Black Jesus aka The Lords Prayer

I need the athletic departments of schools in the MEAC, CIAA, SWAC, and SIAC to get back on their job. It can't be that grades are the issue why the talent will not come or get in. I put the blame on each school, starting with the administration over the years and it goes all the way down to the alumni across the globe. We have to do a much better job representing our universities and colleges to the youth. Having great winning programs equals more dollars for the schools, their current and future students, and their surrounding communities.

The First In "America's League"

On this date in 1924 Larry Doby was born in Camden, South Carolina. He was raised in Paterson, New Jersey and was a local star that would start playing in the Negro Leagues at the age of 17. Doby is most famous for being the second black player to play in the modern major leagues and the first to do so in the American League. Doby was a center fielder who appeared in seven All-Star games and finished second in the 1954 American League MVP voting. Doby would also go on to become the second black manager to lead a Major League team.

Throwback Thursday: Pro Stars Cartoon [Video]

Growing up an 80s baby its funny how this was one of the few cartoons I actually watched. Three super athletes as super heros was a no-brainer for s series. If you played any of these sports, these three were the players to emulate. This cartoon only helped build the mythical personas each one of these guys already had. Bo Jackson, Wayne Gretzky, and Michael Jordan made for great saturday morning entertainment. If you could pick three stars of today for a cartoon series, who would they be?

Today In Black History: Negro League Baseball

On this date in 1930 Andrew "Rube" Foster, the created of the Negro Leagues passed away from complications from his on going battle with his mental illness. Foster had started the league with a couple other owners as a way to better organize black baseball at the time. His influence on black baseball was second to none and it lead many to call him "the father of black baseball". He created the bunt and run as well as help put together the first ever night baseball game. Under Foster, the Negro Leagues became the largest black owned business in America. There are still rumors to this day that Foster's illness which eventually caused his death had foul play involved. He was on the verge of creating a league that could soon become as large as the Major leagues with even better talent. His league not only had black players, but also hired black accountants, bookkeepers, trainers, coaches, as well as other skilled and unskilled labor. These communities that had teams also had growing economies as a direct effect of baseball being there.

Within a year of Foster's death, the great league he created collapsed. It would take many years after his death for the rest of the baseball world to recognize the genius that was Rube Foster. In 1981, he was finally inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame

WRTN...."The Kid" aka "The Natural" aka "Junior"

As I woke up today, the TV was on watching me like most mornings and of course ESPN's Sports Center was on. Like every day of the past month, steroids was one of the lead stories. As more and more names are coming out about alleged use and positive tested players, it makes what Ken Griffey Jr did over most his great career even more remarkable. The numbers that he was able to put up in a era where field players and pitchers were using roids to get a added advantage seem to standout so much more now. The roids cut back recovery time as well as adding pure muscle without much effort. Now some people say that roids don't help hand and eye coordination which is true, but when the player does make enough contact where do you think that ball is going to land? Ding, ding, ding, you guessed correct. The ball is smashed out of the park. Baseball saw the rise in ticket sales and interest and didn't care about pointing out the dopers from the purest like Griffey.

In 1987 Griffrey was selected with the first overall pick of that year's amateur draft by the Seattle Mariners straight out of high school. He was up in the big leagues full time by the spring of 1989 and there was no looking back. Junior would go on to establish himself as arguably the best all around player of the 1990's. In his eleven seasons with Seattle Griffey accumulated 1,752 hits, 398 home runs, 1,152 RBIs, and 167 stolen bases. He led the American League in home runs four seasons (1994, 1997, 1998, and 1999), was voted the A.L. MVP in 1997. As good as he was on offense, it was his play in center field that put him head and shoulders above his peers. With his impressive range, Griffey frequently made spectacular diving plays, and he often dazzled fans by making over-the-shoulder basket catches and by robbing opposing hitters of home runs at the wall—leaping up and pulling them back into the field of play. His remarkable play in the field got him 10 gold gloves over his career. Griffey had everything you could look for in a baseball player. His swing was poetry in motion, never looking rushed. He made playing baseball look effortless.




Junior is the son of former player Ken Griffery Sr, so he was raised in the clubhouse so he was able to handle the media from a early age. Because of his great play, boyish looks, and youthfulness, Griffery had many endorsement deals but none were bigger than the one he had with Nike. His signature shoe line is still one of the highest selling ever.





After the 1999 season Griffey asked for and was granted a trade the Cincinnati Reds in a desire to live closer to his relatives in his hometown of Cincinnati. He was never the same on the Reds. Like so many great players before him, Griffey was plagued by a string of injuries, including season-ending injuries in 2002, 2003, and 2004. He showed signs of the old Griffey we all grew to love when he could stay healthy and even made the National League all-star teams in 2004 and 2007.



This off season as a free agent he decided to return to his baseball roots and signed with the Mariners. I'm happy to see he is still able to play because he is the definition of a baseball player. He never caused any problems off the field and came to the park everyday to give his fans a show. That's all us fans ever ask for, and Griffey always gave us that plus more. If the injuries had never occurred it would be Griffey not Bonds who would be the all-time home run leader. One thing that we do know for certain is that when Griffey hangs up his cleats, he will be a first ballot Hall of Famers. As we are finding out more and more each day many of his peers will never be able to say that and even fewer will be able to say they put up their numbers off pure talent, the right way.

Related: Heaven Cent

Update:  Ken Griffey Jr retired on June 2nd 2010 after 22 seasons with 630 home runs which is 5th all time and a numerous amount of awards and accolades.

President Obama Throws Out First Pitch At MLB All Star Game

YEBies Book Of The Month: Forty Million Dollar Slaves

Morgan State Alumni and sports columnist for The New York Times, William Rhoden took a in depth look at the current state of the black athlete and how this current position came to be in his best seller Forty Million Dollar Slaves. What if, in 1945, Jackie Robinson hadn't signed a contract to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers and had stayed instead with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League? In this book Rhoden concludes that the black community and most black athletes would have been better off. Rhoden himself was a defensive back at Morgan during the heyday of black college athletics. He was on the roster for Morgan States's historic game at Yankee Stadium against Grambling which was and still is considered the biggest black college football game ever. The book chronicles how the rise of salaries and visibility ultimately resulted in the silence of the black athlete voices on anything other then what they can do on the playing field or sell us.

Today In Black History...

On this date in 1962 the first Black American coached in major league baseball. John “Buck” O’Neil started managing the Chicago Cubs on this date and would go on to be a part of the MLB until 1988. In his later years he became a popular and renowned speaker and interview subject, helping to renew widespread interest in the Negro leagues.

WRTN...."Prime Time"...

In a day and age when its hard for athletes to stay healthy and excel at one sport, I would like to take a little time out to remember a man that did it at two. He simply went by "Prime Time". People often forget about how great of an athlete this guy really was. He was a lead off hitting, base stealing, defensive outfielder in the spring and the best corner in the NFL in the fall and winter. He was an All-State honoree in all baseball, football, basketball, and track. At Florida State Deion played football, baseball, and track. Sanders was a 3-time All American at corner while at FSU. He was also drafted by the Yankees during this the same time because of his defense and great base stealing ability.

After being drafted 5th in 1989 by the Atlanta Falcons, Deion would start a career in the NFL as the premier cornerback in the league. On his first career punt return, he returned it for a touchdown. While with the Falcons, Sanders was also acquired by the Atlanta Braves. With the Braves, Deion played in 2 World Series. Deion led the NL in triples in 1992 with 14. He was often told to pick one sport, but felt if he was blessed enough to play both, he was going to until he couldn't anymore. He would have his most productive season in 1997 with the Cincinnati Reds where he was second in the NL with 56 stolen bases.


After leaving the Falcons for the 49ers, Deion won his only Defensive Player of Year award in 1994. He would also help push the Niners over the hump as they won their first title that year since the end of the Joe Montana era. Deion would go on to leave after the season and join the Dallas Cowboys where he would win another title. At Dallas, Sanders was able to play both ways. That was something Sanders had always dreamed about but had not done so since his high school days. At the time Deion signed with the Cowboys, he was the highest paid defensive player in the NFL.


Sanders would go on to play one season with the Redskins in 2000 after leaving the Cowboys. He showed signs of his greatness, but could not produce at his usual elite level and retired after the season. After a 3 year retirement Sanders joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2004 at the age of 37. With the Ravens Deion was a nickel back and helped with the development of the young secondary.



Deion's ability on the field was just half of what made him "Prime Time". The term "swag" is so over used in today's society but if ever any player ever had some, it would be "Neon Deon". Deion was one of few football players to ever have a successful shoe line. His shoes were a must have and are still a hit as Nike continues to retro them.


Deion also had a rap cd "Prime Time", which went gold and hung out with the biggest entertainer of the time, MC Hammer. Deion Sanders will mostly be remembered by his famous "High-Stepping" into the end zone followed by his touchdown dance celebrations or his huge gold chains that he wore while on the field and the diamond. I will remember him for that and so much more. Deion made you want to look good while you played sports. I still see players today rocking bandannas and du-rags under their helmet or wearing multiple pairs of socks and wrist bands with no idea who made it "cool". He was fly, fresh, flashy, and phenomenal on the field. Deion still remains the only person ever to play in a Super Bowl and World Series. He is also the only person ever to hit a home run and score a touchdown within the same week. It has also been rumored for years that Deion ran 4.0 flat in the 40, but was never officially recorded.

These days Deion works on the NFL network as a analyst. Sanders currently stars in his own reality show -- Deion & Pilar: Prime Time Love -- centered around him, his wife, and their five children, all of whom live in the small town of Prosper, Texas.

A Glimpse At Deion Dunking...


REMEMBER THIS...

The Beginning Of The End...

On this date in 1947 Jackie Robinson became the first black man to play a Major League baseball game. Robinson started at first base and went hitless, but did score the winning run. He also would go to win “Rookie of the Year” honors in his first major league season.

However, this historic day was also the beginning of the end of black baseball in America. The Negro Leagues that once flourished in black communities across the country, started getting robbed of it best talent and eventually the leagues could not keep its fan base because of the lack of stars and good teams. The number of black players in the Majors peeked in the 80's but has been on a decline since the mid 90's and there are no signs that things are gonna get any better soon.

The Can't Miss Kid...

Darryl Strawberry was born in Los Angeles on this date in 1962. Strawberry was drafted first overall in the 1980 by the New York Mets. He would go on to win the National League Rookie of the Year in 1983 and make his first of 8 all-star appearances the following year. As great as he was off the field, he was better known for his for his controversial behavior off of it. Like Richard Pryor Said " Cocaine is a hell of a drug".