3C
SPORTS/S^l^e Charlotte
Thursday, July 27, 2006
MEAC votes Winston-Salem in as 12th member
Continued from page 1C
program in the league, join
ing N.C. A&T and S.C, State.
• The 2006 football TV
package includes seven regu
lar-season games on ESPNU.
The season kicks off Sept. 2
with Delaware State against
Florida A&M in the Ford
Labor Day Classic in Detroit,
and ending Nov 18 with the
Florida Classic between
Bethune-Cookman and
FAMU in Orlando. Hampton,
last year’s league champion,
will make four appearances,
the most of any school.
Bethxme-Cookman wiU make
three.
“From aU indications, vying
for this year’s championship
most hkely will go down to
the last weekend,” MEAC
Commissioner Dennis
Thomas said. “The 2006 tele
vision schedule gives our fans
an opportunity to closely
watch the race from begin
ning to end.”
• Professional baseball wiU
have to wait for N.C. A&Ts
Jeremy Jones.
The Aggies star decided this
to return to school for his
senior year despite being
drafted in the 25th round by
the Colorado Rockies- Jones
drew Colorado’s interest
despite a broken hand that
all but wiped out his jimior
season, but after consulting
with his parents decided
another year in Greensboro is
b^ for his academic and ath
letic development. He wants
to earn his degree in fitness
and wellness and help A&T
back to the top of the MEAC
pile.
“1 felt like I owed the team
another year,” he said. “It did
n’t feel right leaving A&T now,
it didn’t feel right leaving
A&T after coming off an
injury Coming bade for anoth
er year gives me an opportu-
Sting seeks answers to skid
Continued from page 1C
“2k)ne makes you settle for
outside shots and shots you
don’t usually take,” said
rookie guard
Monique
Currie, who
finished with
two points
against
Phoenix.
Although
the Stu^ took
a good amoimt
of high percentage shots,
they’d need more than a 40
percent shooting average to
beat the highest scoring
team in the league. They
didn’t; but they still have a
chance to come out on top
with the ten games they
have left. “
Currie
The Sting has already
overcome one obstacle,
they’ve won more games
than they did last year.
“Before we were letting our
heads hang, now we are
fighting back hard, because
we know we are still in the
game,” said forward Tangela
Smith. “We just have too
short a season to focios on
one loss. We can’t get too
high on wins or too low on
losses. Wejust have to keep
fighting and control the
tempo fi'om beginning to
end.”
At 7-17, the Stii^is still in
playoff contention; though
they are a long shot they
could still get in by making
up five
Washington.
“We have 10 games left
and anj4hing can happen,”
said Bogues. ‘We just have
to continue to play better
and keep improving, and
that’s what we are going to
do until it’s all over with.”
After facing Minnesota on
die road, the Sting returns
home on Saturday to play
Eastern Conference rival
New York 6 p.m. at
Chai'lotte Bobcats Arena.
nity to work vidth (head coach
Keith) Shumate on various
aspects of my game.
Jones, who can re-enter the
M^or League di-aft in 2007
and be available for any team
to select, was MEAC player of
the year in 2005, when he hit
*
.402, set a school record for
hits in a season with 82 and
led the Aggies to the league
title. Jones has a career bat
ting average of .368, a .528
slugging percentage, nine
homers and 73 runs batted in.
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Week of 07/26/06 thru 08/01/06
Raiders set to open
first camp after
Shell’s return
By Josh Dubow
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ALAMEDA, Calif - Before the Oakland Raiders even arrive
at thdr first training camp in Art Shell’s second stint as coach,
it’s dear that few jobs are safe.
Shell has already penciled in two rookies as starters - second-
round pick Thomas Howard at outside linebacker and third-
round pick Paul McQuistan at ri^t guard - and first-rouild pick
Michael Huff is also in the mix at safety
After three straight losing seasons for the first time in A1
Davis’ more ihan four-decade tenure with the team, Shell
knows changes are necessary
“I want the best football players out there,” Shell said. “In this
league you can play with young guys if the guy has talent.
They’re going to make some mistakes, but you can hve with
them if they make them aggressively”
The Raiders report to their training camp in Napa on Monday
with two-a-day practices in pads in the heat of wine country set
to begin the following day Shell has been pleased with his
team’s offseason workouts and wants to carry that attitude over
into the season.
Shell, who coached the Raiders previously fix)m 1989-1994,
had a 54-38 regular-season record his fimt time aroimd, leading
the Raiders to the AFC championship game following the 1990
season. The team has had only three winning seasons since
Shell was fired - one less than he had in five full seasons as
coach.
“These guys are tired of losing and want to be part of a win
ning program,” Shell said. “The work ethic this offseason shows
they are on board and want to win. That’s what they are here
for.”
The Raidem went 4-12 last season, leading to coach Norv
Turner being fired after two seasons in Oakland. One of the
biggest problems last season was on the offensive fine, which
couldn’t open up holes for the running game, failed to give the
quarterback enough time to make big plays to Randy Moss
downfield and committed too many penalties.
Robert Gallery the No. 2 overall pick on 2004, is beii^ moved
fiom right to left tackle, where Shell believes he can develop into
a dominant blocker.
‘T think it’s a good fit,” Shell said. “He played it for a number
of years in college. I think he can be outstandir^ at it. I tbiuk
it’s time for him to arrive as a Pro Bowl-type player.”
Barry Sims is slated at left guard., Jake Grove at center,
Langston Walker at right tackle and McQuistan at right guard
ahead of veteran Brad Badger. McQuistan, a four-year starter
at Weber State, impressed the Raiders on film and in offseason
workouts and will be tutored by two Hall of Fame linAmpn in
Shell and offensive fine coach Jackie Slater.
“There are rookies starting in this league every year on the
offensive fine,” Shell said. “Fd feel comfortable if Paul
McQuistan continues to grow as a football player for us and
learns the nuances of pass and run blocking. ”
Wth Howard tentatively on the outside, Kirk Monison has
moved to the middle to replace former starter Danny Clark.
“Danny is an integral part of this football team,” Shell said.
“We are looking at players. Nothing is etched in stone. We don’t
know where well end up for sure. We have a long ways to go
throu^ training camp.”
Free-ageixt Aaron Brooks enters camp as the No. 1 quarter
back replacir^ the released Kerry Collins, but Shell said he’d
fike to give badcups Andrew Waiter and Marques Tbiasosopo
some time with the first team.
“Ri^t now Aaron Brooks is the guy,” Shell said. “He’s starting
at the No. 1 spot going in. We’re still going to take a look at what
we have. You’ve got to have somebody start out, so he’s the guy
who’s starting out.”
Defensive tackle Warren Sapp, who missed the last six games
last season with an injured right shoulder, is healthy for the
start of camp. Receiver Ronald Curry who tore his left Achilles’
tendon in the second game last season, is not quite up to full
speed yet, Shell said.
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9
Good neighbors. Great prices.