Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Jan. 1, 2009, edition 1 / Page 13
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Too many bowls, too few black coaches (Jeorge Cum Guest Columnist Basketball's "March Madness" has nothing on the college football bowl frenzy - 34 games over a 19-day period spanning the last month of the old year and the first month of the new one Let's face it. not all 68 teams deserve to be in a bowl. Some - including North Carolina State. Kentucky. Bowling Green, Southern Mississippi. Northern Illinois, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt - got invitations after winning only 50 percent of their games. Even worse, nine teams - including Florida Atlantic and Memphis - are going to bowls after accumulating losing records. Unfortunately, bowl games are no longer rewards for an excellent season. Now, it's all about the money. And the more bowls, the more money. "An oversaturalion of bowl ganjgs tj not _Jny No.l com plaint against college football Rather, it's the fact that approximately half of the play ers are African- Amencans~ye* only 3 .4 percent of the college football coaches are Black. That's four among the 119 major division coaches. According to the Institute for Diversity and Ethics . in Sports at Central Florida University, that's the fewest Black coaches in 15 years. As recently as 1997. there were twice as' many African American coaches as there are how. Evidently, the football sidelines suffer from the same on-field racial stereotypes of the past. For years, they said Blacks were excellent players but didn't have the intellect to play the so-called "thinking positions" - quarterback and middle linebacker. Of course, that was pure hogwash. For years. Grambling, Florida A&M and Tennessee State were football powerhouses and it wasn't because they played 10 men on each side of the ball - or without a coach on the sideline. And. if there wette any lin gering doubts about the Black , Turner Gill gndjron intellect, they were removed by Washington Redskins quarterback Doug Williams' MVP {performance in Super Bowl XXII and when two Black head coaches, Tony Dui]gy and .Lovie Smith, paced the sidelines in Super Bowl XLI. Of the~32 NFL coaches, seven are Black, largely because the league adopted the Rooney Rule requiring teams to inter\ tew at leasi one person of color for all head coach vacancies If African Americans can coach in the pros, they certainly can suc ceed at the college level. In addition to the failure to interview ,an ample number of top-flight Black assistant coaches for openings, many universities are still more Will ing to recycle failed White coaches than take a chaifce on a promising -African American. Two examples immediately come to mind. Auburn University "hired Gene .Chizik as itj; new head coach after he went 5-19 over two seasons at Iowa State, including 10 straight losses. Meanwhile, the University of Tennessee, eager to get back on the winning track after forcing out Phillip Fulmer, hired another losing coach. LanefcKiffin. formerly of the Oakland Raiders Kiffin was fired by the NFL team after compiling a record of 5-15. These . two losers were hired while promising African-American coaches were ignored, some of whom had turned around losing pro grams. For example. Turner Gill rook over a -program at Buffalo that had not won five games in a season for nearly a decade Within three \ ears he turned it into Mid-American Conference champion and this /ear had a record of 8-5 ? When Auhum selected Gene Chizik over Gill, one of its most famous alums Charles Barkiey. was livid "1 think race was the No. 1 factor." sajd Barkiey. "You can say it's not about race, but you can't compare the two resumes and say |Chutk| deserved the job Out of all thrcoaches they interviewed. Chizik probably - had the worst resume " How do we put an end to this nonsense'.' One approach would be to adopt a college version of the Rodney Rule Some have sug gested calling it the Robinson Rule, in honor Doug Williams' former coach. Eddie Robinson of Grambling. For that "to" work, however, penalties must be assessed against universi ties that fail to cooperate. A sure-fire way of forcing change would be for star high school players and their par ents to spurn athletic programs that spurn Black leadership. If players refuse to enroll in uni versities ttvat ha\e never hired a Black head coach in any sport or an- African-Amepcan athletic director aj, any time, universities would finally get the message. What I like about this approach is that it empow ers the athlete and does not rely on the so-called good will of school}, eager to exploit Black athletes. Five bowls - the Rose. Orange, Fiesta. Sugar, "and BCS championship game - will each generate S17 million for 'schools and their respec ti\e conference-NN*iT Blacks stop playing for schools that refuse to hire African Americans in leadership posi tions. that .would lessen the chances of universities getting a .share of that lucrative pie. With so much money in jeop ardy. universities wili be forced to do the right thing. George E. Curry, former editor-irirChief of Emerge magazine arid the S'NPA N'ew$ Service, is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. He can he reached through his Web site, v,>ww.georgei:urrx.com. Hill from page HJ" me a lot. And my coach let me play." Foster definitely got off. I know you're probably wondering what about him reminds me of Chris Paul. Well, first he. has this unassuming lit tle boy face. Foster looks as innocent as a church boy. But no one is causing more fits than him on. the court. He's quick to do little slick things to his opponent that only a trained eye could see. He's also- not the biggest guard around. Just like Chris back when he played J.V ball. Another thing I liked about Foster was his ability to control the game. His coach will tell you that's one of the areas he needs ter work on. 1 will tell you that he's-. got it. You hear people say that certain athletes have that "it factor?" -Well, Foster has that. He's also smart. He never Seems to be rattled. Even when his squad was down by about 10 points, he- maintained fot'us and poise. "I was a little worried." Foster said. especially , when we. were down. Of course. you're going to get a little worried if you get down. But I still needed to keep working 1 knew .we could come back. You saw that we were down by 10 and came back. That just shows that the team didn't want to lose." Reagan head JV' coach Mike Russell added, '* Reynolds has a .very good team. They^ve (also) got a very good .point guard in Jerran Foster. He does a good job running that team. He's really smooth, "and doesn't get rattled." " That's what I was saying, copch" 1 really enjoyed watching J-Fos'ter get down. 1 even found myself cheering or showing emotion after watching "Foster do something nasty on the court. Trust me when I 'said he did plenty that would have you impressed. Put it this way, 1 didn't go to one game of the Frank Spencer, and 1 didn't feel like I , missed any thing after witnessing what Foster did during the- tournament. That's the truth . And , so is Jerran . Extended Lash J\' All-Tournament Team It's always hard to only reward six players for. (he jr, play during the Chronicle/ Lash Tournament, So. I thought I'cJ list some of the guys that would've rhade the All-Tournament team 'If' it consisted of 15 players instead of only six. First, let's name the six that were recognized on Monday. The MVP was Jerran Foster, of course. Th^n, Jontu Brown (Reynolds), Dakota Raymond (Reagan), Vic Williams (West), Tre Douthit (Mt. Tabor) and Trey Ervin (Mt. Tabor). I would've also included Pat Nicholson (Mt Tabor), Matt Turner (Mt. Tabor) and Bra4 McGriff (Mt. Tabor). From Reynolds, I would've included Tyler Blue and Alex McCallister. Four more? I'd go with North Forsyth's Trenj Coles, East Forsyth's Randy Morrison and Da'Quan "DQ" McKinnie. The last two would've probably been Reagan V Jamie Buckley and Will Carter. Carter reminds me of Milsap with the Utah Jazz. Those are the 15 players I would've put on the All-Tournament team. I felt like all of those gOys madd this past tournament one of the most ?exciting ever. I honestly enjoyed every minute. I'm already looking forward to next year. Anthony Hill is the sports editor for The Chronicle. He can he reached at 722-8624- (ext. Ill ) or ahill@wschronicle.com. Bines from page HI prominent national leagues such as the AFL.CFL and NFL. "This is the beginning." said Team co-owner and UFA East Commissioner Clayton Banner, who's a former West Forsyth ath lete. "This is the grass roots^ But it's goijig to be a big thing. Football is the one sport that does n't have a farm system. There are so mSny young men playing col lege football that don't get to con tinue after college. Their careers end right when they're' getting good. Why should it end? Guys can continue their careers in this league. We have number of local players that have already signed on to join us." One of the local football stars that's' already signed on to play with the new indoor team is former Winston-Salem State football star Jed Bines. "You never want to quit playing until you can't play anymore," Bines said during a press confer ence last month. "Just the opportu nity to go to the next level still motivates you. That . motivates me I just want the opportuni ty" The League began last year based in Texas with eight teams and was a huge success;, according to re pre - s e n t a t i v e s . Approximately 30 players and four coaches out of eight teams received opportunities to move up in their cargers. wmrwm Jhe Carolina Kenegaaes will call the new Proehlifi'c Park the home. The new facility, which is the only certified NfL combine training facility in the state, is owned by EX-NFL wide out Ricky Proehl. The Renegades are owned by Dale "Coaeh G" Glossenger and Brad Tucker. They will host their first (open) tryout on Jan. 3. UFA ? . East ' will begin league plav i-n February , at Ricky Prpehl's state of the art indoor facility R e g is t ration begins at 9 a m 7, and tryout starts at Itt u.rn. Pre-registration cost "is S3 5. That increases to- S40 dur ing day of try outs. All interested players should be at least 18 yearsv>ld. with valid ID. shorts and tennis shoes. No cleats Proehl _ J needed. The eight-team league win oegm play in February.. For more infor mation about -the Carolina Renegades visit the team website at www.renegadesfootball.com Also, visit r . www.myspace.eoni/car oftnarenegadesfootball . Glossenger can be reached at cq*tl5g@rene gadesfootball.com Youth league atso coming A youth indoor football league will also be added to the many new attractions of Ricky Proehl's state of the art indoor facility, Proehlific Park. . ^ "We're getting ready to also have 4 youth, indoor league." Banner said, "We want to work with the Pop Warner and other youth leagues for training as well. A lot of Schools doh'l have huddle" school or junior high football. Nor do we have spring ball. This will provide those kids with the oppor tunity to play The new youth league will also benefit the many kids that don't get the opportunity to play Pop Warner because of size and other issues." For more information about the youth league, contact Glossenger at 336*406-4344 or coqchg@rene - gadesfootbaU.com. *'?). Hardy from pfij> c B I Demons, who are . presently 7-4. rtarcfy is averaging 14 points per game to go along with seven rebounds, two blocks and' two steals per game. She's also provid ing a spark for Reynolds in the paint ? as well as the perimeter. "At North she was asked to do more in the paint,", said Gray. "She's transitioning between three and four. Her outside shot is very good. But we're working on her dribbling and finishing. But she's . one of our beast on "the .boards. Her and Yaz ( Yasmeen Alston) Hardy added: "I -want to dribble better. 1 want to .see the floor better. I basically want to Be a better guard because 1 know 1 won't be playing in the paint in college. I will be a point guard on the next level." Hardy is already getting some' college attention too. Several schools have showed interest in her this year. "But I don't have any guaran tees yet," Hardy said. "I'm just going to continue to work hard and help my teammates on the court. Hopefully that stuff will take care of itself." Gray added: "She's getting some attention from colleges. We're also trying to promote her through our team. She also plays AAU with the Stealers. That's help- , ing as well. It's really up to her with how far she w ants to take her career. She has to continue to progress and play hard. If she does what she has to do then people will recognize that, arid 'Want 'her." Bumpy move Hardy was a -little worried that her new teammates wouldn't accept her at first. She thought girls would simply think she wanted to come and take over their team. "It \^as a little difficult with the gjrls at first,"' said Hardy, who's also maintained an A and fi average JiTite the first grade "Some people probably thought. I was going to try to come and take over when 1 first got here, But we've: alt gotten to know each other very well. We've all bonded well. It's all good now." Reynolds front page B l ' - named tournament MVP. Foster finished with 27 points, five assists and four rebounds. Despite the charge from Reynolds, Mt. Tabor fought back in front late in the second quarter. The Spartans took a 33-29 lead into the locker room at the half. Trey Ervin put the Spartans on his back midway through the sec ond quarter to lead the run. He cut the Demon lead to 27-20 after connecting with two free throws. That was followed by a basket by Turner, to make the score 27-22. Ervin went on to score the next 6 points to give Mt. Tabor a 33 27 lead. But Reynolds guard Jonathan Booker made the score 33-29 after hitting a 13-foot jump shot right before the first half buzzer sounded. ?? Mt. Tabor maintained a 47-41 lead over Reynolds heading into the fourth quarter. The Spartans seemed to keep Reynolds off balance. But the Demons found a comfort zone after allowing Mt. Tabor to go up 49-41 early in the final quarter. That;s when Brown, Joshua Jackson, Foster and Tyler Blue got it going for the Demons. Jackson provided a -spark for the Demons after two Dwight-Howard-like blocks around the basket: Alex McCallister was big for the Demons with his rebounds , and putbacks down the stretch. Jackson made the score 49-45 with under 6:00 to go in the game Then. Foster hit a- 3 pointer to pull Reynolds to within one (48-49) with 5:47 go to. Blue tied the game up with 1:|5 to go in the contest after a strong tip in. The score remained locked at 56. for the next 30 sec onds. But Reynolds went up for good after JonUi Brown came through with an exciting and-one play with 40.2 left in the game On the play. Brown flashed to the paint and dipped under neath a Spartan defender before flicking the ball good on a finger roll attempt. Brown" hit the free throw to give Reynolds a 59-56 lead. Dvontae Jones iced the victory for Reynolds after con necting with' four free throws down the stretch.. "We missed two box outs from free throws at the end," said Mt Tabor head JV coach Marc Raye. "I felt like the outcome might've been dif ferent if could 've gotten thos'e rebounds. I'm very disappointed for the sophomores. This is Jhpto by Tim Wiiioif Ml. Tabor ft&shman Torey Raskins goes for a shot during the title match-up on Monday night. tough. When you get on a winning streak you feel like you can't be beat sometimes. Reality sets in when.it happens." \ . , "They just wanted it more tonight." Raye continued. "Jerran Foster is an outstanding play er. Coach C'oker is an outstanding coach. They -have a greif^team. Hats off to all of theuft " The standout players for Reynolds were Jerran Foster. Jontu ' Brown, Tyler Blue, McCallister, Trent Miller. Dvontae Jones and Josh Jackson. ? . Note;.,J".he members ,aj" the Chronicle Lash All-Tournament tSam were Dakota Raymond, (Reagan). Vic Williams (West). Trey Ervin (Mt. Tabor). Tre Douthii (Ml Tabor), Jontu Brown (Reynolds) and Jerran Foster. (Reynolds), Foster was named tournament NTVP.~"~ ~~ ? ? ~ ~
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 1, 2009, edition 1
13
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75