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PVPP mm 2C SPORTS/Ttte C^tlotte ^ot Thursday, September 29, 2005 JCSU, livingstMie plav to escape GIAA cellar Continued from page 1C “Evaything’s mental, and that’s where we have to go back and keep working with our kids and looking at their mistakes,” McNeill said. “As long as they see it’s their mis takes, that’s fine. No one has really beaten us except for Glenville (State in the open er). You’ve just got to keep pushing.” For the third consecutive year, both schools are winless going against each other and are the only CIAA teams without a win. Livingstone, under first-year head coach and former Garinger High, N.C. Central and NFL stand out Robert Massey, fell to 0-5 with a 49-27 road loss to Shaw last week. Over the past six games, the teams have split 3-3. “We’re going to play hard. do the best we can and good things are going to happen to us,” said McNeill, who returned to Smith this year and was previously head coach fixjm 1995-96. After Livingstone, Smith’s schedule turns murderous. Road games against unbeat en St. Augustine’s, two-time CIAA West champion Fayetteville State and Winston-Salem State loom before the regular-season finale against undefeated N.C. Central. McNeill still believes the young Bulls can salvage the season with more consistency “Honestly, I thought we would be 5-0 or 4-1,” he said. ‘Tou can go back throu^ every game and find three or four plays here or there, and we could honestly be that. I just hate it for our (five) sQiiors. They deserve better.” Lester puts up career-best results in NASCAR Truck Series Continued from page 1C Indianapolis 500 (1991, 1993) and the first to com pete full-time in the C]hampionship Auto Racing Tfeams series. (George Mack, a former Morehouse College student, had the best Indy 500 finish (17th) in 2002 and was the first Afiican- American to campaign an entire Indy Racing League season. But botii left open- wheel racing for lack of spon sorship, the mother’s milk of big-league motorsports. Ribbs later joined NASCAR’a TVuck Series in 2001, making him the first black driver in that sanction ing body's modem era. Lester, who eclipsed the $1 million mark in earnings this year, has benefitted fix)m top-flight equipment with BDR and the backing of Tbyota. Although Lester has yet to get into \^ctory Lane, he’s won three career poles, including a couple in 2005. He also recorded a career- best finish of fourth this sea son at Kansas Speedway “In a nutshell, Fve got to be happy with how the season has gone,” Lester said. “I’m happy because I’m doing what I want to do in my life. I’m working with a great team in Bill Davis Racing and a great manufacturer in Tbyota. We’ve had good runs, we just haven’t gotten all the results we want. Until you get that first win and become a force to be reckoned with, there’s always room for improvement. ” Smith at top of his game since return As Lester’s results improve, so has his stature. As NASCAR’s diversity efforts take root with initia tives like CTiarlotte-based Drive for Diversity, a pipeline of new drivers may be established. Meanwhile, Lester is the black face of a sport that’s lacking in that regard. ‘"What I’m trying to do is bring more ®qx)sure to kids of color and you can do any thing you want to do with your life,” said Lester, who is in his fourth Truck cam paign, the first with Bill Davis Racing. “That’s a tremendous response, but it’s secondary I don’t see myself as a black race driver, Fm a race car driver who happens to be black. If kids see me and want to be like me, that’s great.” Continued from page 1C one the leading receivers in the NFL. He’s currently ranked third in the league in receiving yards with 342 yards and tied for first in receptions with 23. As the Panthers’ go-to-guy on third down situations, he leads the league in third down receiving yards with eight catches for 116 yards. Smith sees himself as a playmaker rather than a leader on the team. He says that the fear of failure is what he thrives on to make plays. And when he makes plays. he’s bound to have fim doing it. “When it’s all said and done, hopefully I maintain and keep doing what I’m doing and Fll be on the right path,” said IsmuiimtciaJ Oklahoma City to reap benefits from Hornets THE ASSOCIATED PRESS OKLAHOMA aTY - The relocation of the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets to Oklahoma City will bring an estimated $57 million impact on the local economy, according to a study released by the city The study shows money fix)m the NBA team spread ing to all comers of the state, helping government budgets and bolstering business. And while local businesses stand to reap tens of millions of dollars, oflBdals say other long-term rewards are in store as well. “The biggest benefit we’re going to get out of this whole deal is Oklahoma City’s name being in every news paper, on every TV, every radio station for the whole season and beyond,” former Oklahoma C^ty Mayor Ron Norick said. ‘You cannot buy that kind of publicity” Bricktown business own ers hope NBA fans will fill hotels and pack bars and restaurants. The games will enhance revenues during the traditionally slow winter season. “It’s going to boost rev enues for everybody,” said Jeremy Drum, assistant manager at Mickey Mantle Steakhouse in Bricktown. "It’s going to be like 35 obn- certs coming to our dty” Purchases on game days for lodging, food and enter tainment should total $31 million for the season, the dty study shows. That would generate about $915,000 in sales taxes for the dty and more than $1 million for the state. The dty expects Hornets players to spend some of their salaries in Oklahoma, generating more tax money and helping business. But their m^or finandal contri bution may be in income tax applied to their combined $57 million salary The state will get about $3.6 million of that in income tax collections. Ticket sales could generate money for the dty, the state and a local business group if revenues pass $42.5 million. As part of the dty’s contract with the team, profits past that mark get split in half between the NBA and the three risk-sharing partners. CTiris Granger, the NBA’s vice president of business development, said ticket sales so far have “ejqjloded beyond our expectations.” “I’he phones haven’t .stopped ringing” for season and packaged ticket sales, he said. Most offidals and business leaders interviewed said they’re not worried that the Hornets might only be here one year, as is established in their contract with the dty It’s all about building toward the futiu^. Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce Chairman Fred Jones Hall said. Hall called this kind of national publidty “price less.” He said the chamber had already marked the past two years as "breakout years” for Oklahoma City The goal of that label was to move Oklahoma City from a dty with regional recogni tion to one with national sta tus. “This puts us in that pan theon” of spotU^t dties like Chicago and Cincinnati, he said. ^ I .’I ...C - 4 I TateOntMlif • tmf II wfatgs 1 5 wtags FfMl • lay 21 wtais I gat 10 wtags fnat PoBt nHsi Of - I i ||| M I' ^ vTas/S'iy,^ OcL 5, 2005 a 10PII M«t b* 2t w OMf . B wHI be Gbtcfced f UMlOft A Tree Without Roots will Ole! Revive Your Soul OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK - BREAKFAST SERVED Thurs. - Sat 11PM UntU 4AM ■ LUNCH SERVED DALY 11AM - 3PM 704-537-2447 5546AlieiiiaitePld. • Ctiailotte, NC 28212 -Faic 704537-2448 MEAC finding its voice in Triangle Now is the time to do your house hunting! The first thing MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas noticed was my shirt. Besides the eye blinding bright orange color, the letters “CTAA” appeared on the upper left shoulder. Grossly out of place at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game between North Carolina A&T and Hampton in Greensboro Sept, 15, Thomas quipped “We’ve got to get you another shirt.” The MEAC staflf will need to pass out more than just one shirt if they plan to gamer half of the recc^nition and economic empowerment as the six-year run of the C)entral Intercollegiate Athletic Assodation tournament. Thomas was like a kid in a candy store because the Thursday night gome was being broadcast on ESPNU. “Look at this - the pageantry. BONriTA Best the exdtement, the enthusiasm.” he said. “That’s what Division I brings to the table. This is great.” Great fca* the 4 million or so who could actu ally see the game. Four mil is no chump change mind you, but well below the 85.6 million that watched the CIAA tournament on ESPN2 or ESPN aassic. Ironically, the MEACTs identity challenge is similar to that of ESPNU. The latest spinoff to ESPN is still finding its own voice and respect fiom catde operators. The dty of Ralei^ knows the MEAC is another HBCU basketball tournament. It’s just not sure who or what it’s all about. Thomas is hoping the MEACs DivisicHi I sta tus will be the selling point. “TiVe play North Carolina and Duke and other ACC teams.” he said. “Our tournament winner goes to the Big Dance.” TVue. Who can foiget — espedally Carolina fans - when Hamptcn strolled into Chapel Hill in 2001 and whupped the Tar Heels 77-69? Or Hampton’s bcaiehiUing upset of No. 2 Iowa State in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tbumament. Thomas has hired two maiketing^ublic rela tions fiirms to promote the event, and fiom the looks of things, they have their hands full. ‘TVe need to educate the Wake (hunty com munity about the MEAC,” Thomas said. “They need to know about our product. We’re going to start meeting with the public, meeting with different groups so that they can get to know us. It’s being set up now.” The MEAC has scheduled its basketball media luncheon for Oct. 13 at the RBC C^enter. There is just one probl^n - at least for those organizations with a small sports staff - the CTAA basketball luncheon is set for the same day at the exact same time at the Chaiiotte Convention Center. Hopefully, the MEAC will reschedule; if not, that means Thomas is trying to make some sort of statement against the CTAA. One he’s bound to lose. Despite the bad blood between the dty and the CTAA, there are three area schods that belong to the conference, which should take precedence over a new conference that has yet to establish itself in the area. Besides, if Ralei^ acts anything like it did during the CTAA’s first year, skeptics will abotmd imtil the final receipt slip is counted after the MEAC tournament in March. Bonitta Best is sports editor at The Triangle Tribune in Durham. GOLF ROUND Sons of Allen tournament Greater Bethel AME Church will host the Sons of Allen brotherhood golf tournament Friday at Sun^t Hills (jolf Course. R^istration is 8:15 a m. and play starts at 9 a.m R^istration fee is $50 per player and (X)v- ers green fees, cart, bucket of balls and limch Tbophies will go to tc^ five scores. For infcffmatitxi, call (704) 502-6870 or (704) 724-4052. • Andre Robinson won the The to Green Gkdf Assodation tournament Sept 24-25 at River Bend Gdf Club in Shelby Robinson fired a two-round total of 147 to fin ish a pair of shots ahead d Otis Worthy Kendu Dunlap was third in the championship flight at 150. Whether it's a 16,20 or 30 year loan - whatever loan program fits your needs - Optimum Mortage Group is pleased to offer p at least 1/2% off yoiff interest rate duntig these 3 days oiffy at the Chaiiotte Merchandise Mart. 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Sept. 29, 2005, edition 1
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