertainment director for the National Football League.

"To be invited for a third time in only five years is confirmation that we give a quality performance," Dr. White said in a news release issued by the Tallahassee school on Tuesday. "It is only fitting that we salute the King of Pop for the world to see," White said. (Read More, Click Blog Title)

FAMU Rattlers 'Hawk' Dawson finally wings his way into MLB Hall of Fame

Former Florida A&M University Rattlers baseball star and alumnus, Andre Dawson (1973-75) was the lone inductee to Major League Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday. A graduate of Miami's Southwest High School, Dawson will be enshrined on July 25, 2010 in Cooperstown, NY., 15 days after his 56th birthday.

OTTAWA, Canada — Baseball graduated its 2010 Hall of Fame class on Wednesday, which turned out to be a class of just one player: Andre Dawson. At last, The Hawk is in the Hall. A joyous day, not just for the elegant outfielder and his cast of supporters, but for fans of the Montreal Expos, able to reflect on another fond figure from their long-gone ball team. Dawson, in his ninth year on the ballot, received 77.9 per cent of the vote, comfortably past the 75 per cent margin. He leaped more than 10 per cent in the voting by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America after reaching 67 per cent last year.

Dawson, angular, powerful and fleet in his youth, had Hall of a Fame markings in his 21 seasons with four clubs, but was severely hampered by injury late in his career. It wasn’t character that slowed Dawson, but a pair of bad knees, preventing this “five-tool” player from posting automatic Cooperstown numbers. Dawson finished his career as a .279 career hitter with 438 home runs, 1,591 runs batted in and 314 stolen bases. He was the National League’s rookie of the year with the Expos in 1977 and the 1987 NL most valuable player with the Chicago Cubs. Eight times he was an all-star and 12 times he underwent knee surgery. In history, only Willie Mays and Barry Bonds shared Dawson’s combination of at least 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases. (Read more, click main blog title)

'Well worth the wait' for baseball hall inductee Andre Dawson

The Hawk has a new nest: the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Andre Dawson, considered by some to be the best player ever produced by the Montreal Expos, was elected Wednesday to the baseball shrine — the only player to make the cut this year in voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America. "It was well worth the wait. I can’t really describe the elation," Dawson, who made the Hall on his ninth try, told reporters on a conference call. "If you’re a Hall of Famer, eventually you’re going to get in, no matter how long it takes."

Dawson appeared on 77.9 per cent of the ballots, after falling 44 votes short last year of 75 per cent needed for induction. A strong-armed outfielder whose speed and power on the diamond and class off it made him a fan favourite, Dawson played 21 seasons for four teams (the Expos, the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Florida Marlins), hitting 438 home runs, collecting 1,591 RBIs and stealing 314 bases. He is one of only three players in MLB history to hit 400 home runs and steal 300 bases in his career. Willie Mays and Barry Bonds are the others.

Dallas Green recalls Andre Dawson 'blank check' signing

Most free-agent negotiations are conducted under clandestine circumstances, far from the prying eyes of the public and media. But in 1987, for all to witness during spring training in Mesa, Ariz., free agent Andre Dawson and agent Dick Moss demanded the immediate and undivided attention of Cubs management. Dallas Green, then the Cubs' bombastic general manager, took umbrage at the fact the future Hall of Famer and Moss showed up with a blank contract. Green huffed and puffed, then referred to Dawson and Moss as "a dog and pony show."

I was the Tribune's Cubs beat reporter at the time, and In the Wake of the News columnist Bob Verdi and I thought the entire surreal scene was made for TV, as well as newspapers. I spoke with Green on Wednesday about the scene and he provided some background. "It all started in 1984 when we won (the division) and I had to sign all of those guys to multiyear contracts, and big contracts," said Green, 75, now the senior adviser to the general manager of the Phillies.

"You know, Rick Sutcliffe and Steve Trout and Scott Sanderson and Dennis Eckersley. ... I had to re-sign all of those guys because they were on one-year deals. It took a pretty good chunk of dough. And, of course, in '85 we didn't do too well, and in '86 we struggled a little, as well. It was where Tribune Co. finally had to put (its) foot down and say, 'Hey, we're approaching the payroll we want to be at.' I said, 'Well, I love this guy (Dawson)'.

Andre Dawson receives just due with Hall of Fame election

Never one to sweat the details, Andre Dawson is happily on his way to Cooperstown. A man who generated respect along with run production throughout his 21-year career, six of his most satisfying seasons coming when he was based at Wrigley Field, Dawson will take his place in the Hall of Fame alongside Ryne Sandberg, who like "The Hawk" knew Wrigley before there were lights. There was never a real question of Dawson's Hall of Fame worthiness -- anyone who saw him dominate the National League with the Cubs and Montreal Expos knew he had earned his spot among baseball's greats. The question was how long he would have to wait, and that finally was answered Wednesday.

Dawson, whose signing with the Cubs in 1987 was one of the most amazing stories in team history, was more gracious than he needed to be on the subject of hard-to-convince voters. "The wait isn't a big factor in the scheme of things," said Dawson, 55, who was a huge fan favorite on the North Side. "You get frustrated when people say, 'When are you going to get in?' and you don't have an answer for that. As I sit here now, I think it was well worth the wait."

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Howard Bison 72, Navy Midshipmen 65

Howard Uses Late Run to Push Past Navy, 72-65

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Howard men's basketball team outscored Navy, 9-0, in the final minute of play to hand the Midshipmen a 72-65 setback on Monday night. The loss snapped Navy's modest two-game winning streak and drops Navy's record to 6-9 overall. Howard improved to 2-13 with the victory. Navy has lost six straight games away from Annapolis and has a 1-7 record away from Alumni Hall, entering Saturday night's Patriot League opener at Bucknell.

"We didn't do enough tonight for 40 minutes to be successful. When we don't play together, we aren't going to beat anyone," said Navy head coach Billy Lange. "We were careless defensively and didn't show enough patience on offense. It just seemed we got antsy in the second half and weren't patient enough. When we were, we got any shot we wanted." Howard was aided by seven three-point plays. Three of the seven came on fouled three-point shot attempts, while the Bison also connected on four and-one opportunities. "It's just a lack of focus, and we didn't close out on shooters properly," said Lange. "Our heads were somewhere else."

Final Stats

White, Collins Lead Balanced Attack In Win Over Navy

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Curtis White scored 12 of his game-high 21 points in the second half and Dadrian Collins added 10 of his 15 after intermission to lead Howard to a 72-65 win over Navy in a non-conference men's basketball game at Burr Gymnasium. The Bison (2-13), who snapped a five game losing streak, rallied from a 36-30 halftime deficit on the scoring of White and Collins who combined for 12 of the team's points during a key 15-9 run that tied the score at 45-all.

Buoyed by the run, Howard embarked on an 11-4 run to open up a 56-49 lead at the 10:48 mark of the second half. This time it was Mike Phillips and Calvin Thompson who keyed the run as they combined for 8 of the points. But the scrappy Mids (6-9) put together a rally of their own, a 16-6 spurt that helped them regain the lead at 65-63 with 3:08 remaining.

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Hampton Pirates 78, Fordham Rams 54

Senior 6'-8" forward Michael Freeman took the Atlantic-10 Fordham Rams to school scoring 18 points, 10 rebounds in leading the Pirates inside attack.








Freeman's fourth double-double of the season leads HU to rout of Fordham

HAMPTON - — It's always nice to come home after a long trip … even if nobody's at the house. The Hampton Pirates put together their most complete performance in their first home game since Nov. 23, pounding Fordham 78-54 Sunday at the Convocation Center. And while there weren't many in attendance — just 342 showed up for the rare Sunday night game, even with free admission — those who were there got to see the Pirates (3-10) in rare form.

The 24-point margin of victory is Hampton's biggest since a 65-31 win Dec. 1, 2007 against Howard. The Pirates snapped a five-game losing streak and gave coach Edward Joyner Jr. his first home win. Their 51 percent field-goal shooting is a season-best, and they won the rebounding battle 42-31 — the first time they've done that all season. "We wanted more rebounding, and we got it," Joyner said. "We wanted better shooting, and we got it. The only thing we have to work on is turnovers (21, including 13 in the second half). Some of that was being ahead by a lot in the second half, but we need to play the complete 40 minutes."

Final Stats

Hampton Pounds Fordham

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men’s basketball team started 2010 strong, beating the Rams of Fordham University 78-54 at the HU Convocation Center on Sunday night. It was Hampton’s largest margin of victory since the Pirates beat Howard 65-31 on Dec. 1, 2007. The Pirates also snapped a five-game losing streak and gave interim head coach Edward “Buck” Joyner Jr. his first home win. Hampton (3-10) went on a 15-5 run late in the second half to pull ahead to its largest margin of the night, 69-37 with 5:25 to play after a 3-pointer from Brandon Tunnell (Wilmington, Del.). Fordham closed the game on a 17-8 run, but the Pirates’ lead was so large at that point, the Rams couldn’t complete the comeback.

Michael Freeman (Alexandria, Va.) led the Pirates with 18 points on 5-for-9 shooting and an 8-for-9 performance from the free throw line. Freeman also pulled down 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. Vincent Simpson (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored 11 points for the Pirates, who shot a season-best 51.0 percent (25-for-49) from the floor and 5-for-11 (45.5 percent) from 3-point range. Read More...

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