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Denver Broncos’ Von Miller Tackles Poor Eyesight with "Von's Vision" Charity Foundation

By goodblacknews on March 22, 2013
Denver Broncos' Von Miller talks to the press after receiving the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year at the 2012 NFL Honors at the Murat Theatre on February 4, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joey Foley/Getty Images)

Denver Broncos’ Von Miller talks to the press after receiving the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year at the 2012 NFL Honors at the Murat Theatre on February 4, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joey Foley/Getty Images)

He sat down with theGrio at the unveiling of AXE’s Face range and Shave line to discuss how having good vision contributed to his career success and what he’s learned about leadership from teammate and Denver Quarterback Peyton Manning.
What about good vision made you want to pursue it as a charitable effort?
I feel like society puts emphasis on maintaining your senses, eating the right foods, and personal hygiene, yet I feel not enough is not dedicated to your eyes. While you’re able to get your teeth fixed or replaced when they’re not cleaned properly, you only have one pair of eyes you know?
If you start off having a bad foundation in relation to your eyes at an early age, you’re starting off on the wrong foot as a kid. You’d be amazed to know how many kids need glasses, but aren’t aware that they have eye problems. I’m here with my foundation to solve that.

United Nations Joins Soccer Leaders to Rid Sport of Racism

By goodblacknews on March 22, 2013
AC Milan midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng, of Ghana, celebrates at the end of the Champions League round of 16, first leg soccer match against Barcelona, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. AC Milan won 2-0. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

AC Milan midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng, of Ghana, celebrates at the end of the Champions League round of 16, first leg soccer match against Barcelona, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. AC Milan won 2-0. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
GENEVA (AP) — The ugly side of the beautiful game was exposed Thursday as the U.N.’s top human rights official joined football officials and players in calling for an end to the “crime” of racism in sport.  U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said the world is a long way from achieving that as evidence by a series of incidents including racist insults and chants, Nazi salutes, petitions against players and denial of hiring that are based on color or ethnicity and have no place in football or any other game.
“Sport, at its best, is inclusive, generous-hearted, and fundamentally multicultural, based on values such as teamwork, loyalty, merit and self-control,” Pillay told a crowded forum at the U.N.’s European headquarters in Geneva, where she was flanked by AC Milan player Kevin-Prince Boateng, former France captain Patrick Viera and several FIFA and European football officials.
Several officials said they were taking real action, not just paying lip service to the problem, through actions such a FIFA anti-racism task force.

Baylor Sensation Brittney Griner Earns More Blocked Shots than any other Man or Woman in NCAA

By goodblacknews on March 21, 2013
Baylor's Brittney Griner (42) celebrates after breaking the NCAA women's career record for blocks (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

Baylor’s Brittney Griner (42) celebrates after breaking the NCAA women’s career record for blocks (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
WACO, Texas (AP) — Brittney Griner arrived at Baylor known as the girl who could dunk.  The 6-foot-8 Griner has obliged over the years with some rim-rattling highlights. Even in her last regular-season home game, she made a quick spin move around a Kansas State defender on the baseline for a one-handed slam.  While the 14 career dunks are impressive — fun, too — Griner always wanted to be known for more than just slamming the ball. Add in all the blocks, points and championships, and she has indeed proven to be so much more in four seasons with the Lady Bears.
“A lot of people come up to me all the time and just tell me, just compliment me on my game, other than the dunks and the scoring,” she said. “Just how I find my teammates and just everything, how I move on the court. That let me know right there that, hey, I’m kind of getting away from the YouTube dunker girl.”  Going into her final NCAA tournament, the defending national champion Lady Bears (32-1) are again the No. 1 overall seed. They have a nation’s-best 55-game winning streak at home, where they play their tourney opener Sunday night against SWAC champion Prairie View (17-14).
Griner is the Big 12 career scoring leader with 3,203 points, 190 short of the NCAA record with no more than six games left. She has a nearly 7 1/2-foot wingspan that contributes greatly to the record she really cherishes: 736 blocked shots, more than any other man or woman ever in the NCAA.

Jackie Robinson Film Screenings to Help Kansas City Negro Leagues Museum

By goodblacknews on March 21, 2013

42

Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson in a scene from “42.” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City was announced Wednesday as the host site for the only advance public screenings of a film chronicling the rise of Jackie Robinson, a nod to the city where the baseball great made his professional debut two years before breaking the major league color barrier.  Harrison Ford stars as former Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey in the film, “42,” which details Robinson’s Rookie of the Year season in 1947 while combating unabashed racism on and off the diamond.
Ford and fellow cast member Andre Holland planned to attend the screenings on April 11 at a movie theater on the city’s north side. Proceeds will benefit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, museum president Bob Kendrick said.  Although the story of Robinson in Brooklyn is well known, Kendrick said Kansas City also played a prominent role in his early career. Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs, a member of the Negro Leagues, in 1945, batting .387 while hitting five home runs and stole 13 bases in 47 games. After a year in the minor leagues, he joined the Dodgers in 1947 and won the inaugural Rookie of the Year award.

High School Wrestler Without Arms And Legs Defies Odds And Wins First Match

By goodblacknews on March 8, 2013

Caleb Smith wrestling

High schooler Caleb Smith (pictured) recently defied his disability by winning his first wrestling bout for his St. Paul Minnesota high school, according to CBS Minnesota.  Smith lost his limbs when he contracted a rare meningitis blood disorder at the age of 3-years-old that caused his blood vessels to burn.
Due to his illness, the Harding senior’s parents were forced to make the heart-ripping decision to have their son’s arms and legs removed at their respective joints.  “I was 3, so I hadn’t developed writing and walking skills completely, so it was pretty easy getting used to it, Smith said of his experience.
Fifth grade was when Smith began to dabble in the highly aggressive sport of wrestling, and hiscaleb positive attitude about himself allowed him to take part in his first match.
As far as the sport goes, even though Smith weighs a feathery 120 pounds, don’t let his size fool you; the teen has learned to use his physique to help him maintain a competitive edge against his opponents. According to his high school coaches, Smith moves better than his rivals and has led his school in escapes this year.
“He’s got the kind of strength people don’t normally see at 120,” coach Otto Kraus told CBS Minnesota. “Plus, the way he can move makes it hard to wrestle him.”
The young dynamo does have one drawback, though: he gets winded more easily than his opponents.  In order to combat this Smith says he trains tirelessly so that he can overcome wrestling’s physical challenges.  “For them to run 10 yards or whatever, it takes them like 20 steps,” he said. “But it takes me like 30 because my legs can only move so far,” he told CBS Minnesota.

49 Years Ago Today: Muhammad Ali Wins 1st World Heavyweight Championship (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on February 25, 2013

Ali Sonny Liston
Considered the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali (pictured left) possessed formidable ability coupled with a personality that gained him both fans and detractors. With his tall stature and unorthodox fighting style, Ali dazzled audiences and frustrated opponents with a seemingly limitless vault of skills. On this day and at the age of 22, Ali would defeat reigning champion Sonny Liston (pictured) to capture his first world title.
Ali went by his birth name Cassius Clay during the time of the bout, and the Louisville native was not favored to win after Liston handily defeated former champion Floyd Patterson twice by this point.
Leading up to the bout at the Convention Hall at Miami Beach, Ali uttered one of his many famous phrases and promised to “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” during the clash. Liston was feared for his imposing build and punching power but, as Ali artfully stated, the leaner and younger opponent picked apart his lumbering foe with ease.
While Liston finally did get going, Ali used his speed and athleticism to pepper his opponent’s head with jabs and big shots.
Ali Sonny Liston
While Ali predicted he would win by knockout in the eighth round, he ended upneeding less time than he thought.
After reportedly injuring his shoulder after missing several huge blows, Liston would not answer the bell for the start of the seventh round.
While in the ring, the animated Ali made another famous reference during an interview shortly after the bout. “I shook up the world,” shouted Ali at the top of his lungs. “I must be the greatest!”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OezriPEepZs&w=420&h=315]
article by D.L. Chandler via newsone.com

Teen Making History as 4th Black Driver in NASCAR

By goodblacknews on February 19, 2013
Darrell Wallace, Jr., driver of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, poses with the Coors Pole award after qualifying for pole position for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East American Real TV 150 at Dover International Speedway on September 28, 2012 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Darrell Wallace, Jr., driver of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, poses with the Coors Pole award after qualifying for pole position for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East American Real TV 150 at Dover International Speedway on September 28, 2012 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images for NASCAR)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Darrell Wallace Jr., is set to make history as only the fourth black driver with a full-time ride in a NASCAR series.  Wallace takes the wheel for the Truck Series race Friday at Daytona International Speedway. He is signed with Joe Gibbs Racing and will drive the No. 54 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Wallace joins Wendell Scott, Willy T. Ribbs and Bill Lester as the only full-time black drivers in the 65-year history of NASCAR. Scott, one of the original pioneers, is the only black driver to win a race.  Wallace, the son of a white father and black mother, openly talks of becoming the Tiger Woods of NASCAR. He wants to become a star who can transcend the sport and prove people of all colors can race.
Copyright 2013 Dan Gelston, The Associated Press via thegrio.com

Happy 50th Birthday, NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan

By goodblacknews on February 17, 2013

Michael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials, MJ, was born on February 17, 1963 and is a six-time NBA champion as well as six-time MVP with the Chicago Bulls.  He is currently the majority owner and chairman of the Charlotte Bobcats and is considered the greatest basketball player of all time.  Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.

To learn more about his life and career, click here and to watch him in action, click on the video below:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bDKq4O8bhc&w=560&h=315]
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson

Serena Williams Returns to Top of Women's Tennis Rankings, Becomes Oldest Woman to Hold No. 1 Spot

By goodblacknews on February 15, 2013
Serena Williams of the U.S. returns the ball to Poland's Urszula Radwanska on the fourth day of the WTA Qatar Ladies Open tennis tournament in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)

Serena Williams of the U.S. returns the ball to Poland’s Urszula Radwanska on the fourth day of the WTA Qatar Ladies Open tennis tournament in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — An emotional Serena Williams returned to the top of women’s tennis, overcoming a series of potentially career-ending injuries since 2010 to become the oldest woman ever to hold the No. 1 ranking.  The 31-year-old Williams rallied from 4-1 down in the third to beat former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open on Friday. She needed to reach the semifinals to replace Victoria Azarenka at No. 1 when the rankings come out next week.
Williams held up one finger after clinching the match with an ace and wiped away the tears as she addressed the cheering crowd.  “I never thought I would be here again,” Williams said. “Oh my gosh, I’ve been through so much. I never thought I would be here.”
Chris Evert held the top ranking in 1985 just shy of her 31st birthday.  It has been a long journey back to the top for Williams.

LeBron James on a Roll Unlike Any in NBA History

By goodblacknews on February 13, 2013
Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) drives around Portland Trail Blazers' Sasha Pavlovic (3) during an NBA basketball game in Miami, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

Miami Heat’s LeBron James (6) drives around Portland Trail Blazers’ Sasha Pavlovic (3) during an NBA basketball game in Miami, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
MIAMI (AP) — When LeBron James first heard about this streak of games with at least 30 points and 60 percent shooting, he did not immediately think about who was on the list.  He thought about who wasn’t.
Wilt Chamberlain? Not there. Michael Jordan? Not there. Shaquille O’Neal? Not there, either. In NBA history, only Adrian Dantley and Moses Malone had put together five straight 30-point, 60-percent efforts — that is, until James joined their super-exclusive club.
And now, he stands alone.  James scored 30 points on 11 for 15 shooting to get into the NBA record books, Chris Bosh scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Miami Heat wound up beating the Portland Trail Blazers 117-104 in a wild, momentum-swinging game Tuesday night.
“It kind of blew my mind,” James said. “To see how small the list was and for me to even be a part of the list, to start off, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
“Wow” doesn’t even come close to summing up how he’s been in the last six games. He’s shot 66 for 92 — and take away a “slow” 6-for-12 start at Toronto on Feb. 3, he’s made 60 of his last 80 field-goal tries, a ridiculous 75 percent success rate. He’s scored either 30, 31 or 32 points in all six of these games.