8
The News Argus
Jan. 28, 2008
Silent but
Sports
Photo by Garrett Garms
Jamal Durham scored a season-high 25 points vs. UMES.
deadly
Steven J. Gaither
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
What a difference a year
makes.
Last January, Winston-
Salem State forward Jamal
Durham was playing out of
position at the center slot.
Most nights, he was
matched up against players
who stood 4 to 5 inches taller.
To make matters worse, the
Rams were in the midst of the
worst season at school his
tory, finishing at 5-24 in their
first Division I season.
With the Rams devoid of
another true inside presence,
Durham was asked to guard
the opponent's big men,
including Georgetown 7-2
center Roy Hibbert and
Kansas Darrell Arthur.
Durham's numbers
dropped considerably from
his freshman season. His
scoring average dropped
from 9.7 to 8.1, and his shoot
ing percentage dropped from
45 to just under 40 percent.
This season, however, the
Rams have added more
height to their lineup with 6-9
forward Paul Davis, 6-10 cen
ter Corey Morris, and 6-8 for
ward Mclntoche Alcius, all
freshmen.
The Rams' added height
and playing against smaller
MEAC opponents have
allowed Durham more free
dom on the court. Thus,
allowing him to have his
most consistent season yet.
Through 14 games,
Durham was the Rams' lead
ing scorer at 11.3 points per
game, their second-leading
rebounder at 5.1 per game.
He was also second in min
utes played and blocks. On
Jan. 12, had his best game of
the season, scoring 25 points
and grabbing eight rebounds
as the Rams ran University of
Maryland-Eastern Shore
ragged in a 105-59 win.
"The added height and the
new players are helping out a
lot," Durham said. "They're
contributing off the bench,
giving some quality min
utes."
WSSU's head coach Bobby
Collins has liked what he's
seen out of Durham so far
this season.
"Jamal Durham has been
playing extremely well for us;
he's been playing consistent,"
said Collins. "It just seems
like he's a more rested Jamal
Durham this year.
"I knew he could shine
within this league. He's play
ing extremely well for us, he's
hitting open shots, he's crash
ing the boards, and he's
doing a really great job for
us," he said.
As one of the elder states
men of the team, Durham
says that this year he's lead
ing by example. "If I don't
do my best, I can't expect the
freshman to do their best,"
Durham said. "My role is to
rebound and to contribute
any way I can. If I'm on the
floor I'm gonna rebound,
score when I have the chance,
just be a leader."
One area that Collins
would like to see Durham
improve is his vocal leader
ship.
"One thing that I wish he
would do more is communi
cate his leadership instead of
just showing it. Sometimes
you have guys who show
their leadership, he's one that
just does it by example. He
doesn't talk a lot, but he
wants to win as much as the
next guy."
News Argus File Photo
William “Big Plays” Hayes was selected to the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star
Game. Hayes is shown making a tackle against
Sports Briefs
Winston-Salem State University defen
sive end William Hayes has been invited
to play in the Texas vs. The Nation All-
Star Game in El Paso on Feb. 2, at 6 p.m.
at the Sun Bowl.
The Texas vs. The Nation Game is a
post-season college football all-star game
that was established in 2006 as part of
the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football
season. The format of the game pits a
team of top-rated college seniors who
played college or high school football in
Texas against a squad of top-rated sen
iors from the rest of the nation. Seniors
rated in the top 15 at their position by
the NFL are eligible to play in the game.
The game is held in El Paso at the Sun
Bowl Stadium. The first occurrence of
the game was held on Feb. 2, 2007, to
conclude the college football season, and
was broadcast on CSTV. The 2008 edi
tion of the Texas vs. The Nation game
will again be broadcast live on CSTV at 3
p.m. (Mountain Time) from the Sun
Bowl in El Paso.
Former Alabama and Texas A&M
head football coach Gene Stallings will
lead Team Texas in the second annual
Texas vs. the Nation all-star bowl.
Stallings will go head-to-head with for
mer Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago
Bears coach Buddy Ryan in his second
year as head coach for Team Nation.
Last year, Ryan led Team Nation to a 24-
20 victory over Team Texas and looks to
defend the Nation's title this year.
Hayes, a senior who led the Rams in
sacks last season, has been training in
Naples, Fla., with several other players
in preparation for the game.
With the invitation to the game,
Hayes will get more exposure with the
hopes of getting drafted by an NFL team
in April. Scouts from 25 NFL teams came
to WSSU during the 2007 season to
watch Hayes play.
Hayes led WSSU with 8.5 sacks and
was second on the team in total tackles
with 78. He also broke up three passes
and recovered four fumbles, two of
which he returned for touchdowns for
the Rams.
Over his past two seasons at WSSU,
Hayes, a former star at High Point
Andrews, combined for 16 sacks and 129
tackles.
Of the two rosters from last season's
Texas vs. The Nation game, 78 players
signed NFL contracts.
4:4: :f; * * + +
RALEIGH
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
(MEAC) announced a special game for
the 2008 MEAC Basketball Tournament
during a press conference Tuesday at the
RBC Center in Raleigh. The announce
ment revealed that the North Carolina
Central Eagles and the Winston-Salem
State Rams men's basketball teams will
compete in a bonus game on
Championship Saturday, March 15, of
the 2008 basketball tournament.
"We are excited that the North
Carolina Central University and
Winston-Salem State University men's
teams will be competing against each
other on championship Saturday," said
MEAC Commissioner Dennis E.
Thomas.
"We want to galvanize the Eagle and
Ram fans base, alumni and students to
experience what our tournament is all
about. We feel this is an excellent oppor
tunity for both teams to showcase their
institutions."
The bonus game is an added event of
the 2008 MEAC Basketball Tournament.
The game will tip off between the
women's and men's championship game
on Saturday, March 15 at 4:30 p.m. The
matchup between the two teams will be
the first since their move up to Division I.
"The MEAC is a great conference
with a strong history and tradition and
we are honored to participate," said
Ingrid Wicker-McCree, Interim Director
of Athletics, North Carolina Central
University.
"I am excited about our student-ath-
letes and coaches having the opportu
nity to participate with Winston-Salem
State University. Both schools are mak
ing great progress in their transition to
Division I and I think this tournament
will showcase what we have to offer to
the Division I membership."
"We are excited about this opportu
nity," stated Dr. Chico Caldwell, Director
of Athletics, of Winston-Salem State
University. "When you are a reclassify
ing institution and in transition to
Division I you look for any opportunity
to showcase your team and institution. I
think it is a great opportunity not only
for our basketball team, but also for our
institution."
"We said since the beginning of our
reclassification that this was not just an
athletic transition, this is a transition for
our university and an opporturuty to
showcase our university as a part of the
MEAC," Caldwell said.
It was the fall
of a champion
Jerrod Johnson
STAFF REPORTER
On Oct. 5, 2007, Olympic gold medalist
Marion Jones admitted to lying about using
performance-enhancing drugs during a 2000
investigation.
"(And so) it is vdth a great amount of
shame that I stand before you and tell you
that I have betrayed your trust," said Jones
tearfully on the U.S. Federal Courthouse
steps in White Plains, New York. "I want you
all to know that today I plead guilty to two
counts of making false statements to federal
agents."
A former American athlete in track and
field, Jones won two bronze and three gold
medals in the 2000 Summer Olympics in
Sydney, Australia. However, rumors surfaced
that Jones was using performance-enhancing
drugs to accomplish these amazing feats. Her
ex-husband, C.J. Hunter, a former shot-putter
and confessed steroid user (he was banned
from the 2000 Olympics for traces of nan-
drolone), swore under oath that he witnessed
Jones using steroids in the Olympic Village.
In the BALCO case in 1999, Jones denied to
federal investigators that she was using the
steroid Tetrahydrogestrinone, more famil
iarly known as THG or "The Clear." She
claimed she was made to believe she was
taking some flaxseed oil supplement.
Jones' former coach, Trevor Graham, was
involved in a major 2005 drug scandal,
revealing that many athletes have used per
formance-enhancing drugs. Baseball player
Barry Bonds was among the athletes
involved. Jones denied using such drugs her
self until earlier this month. In a published
letter, Jones admitted she had used steroids
until she stopped training with Graham in
2002; she later confessed to lying when fed
eral agents questioned her in 2003, panicking
when they presented a sample of THG.
"To you, my fans," Jones said in her Oct. 5
speech, "including my young supporters, the
United States Track and Field Association,
my closest friends, my attorneys, and the
most classy family a person could ever hope
for—namely my mother, my husband, my
children, my brother and his family, my
uncle, and the rest of my extended family. I
want you to know that I have been dishonest.
And you have the right to be angry with
me."
With her family behind her at the podium,
Jones then armoxmced her retirement from
the sport of track and field.
As a result of her admission of guilt, Jones
was asked to return the five medals won in
the 2000 Summer Olympics. In addition, all
awards and honors awarded to her since
September 1, 2000, will be revoked.
International Association of Athletics
Federation (lAAF) president Lamine Diack
stated that Jones would be remembered as
one of the biggest frauds in sporting history.
There are just as many willing to defend
Jones's character as there are those willing to
attack it. Lauryn Williams, a 2004 Olympic
silver medalist in the women's 100 meters,
posted in a blog at The Home of World
Champions website
(http://web.wcsn.com/index.jsp) that she had
conflicting views toward the disgraced
Olympian.
"When it comes to my feelings toward
Marion, I am back and forth between sad for
her imfortunate situation and angry at the
mess she has created and left for current ath
letes to clean up."
WiUiams then said that Jones had treated
her "like a little sister" in the 2004 Olympics,
and said she does not believe that Jones is a
bad person. However, she does believe that
Jones should attempt to redeem the sport.
"She shouldn't go hide now in shame.. .she
should speak to children about how not to
make the same mistake," Williams stated.
Former sprinter Ben Johnson wasn't
shocked by Jones' confession. In fact, he says,
he expected it.
"More athletes should admit they use
banned drugs as well," Johnson said.
Johnson himself ran a gold-winning,
record-setting 9.79 seconds in the 100-meter
race at the 1988 Seoul Olympics but was
fovmd to have used the steroid stanozolol
and was stripped of both honors.
"I believe that everyone on the interna
tional level is using performance-enhancing
drugs," Johnson said in a radio interview
with Al-Jazeera in London on Oct. 12, 2007.
"And, you know, it's widespread and it's
going to continue on. A lot more people [are]
going to be also coming forward."