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Bernie Williams, an Improbable Star in Center Field for the New York Yankees, is Immortalized Just Beyond It

Bernie Williams, who won four World Series titles with the Yankees, with catcher Brian McCann after throwing a ceremonial pitch in the Bronx on May 24. (BILL KOSTROUN / ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Bernie Williams, who won four World Series titles with the Yankees, with catcher Brian McCann after throwing a ceremonial pitch in the Bronx on May 24. (BILL KOSTROUN / ASSOCIATED PRESS)

On July 5, 1991, Cal Ripken Jr. drove a pitch from the Yankees’ Tim Leary to the center-field wall at the old Yankee Stadium. Roberto Kelly chased after it, crashed into the fence and sprained his right wrist. Two days later, Bernie Williams was roaming center field in the Bronx.

This is how it often happens, an emergency leading to the realization of a dream. Williams’s career unfolded in ways he never could have imagined, with four championships, five All-Star selections and $103 million in career earnings. He never left the Yankees, and on May 24th, the team retired his No. 51.

“Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that a skinny little 17-year-old kid from Puerto Rico could be here this day, in this celebration,” Williams said in his speech, before the Yankees fell to Texas, 5-2, for their 10th loss in 11 games. “I am overwhelmed.”

Williams thanked George M. Steinbrenner, the principal owner who died in 2010, for making him a Yankee and keeping him here. Hal Steinbrenner presented Williams with a custom-made ring, No. 51 surrounded by diamonds on the face.

Rose Green, 77, Began Sprinting Last Year and Now Holds National Record

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Sprinter Rose Green, 77 (Photo via myFoxdc.com)
At 77, Rose Green is still brushing off her cleats and maintaining her status as one of the fastest sprinters in her age group, My Fox DC reports.  It’s a pretty impressive feat, not only because of her age but also because she took up the sport just last year and rose to the top of the ranks in such a short time.
According to My Fox DC, Green, a resident of Prince George’s County, Md., has won medals in several competitions, including the 200- and 400-meter races, and is the nation’s record holder in her age group in the 60-meter sprint.   Green, a great-grandmother, is trained vigorously by coach Cortez Austin. He’s also her boyfriend.
“She’s world-class,” Austin said about Green’s work ethic and ability. She trains seven days a week.
Green says that she doesn’t get any special treatment from Austin. “He’ll tell me, ‘Your form is not right, you’re not going as fast as you should,’ ” Green said. “He’s a very strict coach even though we are lovers.”
Green is turning into a local celebrity in her Cameron Grove adult community, and she’s helping students and other runners strive to greatness as well.  “She is like a celebrity,” said Austin. “It’s no question that she is an inspiration.”
“I hear that so many times that I’m starting to believe that I’m an inspiration to all these people,” Green said.
Green is currently training for the national senior championships in July. “I’m working towards the world record,” she said. “Why not?”
Read more and see video of this inspiring woman at My Fox DC.
article by Diana Ozemebhoya Eromosele via theroot.com

Former NFL Star Randy Moss Hands Diploma to Lifelong Fan, Friend and Cancer Survivor Kassi Spier at her High School Graduation

Randy Moss visited a special friend on Friday. (Pelican Rapids Press)
Randy Moss with Kassi Spier on Friday. (Pelican Rapids Press)

Back in 1998, two-year-old Kassi Spier caught Randy Moss‘ attention when she yelled his name while Moss was going through his first training camp with the Minnesota Vikings.
The two quickly formed a bond, a bond that became stronger in 2000 after Spier was diagnosed with leukemia. Despite the leukemia, Spier still made it to training camp that year to visit Moss, according to St. Paul Pioneer-Press story.  “Randy loves that girl to death,” Daunte Culpepper said at the time. “They have that connection, and I think it’s beautiful.”
An Associated Press story from 2003 also noted that Moss would take Spier to lunch every day while holding her “tiny hand.”
Moss has been there for Spier for well over a decade and once again, he was there for her on Friday when he handed Spier her high school diploma at a graduation ceremony that took place in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. Spier was among the 72 graduates who received a diploma at Pelican Rapids High School, according to the Pelican Rapids Press.
Pelican Rapids Public School District Superintendent Deb Wanek told the Fargo Forum that Moss had promised Spier he’d be at the ceremony.  “She’s had many struggles in her life, and he’s been there for her,” Wanek said. “He told her he’d be at her high school graduation.”
Even after Moss left Minnesota in 2004, he stayed in touch with Spier.  It hasn’t been an easy 17 years for Spier: Not only was she diagnosed with leukemia, but her dad died in a car accident in 2004 and she was also diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2013, but she always had a loving shoulder to lean on in Moss.
article by John Breech via cbssports.com

Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Bell Earns College Degree at Age of 74

bobby-bell-college-degreeMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Bobby Bell sat down in the chair, his black gown draped over his shoulders, the black cap tilted just perfectly and the white tassels hanging to his right.
A representative from the University of Minnesota asked the 74-year-old Pro Football Hall of Famer if he wanted to wear the graduation attire while he was doing interviews with the media.
“Are you serious?” Bell said with wide eyes and a playful grin. “I waited long enough to wear these.”
Fifty-two years after he left campus for pro football, Bell returned to earn his degree in Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies and walk in graduation ceremonies on Thursday. He played in two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, won a national championship and was a two-time All-American as an offensive lineman and defensive end at Minnesota. But for him, nothing compared to being able to walk across the stage, receive his diploma and fulfill a promise he made to his father when he left tiny Shelby, North Carolina, for Minnesota in 1959.
“This is the top of the pyramid, man,” Bell said. “This is the top of the pyramid.”
Bell was part of the glory years with the Gophers, teaming with the likes of Sandy Stephens and Carl Eller to make Minnesota one of the premiere programs in the country. He won the Outland trophy as the nation’s top lineman and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting before he was drafted by the Chiefs in 1963.
Bell was 13 credits shy of his degree when he entered the working world, both for the Chiefs and General Motors. He played in two Super Bowls and carved out a pro career that got him enshrined in the Hall of Fame, but he never forgot about the promise he made to his father to make education a priority.
His father has long since passed away, but Bell still made it a point to get his degree and proudly wore a watch his father gave to him when he got on the plane for Minnesota almost 60 years ago.
“I know he’s looking down and saying, ‘I told you you could do it,’” Bell said.

Serena Williams Wins The Miami Open, Continues Her Undefeated 2015

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(Source: ANDREAS SOLARO / Getty)

A knee injury and the end of her boycott at Indian Wells drew headlines when Serena Williams returned to the BNP Paribas Open weeks ago. After knee inflammation forced her to withdraw from Indian Wells, Williams returned and dominated Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-0 in the final of the Miami Open. The victory not only marked Williams’ eighth Key Biscayne title, but it maintains her undefeated streak in 2015.
The eight victories in Key Biscayne makes Serena Williams only the fourth woman to win a WTA event eight times. With a record of 18-0, Williams has claimed her 19th Grand Slam championship and her twelfth consecutive final.
Saturday afternoon’s victory also improves Williams’ record against Carla Suarez Navarro to 5-0, and Serena has a lifetime record of 73-7 at Key Biscayne.
article by Omar Burgess via theurbandaily.com

Serena Williams 1st Black Female Athlete to Solo on Cover of Vogue

Serena Williams, Vogue
International Tennis Champion Serena Williams (VOGUE/Annie Leibovitz)

Game, set, Vogue!
Serena Williams is the first black female athlete to land a solo cover of Vogue, and the tennis pro looks absolutely breathtaking (she last fronted the magazine for the June 2012 issue alongside Ryan Lochte and Hope Solo). Serena sports long natural curls and a slim-fitting blue sheath dress on the cover, finishing her look with minimal makeup and a simple tennis bracelet (natch). Famed photographer Annie Leibovitz shot the stunning spread, which also features tennis star (not to mention Serena’s best friend and top competitor) Caroline Wozniacki.
The tennis maven joins Lupita Nyong’oBeyoncéRihanna and Michelle Obama as high-powered black women to front Vogue in recent years. (One other black athlete has graced the magazine’s cover: LeBron James shared the April 2008 Shape issue with Gisele Bündchen for what became a much-debated spread.)

Serena Williams, Vogue
(VOGUE/Annie Leibovitz)

In the editorial, Serena lets her enviable figure do the talking in a second skin wine-red gown that hugs her body in all the right places. Beyond looking beautiful in couture, the star athlete opens up about the pressure of being top-ranked on the courts. (It’s no surprise that Anna Wintour tapped her for the annual Shape issue—the Vogue editrix is a self-proclaimed tennis enthusiast).
“It’s hard and lonely at the top,” Williams admits in the interview. “That’s why it’s so fun to have Caroline and my sister, too. You’re a target when you’re number one. Everyone wants to beat you. Everyone talks behind your back, and you get a lot more criticism. God forbid I lose. It’s like ‘Why?’ Well, I am human.”

Serena Williams, Vogue, Instagram
(Photo: Instagram)

Williams announced her Vogue cover in a sexy bikini snapshot on Instagram (why not?), which shows the star athlete kicking back with a copy of the issue. (Really, though, that body!)
Vogue‘s April issue hits newsstands on March 25.
article by Nicole Adlman via eonline.com

Mo'ne Davis Makes Deal for Disney Channel Biopic

mone_davis_si_coverShe is still at it.  Just 13-years-old, Mo’Ne Davis has not only made history as the first female to pitch a shutout in the Little League World Series and the first Little League player to make the cover of Sports Illustrated, she also has  a book deal and a new sneaker line.  Davis is now opening up about her journey to achieving it all in a biographical movie set to premiere on Disney Channel.
“Mo’Ne is not only a top-notch athlete in three different sports — baseball, basketball and soccer — but she is an exemplary student and someone who will remind our audiences that they can do anything with hard work, dedication and belief in themselves,” said Naketha Mattocks, Vice President, Original Movies, Disney Channel.
Emmy-nominated producer Debra Martin Chase will executive produce the project, while Sheldon Candis and Justin Wilson will serve as writers for the film. Both Davis and espnW will consult on the movie.
“There are so many great things happening to me right now and it’s a very exciting time in my life,” said Davis. “A year ago, I never would have thought that Disney Channel would make a movie about me. I can’t wait to get started and I hope it will encourage other viewers to believe that dreams really do come true.”
article by Courtney Connley via blackenterprise.com

Little League Superstar Pitcher Mo’Ne Davis Launches Sneaker Line to Help Girls in Poverty

(Image: Facebook)
(Image: Facebook)
Mo’Ne Davis just gave us all one more reason to love her. The history-making teen athlete is pairing with M4D3, a social enterprise that collaborates with organizations and personalities to raise funds and help create social change. M4D3, which stands for Make A Difference Everyday, is currently joining forces with Because I Am A Girl, “a global initiative to end gender inequality, promote girls’ rights and lift millions of girls – and everyone around them – out of poverty.”
Through the new partnership, Davis is designing her own line of sneakers to aid girls who are victimized by poverty in developing countries. The limited edition kicks are running for $75 a pair, and 15% of all sales will go to Plan International USA’s Because I am a Girl initiative—a campaign to lift four million girls in the developing world out of poverty.
Mo’Ne Davis by M4D3, the designer’s collection, is quite stylish too. The sneakers are currently available for pre-order in three color options. They are lace-up suede and canvas, and feature symbolic baseball stitching. What’s super cool is each sneaker is marked with a fine “Mo’Ne” signature print on the sides.
“I never thought at the age of 13 I’d be a role model, but having young girls look up to me is pretty cool,” Davis said, according to Clutch. “If I can inspire them to reach their goals, that would be even cooler. Designing shoes with M4D3 is exciting and I wanted them to support Because I am a Girl to help girls and give them a chance at a better future.”
Well, there you have it. Mo’Ne Davis is officially one of our favorite humans on the planet. The sneakers are available in women and kid sizes.
article by Essence Gant via blackenterprise.com

Kevin Garnett Buys 1,000 Tickets to Give Away to Minnesota Fans

Kevin Garnett (Getty Images)
Kevin Garnett (Getty Images)

Kevin Garnett has purchased 1,000 tickets that will be given to Timberwolves fans to show his appreciation for their warm welcome to his return to Minnesota.
The team announced Sunday morning that Garnett bought the tickets for Monday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, reports NBA.com. Starting at 9AM Monday, the first 500 fans to claim tickets on http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/kg will receive a pair of tickets to the game.
“The response and support I’ve received from Wolves fans since my return to Minnesota has been nothing short of amazing. It’s been unbelievable,” Garnett said. “As a gesture of thanks, I would like to treat some fans to Monday night’s game against the Clippers. Love you all, and thanks for the love. Enjoy the game on me.”
article by Carrie Healey via thegrio.com

Reduced To Her Knees, Marathoner Hyvon Ngetich Refuses to Stop, Finishes Race In a Crawl (VIDEO)

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After showing herself to be in the elite class of female runners at the Austin Marathon, Kenyan Hyvon Ngetich hit the wall — hard. She didn’t win, despite leading for most of the day. But the way Ngetich finished the race is being celebrated, because she did it by crawling, refusing to quit.
Her fortitude paid off: Even though she crept to the finish line, Ngetich finished third, with a time of 3:04:02.68.
As the crowd realized what was happening in front of them — that the race’s former leader was refusing to be put in a wheelchair that organizers brought out onto the course, and she was insisting on finishing under her own power — they cheered her on.
“Running, always, you have to keep going, going,” Ngetich told local TV station KEYE after the race. She said that she doesn’t recall the final 2 kilometers of the marathon or crossing the finish line.

http://youtu.be/T6UG9PaABc8

Ngetich accomplished her feat Saturday. But her story is still making headlines today and being cited as an inspiration, as more and more people discuss the elite runner who finished a marathon on all fours.
“I’ve seen athletes wobble and fall; I’ve seen athletes crawl across the finish line,” Austin Marathon Race Director Jon Conley told CBS News Monday. “But that story of her going 26 miles, and then crawling the last 450 feet or so — never seen anything like it.”
The women’s winner was Cynthia Jerop, who finished in 2:54:21.78. Ngetich finished some 10 minutes later — and just three seconds shy of second place. But after her display of will, Conley and the Austin Marathon adjusted Ngetich’s prize money to equal that of the second-place finisher.
article by Bill Chappell via npr.org