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Michael Sam Becomes First Openly Gay Man Selected in the NFL Draft (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on May 11, 2014
CREDIT: AP

Michael Sam, a defensive end for the University of Missouri, was drafted by the St. Louis Rams on Saturday, making him the first openly gay athlete to be drafted in any of the four major American sports, and putting him on track to be the first openly gay player in the National Football League.

Sam, who was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, went as the 249th pick. He is only the second person ever to hold that title and fall out of the top 33 picks of the NFL draft. The other was Chad Lavalais of Louisiana State University, who was picked 142nd back in in 2004. Before the draft, CBS had Sam’s prospect ranking at 169.

If Sam went so late in the draft because teams were concerned about the unwanted attention that selecting the first gay player, they did not seem to be concerned about such impressions across the board; Zach Mettenberger, who plead guilty to sexual battery after groping a woman outside of a bar, went second in the sixth round of the draft. Prince Shembo, who was investigated in connection with the sexual assault of a woman who soon after committed suicide, was the 139th pick.

Now that Sam has been drafted, he will move onto the next challenge of securing a spot on the roster. He’ll need to make the team over the summer to become the first openly gay player actively in the NFL, and his spot isn’t guaranteed. As Alex Leichenger previously pointed out here on ThinkProgress, “Sam is considered undersized for an NFL defensive end and may have to become a linebacker in the pros…. His pass-rushing ability would be an advantage at outside linebacker, but there will be questions about whether he has the speed to play in pass coverage in the NFL.” Sam also had a fairly bad showing at the scouting combine earlier this year.

Still, some predicted that Sam would have difficulty finding a team that would draft him because of his coming out. One general manager predicted that he would not be drafted at all. And while public statements from teams and players in the league were encouraging, behind-the-scenes talk from people in the league showed doubt that Sam would garner a pick in the draft.

“I just know with this going on this is going to drop him down,” an NFL scout anonymously told Sports Illustrated. “There’s no question about it. It’s human nature. Do you want to be the team to quote-unquote ‘break that barrier?’”

Below is video of the moment when Sam got the news:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW-_fFdkegs&w=560&h=315]
article by Annie-Rose Strasser via thinkprogress.com

Michael Sam to Receive Arthur Ashe Courage Award at ESPYs

By goodblacknews on May 7, 2014

Michael SamYesterday University of Missouri’s defensive end Michael Sam was selected as the winner of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. The award, which is given to individuals who transcend sports, will be presented at The 2014 Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPYs) on July 16th. Other recipients of the award include Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela and Billie Jean King.

Michael Sam made history in February by becoming the first Division I college football player in history to come out as gay.  Sam, who was named the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-SEC selection during his senior year at Missouri, is expected to be picked in the NFL Draft in the upcoming days.  

Sam joined a growing list of notable athletes who have come out recently, including Jason Collins, Robbie Rogers, Brittney Griner, Orlando Cruz, Megan Rapinoe, Lori Lindsey, and Tom Daley.

article by Hayley Miller via hrc.org

LeBron James High School Tale Being Acquired by Universal Pictures

By goodblacknews on May 2, 2014

LeBron James
After an aggressive bidding war that saw several studios vying for the film, sources say Universal Pictures is nearing a deal to acquiring the rights to an untitled pic revolving around NBA superstar LeBron James’ high school career.
“Wolf of Wall Street” scribe Terrence Winter and his wife, “Dallas Buyers Club” producer Rachel Winter, will produce along with James and his manager Maverick Carter. The picture is based on a pitch by Frank E. Flowers.
The story was covered in the 2008 documentary, “More Than a Game,” which followed James and his four high school teammates through their playing career together and the ups and downs that came with it while James’ fame grew to astronomical levels.
Besides being considered the best and probably most popular player in the NBA over the past decade, James’ brand and business has become one of the most desirable of any athlete since Michael Jordan, leading Hollywood players to try to get in business with the Miami Heat player.  Universal is a good fit since it is already in the James business — the studio and Imagine Entertainment are currently developing the basketball comedy “Ballers” which James is expected to star in alongside Kevin Hart.
James is also executive-producing the “Entourage”-like Starz comedy “Survivor’s Remorse” about a young basketball star who signs a multi-million dollar contract and moves to Georgia with his cousin.
article by Justin Kroll via Variety.com

Michael Strahan to Join ABC’s "Good Morning America"

By goodblacknews on April 2, 2014

Michael Strahan
Michael Strahan is in negotiations to join ABC’s Good Morning America. Strahan will remain cohost with Kelly Ripa of Live with Kelly and Michael, the Disney-distributed syndicated morning show. He’s expected to join the GMA ensemble in the studio a couple of times a week.
Strahan, a former NFL player, is also an analyst on Fox’s NFL Sunday. He was a surprise choice to fill Regis Philbin’s shoes opposite Ripa on Live in the fall of 2012. Since then, he’s been widely praised for his warmth and versatility on-air. The Disney parentage of Live and ABC makes it feasible for him to shuttle between the two morning shows.
Sources said GMA’s discussions with Strahan have been going on for months and are not tied to Josh Elliott’s recent departure for NBC Sports.
article via Variety.com

Tichina Arnold Joins Cast Of Lebron James’ Starz Sitcom ‘Survivor’s Remorse’

By goodblacknews on March 30, 2014

Tichina-ArnoldTelevision veteran Tichina Arnold will help round out the cast of Starz’s new original comedy series Survivor’s Remorse, executive produced by LeBron James.  The half-hour show centers on two men (one an NBA star, the other one not) who make it out of North Philadelphia’s inner city to a more extravagant life of fame and fortune. Along the way, they fight with the guilt of their struggling peers left behind.
Jessie T. Usher will take the lead of basketball talent Cam Calloway who signs a multi-million dollar contract, while Arnold plays his mother.
Let’s Stay Together supporting actor Ronreaco Lee has been cast as Cam’s cousin and confidant Reggie Vaughn and Erica Ash of The Real Husbands of Hollywood will play Cam’s sister M-Chuck.  The group joins Teyonah Parris who will play Lee’s wife Missy.
Survivor’s Remorse is set to air this fall.
article by Camille Travis via uptown magazine.com

Michigan State Basketball Star Adreian Payne Forms Inspiring Friendship with 8 Year-Old Lacey Holsworth (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on March 28, 2014

Iowa v Michigan State
Sometimes stories emerge during March Madness that force you to put down your brackets and pay attention to what’s really important.  The friendship between Michigan State basketball star Adreian Payne and 8-year-old Lacey Holsworth is one of those stories.
They met two years ago when the Spartans visited a hospital where Lacey was getting treatment for neuroblastoma, an aggressive cancer of the nerve tissue. Their relationship has thrived, and they reportedly text every day.
As the Washington Post notes, Payne attended a fundraiser for Lacey, and Lacey, who was Payne’s guest on senior night, helped him cut down the net after Michigan State won the Big Ten tournament.
Now that Payne and Michigan State have advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, the duo’s touching bond continues to move fans. A video posted by the Big Ten Network earlier this month covers Payne and Lacey in tear duct-draining detail (watch below).
“She’s like a sister to me,” Payne says in the segment. “I love him,” Lacey declares.  If your favorite team has been eliminated, you might just cheer for Payne and Michigan State on the basis of the video alone.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBmEQlToMFA&w=560&h=315]
article by Ron Dicker via huffingtonpost.com
 

Jason Collins Signs with Brooklyn Nets for Remainder of Season

By goodblacknews on March 16, 2014

Jason Collins
AP Photo/David Zalubowski

The Brooklyn Nets signed center Jason Collins for the remainder of the season on Saturday, the team announced.  Sources previously told ESPN.com that the Nets, who feel they’re getting everything they expected from Collins when they signed him for front court depth on Feb. 23, were already operating under the premise that the 34-year-old would finish the season with them even though his second 10-day deal didn’t expire until after Friday.
“It’s cool. Thank you to the Nets organization, coaches and players, the team is playing really well right now, and I’m glad to continue to be here,” Collins said.
Sources said that the internal expectation all along was that Collins would be a Net for the rest of the season, from the moment he signed his first 10-day deal, as long he proved that he could still be an effective defender, which he did immediately.
“We always focused on basketball,” Nets coach Jason Kidd said. “We let you guys do all the other stuff. But having him on the team was always about basketball.”
Collins is averaging 9.8 minutes per game off the bench in eight appearances since his historic debut against the Los Angeles Lakers last month, which made him the first openly gay athlete in North America’s four recognized major team sports.  He most recently provided the Nets with some meaningful minutes defending against DeMarcus Cousins, logging 20 minutes in a 104-89 win over Sacramento last Sunday.

NBA's Sixers Retire Allen Iverson's No. 3

By goodblacknews on March 2, 2014

Allen Iverson
PHILADELPHIA — Allen Iverson cupped his hand to his left ear and asked to hear his favorite tune one more time.  With that command, 20,000 roaring Philadelphia 76ers fans gave AI the standing ovation he earned by stamping himself as one of the franchise’s all-time greats.  Iverson, emotional as he thanked former teammates and friends, had his No. 3 retired at halftime of Saturday’s game against Washington.
High above the Wells Fargo Center court, Iverson’s banner slipped between Maurice Cheeks‘ No. 10 and Charles Barkley‘s No. 34.  “They all wanted me to talk about how much y’all loved me,” Iverson said, “but trust me, the feeling was mutual.”  Iverson officially retired in October after last playing in 2010. He won four scoring titles for the Sixers and was the 2001 MVP when he led them to the NBA Finals. He never won a championship, the lone omission in a career that is destined for the Hall of Fame.
The Sixers may as well have turned the arena into an AI museum. Four banners greeted fans at the main concourse entrance, and photos of him were plastered all around the arena. The merchandise stands sold Iverson jerseys for $130, and lower level tickets were going for as much for $1,280 on StubHub about an hour before the 7:30 p.m. tipoff.  It was StubHub’s highest-priced 76ers home game this season, with the median ticket going for $109.  The fans loved him, and he blew them kisses after the No. 3 was raised to show how much he loved them back.  “I am Philly,” Iverson said. “It’s always going to be that way.”
 

Poet Raliq Bashard Teams with Fox Sports to Offer Moving Spoken-Word Sports Tribute to Black History Month (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on February 28, 2014

http://youtu.be/-J8F61MdbUI
Screen Shot 2014-02-28 at 4.51.06 PMWith Black History Month winding down, Fox Sports joined forces with poet Raliq Bashard for a sports-centric tribute to the legends who paved the way for today’s athletes. Check out the video above, put together by Fox and their partners at Relevant 24.  To see the full written text of Bashard’s inspiring spoken-word testimonial, as well as specific stories about black sports figures such as Sugar Ray Robinson, Vonetta Flowers, Larry Doby and Wilma Rudolph, click here.
Review by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson

Jason Collins’ Brooklyn Nets Jersey Now the Top Seller on NBA.com

By goodblacknews on February 26, 2014

Jason-Collins-jersey
Jason Collins made history Sunday when he became the NBA’s first openly gay player. On Tuesday, his jersey was the league’s top seller online.  Collins’ No. 98 jersey for the Brooklyn Nets outsold NBA powerhouses like LeBron James and Kevin Durant.  Monday, a league official told the New York Times the demand for merchandise that bore Collins’ name was “unprecedented.” Tuesday’s sales proved it.
Collins plays in his second game Wednesday night after signing a 10-day contract with the Nets. The team beat the Lakers 108-102 in his debut. Collins tallied 10 minutes and, more importantly, 5 personal fouls in the victory. In addition to solid interior defense, giving “hard fouls” has become Collins trademark since entering the league in 2001.  He’s not an All-Star and the Nets don’t need him to be. Ten minutes and five fouls could come again Wednesday night against the Blazers.
The Nets are in the midst of a 6-game road trip.
article via thegrio.com