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LoRon Wilton (right) it shown with hit agent and a icout for the New York Mett. Wilson signs with Mets organization SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE LaRon Wilson, who has relatives in Winston-Salem, got a thrill of a lifetime when he was drafted this past sum mer by the New York Mets organization. His family was very excited for him, was very proud of h i s accom p I i s h - m e n t and thanked God for this 1 great achievement. Wilson has been active in t sports since childhood. He attended Lee-Davis High School in Mechanicsville. Va. -v While he was there he made ?> good grades in his studies. He was drafted by the New York ?y Mets organization this past * summer after he completed Bowe ' , from page Bl the Washington Post, sports columnist Michael Wilbon wrote a column titled "In the flow with Bowe." He said. "1 want Rock Newman to be the manager of the heavyweight champion of the world because he is the same crazy, sweet, engaging guy who sat at press row 10 years ago. a guy who's gone virtually unchanged.even as he reaches for the top rang of the ladder." This is a column his editor. Geotge Solomon, should have looked over his shoulder and changed. Wilbon is a gifted and talented sports writer. But he should be given a ticket and a fine for that column in November 1992. The charge - reckless writing with a dangerous vehicle! Wilbon has written columns that have given us heroes such as: Michael Jor dan, Magic Johnson. John Thompson and Julius "Dr. J" Erv ing and other notorious black ath letes who have forgotten who they are and where they came from! In a recent interview on "Inside Sports" with NFL Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown. Wilbon said, "We need to recog Frank Wilton LaRon Wilton signs his contract with the New York Mets organization at his home in Mechanicsville, Va. his third year at Longwood College in Virginia. He was a player of the year in baseball at Longwood. He is a fast run ner and can steal bases. Members of Wilson's fam ily who live in Winston-Salem include: Mamie Sloan, grand mother; Evangelist Mary Abbotti grandmother; Frank Wilson, father; Betty Wilson, mother; Latilia Wilson, sister; Sharon S. Perry, Diane Hadly, Cynthia Wright, Constance Caldwell, Chelsea Griffith, aunts; Booker T. Sloan, uncle. nize athletes for what they really are and that is great athletes. We don't need to try to make them role models and heroes because, in the final analysis, they are only human." Wilbon talks out of both sides of his mouth and does not have a clue. Immediately after the final round in Saturday night's fight. Rock Newman punched a pho tographer at ringside. In Bowe's last fight in Washington, D.C., Newman made his way up to the ring apron and pulled Bowe's opponent. Elijah Tillery. over the ring ropes. Newman's actions came after Bowe and Tillery fought after the bell. Newman is anything but a crazy, sweet, engaging guy who has gone virtually unchanged. A "class act" he is not. and now w ith Bowe as heavyweight champion of the world, he is armed and dan gerous. How dangerous is a little power in the wrong hands? Dur ing the post-fight interview on Saturday night, Newman shot down boxing promoters Don King. Bob Arum and Butch Lewis. He considers each of them "dirty, conniving rats" of the box ing world. Lewis, King and Arum all befriended him when he was nothing but a cheerleading sports talk show host in D.C. and a toilet tissue carrying go-fer for Sugar Ray Leonard. Newman is a guy who knew and still knows nothing about boxing, but he bad-mouths Don King. King kicked down the door and gave black men an opportuni ty to be promoters. This is a sport that had been controlled allegedly by the "mob" for hundreds of years. I recently participated with award-winning writer and inves tigative reporter Jack Newfield and boxing historian Bert R. Sugar on "Geraldo Live." New field swears he has evidence that King is a "front man" for the mob. King and Newman have a lot in common: They both have an identity problem. King looks and talks black, but behind closed doors his accent turns "white" when the color green (money) is discussed. There is not one black man in an executive position in King's organization. Newman, who passed for white while trying Pitts fwm page HI "Usually I'll go for two quar ters for one game ... and two quarters for the other one." he said. "If they're out of town, their mom will go out of town and I'll stay here or vice versa." Sometimes it is up to Ben jamin Pitts to shoulder all the responsibility because Mrs. Pitts works at night. But when she's not. you can expect her to be present for one or both games. It wouldn't be nearly as hard if the two were playing for the same school, but one of the twins would have to sacrifice and play another position. That figured into Jamar's decision to transfer to Carver before his junior season. There were other factors as well. "Jamar made that decision because he didn't feel like he fit into that system," Benjamin Pitts said. "He came to me and said that iuqc tiikaf Wo 111 t/s /i/s *' uiui nua nuui uv wainvvi IU uu, n\i I went to (the) guidance office and got the transfer paperwork." It was a bittersweet moment for the elder Pitts, who graduated from Reynolds in 1975 where he played point guard on the Demons' state 4-A championship team. He also was a starting run ning back on the RJR football team. "I think coming to Carver was the best thing for me," Jamar said. "It wasn't just football; it was basketball too. I knew I'd have a better chance at Carver." Jamar alternated at quarter back last season for the Yellow jackets as they suffered through a 6-5 season. Carver fared better in basketball, where they advanced to the second round of the state 3 A playoffs. He Was a key factor during the team's stretch run, averaging nearly 10 points during the final 10 games. That confidence has carried over to the football season where he has passed for 1,127 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also has run for another six touchdowns. Carver captured the Pied to become a boxing "Insider," now finds it fashionable to wear an African robe, kente cloth, and a kufi to enhance his blackness. Newman likes to talk about the atrocities of apartheid in South Africa. In the meantime he takes the new heavyweight champion of the world to train for his next tight with Evander Holyfield to Sun River. Ore. The black popula tion of Sun River - would you believe zero? The end result, Don King, Janks Morton and Rock Newman are one of a kind. The new champion, Riddick Bowe, has a bright future ahead, but unless Newman can figure out whether he wants to be black, white, fighter, manager, wear an African robe or a three-piece suit, Bowe's future could be one short and big nightmare. McKnight has a reason to be optimistic. I don't. Footnote: Riddick Bowe's championship reign lasted three short years. He is now suing Rock Newman for $ 152 million, money mont Triad 3-A Conference championship and is the No. I seed in the state 3-A West as it heads into the playoffs. "Jamar's play in big games has been one of the keys to our season." said Carver coach Keith Wilkes. "He's stepped up every time we needed the big play." Jermaine has put up similarly impressive numbers. He's passed for 800 yards and nine touch downs. He's also run for nearly 900 yards and eight touchdowns. With Jermaine leading the way. the Demons have bounced back from their disastrous season a year ago to capture a playoff berth this year. Jermaine also has the distinc tion of being one of few players in the area who captured a state championship in the same sport and at the same school as his father. Jermaine was a reserve on Reynolds' state 4-A basketball championship team last season. "1 think there (are) only two sets 01 us iiKe mai arounu nere. Benjamin Pitts said proudly. "David Morris and his dad both have a state championship at Reynolds. Davis played with me on the '75 championship team, and his dad was on the 1949 championship team at Reynolds. I feel great about the father-son championship thing. It is some thing that's very rare." When it comes to his sons, Benjamin Pitts and the two agree that they're like night and day. "In basketball I see me in Jamar the most because of the way he wants to take control and the fire that he has in him when he plays," Benjamin Pitts said. "I think Jermaine is more like me in football because he's got great desire and a great attitude. He's never missed a practice in four years. He's coming to play every down, and he's going to be ready to play every night. Jermaine knows the game, and he studies the game. He's going to spend hours watching film to prepare himself. He's going to break you down and know every little detail." "Jermaine is so different from he claims Newman stole from him as a promoter. It would be interesting to turn to "Pardon the Interruption" on ESPN television and hear co-host Michael Wilbon's latest take on Bowe and Newman! i?:?. __ t me that it's funny," Jamar said. "Sometimes I find it hard to believe that we're twins. Our taste is so different, and the things we like are different. Jer maine is serious all the time. I might want to go out and have fun, but he'll have something totally different on his mind." That difference between the twins became evident very early in their lives. Jamar was always more blessed physically when the two played Little League base ball and Pop Warner football. The two were dominant players at a young age but relied on their gifts. For instance, Jermaine once threw a no-hit perfect game in All-Star play when he was 12 years old. He relied on an assort ment of pitches, including a slid er' hard curve, change-up and fast ball. Meanwhile Jamar was on the same team, and when his turn came in the rotation he would just rely on his overpowering fastball. Jermaine has finally caught up in physical stature. He's actu ally taller than Jamar, at 5-10 to Jamar's 5-9. But Jamar is still stockier and heavier. "Jermaine will figure out. who's supposed to be open, and he'll use his knowledge of the game," Jamar said. "He's think ing all the time." Jamar, on the other hand, is more spontaneous. "I just let action happen and make plays," Jamar said. "I'll know what's going on, but I don't spend as much time studying it and going over it." The attention to detail is something that will make Jer maine a coach one day, according to Demons basketball coach Howard West. "He's just like a coach on the court," West said. "He is very detail-oriented, and he knows what I want done. He's going to be a great coach someday." In the meantime, the two will be trying to help their teams advance in their respective divi sions in Friday night's first-round playoff games. Harold Bell is a former stu dent-athlete at Winston-Salem State University and a pioneer in radio and television sports talk shows in D.C. His e-mail address is hkbell@starpower.net. i AAU Basketball Try outs 3rd-5th Grade Boys November 18th 5:45-7:30 at Greater Cleveland Ave. ^3/ For info or directions V call Eric Alspaugh (A at 828-773-5087 or go to our website: WWW.PIEDMONTPANTHERS.COM Now is the time to join our annual Youth Basketball Association (YBA)... for our 120 years in this community we have provided high-quality basketball play for youth ages 3-14. This year we have new and returning trained coaches, fair officials and a committed caring staff at the Y to help your child have fun and learn good sportmanship, basketball skills and to be a team player. Cheerleading Available Too (ages 5-14)!!! Winston Lake Family YMCA is conveniently located off New Walkertown Road at 901 Waterworks Road. Apply Lot fat Loan y I over the iPhone! I H9 YBA Registration extended!! Includes 3-month youth membership to the Winston Lake YMCA swimming, game room, racquetball. (Soc cer coming in the Spring) Pard Daniels at 5 ith includes a 3 month youth le Winston Lake Family YMCA. I available) lline- Friday, Nov. 22nd Y YMCA of the Greater Winston-Salem "Helping people reach their God-given potential in spirit, mind and body" A I'nited Way Agency Ay
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