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The series only slightly compares to MTV’s Punk’d. The program doesn’t have a dedicated Ashton Kutcher-like host but each episode will run from three- to five-minutes and feature players from the NFL, NBA, and MLB developing and executing the pranks.

New York Knick guard Landry Fields stars in the debut, with subsequent episodes featuring Baltimore Ravens Ray Rice and Bryant Mckinnie. Perhaps at some point New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning might be involved, since he’s also known as the “godfather of pranks.”

With Blindsided and Electric City, an animated sci-fi series from Tom Hanks set to debut this year, Yahoo execs say that the web should be considered as a legitimate alternative for original programming. Erin McPherson, vp and head of video for Yahoo, told Adweek in an email:

“This is going to be a big year for Yahoo and our premium video strategy,” wrote McPherson. “Blindsided . . . is a great example of how we create unique and compelling content tied to what we know our users want to watch.”

Given the hilarity that happens on virtually every episode of TNT’s Inside the NBA with basketball analysts Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith, there seems to be an ready-made viewership for sports-related pranks.

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Obama, who roots regularly for the Chicago Bulls in his adopted home town, will congratulate the Mavericks for winning the 2011 championship title. He also will recognize the team’s support for the men and women of the U.S. military forces.

Obama’s East Room tribute for the Mavericks follows a private meeting he’ll have earlier in the day with his senior advisers at the White House.

In the evening, the president will attend a campaign event in the nation’s capital.

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Williams had her service broken in the opening game before settling in. She needed just 68 minutes to advance, firing seven aces and taking advantage of eight double-faults by Scheepers.

In other matches, former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic beat Tamira Paszek of Austria 6-3, 6-3 and American Vania King beat Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-3, 6-4.

Sam Stosur, who beat Williams for the U.S. Open title last September, plays her opening match at Pat Rafter Arena on Monday night.

Top-seeded Andy Murray plays his opening men’s match on Tuesday.

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So far, so good.

Augustin scored a team-high 19 points in the Bobcats’ 96-95 win over the Bucks in Monday night’s season opener, including a driving layup that put his team ahead for good with 36.5 seconds left.

It was a quality win for the young and rebuilding Bobcats.

But the NBA can be a grind, even in a 66-game season, and Augustin and his teammates know they’ll face a much stiffer test when LeBron James and the Miami Heat come to town on Wednesday night.

“I watched them play on Christmas and they look like they have a chip on their shoulder,” Augustin said. “We know they have a great team, so we have to come in and play hard like we did (against the Bucks).”

Added coach Paul Silas of the Heat: “They’re just so talented it’s unbelievable.”

Silas said he expects to have Augustin available for the game.

Augustin sprained his left ankle in the final minute of Monday night’s game while chasing after a loose ball near midcourt. He’s had problems with the ankle before. He didn’t practice Tuesday but Silas said, “he thinks he might be able to make it (Wednesday) night.”

But the Bobcats have to be careful.

Even with backup Kemba Walker looking like the real deal, the Bobcats need Augustin for the long run.

After a rough start as a rookie, Augustin’s turnaround as a player coincided with the arrival Silas last December.

Under former coach Larry Brown, Augustin was timid and often afraid to shoot. Then Silas arrived.

“Playing for coach Brown, I was looking over my shoulder because I didn’t want to make a mistake,” Augustin said. “He’s still a great coach and taught me a lot of fundamentals. But with coach Silas, he gives you that chance to be free and make plays.”

That was never more evident than in a game last season against Minnesota.

Augustin was having a horrible night shooting from the field, and Silas noticed he was starting to pass up open shots.

So Silas called a timeout.

When Augustin got the sideline, Silas looked him in the eyes and gave the 6-foot point guard a lesson he’s never forgotten.

“I brought him over to the bench and I said, `Son, if you ever pass up another shot I’m going to take you out of the game and I’m not going to play you at all,’” Silas said. “I told him, `Listen, every time you get the ball, I want you to shoot it.’”

Augustin did just that, making his next couple of shots.

He’s not stopped shooting since.

“The fact that I had some confidence in him just seemed to open up a whole new world for him,” Silas said.

Augustin’s average went from 12.6 points to 14.4 at the end of the season.

“Paul gave me a lot of confidence,” Augustin said. “Paul is such a positive coach, such a positive person that he makes you believe in yourself. When you walk out on the court, you feel like every shot is going in. You’re able to learn from your mistakes. You’re not going to be perfect and he knows that.”

Augustin thinks there’s something about Silas’ laid-back demeanor that meshes with his personality.

“I think it is just how he talks and speaks to you,” Augustin said. “He shows everybody that same respect. He’s so positive. If you miss a shot, he’ll tell you, `Hey, it’s OK, keep shooting.’ That makes you want to keep shooting.”

That includes in big games against the Heat.

Silas said this game will serve as a measuring stick for the Bobcats and just how far they’ve come and how far they have to go.

“I’d like to see how we do against a team like that,” Silas said. “Can we stay competitive and not get blown away? I think if we do that we will have a chance to really improve. But it’s tough to keep a team like that down.”

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More than 75 schools are asking to override a plan approved in October to allow multi-year athletic scholarships rather than the one-year renewable awards schools currently provide. That’s the minimum number of dissenters needed for reconsideration by the Division I Board of Directors when it meets next month in Indianapolis at the annual NCAA convention. The NCAA announced the change the Friday before Christmas.

On Dec. 15, the NCAA suspended plans to give athletes a $2,000 stipend for living costs not covered by scholarships after at least 125 schools objected. The higher number of protests allows the organization to immediately put the change on hold.

Both measures were pushed by Emmert and adopted as emergency legislation after a presidential summit in August.

“The NCAA and presidents step up with this legislation and then the universities want to vote it down,” said Christian Dennie, a former compliance officer at Missouri and Oklahoma who now practices sports law in Fort Worth, Texas, and writes an NCAA oversight blog.

“They say, `We don’t have enough money,’ and then the coach gets a $2 million raise,” Dennie added, speaking in general terms rather than about a specific school. “It’s really a resource allocation issue.”

The Division I Board of Directors now faces three options: scrap the two reform measures and operate under previous NCAA rules; modify the rule or create a new proposal that would go back to the schools for another 60-day comment period; or allow members to vote on the override, which needs a 5/8ths majority of the roughly 350 Division I members to pass.

A permanent reversal could force the NCAA and its schools to have two sets of standards, with an obligation to honor multi-year scholarship offers and stipend payments for some students but not others.

David Berst, the NCAA’s vice president of governance for Division I, said that most schools support the concept of multi-year scholarships but have concerns about how to enact such a change.

“The overriding concern had to do with the time to prepare and plan (for a change) rather than objecting to the concept,” he said. “I’m anticipating the rule will still be in effect (after the next board meeting).”

The list of schools objecting to the multi-year scholarship plan, obtained by Dennie and provided to The Associated Press, includes Boise State, Boston University, Indiana State, Marquette, Marshall, Rutgers, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming.

Boise State called the move a “recruiting disaster” that would encourage a “culture of brokering” and pit wealthy schools with larger recruiting budgets against their less well-heeled brethren, while also obligating schools to long-term commitments that may not make competitive sense.

“There is never a guarantee that the incoming student-athlete will be a good fit for the program and the institution,” the school wrote in its override request. “If it is a poor fit, the program is put in a difficult situation to continue to keep a student-athlete on scholarship.”

Indiana State offered a more blunt assessment, suggesting the change could “create some real nightmares.”

The “problem is, many coaches, especially at the (Football Championship Subdivision) level, in all sports, are usually not around for five years and when the coach leaves, the new coach and institution may be `stuck’ with a student-athlete they no longer want (conduct issues, grades, etc.) or the new coach may have a completely different style of offense/defense that the student-athlete no longer fits into,” the school wrote. “Yet, the institution is `locked in’ to a five-year contract potentially with someone that is of no athletic usefulness to the program.”

“The current system works. We don’t need to get into bidding wars where one school offers a 75 percent (scholarship) for two years and the other school then offers 85 percent for three years, etc., etc. This puts the kid into a situation where they almost need an agent/advisor just to determine the best “deal.” Again, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Berst, who collects the complaints, has previously said the opposition to the stipend is coming primarily from FCS schools and those that do not play football. Most of the Football Bowl Subdivision conferences, he said, have informed the NCAA they plan to expand their scholarship limits.

The one-year renewable scholarship, with a limit of five years of athletic aid, has been in place since 1973. And while the National Letter of Intent signed by most top recruits includes that caveat, some athletes say coaches on the recruiting trail routinely make more grandiose promises they know they can’t fulfill.

In October 2010, former Rice University football player Joseph Agnew sued the NCAA over its one-year athletic scholarship policy. Agnew played two seasons for the private Houston school before coaches told him in 2007 his scholarship would not be renewed. He appealed the university’s decision and received a scholarship his junior year but did not receive any tuition money as a senior.

A federal judge in Indiana dismissed that complaint in September.

Earlier this month, former Missouri women’s soccer player Ann Alexandra Charlebois sued coach Brian Blitz and the university’s governing board, claiming that she agreed to attend Missouri only after Blitz vowed in writing to provide more than $106,000 in support through 2015, with the player and her family needing to contribute only half of her college costs in her first year.

Charlebois received a 50 percent partial scholarship in 2010 as a freshman. After complaining about receiving a similar amount of financial aid this year, she was kicked off the team in September, her attorney said.

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“Hide it,” the NFL’s leading rusher said.

“The bottom line is: You have to be able to put food on the table. No one’s going to sign or want a guy who can’t stay healthy. I know there will be a day when I’m going to have trouble walking. I realize that,” Jones-Drew said. “But this is what I signed up for. Injuries are part of the game. If you don’t want to get hit, then you shouldn’t be playing.”

Other players say they would do the same: Hide it.

In a series of interviews about head injuries with The Associated Press over the last two weeks, 23 of 44 NFL players – slightly more than half – said they would try to conceal a possible concussion rather than pull themselves out of a game. Some acknowledged they already have. Players also said they should be better protected from their own instincts: More than two-thirds of the group the AP talked to wants independent neurologists on sidelines during games.

The AP spoke to a cross-section of players – at least one from each of the 32 NFL teams – to gauge whether concussion safety and attitudes about head injuries have changed in the past two years of close attention devoted to the issue. The group included 33 starters and 11 reserves; 25 players on offense and 19 on defense; all have played at least three seasons in the NFL.

The players tended to indicate they are more aware of the possible long-term effects of jarring hits to their heads than they once were. In a sign of the sort of progress the league wants, five players said that while they would have tried to conceal a concussion during a game in 2009, now they would seek help.

“You look at some of the cases where you see some of the retired players and the issues that they’re having now, even with some of the guys who’ve passed and had their brains examined – you see what their brains look like now,” said Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher, the NFL’s leading tackler. “That does play a part in how I think now about it.”

But his teammate, backup fullback Mike Sellers, said he’s hidden concussions in the past and would “highly doubt” that any player would willingly take himself out of a game.

“You want to continue to play. You’re a competitor. You’re not going to tell on yourself. There have been times I’ve been dinged, and they’ve taken my helmet from me, and … I’d snatch my helmet back and get back on the field,” Sellers said. “A lot of guys wouldn’t say anything because a lot of guys wouldn’t think anything during the game, until afterward, when they have a headache or they can’t remember certain things.”

San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Justin Smith captured a popular sentiment: Players know of the potential problems, yet would risk further damage.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out if (you have) a concussion, you’re probably damaging your brain a little bit. Just like if you sprain your wrist a bunch, you’re going to have some wrist problems down the road. Yeah, I’d still play through it. It’s part of it. It’s part of the game,” Smith said. “I think if you’re noticeably messed up, yeah, they’ll take you out. But if you’ve just got some blurry vision, I’d say that’s the player’s call. And most guys – 99 percent of guys in the NFL – are going to play through it.”

Smith said he sustained one concussion in high school (“You don’t know who you are,” is how he described it) and another in college (“Walking around the whole time, but I don’t remember anything until six hours later”).

The NFL likes to say that views about concussions have shifted from simply accepting they’re part of the sport to doing what’s possible to lessen impacts. Commissioner Roger Goodell talks about “changing the culture,” so players don’t try to “walk it off” after taking hits to the head.

Yet the AP’s conversations with players showed there is room for more adjustments, which did not surprise Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, co-chairman of the NFL’s head, neck and spine committee.

“The culture change takes awhile,” Ellenbogen said in a telephone interview. “Why would these guys want to go out? They love playing the game. They don’t want to leave their team. They want to win. I understand all that. And that’s why we have to be on our toes with coming up with exams that are hard to beat, so to speak.”

New Orleans Saints offensive lineman Zach Strief put it this way: “We all grew up with, `Hey, get back in there. You (only) got your bell rung.’ And while it’s changing now, I think it’s going to take time for the mindset to change.”

A few players said they’d be particularly inclined to hide a concussion if it happened in a playoff game or the Super Bowl. Some said their decision would depend on the severity of a head injury – but they’d hide it if they could.

Clearly, there is a stigma associated with leaving the field, no matter the reason. Indeed, one player who said he’d exit a game if he thought he might have a concussion didn’t want to be quoted on the subject.

Other findings from the interviews:

-Asked whether the NFL should have independent neurologists at games to examine players and determine if they should be held out because of concussions, 31 players said “yes,” and 10 said “no.” Three didn’t answer.

“They’ve got guys looking at your uniform to make sure you’re wearing the right kind of socks,” St. Louis Rams safety Quintin Mikell said. “Why not have somebody there to protect your head? I think we definitely should have that.”

He said he’s tried to clear his head and stay on the field “many times.”

“I’ll probably pay for it later in my life,” Mikell said, “but at the same time, I’ll probably pay for the alcohol that I drank or driving fast cars. It’s one of those things that it just comes with the territory.”

-Specifically regarding concussions, 28 of the 44 players think playing in the NFL is safer now than in 2009, while 13 think it’s the same, and two think it’s more dangerous. One wasn’t sure. Those who think safety has improved gave credit to the rise in awareness; more fines for illegal hits; this season’s changes to kickoff rules that have cut down on the number of returns; and the new labor contract’s reduction in the amount of contact allowed in practice.

“When I first came into the league, it was like, `Whatever goes.’ It was more of that old-school, just `beat-him-up’ football. Not wanting to hurt anybody, but show how tough you were. Back in the day, it was like if you come out (of a game) with (a) slight concussion, then you weren’t giving it all for your team,” Buffalo Bills linebacker Andra Davis said. “But now, they’re taking that option away from you.”

Davis, a 10th-year veteran who turned 33 on Friday and said he’s had a couple of concussions, is one of those whose view on seeking help for such injuries has changed.

“The younger me would definitely hide it,” Davis said. “But the older me now – with wife and kids and looking more at life after football – I would say something about it.”

-Asked whether more can be done to protect players from head injuries, 18 players said “yes,” and 24 said “no.” Two did not respond.

Not surprisingly, there were divisions according to position, and players on opposite sides of the ball generally drifted toward opposing views: Those on offense seemed more likely than those on defense to say more can – and should – be done to improve safety. Linemen, meanwhile, often complained that there is no way to improve their plight, with the helmet-to-helmet banging that takes place at the snap on play after play. One player described those collisions as “micro-episodes that build up over time.”

Nearly three-quarters of the players who told the AP they think safety can improve – 13 of 18 – suggested equipment can be improved, too. Helmet technology, mouth guards and chin straps all were mentioned.

Two players suggested more education about concussions is needed.

Dr. Robert Cantu, a senior adviser to Ellenbogen’s NFL committee who said he is consulted regularly by the league, insisted that while there has been progress, there is still work to be done.

“Has there been a culture change overall? I think the answer is, unquestionably, `yes.’ Could there be more done? Yes. Do all the players get it? No. Do they want to get it? No,” said Cantu, a clinical professor of neurosurgery and co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University School of Medicine.

CTE is a degenerative disease increasingly found in football players and other athletes who have absorbed repeated blows to the head. It has been linked to memory loss, disorientation, poor decision-making, and depression that can lead to drug use and, as in the case of former Chicago Bears defensive back Dave Duerson, even suicide.

The league distributed informational posters in 2010 to warn about the dangers of head injuries, but Cantu said: “Just because the posters are in every locker room, it’s not mandatory reading. Or people can say they read it but not really have read it.”

“More stress needs to be placed – and I believe this is the players association’s responsibility as much as it is the NFL’s – on the dangers of playing symptomatic with a concussion and more knowledge needs to be imparted on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which obviously does exist in the NFL. … All of those sub-concussive blows count, and you need to minimize the amount of brain trauma that you take,” Cantu said.

Union spokesman George Atallah declined a request for comment about concussions.

Little-discussed until reporting by The New York Times led to an October 2009 congressional hearing on concussions in the NFL, head injuries are now part of the daily conversation about professional football. On Saturday alone, two starting quarterbacks, Cleveland’s Colt McCoy and Arizona’s Kevin Kolb, sat out because of head injuries, while a third, Minnesota’s Christian Ponder, left his team’s game with what his coach called “concussionlike symptoms.”

According to data from STATS LLC, from 2000-09, an average of 3.1 NFL players – and never more than nine in an entire season – went on injured reserve because of a concussion or head injury. That number rose to 18 last season, and stood at 17 through Week 15 this season.

Similarly, STATS LLC said, over that same 10-year span at the start of the century, an average of 26 NFL players each season were listed on the weekly injury report and missed games because of a concussion or head injury. That number rose to 89 in 2010, and stood at 75 this season through Saturday’s games.

At least eight lawsuits have been filed against the NFL in recent months – including three within the last week – by dozens of former players who say they have medical problems related to brain injuries from their time in professional football. The NFL’s stance, in part, is that players knew there were risks of injury, and there was no misconduct or liability on the league’s part.

“It’s a physical sport. Guys are going to get hit in the head. When we’re young, when we start playing this sport, we know what we’re getting into,” Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek said. “It’s not like, `Oh, I’m going to play this because my head’s going to be fine when I’m done playing.’ It’s a risk you take playing this game, but I think the league is doing everything in their power to make it as safe as possible.”

The NFL certainly has found itself adjusting on the fly.

One example: After San Diego Chargers offensive lineman Kris Dielman got a concussion but stayed in the lineup in October, then had a seizure on a team flight, the NFL said it would give game officials “concussion awareness training” so they could keep an eye out for players.

A few players interviewed by the AP mentioned the recent case of Cleveland’s McCoy, who has missed two consecutive games after a shot to the helmet from Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison. McCoy was not checked for a concussion during the game against Pittsburgh and went back in; Harrison was suspended for a game; starting with this week’s games, the league put certified athletic trainers in booths above the field to watch for injuries. The trainers aren’t there to diagnose or prescribe treatment, the NFL said, but are supposed to call down to team medical staffs to alert them there could be a problem.

Some think the league could go further.

“I don’t think it’s sufficient. I think it’s a great first step,” BU’s Cantu said, mentioning a study that showed concussions were noticed more in junior hockey when there was an observer at the rink.

While Cantu, like players interviewed by the AP, is in favor of having independent neurosurgeons at games rather than only team-employed doctors – something raised as a possibility in 2009 but never done – NFL committee co-chairman Ellenbogen said the more pressing issue was “the ability to see all the players on the field.”

“Team doctors are pretty concerned about concussions, and I don’t think they’re people that are going to be bought and sold. … If the real problem is the doctors are being influenced by the coaches, then we’ve got to fix that,” said Ellenbogen, chairman of the department of neurological surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “If the (players’ union) says, `We want independent neurologists,’ we’ll discuss that. … To be honest with you, we ain’t done. When our committee meets with the team physicians after the Super Bowl, everything’s on the table. You think this is the last rendition of what we do? Heck, no. We’re not done.”

As it is, while the players the AP spoke to tend to feel better about the way concussions are handled now than in 2009, they won’t deny that dangers lurk.

“You’re never going to be totally safe from concussions in this game,” Oakland Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt said. “This is the only place where you can actually legally assault people.”

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Gordon and Kaman both came over in the Dec. 14 trade that sent All-Star point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Quincy Pondexter had 14 points with 12 rebounds for New Orleans.

The Grizzlies started quickly, jumping to a 28-17 lead on 80 percent shooting, but the Hornets clamped down on defense and limited Memphis to 37.8 percent for the game.

Meanwhile, New Orleans picked up the tempo, going on an 18-3 run to take a 35-31 lead. The Hornets never trailed again.

Rudy Gay scored 20 points and Zach Randolph had 15 for Memphis.

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Sandusky appears to have hurt more than children. He molested the sacred American institution of coaching itself. An instant cloud of suspicion can now haunt many men and women of integrity. This has to be fixed.

Show me wax on, wax off

When people think of coaches, many images come to mind. In the new Sherlock Holmes 2 , the good detective coaches his trusty assistant Holmes through complex life situations. The “Italian Stallion” Rocky Balboa had Mickey to put more fear and respect into Rocky than his opponents ever could. The Karate Kid’s Mr. Miyagi showed Daniel that not all things we’re what they seem on the surface. The kids in Coach Carter learned the importance of living strong on and off the basketball court. Chess icon Josh Waitzkin had Vinnie (played by Laurence Fishburne) in Washington Square Park to help him search for Bobby Fischer. Behind every classic movie coach, there are millions of real coaches who sacrifice themselves to help the youth. More importantly, they are helping the child discover themselves on an authentic level.

A coach is defined as “One who instructs or trains; especially one who instructs players in the fundamentals in a competitive sport and directs team strategy.” This role is not something you merely do, its a calling. Most coaches do what they do for little to no money. The majority of coaches do it solely for the love of the sport or art. They do it in hopes of passing on something to someone else so that person might be truly enriched from learning it.

Being a coach is an honor, not a right. Currently, I coach adults privately in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fundamentals. I also coach kids in the elementary aspects of chess. Before that, I coached youth soccer for five years.  Our teams always did well and I always had solid relationships with the kids and the parents on the team.  I truly hope more good people in Black communities start coaching more consistently in all sports.  The kids need good role models. If you know a sport or art well and there is an organization that coaches in your area, I deeply encourage you to contribute.  If there is no organization for the sport you specialize in, consider founding one.

However, it is important that coaches and parents have a set of expectations about appropriate conduct and etiquette on and off the court/field.  Here are a few that I live by.  I hope this gives you a baseline of ideas to work from if you are a coach.  If you are a parent, this is a checklist that should make you more aware.  If you see coaches violating any of the things below, its not proof of any wrong doing.  But you should talk to the coach directly, and instruct your child to avoid any of these kinds of situations as much as possible.

There are exceptions to every rule.  But if you follow the ones I have listed below, I believe it will build good relationships and cuts off room for unneeded suspicion and gossip.

1. Know your role

Understand that you are their coach and coach only their coach. You are not their dad, uncle, big brother etc. Your only purpose for contacting them off the court/field should be specific to things related to practice or games. That’s it. Anything else you make it out to be is only in your mind.

In a time where there are a lot more single mothers especially, at times well intended mothers can blur the lines of appropriate interaction. Out of a subconscious desire to have their children around positive men they may quietly, or openly encourage you to spend more time with the kid. Keep your coaching goals at the front of the line and don’t let a desire to save the world have you over extending yourself. You are the coach, and that’s all.

2. Don’t kid yourself

When I was in high school, as soon as we hit the showers all of the grown men went to the coaches offices.  Grown men should not make a habit of being around kids in the shower.  That’s a huge red flag.  When its time for the kids to change or shower- be gone.

3. Respect the line and never cross It

When congratulating a kid for a job well done I have 5 specific ways of showing affection: hand shake, high five, pound, pat the left shoulder, pat the head. That’s it. Any coach making a habit of extended hugging or butt swatting as they come on or off the field etc., comes off as bizarre.

4. Clean lines of communication

You should never be talking to the kid, calling the kid, texting, or emailing the kid without the parents knowledge.  I made it a point to email parents only as a rule if anything changed in game schedules or practice times.  The only exception to that might be is if you randomly see the kid at the mall or some other public setting and the parent is not around.  Be sure to follow up with the parent directly and say “I saw Jimmy at the mall earlier. I let him know the Saturday game is cancelled.” Additionally, the parents should always have the most current contact information for you and you should respond to the parents ASAP each time they reach out.

5. No Sleepovers, ever!

This should actually be number one: NO TEAM SLEEPOVERS EVER. If a man does not have kids, he does not need 15 kids sleeping over at his spot. If you do have kids, its still weird. I think this is mostly a suburban phenomenon that’s billed as a “motivational” thing. In all my years of coaching, I have never had team sleep overs and yet some how my  teams stayed undefeated for years. Not having them has never affected team morale or connectivity. Parents, if your coach is big on sleepovers it does not mean he’s  a Sandusky type- but you must be aware and I suggest you respectfully decline. Obviously if the team travels, that can be a bit different. Make sure that you do all you can to go and chaperon (no matter who else you trust might be going). It is also important that you have a clear itinerary of pick up and drop off times so there is no confusion.

Some of these things may seem a little too rigid for a few of you. That may be the case. Understand that this list was written by a coach and a parent. Suspicion of inappropriate behavior with a child is not something most people recover from. To avoid it, you as a coach must have a proactive standard of conduct for yourself that is proof of your integrity. Failure to do so can truly ruin your reputation. Consider your reputation priceless. Consider the minds and hearts of children beyond priceless and everything will work itself out. What kind of steps do you think we can implement to stop more Jerry Sandusky tragedies? Post your thoughts below.

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In these instances, we watch as our favorite stars quickly go from hero to zero, losing our trust and becoming the brunt of our most vicious criticism. Whether right our wrong,  the luster that we so often attribute to our sports stars quickly fades into a tarnish that’s nearly impossible to remove.

Check out our list of the top 12 athletes we love to hate.

12) Floyd Mayweather

Floyd “Money” Mayweather definitely lives up to his name. One of the most flamboyant characters in sports, Mayweather is widely known for his lavish exploits — bragging about his earnings, flashing cash and jet setting with other high-profile, often controversial figures like rapper 50 Cent. Boxing is a sport where talking can be a competitive advantage, and Floyd certainly believes his own hype. As of late, Mayweather‘s mouth and antics have him back in the media. In particular, he made waves after he refused to fight Manny Pacquiao, who accused of using steroids. Critics claim Mayweather’s most recent knockout of Victor Cruz was cheap and unsportsmanlike. And yet his undefeated record speaks for itself.

11) Dennis Rodman

Dennis Rodman first earned his reputation as a villain in Detroit, Michigan where he starred as a member of the Detroit Pistons original “Bad Boys.” Known for his uncanny rebounding ability, hard-nosed defense and for technical fouls, Rodman grew into the “Dennis the Menace” moniker the media gave him. Over time, Rodman adopted an image to match his villainous portrayal, rocking bleached blonde hair, numerous piercings and a random collage of some of tattoos. Whether it be his relationships with Madonna and Carmen Elektra, getting suspended for kicking a cameraman, or his stint as a professional wrestler, Rodman will forever be one of the NBA’s most enigmatic characters.

10) Ron Artest

Ron Artest developed his hard-nosed, almost frenzied style of play growing up New York’s Queensbridge projects, one of America’s largest public housing plots and home to a number of high-profile hip-hop artists. Much like Rodman, Artest’s villainous reputation grew from his ability to get under his opponent’s skin. His peers recognize him as one of the game’s most relentless competitors, but fans and the media remember the incident where he jumped into the stands to attack a fan, which he served a 73-game suspension for.

9) Barry Bonds

Expectations were high for Barry Bonds from a young age. Growing up the son and godson of two baseball legends, Bonds garnered attention almost immediately. But as Bonds racked up record-setting numbers first in Pittsburgh and then in San Francisco, his surly attitude with media and teammates made him one of baseball’s anti-heroes. Still, it was not until later in his career that Bonds — caught up in baseball’s steroid scandal, accused of using performance enhancing drugs — transcended his image as one of baseball’s bad boys into one of sports most hated and debated villains.

8) Tiger Woods

Just a few years ago, Tigers Woods was arguably the most family-friendly Black athlete of all-time and far from making this list. The public’s perception changed in 2009 when news surfaced that Woods’ then wife had smashed out the back window of his SUV. Mystery surrounded the initial details of the incident, but as days went by, news of Woods’ infidelity became a media frenzy. Ultimately, nine women came out claiming to have had extra marital affairs with Woods — and just like that — Woods’ squeaky-clean image disappeared into thin air. At the same time, injuries and other distractions plagued his golf game, adding to fan’s and the media’s contempt. In the aftermath many of Woods’ largest sponsors (Gatorade, Gillette and TAG Heuer) severed ties with the golf star. Woods has yet to regain his form since the controversy.

7) Terrell Owens

Despite being voted the best receiver of the 2000′s by USA Today, sadly Terrell Owens is more known for his negative exploits than his game. Owens’ villain status grew along with his ego as he developed into one of the best players in the NFL. But everywhere Owens went, controversy followed. In San Francisco,  Owens drew criticism from fans and the media for his infamous romp on the star in Dallas and for signing a ball after a touchdown with a Sharpie he had in his sock. In Philadelphia, Owens fueled a feud with Eagles QB Donovan McNabb to the point where the team ultimately paid him not to play the latter half of the schedule in 2005.

6) Mike Tyson

Arguably the most feared man to ever enter a boxing ring, Mike Tyson stunned the boxing world becoming the youngest man to ever win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight championships. Unfortunately, Tyson’s mean streak followed him outside the ring as the champ was named in several violent incidents, including fights with his ex-wife actress Robin Givens. Tyson’s reputation took a bigger blow after losing to James Buster Douglass in 1990 and being convicted of raping an 18-year-old beauty pageant winner in 1992. Tyson served three years for the incident, but never quite seemed to regain his brilliance. In 1997, Tyson solidified his place on the list of vilified Black sports icons after biting a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a title bout.

5) Jack Johnson

Nicknamed the “Galveston Giant”, Johnson became the first African- American world heavyweight boxing champion. An accomplishment in its own right, Johnson accomplished this at the height of the Jim Crow era. During his reign, Johnson would become the most famous and infamous Black man in the world. His 1910 bout against undefeated heavyweight champion James J. Jeffries was called the “Fight of the Century” as the press deemed the fight a battle for racial supremacy. Race riots erupted around the nation after Johnson won in a 15-round romp.

4)  John Carlos and Tommie Smith

The 1968 Mexico City games were not your average Olympics. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, Tommie Smith and John Carlos were a reflection of a “Black Power” consciousness that was brewing in the United States. After Smith finished first in the 200m with a record setting time of 19.83 and Carlos finished third, both athletes took to the podium to receive their medals. On the podium, Smith and Carlos received their medals shoeless, wore black socks to represent black poverty, and raised their black-gloved fist as a gesture of Black Power. What Black America saw as a gesture of solidarity against oppression, the International Olympic Committee saw as a political statement, unfit for the apolitical, international forum that is the Olympics. In the aftermath, the two athletes were expelled from the Games, and largely ostracized by the U.S. sporting establishment.

3) Michael Vick

While Black quarterbacks have long been criticized for the belief that Black athletes cannot play such a mentally demanding position, Michael Vick garnered his reputation with his off-the-field exploits. In 2007, Vick was arrested when federal investigators raided his Virginia home and found evidence of dog fighting. Amid harsh criticism from the media, fans and animal right organizations, Vick admitted to conspiracy and helping kill pit bulls as a part of the dog fighting ring. As a result Vick was suspended without pay and sentenced to 23 months in federal prison. Vick served 18 months before he was released, but his reputation as a “dog killer” sticks with him to today.

2) Muhammad Ali

Not only was Ali one of the most outspoken figures in sports, he was also extremely political, never drawing the line between his professional exploits and his beliefs. During the 1960s, Ali was unabashed about his relationship with the controversial Nation of Islam and Malcolm X. An enemy of the state, Ali never flinched. In fact, he sacrificed much of what he gained through sports for his beliefs. In 1967, Ali was arrested after he declined to fight for the United States in the Vietnam War. Because of his decision, the New York State Athletic Commission stripped Ali of his boxing license and his title. “No Vietcong ever called me ni**er,” Ali told the media.

1) O.J Simpson

O.J. is unlike most sports villains in that he developed his villainous lure years after his playing days were done. Known as “The Juice” Simpson jumped on the scene at the University of Southern California, where he led the nation in rushing and won the Heisman trophy in 1968. In the NFL, Simpson continued to shine, setting rushing records and becoming one of America’s most accepted sports personalities. His legend as well as the public’s love quickly faded in 1991, when Simpson was arrested and tried for the brutal double murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Simpson was ultimately acquitted, but not before he became a symbol of a racially divided America and what some consider a flawed criminal justice system.

And while his statistics speak for themselves, a more relevant dynamic is on the bargaining table. In a sport where youth and durability amount to dollars, Johnson, 25, is reaching the prime of his career.

So rather than be disposed of by age 30, Johnson and many elite NFL running backs have learned it’s best to get paid before you get old.

History has proven that running backs need to get that big payday from an organization much earlier than a star quarterback or wide receiver. Peyton Manning can get a $90 million contract at the age of 35 because the quarterback position isn’t nearly as taxing on the body as running back.

Read more at the Grio.

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Today we preview the AFC North.

Our next preview tomorrow will focus on the AFC East

Baltimore Ravens (12-4 last season).

Losing popular vets Derrick Mason, Todd Heap, Willis McGahee and Kelly Greg doesn’t bode well for a squad that came up short again to their rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers last season in the AFC divisional round. The Ravens will ride running back Ray Rice. But the pressure falls on their defense and quarterback Joe Flacco, who may struggle, especially with his favorite targets Mason and Heap gone.

Prediction: 9-7, 2nd place.

Cincinnati Bengals (4-12 last season).

The Bengals might not win a game this year. Quarterback Carson Palmer retired since the team refused to trade him. Wide receiver Chad Ochocinco was shipped to the New England Patriots. Free agent defensive back Jonathan Joseph jetted to the Houston Texans. And the team’s leading rusher last year Cedric Benson will likely face suspension after being involved in an off-the-field altercation last month.

Prediction: 3-13, 4th place.

Cleveland Browns (5-11 last season).

Like other rookie head coaches, Pat Shurmur missed valuable time with his new players because of the lockout. But Shurmur takes control of a young squad that is headed in the right direction. Second-year quarterback Colt McCoy is showing progression in camp. Running back Peyton Hillis, who rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 TDs last season, flattens folks. Their defense, though, remains the question mark.

Prediction: 7-9, 3rd place.

Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4 last season).

Their schedule is brutal to start the year, with road games in Baltimore, Indianapolis and Houston, and they’ve had salary cap issues. But there is no reason to think the Steelers won’t repeat as champs in the AFC North. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s game isn’t pretty, but he delivers wins (69-29 in regular season, 10-3 in playoffs.) Their swarming defense remains intact and will hover again near the top of the league.

Prediction: 10-6, 1st place.

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Dwayne C. Nelson is an arts & entertainment and sports blogger whose content is featured on various Web sites, including Associated Content, Yahoo! Sports and News One. You can now follow him on twitter to stay abreast of his latest posts.

Fans can follow the lives of their favorite players and subsequently, the stars can stay connected to their fan base when they’re not in action.

Everybody’s tweeting nowadays, from President Barack Obama to Papa John’s Pizza.

Here are the top 10 pro athletes in basketball, football, baseball and tennis who are tweet-aholics.

Please read, enjoy and share in the comments your favorite athlete you follow on Twitter.

1). Shaquille O’Neal, @SHAQ

It’s no shock the recently retired big man lugs 4,098,646 followers and has sent 3,740 tweets. Since being the No. 1 selection by the Orlando Magic in 1992, the charismatic Shaq has been adored by sports fans.

2). Chad OchoCinco, @ochocinco

The loud, flamboyant Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver flashes 2,352,332 followers and a staggering 29,775 tweets. Best recent tweet : “Expect anything from anyone even the devil was once an angel.”

3). LeBron James, @KingJames

Despite the hate spewed around the country for him leaving Cleveland for the Miami Heat last summer, King James still has love on Twitter. James boasts 2,270,269 followers and has sent 1,265 tweets.

4). Serena Williams, @serenawilliams

Her sexy photo caused some controversy for a day in May, but the tennis star didn’t need it to boost her popularity on Twitter. The younger Williams sister touts 2,156,868 followers and has sent 8,814 tweets.

5). Dwight Howard, @DwightHoward

The fun-loving Orlando Magic giant carries 2,153,888 followers and an impressive 13,165 tweets. Best recent tweet : “You only get one time around the track. Run hard and fast. And don’t look back.”

6). Paul Pierce, @paulpierce34

The Truth certainly keeps his fans on Twitter informed by tweeting about hoop camps, events and special projects he’s involved with. The Boston Celtics star flaunts 1,863,538 followers with 474 tweets.

7). Reggie Bush, @reggie_bush

Sure his NFL lockout tweet: “Vacation, rest, relaxing, appearances here and there! I’m good!” caused uproar in May. But the electrifying player maintains a loyal 1,824,404 followers and has sent 2,123 tweets.

8). Lamar Odom, @RealLamarOdom

Like many pro athletes these days, it seems Twitter is Odom’s favorite mode of communication to the world. The busy NBA and Hollywood star displays 1,671,267 followers and 3,545 tweets on his account.

9). Dwyane Wade, @DwyaneWade

Like in teammate LeBron’s case, it’s all love for D-Wade over on Twitter. The NBA star and member of the Miami Heat’s infamous Big Three has a healthy 1,493,951 followers and has sent 3,375 tweets.

10). Nick Swisher, @NickSwisher

Baseball stars don’t seem as endearing to Twitter as NBA and NFL players. However, the New York Yankees’ Swisher is an exception. The outfielder and switch hitter lists 1,351,153 followers and 911 tweets.

Dwayne C. Nelson is an arts & entertainment and sports blogger whose content is featured on various Web sites, including Associated Content, Yahoo! Sports and News One. You can follow him on twitter to get his latest posts.

Consciously or unconsciously, it seems they’re always causing bad things to happen to themselves as well as to the people around them.

Here are nine of the biggest troublemakers in sports over the years. Please read, enjoy and in the comments share a list of your top problem starters in sports.

9). Terrell Owens.

They say talk is cheap, but in five-time NFL All-Pro receiver T.O.’s case his mouth landed him on this list. During a point in his career, everywhere No. 81 went he stirred up turmoil. Owens’ big mouth eventually cost him jobs with the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles as well as Dallas Cowboys.

8). Cedric Benson.

The 28-year-old NFL running back is making headlines for all the wrong reasons these days. This summer he was arrested and accused of beating down his roommate. Last summer, he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching a bar employee in the face.

7). Ron Artest.

He’s been quiet lately, but for a while the NBA star made lots of noise. His signature moment was the infamous Detroit Pistons-Indiana Pacers melee in November 2004 when he punched a fan who ran onto the court. Artest was suspended the remainder of the year (72 games) and lost approximately $7 million.

6). Ben Roethlisberger.

On the field, he’s won two Super Bowl rings as the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Off of it, he’s caused nothing but trouble for himself. In 2006, Big Ben almost died in a motorcycle accident. And last year, he was accused of sexual assault for the second time which resulted in a four-game suspension.

5). Adam “Pacman” Jones.

Jones is the epitome of a troublemaker. His rap sheet dates back to his days at West Virginia University, when he was placed on probation for a brawl. Because of his off-the-field troubles, including allegedly attacking a stripper, the NFL cornerback was kicked out the league in 2007 for an entire year.

4). Barry Bonds.

Baseball will never be the same because of him. Besides his reputation, the home run king caused irreparable damage to the sport as the central figure in the Steroid Era. In the court of law, he was just convicted of obstruction of justice, but in the people’s court, he was and will forever be a cheater.

3). Michael Vick.

Yes, change is possible. Since his release from federal prison in 2009, Vick has been a model citizen in his efforts to stop illegal dogfighting around the country. This month he took his anti-dogfighting battle to Washington, D.C. in an attempt for tougher legislation. Nevertheless, that doesn’t wipe the electrifying quarterback’s slate clean.

2). Mike Tyson.

In 1988, he blooded up ex-boxer Mitch Green in a street fight. In 1992, he was jailed for raping beauty contestant Desiree Washington. In 1997, he bit off a part of Evander Holyfield’s ear inside the ring. At one time, the former undisputed heavyweight champ was no doubt one of the biggest troublemakers in sports.

1). O.J. Simpson.

The NFL Hall of Fame running back racially divided the entire nation during the murder trial of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. But if possibly getting away with murder wasn’t trouble enough, in 2007, The Juice was charged with armed robbery and kidnapping and subsequently sentenced to 33 years in prison.

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Dwayne C. Nelson is an arts & entertainment and sports blogger whose content is featured on various Web sites, including Associated Content, Yahoo! Sports and News One. Follow him on twitter to stay for his latest posts.

The Anderson Monarchs gathered on a couch, relishing in the sports spectacle, stimulated by the team’s profound showmanship.

The predominantly African-American team is coached by Walter Stewart, who started the all-girls team in 1998 in the Marian Anderson Recreation Center in South Philadelphia.

Despite the girls’ ardor for soccer, the team has little to no funding, and practice on a borrowed, desolate patch of field that is oftentimes littered with trash and drug paraphernalia. Many of the young girls reside in dangerous neighborhoods and have little access to safe, after-school activities.

CNN Reports:

“They deal with the challenges of inner-city living for black girls, and soccer isn’t that popular socially,” said Jafi Barnes, assistant coach. “We deal with racism, social pressures, but it does teach them about life and brings them closer together.”

The Monarchs aren’t just about soccer. Grades are just as important as picking up ball-handling skills — or more so.

“The idea is to get to college. You can’t play and you can’t attend a Division I school without having the grades,” Barnes said. “This is about a lifestyle change.”

Read More At CNN.com

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A signed affidavit by Williams said that when he initially asked for the ring back, Daniels said she had lost it. But an insurance investigation revealed that it was in the possession of her father, leading Williams to file the now-infamous lawsuit to get the finger-bling back. And as of today, Williams got his wish.

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He landed behind a 14-foot-high wall that has a video board that shows replays and scores from other games. The fan was rushed to a Fort Worth hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Video Below:

He has not yet been identified.

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“Michael Jordan is probably the greatest scorer to ever play in the game,” Pippen said, “but I may go so far as to say that LeBron James is the greatest player to ever play the game.”

Pippen’s comments aired on ESPN Radio’s “Mike & Mike” show a day after James’ Miami Heat beat the Chicago Bulls  83-80 to advance to the NBA Finals.

Read more on ESPN.com

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“I used to always tell my friends ‘when I get on that stage, I’m going to try my move on the best…”

~Allen Iverson said of his infamous cross over on Michael Jordan

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Rick Adelman, who led the Rockets to their only playoff series win in 17 years and a franchise record 22-game winning streak, will not return as Rockets coach, a person with knowledge of the decision said Monday.

After consecutive seasons in which the Rockets failed to reach the playoffs, Adelman and Rockets general manager Daryl Morey failed to reach agreement on how they would continue to work together.

In four seasons with the Rockets, Adelman had a 193-135 record, the best winning percentage (.588) of any coach in franchise history. He moved to eighth in NBA history in career coaching wins with 945.

Texas A&M Aggies Coach, Gary Blair joined Roland Martin on the Tom Joyner Morning Show to discuss how massive cuts in education spending are affecting Title IX programs and women’s sports.

LISTEN:

Marion Jones was the fastest woman on earth; her name was mentioned among some of the greatest track and field athletes of all time. Jones won five medals at the 2000 Sidney Olympic Games. But it all came crashing down based upon telling a lie to a federal investigation, landing her in prison for six months.

Marion Jones joins Roland Martin for the taping of Washington Watch on the Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage 2001 to discuss her new book, “On the Right Track” and how she has turned her life around.

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This week, a judge in Chicago gave NBA star Dwayne Wade sole custody of his two sons. The decision was made after a prolonged legal battle between Wade and his ex-wife, Siohvaughn. The boys are currently 8 and 3 years old. Wade has argued that his ex-wife has become violent toward him and falsely accused him of abusing his sons. A court-appointed representative for the boys made the recommendation that Wade be given full custody and that his ex-wife receive a mental evaluation.

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I happened to be in Chicago when I heard about Wade’s custody decision (which took place in a Chicago courtroom). What’s even more ironic is that I heard about the decision shortly after having an opportunity to watch an episode of the television show, “Basketball Wives.” During the show, I thought about the “interesting” custody battle between another baller, Dwight Howard and his ex-girlfriend Royce Reed, who is a member of the show’s cast.

Let’s be clear: the women on the “Basketball Wives” appear to be borderline crazy. They seem to feed off of drama, deceit and the kind of animosity that makes you feel sorry for any man who has chosen to associate with them. I’ve also can’t understand how being married to a famous person somehow gives you the illusion that you’ve actually accomplished something yourself.

With that said, shows like “Basketball Wives” are (admittedly skewed) reminders that not every black male athlete is working overtime to abandon his family. Some of these athletes are dealing with women who can be just as evil, ferocious and destructive as any man we know. I know quite a few people who watched Dwight Howard grow up, and the overwhelming reaction I’ve received from those who know him is that he works very hard to be a good person. This is in contrast to the public’s perception of black male athletes as nasty, irresponsible and arrogant human beings.

What I also find interesting about the custody battles of both Wade and Howard is that we should not be shocked that a man wants and receives full custody of his own children. Mothers get custody on a regular basis and it doesn’t become a news flash. Men like Eric Legette spend all of their time working with fathers to help them to secure rights to see their kids, with some mothers (not all) using the negative image of the black male to their advantage by presenting the father as a pathetic, immoral slob who chooses to live a reckless life. Additionally, what might otherwise be seen as a standard variation in parenting approaches can be chastised by a mother who’s become convinced that she made the baby all by herself and has authoritarian rights to control every aspect of the father-child relationship (Why did you have my baby up past 10 o’clock? Why was my child in the car with that girlfriend of yours?). In order for the black family to regain its strength as a formal institution within our community, we must regain respect for the rights of fathers who are seeking to do the right thing.

It’s good to see high profile cases about black men fighting for their children. This is in contrast to other stories that feature athletes who take pride in being seen as blinged-out drunkards who chase women and get arrested at night clubs. The truth is that the black male is just as human as everyone else and we love our children too. Congrats to Dwayne Wade for standing up for his parental rights, and I encourage other brothers to follow his lead.

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Roland Martin believes that famous athletes should assist our communities but the real question is what are you prepared to do to make a difference in your neighborhood.

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Roland Martin, Stephen A. Smith and Arsenio Hall discuss athletes and philanthropy during the Alonzo Mourning And Magic Johnson’s 8-Ball Challenge.

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It’s amazing how so many fans always want to see players give their all on the field. And, look. I understand that, but you saw the reaction to Jake Cutler. When he chose not to play in the NFC championship game because of a knee injury, you had people condemning him, trashing him for saying that he was absolutely wrong.

Here’s the problem with that. None of us – none of us – is on the field playing. None of us are taking hits. So, who are we to tell someone to risk their life and their livelihood to play a game?

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LeBron James is a grown man who made a grownup decision to take his massive basketball-playing ability from Cleveland to Miami in a desire to get the one thing every true baller desires: the opportunity to call yourself a champion.

Forget all the nonsense about him “owing” his hometown and how his legacy could have been cemented had he stayed in the Midwest and continued to try to win a title in Cleveland. LeBron had the absolute right to pick up his things and go where he thought it was best to win, and he did it.

Enough with all of this ridiculous chatter that he’s a selfish, spoiled basketball prodigy. LeBron was an employee of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had no ownership stake and no control. Everyone talks about what his presence meant to the Cleveland economy. Did he own any of those businesses? No. But he made them, and the Cavaliers, richer by his play.

There is undoubtedly a tradeoff, because being a star athlete is a two-way street. You become richer by virtue of folks coming to see you play, and the league, team, marketers and surrounding businesses get to piggyback off of your success. LeBron gave them a solid seven seasons, and everyone enjoyed the ride. Say thank you for the LeBron gravy train, and now, like any smart business owner, you need to figure out your next revenue stream.

Now, let’s deal with the fans. I read with fascination about how LeBron “owed” the fans. Really? What exactly did he owe them? We need to stop with this belief that fans in a city “own” a particular player. We get to sit back and enjoy the skills of these modern-day gladiators in our gleaming new Colosseums, while they bust their butts, play injured and have to take all of the criticism when things go bad.

As fans, we justify it all by saying, “Well, he’s getting millions to play, so he should shut up.” We need to grow up and realize that once his playing days are over, we will say, “Thanks, LeBron, now move over so we can worship the next stud.” In fact, when a particular athlete has overstayed their welcome, the fans are the loudest in telling him to leave the court.

To me, there is a huge difference between a player like LeBron James and Albert Haynesworth of the Washington Redskins. Albert has pocketed nearly $40 million and has refused to show up at training sessions with Washington because he doesn’t like the defensive scheme. That is dumb.

LeBron showed up and did his part, and when his contract was up, he exercised his free will to do as he pleased and shop his talents. He did what every single American wants: to go to a new job where the desires you always wanted can be fulfilled. So how is that wrong?

No one — athlete, stockbroker, Wal-Mart greeter, grocery store clerk, secretary, journalist — wants to treated like they are a piece of property. We all desire the freedom that comes with making our own choice as to where we want to work and achieve the goals in life that we all set.

I can identify with that. In 1993, I decided to leave the Austin American-Statesman, where I was the county government reporter. The then-city editor sat across me and said, “I felt like it was a punch in the gut when told you were leaving.” He had an indignant, paternalistic tone that I found offensive.

See, I was making $24,000. When the Houston Chronicle pursued me for a job a few months earlier that would be around $27,000, I was told I was talking myself out of a job in Austin. So when the Fort Worth Star-Telegram offered me a gig at $32,000, I didn’t even bother seeing whether Austin wanted to counter. The new job allowed me to go to a bigger market and have the upward mobility I desired, so I took the job.

So I told the city editor, “Look, you didn’t take some kid off the street, teach him how to talk, write and dress. You paid me for a service, and I delivered. Now I’m choosing to take my skills elsewhere.” I then got up and left the meeting.

It was offensive to me that my bosses at the paper felt like I was being an ungrateful employee. I wanted to do more with my talents, and I refused to allow someone to make me feel bad about my decision. It’s my life, my career, my choice. So how is that bad?

Now I get folks who didn’t like LeBron having a one-hour special to announce his decision. But we are all used to the hype in sports. Do we really need a six-hour pregame show for the Super Bowl? Can’t we play the NBA All-Star Game without all of the side attractions? Would boxing be boxing without the wild and crazy news conferences? Hype and sports go hand-in-hand.

That’s why I found the letter written by Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert so pathetic. Here is a man who was enriched by the play of LeBron James; according to Forbes, the value of the franchise increased by $100 million with his on-court performance.

Yet instead of being a gracious owner and simply reaffirming his commitment to the fans to put a winning team on the court, Gilbert ripped LeBron to shreds, calling him “narcissistic” and his decision to leave a “cowardly betrayal” and “a shameful display of selfishness.”

Gilbert even went on to trash all athletes by saying, “It’s time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions. Is this the way you raise your children?”

In an interview, Gilbert later said LeBron quit on the team in the playoffs the past two years.

Really? So if he was all of that, Dan, why did you want to re-sign him? Who wants a quitter on his team? If LeBron had chosen to stay in Cleveland, rich boy Dan would have been all smiles, slapping his back, getting ready to count the money he could make off of the back of LeBron. So who would have been the real selfish, narcissistic individual, Dan?

Gilbert now says it’s time to speak out against LeBron, yet as long as James made him richer, he would have kept quiet. Sorry, Dan, you’ve pimped LeBron long enough.

LeBron showed Dan Gilbert that only LeBron owes LeBron an explanation. No owner, CEO or boss has the right to demand that someone stay as an employee. The employee has a right to live their life as they see fit.

As the CEO of LeBron James Inc., he did what’s in the best of interest of him. And as the most important shareholder, isn’t that what he’s supposed to do?

I’m sorry, folks, but the loyalty that used to exist from teams and companies is gone. Some still believe in it, but for many of us, we’re simply a dot on the spreadsheet. Business is cutthroat, and we have to accept that reality.

So, King James, go to Miami and do your thing. Grow your corporation to be as big as you want it to be. And never look back at the haters who are mad you chose not to act like a highly paid indentured servant or 21st-century slave, held in place by the invisible shackles dressed up as loyalty to a city, owing the fans and satisfying someone who is clearly an ungrateful owner.

Millions of Americans are currently enthralled with the performance of our USA soccer team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as evidenced by the eruption of cheers when Landon Donovan scored a goal in the final minutes of the match against Algeria.

His winning goal has been hailed as a watershed moment in American sports history, and “futbol” fans are predicting he will be talked about years from now in the same breath as Hank Aaron, Joe Namath, Bobby Orr and Wilt Chamberlain.

Sorry folks, it’s just not going to happen, despite the praying by CNN’s United Nations correspondent, Richard Roth, to make it so.

It’s not that I detest soccer/futbol, but the reality is that Americans have not taken to the sport. As a native Houstonian, I sport the gear of the Houston Rockets, Texans, Astros and my Texas A&M Aggies (Houston has the largest concentration of Aggies), but the MLS’ Houston Dynamo didn’t make the cut.

Every year, I hear fans say that “it’s just around the corner” or “this is the year” or “the moment has arrived” when soccer is accepted along the lines of football, baseball and basketball. To be honest, even the National Hockey League has suffered immeasurably. And judging by TV ratings, the lack of a major TV deal and limited stars well known to non-hockey fans, it’s safe to say it is no longer viewed as one of the four major sports.

There are a myriad number of reasons why soccer hasn’t caught on, but no one can say it’s because of the lack of interest among the nation’s youth. Millions of kids nationwide play the sport, from inner cities to the suburbs. Yet once they become teenagers, soccer falls by the wayside and the interest shifts to baseball, football and basketball.

There have been several attempts at launching a major professional sports league, and the latest is the Major League Soccer (MLS), which has been around since 1993.
The league has valiantly tried to reach the big time, but it has struggled and largely caters to its small but loyal audience. If you walked into any sports bar in America and those there could choose which games to watch, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, the PGA Tour or the National Hockey League would all likely win out over MLS.

Although I’m not personally a soccer fan, I’ve watched a few minutes of the World Cup. But it simply hasn’t been a “must see” for me like the Ryder Cup or even the Olympics.

And to be honest, the Olympic Games are probably the greatest comparison in terms of measuring the interest of soccer to American fans. Every four years, we go nuts over our “amateur” athletic stars. We cheer wildly when the U.S. bobsled team wins gold, love to see our track stars fly around the oval, and are enthralled with gymnastics. But once the Olympic Games have ended, we store our “USA! USA!” chants for four years.

I consider myself to be a huge track fan and would love to see it on TV more, but the reality is that in other parts of the world, track stars are treated like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Yet if Usain Bolt walked through a mall anywhere in America, he might get a few stares, but he wouldn’t be bombarded with autograph requests for photos, even though he is the Kobe of the track world right now.

So soccer/futbol fans worldwide, don’t take it as insult that Americans don’t worship soccer the way you do. Everyone has their likes and dislikes. That’s really just fine. You do you, and we’ll do what we do.

As for the World Cup, I’ll be cheering for the Donovan-led USA soccer team to do well, while flipping back and forth to the NFL and NBA cable channels, pining for my two favorite sports to return in the fall.

It’s just the American in me.

Roland S. Martin is an award-winning CNN analyst and the author of the forthcoming book “The First: President Barack Obama’s Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin.” Please visit his website at www.RolandSMartin.com. To find out more about Roland S. Martin and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM

From CNN:

A high school in Washington, D.C., on Friday named a former women’s professional football player as its head varsity football coach, a move that a national women’s sports advocacy group calls historic.

Natalie Randolph, 29, a science teacher at Calvin Coolidge Senior High School, was introduced as the school’s head football coach Friday in a press conference.

Text continues after gallery …

“We needed to find the best leader, role model, coordinator and instructor for our young men,” Coolidge principal Thelma Jarrett said. “Natalie passed our first test — she’s proven herself as a great organizer, a leader who is knowledgeable about the sport as a player and a coach.”

Students and faculty, along with Randolph’s loved ones and former D.C. Diva teammates were on hand for the announcement as Mayor Adrian Fenty decreed March 12, 2010, “Natalie Randolph Day” in Washington.

Click here to read more.

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Before playing the Stanford team in the Final Four, UConn women’s coach, Geno Auriemma, said people underestimated Stanford because they think white players are soft. More pointedly, he pointed out that his players, who are predominantly African-American, should be given the same respect for their discipline for which Stanford’s team was praised. The coach was simply exposing stereotypes that have been around for a long time.

Black athletes are usually given credit for their “natural athleticism,” while whites are credited for their “hard work,” “discipline” and “knowledge of the game”; as if Black athletes are naturally given the gift of great athleticism, and white people become great athletes through hard work, discipline and intelligence.

Every Black athlete who is successful has worked very hard and is knowledgeable of their sport. Every white athlete who is successful has natural athletic ability.

The problem with stereotypes in sports is that they often lead to general stereotypes. If you say “white men can’t jump,” why not “Black men can’t read defenses”? And if Black men can’t read defenses, maybe they can’t read books either?

Sports stereotypes have a real effect in the real world. Most employers are not concerned with employees’ natural athletic abilities, so stereotypes of African-Americans being athletically superior for the most part do not help Blacks in the real world. However, the stereotypes of whites being hard working, disciplined and smart are helpful to them in finding employment.

One of the most prevalent stereotypes in sports is that of the Black quarterback. Both Rush Limbaugh and former sports commentator, Jimmy the Greek, have both caught flack for their philosophies on African-American quarterbacks. Jimmy’s explanation of how blacks were bred for physical skill but whites were bred for intelligence was blatant racism, but there have been many more subtle ways at insinuating the same point.

Former NFL M.V.P. Steve McNair played for a small Black college because every major college recruited him to play defensive back rather than quarterback, his natural position. Many African-Americans are discouraged from playing quarterback and asked to play other positions in high school, college and the professional ranks. How many other black M.V.P.-caliber quarterbacks were forced to play other positions because coaches didn’t feel Blacks made good quarterbacks?

Biological factors do not compel people from certain races to excel in certain sports. Cultural factors do. China produces a lot of good ping-pong players because ping-pong is part of Chinese culture. Kenya produces a lot of marathon winners because long distance running is part of their culture. Jamaica produces sprinters because track and field has become a strong part of their culture and national identity. Baseball has become a big part of Latin American culture and subsequently several of baseball’s top players come from Latin America. Basketball is a big part of African-American culture, so a good deal of players in the NBA are African-American.

Sports stereotypes are made to be broken. Athletic basketball players are popping up all over the world from all different backgrounds, from Argentina to Turkey, from Kenya to China. Boxing, once a sport dominated by African -mericans, is now being dominated by boxers of other ethnicities from all around the world. Russians are dominating the heavyweight division, and a Philipino, Manny Pacqiao, will fight an Englishman, Ricky Hatton, for the title of best fighter, pound for pound (at least while Floyd Mayerweather is retired)

While no Black quarterback has won a Superbowl since Doug Williams proved Jimmy the Greek wrong in 1988, two of the last three Superbowl winning coaches have been African-American. This goes even further to disprove Jimmy the Greek’s theory, given that African-Americans have excelled at coach, the most cerebral position of all.

Despite all the stereotypes of Black athlete not being intelligent or caring about their education, an African American, Myron Rolle has become the first major U.S. athlete to win the Rhodes Scholarship since Bill Bradley. He bypassed a career in the NFL to get an education from Oxford University, one of the world’s most prestigious schools.

Read a Story on Myron Rolle, Rhodes Scholar

When stereotypes begin to insinuate that certain races have certain characteristics, whether they be positive or negative, they fall into the same racist generalizations that are at the root of racism and race-based discrimination.

From TheRoot.com:

Traditional sports movies, particularly those about baseball, are usually suffused with nostalgia and sentimentality. A few, such as Field of Dreams, do it well enough to endear themselves. Most, like the utterly ridiculous For Love of the Game, are pure treacle.

But the new baseball film, Sugar (Azucar in Spanish), released to coincide with the start of the new major league season, avoids the usual traps and delivers a sobering and loving look at the national pastime.

Sugar follows a young Dominican pitching prospect, Miguel “Azucar” Santos, on his journey from his native island into the heart of middle America in an effort to make it to “the big show.” Written and directed by husband and wife team Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the movie precisely captures the pace and rhythms of the game, timeless and rife with surprise.

Click here for more.

PHOENIX (AP) — Former NBA star Charles Barkley began serving a three-day jail sentence Saturday for a drunken-driving charge.

Click here to read about Barkley’s arrest on NewsOne!

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Barkley already had been acting like a “model inmate,” even chatting with others at Tent City, where inmates are housed in tents rather than traditional jail cells.

Barkley has a private tent, but is close enough to other inmates to talk, Arpaio said.

Barkley, a TNT studio analyst, will spend all of Saturday in custody, but will be given work release from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. He will get work release at 8 a.m. Monday and will not have to return to the tents at 8 p.m.

That’s a total of 36 hours in jail.

NewsOne reveals details behind Barkley’s DUI charge here.

Arpaio said Barkley is not being given special treatment and has a separate tent for his own safety. Meals will be brought to him.

“I didn’t have to put him in the tents. I could have put him in a cell all by himself — that would be special,” he said. “He’s just lucky it’s not the summer. It’s 130 degrees in the summer.”

Arpaio said he planned to meet with Barkley on Saturday and ask him to talk to the county’s 200 inmates ages 15 to 17 about not making the same mistakes he did.

The 45-year-old Barkley pleaded guilty last month to two misdemeanor DUI charges stemming from his Dec. 31 arrest, shortly after leaving a Scottsdale nightclub and failing a field sobriety test. He had a blood-alcohol level of .149 percent, nearly twice the legal limit.

A Scottsdale judge reduced Barkley’s original 10-day sentence to three days after reviewing the case and deciding that seven days should be suspended if Barkley completes an alcohol-treatment program.

The Hall of Fame player also must pay more than $2,000 (€1,580) in fines and install an ignition-interlock device on his vehicles.

A message left with Barkley’s attorney was not immediately returned Saturday.

Barkley said last month that he made a mistake and just has “to take the beatdown.”

Barkley played 16 seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, and played on the USA Olympic “Dream Team” in 1992 and 1996. He was an 11-time All-Star and league MVP in 1993.

Tiger Woods will be competing in the Accenture Match Play Championship that starts today outside Tucson, Ariz. It will be his first tournament since knee surgery following his victory in the U.S. Open on one good leg last June at Torrey Pines.

Woods’ first-round opponent is Australia’s Brendan Jones, the 64th-ranked player in the world.

Woods has been ahead of schedule since he first began rehabilitation for reconstructive knee surgery.

Only when he returned to the PGA Tour did he fall hopelessly behind.

He wasn’t even the first player to warm up Tuesday morning at Dove Mountain. That honor went to Phil Mickelson, who had never seen so many photographers on the range at the Accenture Match Play Championship.

Woods finished his practice round about an hour later than he expected, and walked into his press conference with an apology.

“Sorry I’m late,” Woods said. “I forgot how long it takes to play 18 holes walking.”

It was the first time he had walked a round of golf since the Monday playoff at last year’s U.S. Open, where he beat Rocco Mediate for his 14th major, then shocked the golfing world by announcing he would miss the rest of the year after having surgery on his left knee.

The next question is how many holes he walks at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.

Woods is fit enough — one caddie thought he belonged at the NFL combine — appears to be swinging better than ever and says his left knee is stronger than it has been in years.

But in this fickle format, not even good golf is enough to assure anyone — Woods included — of advancing to the next round.

“You have to be on your game right away,” he said. “You have to make sure you bring the intensity and bring your game from the very first hole. Because if you don’t, then I’ll be going home.”

This is the 10th time Woods has competed in the Accenture Match Play Championship, and he has reached the weekend only four times. Even when healthy — the year he won the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year — he lost in the first round to Peter O’Malley.

For now, he’s simply thrilled to be playing.

Oddly enough, the last time he played essentially was match play. After 90 holes at Torrey Pines — four rounds and an 18-hole playoff against Mediate — they had to go to sudden death, and Woods won on the next hole with a par.

He raised hardly any questions about his game during his 18 holes on the Jack Nicklaus design, which features firm turf and greens with too many contours to count. On the eighth hole, caddie Steve Williams was about to suggest a 3-wood until Woods pulled off the cover of his driver and said he would “chip one” down there. It was hit plenty hard, prompting Williams to say, “Beautiful.”

Even so, there is sure to be rust when he faces Brendan Jones of Australia in the first round.

“I’ve played one tournament in 10 months,” Woods said. “I’ve simulated tournaments the best I possibly can, but it’s hard to get the adrenaline up to where it’s going to be tomorrow when I play. I’m trying to get into the rhythm of the round as fast as I possibly can.

“And hopefully, it will happen quickly for me.”

Even those who have not taken eight months off are leery about this format.

Robert Karlsson is the No. 7 player in the world, yet he has never made it out of the first round in his previous three starts. Geoff Ogilvy has an 11-2 record in this tournament and won the season-opener at Kapalua, but he faces Kevin Sutherland, who has an 8-2 mark.

A year ago, two reporters looked at the bracket and tried to pick one match that would be a sure thing. Both settled on Vijay Singh over Peter Hanson, and sure enough, the Fijian won — in 19 holes.

“Sometimes you can play poorly … I remember one of the guys at La Costa one year shot 79 and won his match. So that can happen,” Woods said. “But the reverse can happen, as well. The only thing you can control is what you do on the golf course yourself.”

So far, there have been no complaints.

Woods says he had about 20 percent of his ACL five years ago, and none of it after stepping into a hole while jogging after the British Open two years ago. But after reconstructing the ligament, and going through a patient but rigorous rehab, he is feeling stronger than ever.

“I feel a lot stronger in my left leg,” Woods said. “Both legs have been stronger than they ever have been. Stability is something I haven’t had in years. So it’s nice to make a swing and not have my bones move. … It’s nice to hit into it for the first time.”

Swing coach Hank Haney was pleased with what he saw.

“He looked great,” Haney said. “I’m very pleased with how he did today. It’s slowly coming around, and he’s getting more consistent. His knee is not flopping all over the place. It’s nice to see him not in pain, not hurt when he’s playing.”

What happens Wednesday is a mystery to all, Woods included.

It felt good to be back among his colleagues, and it was good to be back at work. When he pulled into the parking lot just after dawn, it felt like he had never been gone, just another day at the office. He changed his shoes in the clubhouse, went to the range, grumbled about photographers and played 18 holes without anyone in front of him.

But that was practice.

Every shot counts when he tees off against Jones.

“I’m looking forward to the rush tomorrow. I really am,” Woods said. “Waking up tomorrow, and getting ready for my round, and getting focused, and coming out here, warming up and getting fired up. I’m really looking forward to that more than anything else. Because I haven’t had that in a long time.”

MELBOURNE, Australia — Serena Williams routed Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3 Saturday to win the Australian Open for her 10th Grand Slam title and a return to the No. 1 ranking.

It was total domination for the second-seeded Williams, who looked at ease in winning back-to-back majors – she won the U.S. Open championship in September – and was moving fluidly on the court.

“I absolutely, clearly, love playing here,” the 27-year-old Williams said. “You guys root for me so much. I don’t get that everywhere. So thank you so much.”

Williams’ near-perfect performance was in sharp contrast to No. 3 Safina, who was tight from the start. Later apologizing to the crowd for her performance, Safina said Williams was just too good, leaving her feeling like a ballboy.

In the first game, Safina double-faulted three times, including on break point. Williams ran off 18 of the last 20 points in the first set to finish it in 22 minutes.

Other than matches that ended early due to illness or injury, it was the most lopsided Australian Open women’s final since 1962, when Margaret Smith beat Jan Lehane 6-0, 6-2.

It was Williams’ second overwhelming victory in a final at Melbourne Park, where she kept alive her record of winning in odd-numbered years since 2003 for four titles. Coming into the 2007 tournament unseeded after being plagued by injuries the year before, she beat top-seeded Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2.

Sharapova rebounded to win last year but was unable to defend her title while recuperating from a shoulder injury.

Williams became the fifth woman to win four or more Australian titles. By making the singles and doubles finals, she already had become the all-time leading money winner in women’s sports.

For winning the Australian singles title, she earned $1.3 million and has career earnings of more than $23.5 million.

After Melbourne’s hottest three-day heat wave on record, conditions were nearly perfect for the tournament’s first women’s final at night, but Rod Laver Arena was less than capacity, with large patches of empty seats scattered around the upper deck of the 15,000-seat stadium.

On Sunday, top-ranked Rafael Nadal will face No. 2 Roger Federer in the men’s final. Federer will be trying to tie Pete Sampras’ record of 14 major titles, while Nadal is seeking his third Grand Slam out of the last four, missing only the U.S. Open last September that was won by the Swiss star.

Safina had been hoping to add to her family’s Grand Slam total – brother Marat Safin won two, including the 2005 Australian Open. She also will have to wait for a chance to match his one-time No. 1 ranking.

But Safina looked nothing like the player who won four titles and the Beijing Olympics silver medal last year. Increasingly dispirited, the crowd tried to encourage her, and she managed to break Williams in the first game of the second set.

It just delayed the inevitable.

Williams took the next four games, and things got so bad that Safina swung and completely missed a forehand while serving at 2-5. She managed to win the game, but Williams held at love when Safina sent a backhand wide on match point.

Williams went over to slap hands with her mother and other people sitting in her box as Safina, looking shellshocked, sat in her chair waiting for the trophy presentation. She grimaced when Williams thanked her “for putting on a great show for women’s tennis.”

After struggling with her form earlier in the tournament, Williams finished with 23 winners and just seven unforced errors in the final, winning more than twice as many points as Safina.

“I’ll thank my mom for hanging in there this week,” she said. “The first week was tough, but we got through it.”

It was Williams’ 20th overall Grand Slam title. She won her eighth women’s doubles crown with sister Venus on Friday and has two mixed-doubles championships.

An economist in Germany has noticed a curious trend among Americans: For the past 50 years, black women have been shrinking with each new generation.

Black women today are nearly an inch shorter than white women their age and about half an inch shorter than black women born in the late 1960s, according to an analysis of CDC data.

Young black women today are nearly an inch shorter than white women their age and about half an inch shorter than black women born in the late 60s, according to an analysis of CDC data by John Komlos, a professor of economics at the University of Munich in Germany.

Click here to read full story…

Where individual athletes shined in their respective sports, a few other stories about the triumph of a team or a collective spirit captivated the 2008 viewer. Whether it was Cullen Jones leading the improbable come-from-behind victory in the U.S. bid for Olympic gold, or the Jamaican sprinters doing what their bobsled team had done years before in shocking all the front-runners, a deep well of inspiration rose up in anyone who watched the highlight reels throughout. Essentially, sports has been boiled down to the Winners and the Losers, but the real gains come through the display of powerful spirits striving through unlikely obstacles. NewsOne presents the Best Sports Stories of 2008.

U.S. Dream Team reclaims top spot in the World – The world was quick to dismiss America as a basketball power after their disappointing performances in the 2004 Olympics (3rd) and then an even more lackluster showing in the 2006 international tournament. With teams like Greece, Argentina and Spain becoming ever stronger (and manned with NBA stars like Manu Ginobili and Pau Gasol respectively), the United States had to re-examine its strategy of overpowering the world with NBA athleticism and adopt team play as its center. Having Kobe Bryant and LeBron James on the same team didn’t hurt either.

Cullen Jones wins first gold for Blacks in Olympic swimming – After a near drowning incident during his childhood, the 24-year-old Olympic swimmer made it his point to become a strong swimmer. As a native of the Bronx section of New York City, Jones had to tread an unlikely road to realize his dream. He attended St. Benedict’s Prep in New Jersey, where his coach Lou Pettrizello helped propel his rise through the amateur ranks. At North Carolina State, Jones then set and broke several 50M freestyle swim records before making the Olympic team in 2008. Cullen Jones was instrumental in securing the 4X100M freestyle medal for the U.S. Men’s Olympic team, despite being the accepted underdog to a boasting French squad. Jones and Jason Lezak led the team’s surge at the end, securing their teammate Michael Phelps’s most difficult of the eight medals he won.

Kevin Garnett and the Celtics – The man known simply as “KG” has been the subject of intense scrutiny since he entered the NBA as a professional at a fresh 18 years of age. Although his effort and competitiveness never came into question, he often took the blame when his lowly Minnesota Timberwolves did not perform to the level of his $100M+ contract. Ray Allen had a similar plight to face as the season started: an old veteran who had great ability but never won the prize at the end of the road. Paul Pierce also craved the kind of respect that comes with a ring. Just the year before, he had been on the bench at season’s end, watching as his teammates eked out one of the worst records in the league. The Boston Celtics acquired Garnett for a slew of young players, and he began with the trio a new quest for the championship he so longed for in the Land of 1,000 Lakes. With Paul Pierce as the Celtics backbone, and Ray Allen acquired in a trade, the Big Three met and surpassed the expectations of such a highly touted group of players. Paul Pierce had been vindicated as a Celtics franchise mainstay to reach the heights of their greats like Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson and Bill Russell. Ray Allen was more than just a smooth shooter; he was a champion.

Adrian Peterson’s breakout season – The NFL running back for the Minnesota Vikings made his first impression as a player for the University of Oklahoma Sooners. Peterson earned Associated Press First Team All-American honors as the school’s second leading rusher of all time. Drafted in 2007, Peterson awed his fans with incredible speed and power, a rare combination for an NFL runner. Not one to rest on his laurels however, Peterson won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors before then becoming the Pro-Bowl Most Valuable Player just weeks later. Peterson’s career holds promise, and he stands as the NFL’s leading rusher with two weeks of play remaining.

See more of NewsOne’s BEST OF EVERYTHING 2008!!!

The Williams Sisters – Serena Williams waited in the backseat for the first stretch of her legendary career as sister Venus Williams made her name a fearsome bell rung in the ears of her tennis opponents worldwide. But, competitive fire runs in the family and, while Venus tended to struggle with injury in her twenties, Serena began to rack up Grand Slam titles and defeat the same opponents who had intimidated her in the past. This year was another peak for Serena as she captured the U.S. Open Single’s title for women by defeating Jelena Jankovic, capping a year where she contended in most of the Grand Slam tournaments. It was her 9th title. Venus captured her 5th Wimbledon title in seven tries. Only Serena beat her in 2002 and 2003.

Freddy Adu leads the Olympic charge for soccer – The U.S. Men’s Olympic soccer team was in need of a serious revamp. Freddy Adu was only 15 when they made their unsuccessful run in 2004 to make the Athens games. Four years of professional play and rigorous training later, Adu stood ready to create a new stir, and inject some of his youthful energy. Adu became a pro at 14, signing with the MLS in 2003. Since then, he has become a player of interest in the world. Freddy Adu scored 4 goals in the Olympic qualifier, and had a stunning performance in a 3-0 win over Spain. The team was later eliminated by Nigeria, but Adu had already cemented himself as a player to watch.

Jamaican sprinters beat the favorites – The Jamaican Track and Field team was no stranger to success by 2008. Their athletes had made individual stamps on the Olympics in the 70s, and 90s but the U.S. team had always swept the relays and the attention of the media. Usain Bolt changed that with one historic run. His 9.69-second record time was the pillar performance in an astounding run by the Jamaican sprinters. The women’s and men’s 4X200M teams won the gold for their events, even as American Tyson Gay worked to become the leader in endorsements. Jamaica left the Games with 11 medals, all won from Track and Field.

James Blake beats Roger Federer – In James Blake’s professional career — like the majority of his peers — he had never beaten Roger Federer. Roger Federer entered the Olympic tournament as the Number One seed, with Blake as a Number Eight. When they faced off, with Federer holding a cool twelve titles, it was deemed a foregone conclusion. But Blake’s resolve is the lynchpin of his career. In 2004, he suffered a crippling injury by breaking his neck during a practice round, only to then fall ill with shingles. His father died of stomach cancer in the same year. When he finally returned to the game, however, he made an impressive showing at the U.S. Open before falling to Agassi in a five-set thriller. Blake didn’t win the Gold after defeating Roger Federed on that day, but he continues to make the improbable matches worth watching, toppling Number One players along the way.

David Tyree makes “The Catch” in Giants Superbowl win – David Tyree is still not the premiere receiver on the New York Football Giants. All the same, he made the most memorable catch in Super Bowl history in the 4th quarter of a close game. With the Giants’ hopes of catching up hanging on to a thread, Eli Manning threw down field to a barely open Tyree. Tyree leapt and caught the ball against his helmet, securing it as he went down. Tyree had struggled with drug abuse in the two years prior before giving himself to religion and regimen. His transformation paid off.

LeBron James dominates the NBA – NBA superstar LeBron James is the league’s best individual performer and, perhaps, one of the best teammates there is. He is a relentless scorer, a capable defender, a superb passer, and helps to raise the level of play whenever he takes the court. After a season of statistical highs in every category, James entered the playoffs with an improved Cleveland Cavaliers team ready to make another run at the Finals (where they were swept in 2007). Despite being derailed by the Boston Celtics in seven games, he scored a spectacular 45 points in the Game 7 loss, dueling with Celtics Finals MVP Paul Pierce (41 points) throughout. James was crestfallen after the loss, but managed to channel his energy into Olympic basketball, where he assisted the U.S. Dream Team Redux in winning the gold medal.

Check out the Lebron James dunks of 2008

See more of NewsOne’s BEST OF EVERYTHING 2008!!!

From Blackvoices/Fanhouse: 

The authorities are not sure if the shooting was an accident or suicide but Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is looking at the cause of death. According to the Associated Press, Johnson rushed for more than 4,000 yards in his high school career. Plus he had scholarship offers from universities including Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State and Oregon.

From Associated Press on Friday: 

LUCEDALE, Miss. – The family of George County High football star Billey Joe Johnson Jr. is scheduled to meet Monday with District Attorney Tony Lawrence.

Lawrence said Friday that he will discuss the investigation into Johnson’s death with the family before making an information public.

The 17-year-old Johnson was stopped by a George County sheriff’s deputy shortly after 6 a.m. Monday after he reportedly ran a red light and a stop sign.

According to the sheriff’s department, when the deputy went to his patrol vehicle to do a driver’s license check, he heard a gunshot and looked up to see Johnson lying beside the pickup truck. A shotgun was on the body.

Johnson was a star runningback for the George County High School team.

President-elect Barack Obama had just one disclaimer when he announced former pro-basketball player Arne Duncan as his education secretary: “I did not select Arne because he’s one of the best basketball players I know.”

Still, he conceded, “I will say that I think we are putting together the best basketball-playing Cabinet in American history.”

Not that they’d have much competition from the likes of John Foster Dulles, Henry Kissinger or Janet Reno.

“Over the presidencies of the 20th century there were Golf Cabinets, there were Poker Cabinets, and even I suppose Tennis Cabinets,” said John Sayle Watterson, author of “The Games Presidents Play: Sports and the Presidency.”

But basketball, he said, is a first. “I think this is sort of an updating of that.”

Obama is an enthusiastic player who picked up the game in junior high and became known as “Barry O’Bomber” in high school. You might even call the presidency his backup choice. He told Barbara Walters he dreamed of going pro until he realized he wasn’t good enough.

Duncan, a regular at Obama’s pickup games, can do him one-better. He co-captained the Harvard basketball team and played professionally in Australia before becoming the head of the Chicago school system.

Obama’s choice for national security adviser, James L. Jones, was a forward at Georgetown. Incoming Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner hates to miss a pickup game. Eric Holder and Susan Rice, incoming attorney general and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, both played ball in high school. Janet Napolitano, Obama’s choice for homeland security secretary, has regularly guest-coached women’s basketball for Arizona’s three state universities.

Obama also plays with top adviser Robert Gibbs, Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias – who played professionally in Greece – and personal aide Reggie Love, who played on a Duke team that won an NCAA title.

Legend has it that Obama even played with former Princeton star and now Oregon State coach Craig Robinson to win his approval while Obama was courting his wife, Michelle, who is Robinson’s sister.

The basketball court is clearly a place where Obama develops rapport. But it’s also a proving ground for the kinds of skills a leader needs, said Dave Czesniuk of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University in Boston.

“I think there’s a lot to be said for folks who managed participating in sports with academics, with part-time jobs, with family commitments,” he said. “There are time-management skills involved and certainly social development skills and confidence, self-esteem building as well as the ability to deal with difficult situations.”

And all the presidents’ sports aren’t mere diversions.

One of Theodore Roosevelt’s most enduring legacies – national parks – stemmed from his love of hiking and hunting. Roosevelt often invited his Tennis Cabinet to join him in daily exercise.

William Howard Taft had his Golf Cabinet, and Warren Harding spent plenty of time on the green when he wasn’t meeting with his Poker Cabinet. His weekly poker games at the White House were a place for dealmaking and forging relationships. (Future president Herbert Hoover, however, refused to play.)

Others have been less overt. Gerald Ford downplayed his all-star football past to avoid being seen as a dumb jock, Watterson said. The elder George Bush played baseball and soccer at Yale and was “maybe the best athlete of the 20th century presidents,” Watterson added, but still had a reputation as a ……… buttoned-down Ivy Leaguer.

Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter both played basketball, but not into adulthood. And certainly neither assembled a sports dream team for his Cabinet.

President George W. Bush did ask at least one potential Supreme Court nominee about his exercise routine. Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III said the president recommended more cross-training.

But even the Old Boys couldn’t keep up with Obama’s club. What does that mean for Hillary Clinton?

“Probably Hillary’s not going to be on the basketball court, nor are other women who are either in the Cabinet or sub-cabinet posts, but I don’t think it will affect his relationship with them,” Watterson said. “I can’t imagine that basketball is going to be in any sense the way golf was to a previous generation, say with Dwight Eisenhower.”

Hillary Clinton did play half-court basketball growing up, when only the boys played full-court. But who says she doesn’t have game?

Clinton enlisted Earvin “Magic” Johnson to sink a metaphoric hook shot against Obama in the primaries. In a radio spot, Johnson recalled his first year as a professional basketball player, when his team captain advised him: “Take it easy rookie, it’s a long season” – a jab at Obama’s relative lack of experience.

As long as Obama gets a good mix of backgrounds, political views and, yes, athletic abilities in his Cabinet, basketball should remain an “active, dynamic, positive force” in his administration, Czesniuk said.

It may even have a side benefit with the press.

“It’ll be something that will give them something to write about or distract them from the other problems that Obama is facing. It’s a little like the Obamas choosing the school for their daughter, a dog,” Watterson said. “It’ll all be very interesting because it will all be very new.”

And if he needs to round out the team? He might consider former presidential hopeful and fellow Democrat Bill Bradley, a 6’5″ Hall of Famer.

What is clear is that Thomas, the Allen Iverson of my generation, known for his heart, toughness, and incredible skill, has endured a very difficult year. In fact, the last four years have been rough for a man deeply in love with the game of basketball.

Like any scorned lover, Thomas has probably had a rough time trying to rest his mind long enough to figure out how it all went so wrong. He is trying to figure out how after three decades of success, basketball-which rescued him from one the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods of the Westside of Chicago-has suddenly failed him so miserably.

Basketball helped him to secure a scholarship to St. Mary’s high school in Chicago and another scholarship to Indiana University. That led to an NCAA championship, two NBA championships, two All-Star game MVP kudos, and the honor of being selected of the fifty greatest players in NBA history, as well as all the fame and fortune such accolades provide.

But since 2003, the man who loves the game has endured a rocky relationship with basketball.  Oddly enough, Donnie Walsh has been at the scene of both of his dismissals from NBA organizations.

The first time, Thomas was the coach of the Indiana Pacers and Walsh was the general manager. Once Larry Bird was hired as president, the organization-as per Walsh’s directive-fired Thomas, despite the fine job he had done transforming what was then a very young Pacers team.

The next time, the New York Knicks hired Walsh to get things back on track after Thomas had made a bit of a mess of the organization in his four and a half years at the helm. During Thomas’ run as team president, the Knicks failed miserably: a losing record, only one postseason appearance, and not even one playoff win.

In October 2007, former Madison Square Garden executive Anucha Browne Sanders won a sexual harassment case against Thomas and the Garden. At one point during the trial, Thomas infamously declared it less offensive for black men to call black women the B word than white men. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocb4MFkDiAY) In December, Sanders reportedly received an out-of-court settlement of $11.5 million.

So when the Knicks hired Walsh to replace Thomas as team president, his first order of business was to deal with Thomas. Instead of firing him again, Walsh reassigned Thomas to an ambiguous role of scout and consultant. In essence, his contract remained pretty good, basically paying him to get out of the way and assist the team as a talent scout.

While I am certain that Thomas is determined to resurface as an NBA general manager, his Knicks legacy has perhaps ended the likelihood of those aspirations.  It is unlikely he will be given the ball and asked to run the point for an NBA front office again.

To his credit, Thomas, who’s known for having a temper, kept his cool last year. Despite being bashed by the New York media, the chants during home games that he be fired, a woeful team, a sexual harassment lawsuit, his mother’s illness (resulting in a leg amputation), and his brother Preston’s stroke (suffered while visiting their sick mother in the hospital), there were no reports of him lashing out.

In time, I’m sure that Thomas will be fine. But, for now, like every scorned lover, he needs time to heal and regroup. Who wouldn’t? After such a stellar Hall of Fame love affair, from player to coach to executive, to have his one true love turn its back on him, Isiah Thomas is mending a broken heart.

Lewis is the author of the forthcoming Ballers of the New School: Race and Sports in America. He teaches English at Washington State University Vancouver.