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Posts published in “Sports”

Ricky Williams Lands a College Football Coaching Job

By goodblacknews on July 21, 2013
Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports
(Photo Credit: Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports)

Former Pro Bowler and Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams has landed a college coaching job at the University of the Incarnate Word. He will work with the running backs at UIW, which is located in San Antonio.  UIW Football is a Division I program that will compete in the Southland Conference this year.  Williams retired from the Baltimore Ravens last year, after an 11-year career that was marked by extreme highs and lows.
In 2002, Williams was the league’s leading rusher and was named Pro Bowl MVP, and many considered him the best running back in the game. This success was quickly derailed, however, after a suspension and  an early retirement in 2004, a retirement that Williams later admitted in a 60 Minutes interview came about as a result of several violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
Williams will continue to live in Austin but will commute to UIW to work with the running backs in the fall.
article by Nate Scott via usatoday.com

Robin Roberts Honored with Arthur Ashe Courage Award at ESPY Awards

By goodblacknews on July 18, 2013

Magic Johnson Opens Alternative Schools In Chicago

By goodblacknews on July 18, 2013

Michael Jordan Shaves $8M Off Mansion Price
Former NBA player Magic Johnson is hoping to cast his spell on the educational experience of some Chicago teens.  Johnson is opening two Magic Johnson Bridgescape Academies in the South Shore and North/South Lawndale neighborhoods this fall.  The alternative schools targets students aged 13-21 who have dropped out of high school or at risk of not graduating, another path to earn a high school diploma.

A news conference was scheduled for Wednesday morning, where Bridgescape Academy executives, teachers and community leaders were planning to discuss the schools and officially open enrollment.  Fifteen of the schools in five states are currently open across the country, with the majority located in Ohio.  According to the web site, the schools offer programs suitable to a student’s “schedule, lifestyle and learning needs.” School days are abbreviated and flexible with an emphasis on online learning tools.  The schools are free for students to attend.

article via nbcchicago.com

Former Baseball Star Darryl Strawberry Finds True Calling as Pastor

By goodblacknews on July 15, 2013

 

Darryl and Tracy Strawberry
Darryl and Tracy Strawberry

ST. PETERS, Mo. — The four-bedroom, two-story modest house sits on a corner in this planned bedroom community, and when this 6-6 muscular-toned man welcomes you inside his home, there is no evidence Darryl Strawberry the player ever existed.
There are no pictures of Strawberry in a baseball uniform. No trophies. No plaques. None of his four World Series rings. Nothing from his eight All-Star Games. None of his 335 home run balls.
“I got rid of it all. I was never attached to none of that stuff,” says Strawberry, 51, wearing a North Carolina jersey with Michael Jordan’s No. 23. “I don’t want it. It’s not part of my life anymore.” Darryl Strawberry, the former outfield great, is no longer.  Darryl Strawberry, the ordained minister in this town 30 miles west of St. Louis, is very much alive.
“I’m over ‘Strawberry,’ ” he tells USA TODAY Sports. “I’m over Mets. I’m over Yankees. I don’t want to exist as Darryl Strawberry, the baseball player.  “People don’t understand that’s no longer you. I’m not a baseball player, anymore. That person is dead.”

Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team Wows on "America's Got Talent"

By goodblacknews on July 11, 2013

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5bI7TwZnM8&w=560&h=315]
Chicago_Boyz_Acrobatic_Team_Creative_Jum_105433971_thumbnailIn case you missed it, check out the amazing acrobatic team, Chicago Boyz, performing on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” last week.  Their amazing talent and inspiring story made for great television — they made it to the next round in Las Vegas, and hopefully will go all the way to the finals to compete for the $1 million prize.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson

Boston Red Sox Player David Ortiz Sets MLB Mark for Hits by DH

By goodblacknews on July 11, 2013

David OrtizSEATTLE—David Ortiz doubled in his first at-bat to become baseball’s all-time leader in hits as a designated hitter and hit a two-run homer an inning later, leading the Boston Red Sox to an 11-4 win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.
Ortiz entered the night tied with Harold Baines for the most hits as a DH and it took just one at-bat to claim the record. Ortiz doubled to left-center field to lead off the second inning and was acknowledged by a standing ovation from the mix of Red Sox and Mariners fans.
An inning later, Ortiz collected his eighth hit of the series with a two-run homer off Seattle starter Aaron Harang (4-8), his 19th this season.
Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 18 games, currently the best in baseball, and the Red Sox knocked around Harang for seven runs and eight hits.
Ortiz appeared touched by the ovation, tipping his helmet twice toward the standing fans and patting his chest. Ortiz already held the marks for the most runs scored, doubles, home runs, extra-base hits and RBIs by a designated hitter.

Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant and Minnesota Lynx Monica Wright Engaged

By goodblacknews on July 8, 2013

Kevin Durant and Monica Wright
Kevin Durant and Monica Wright

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant is engaged to Minnesota Lynx guard Monica Wright. Wright confirmed the engagement following Minnesota’s 91-59 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday night.
Durant, who was selected with the second overall pick in the 2007 draft, just completed his sixth season in the NBA. The 24-year-old forward averaged 28.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists last season. Wright is in her fourth season in the WNBA. She played her college ball at Virginia and turns 25 on July 15.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press via thegrio.com

Kerry Washington Marries Pro Football Player Nnamdi Asomugha

By goodblacknews on July 3, 2013

Nnamdi Asomugha, Kerry Washington
Not exactly a Scandal, but this is certainly a surprise!  Kerry Washington married San Francisco 49ers cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha on June 24 in Blaine County, Idaho, E! News exclusively confirms.  According to sports gossip site TerezOwens.com, which was first to get wind of the happy news, Asomugha has been dating Vanity Fair‘s August 2013 cover girl since last summer. 

The 31-year-old three-time Pro Bowl star played with the Oakland Raiders, who drafted him following his graduation from UC Berkeley in 2003, for eight seasons and the Philadelphia Eagles for two before signing with the 49ers in April. The bookish athlete is no stranger to showbiz, either, having scored acting gigs on The Game, Friday Night Lights and Leverage in recent years.

Like his bride, Asomugha is also a dedicated activist and philanthropist and  he has participated in the Clinton Global Initiative every year since 2009. This is the first marriage for Washington, 36, who went from generally lovely actress to mega-star over the past year thanks to her breakout roles playing not-to-be-messed-with political fixer Olivia Pope on ABC’s Scandal and Jamie Foxx‘s enslaved wife Broomhilda von Shaft in Django Unchained.

NBA Champ Dwayne Wade Releases Fitness App "Dwyane Wade Driven"

By goodblacknews on July 3, 2013
The Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade released a fitness app called “Dwyane Wade Driven” while his team was simultaneously celebrating its third NBA championship with a parade and rally. The app offers customized training programs and videos for basketball players and other athletes. 
“It shows people ways to work out, a lot of different ways to work out, whether it’s basketball drills or not,” Wade told The Associated Press. “A lot of people work out at home. A lot of people don’t have access to a gym. A lot of people don’t have trainers. So it’s kind of like I’m the personal trainer for basketball and fitness and I’ll show them a lot of things I do with my body and for my body.”
The app was available for download starting Monday. It includes basketball drills and a fitness routine, along with ways for users to track their progress. Driven Apps, the publisher, plans to release additional bundles for users to download once they have mastered or completed the initial Wade program.

Brittney Griner to Break Ground Modeling Men’s Clothing for Nike

By goodblacknews on June 23, 2013

Brittney Griner (NBA Photos/Getty Images)
Brittney Griner (NBA Photos/Getty Images)

From Clutch Magazine: Nike is appealing to its consumer base of who wear mens clothing through its newest spokesperson, Brittney Griner. Griner, the 22 year-old number one draft pick for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, will model menswear for the brand.
ESPN reports: ”Griner’s deal is within this range; what makes it groundbreaking is the freedom. She will wear apparel branded as menswear, including the skateboarding line Nike SB, and she is allowed to pursue nontraditional marketing deals with outside companies.”
Wearing mens clothing is a natural fit for the 6’8″ basketball player, who is the first openly-gay athlete to sign with Nike. She says: “I used to do the whole baggy, hard-core, I’m-a-boy look. Then I went through a preppy phase. Now I have the athletic, bow-tie look. I found my style.”
ESPN writer Kate Fagan recognizes the significance of Nike and Griner’s decision, saying: “Androgynous models are coveted in high-end fashion, but the trend toward gender-neutral clothing has only just begun to reach the sports world, with NBA stars Russell Westbrook and Dwyane Wade blurring the lines in their tight jeans and fitted sweaters.”
Read the rest of this story at Clutch Magazine.