The State of the WNBA, Part 1
Posted on October 17, 2019 Leave a Comment
theplayerstribune.com
About a week ago, the Washington Mystics won their first ever championship in franchise history. But the celebration didn’t last long because half of the team’s players are heading overseas for international play. Unfortunately, that’s the nature of the Women’s National Basketball Association and one of the reasons why players are asking for better pay.
In February of this year, Maya Moore, the WNBA’s most prolific player, announced she would sit out for the 2019 season to focus on herself, her family and her ministry.
To fans of the game, like myself, this may have seemed like the perfect setup for a Michael Jordan-like comeback.
In her eight-year career, Moore has already won four WNBA championships, two Olympic Gold Medals, two FIBA World Championship Gold Medals, a WNBA Finals and Regular-Season MVP, Rookie of the Year and achieved a host of other records and accolades. She’s always sported the No.23, the same number Jordan wore for most of his career; but, most notably, she was the first women’s basketball player to sign an endorsement deal with Nike’s Jordan Brand in 2011 at the beginning of her rookie season. So, if anyone could take a year off from the game and come back like she never left, it would be Maya… In an ideal world.
But, in reality, the face of the W taking off a year – in her prime – isn’t good news for fans or the league, especially knowing that Maya has shifted her focus to a laborious fight like criminal justice reform.
And it’s not like Maya sitting out was a difficult decision for her to make. She walked away from a league of players who are underpaid and undervalued. Read More
Brittany Young: Suffering Before Reaping Abundantly
Posted on February 12, 2018 Leave a Comment
First Recorded on February 12, 2011 by Jason Crowder
First aired on Fellowship of A Christian Athlete (FCA) Radio
#StillFriendsWiththeSuper6
#StillFriendsWithCandace
#StillIntheSameCareerField
#StillGettingFedAtFaithChapel
#StillHonoringGod
Replacing Hurts: Was It Really the Right Decision?
Posted on January 15, 2018 Leave a Comment
Photo credit: nytimes.com
So you watched the College Football Playoff National Championship game about a week ago; the Alabama Crimson Tide trailed 13-0 at the half. The Tide’s offense was sub par, gaining only 94 yards off 24 plays against the Georgia Bulldog defense. Alabama’s defense wasn’t impressive either, giving up 13 first half points; however, I’ll give the defense the benefit of the doubt since it was on the field most of the first half due to the offense’s ineffectiveness. So when the offense can’t score points, who’s to blame? The quarterback of course. Tide starting quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 3 of 8 passes for 21 yards. That’s an average of seven yards for every completed pass and only one completion shy of connecting on half of his pass attempts. These stats aren’t terribly bad, but it’s the small number of stats that doesn’t help Hurts’ case much. During the first half, I saw a quarterback – who’s known for making big plays with his feet – really trying to wait as long as possible for an open receiver, and he made wise choices to throw away the ball when all else failed.
Now, let’s consider some other factors: Hurts doesn’t play defense, so he didn’t give up 13 first-half points, including a one-yard touchdown run with seven seconds left in the second quarter. Hurts also isn’t the team field goal kicker, who couldn’t connect from 40 yards in the first quarter. Considering these factors, the Tide could’ve entered the half down only 6-to-3 instead of the larger 13-0 deficit. If this was the case, does Saban still decide to bench Hurts even with the Tide getting the kickoff to start the second half?
But, trailing 13-to-0 to a former assistant in a national championship game many people felt your team didn’t deserve to be playing in, chasing your fifth national title in nine seasons, trying to tie Paul Bear Bryant’s record for most national championships, what do you do? You do the same thing you did in the 2016 season-opener against USC – replace your starting quarterback with a true freshman. Blake Barnett started the game but was replaced by Hurts who stole the show. He completed 6 of 11 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 32 yards in 9 carries while notching two touchdowns. But, Barnett did see the field again in the second half and connected on a 45-yard pass for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. However, he transferred later in the season which was the best option for him in my opinion. Read More
Thomas’ Tribe Completes a Trifecta in Coaches Vs. Coaches Event
Posted on October 16, 2017 Leave a Comment
The coaches pray at center court following a third-straight win by Coach Thomas’ Tribe
It was that time of year again when some of Alabama’s finest high school basketball coaches came together before official practices began primarily to raise funds for Midfield High School’s boys basketball program, but also to prove they can still ball… Lonzo.
For the sake of this article, I’m going to refer to the guest team as Thomas’ Tribe, since Midfield’s Charles Thomas has been the captain of the visiting squad since the inception of the Coaches vs. Coaches event. The home team will be referred to as Barber’s Bunch, since Darrell Barber is not only team captain but Midfield’s head boys coach and the mastermind behind the fundraiser.
In 2015, it was a battle of point guards between Barber and Minor’s Derrick Williams, but the x-factor would be Hoover’s Charles Burkett. Click link for recap of 2015 game http://wp.me/p4cFCW-iV
Despite the loss, Barber was still thrilled to put on a successful fundraiser and looked forward to the following year.
Although Williams didn’t play in the 2016 game, Burkett put the Tribe on his back, and with the help of teammates like Woodlawn’s Chuck Winters, carried the team to back-to-back victories. Click link for recap of 2016 game http://wp.me/p4cFCW-r5
After two tough losses, Barber and the Bunch were determined to enter the win column in 2017. With a Winters trade from the Tribe to the Bunch and no Williams or Burkett on the Tribe’s roster, a win for Barber and the gang seemed to be in the palm of their hands… enter new Tribe member, Pinson Valley’s Jeremy Bogus; he would be a new burden for the Bunch. Read More
D.Horton: “I Want to be Revered as the Shakespeare of Hip Hop” Part 2
Posted on September 22, 2017 Leave a Comment
Photo Credit: Hank Washington; Instagram: iam_hank
ADVISORY: This audio contains explicit language
Music Credits:
“Soul Food” – D.Horton; produced by KTGotBeats; The Sessions 2
“Doin’ Something Right” – D.Horton; produced by KTGotBeats; The Sessions 2
“The Friendly City” – D. Horton; produced by KTGotBeats and New1Message; The Sessions 2
“Black Butterfly” – D.Horton; produced by New1Message; The Sessions 2
“Lose Control” – D.Horton ft. Josias; produced by KTGotBeats; The Sessions 3p: pt. 3
“I of God” – D.Horton; produced by New1Message; The Sessions 3: pt. 1
“Pocket Science” – D.Horton; produced by Joe Dent (3Seaven); The Sessions 3: pt. 2
“Mirror 2x” – D.Horton; produced by KTGotBeats; The Sessions 3p: pt. 3
“The God Particle” – D.Horton; produced by KTGotBeats
For more of D.Horton’s music and “I am brilliant” tees, go to http://davetherapper.com
Nico Collins: The Man Behind the Helmet
Posted on June 29, 2017 3 Comments
Photo Credits: Don and Nico Collins
Interview Credits: Don and Nico Collins; Robert Nelson Jr.; Kevin Brown (Xtreme Fitness & Performance – 1305 2nd Ave N., Suite 106 Birmingham, Ala. 35203)
Music Credits: Logic – Everybody; Drake – Sacrifices; Nas – The World Is Yours; Biggie – The Sky is the Limit
Sources: Rivals.com; AL.com; espn.com
Unsung Heroes Part I: Roderick Jackson V. Birmingham Board of Education
Posted on May 1, 2017 2 Comments
Photo Credit: espn.com
Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, because standing up for what one believes is the right thing to do often times leads to consequences and backlash.
In “History Repeats Itself: The Protest that Began Over Four Decades Ago,” John Carlos, National Track and Field Hall of Famer and Olympic medalist, discusses the consequences he experienced following a humanitarian statement during the 1968 Olympics that was viewed as a protest of the American flag. Carlos and Tommie Smith, Olympic gold medalist, received death threats and were suspended from the U.S. team after standing with gloved fists during the medal ceremony.
In some cases, people may even be blackballed for standing up (or kneeling down) and speaking out. Former San Francisco 49er’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who spearheaded a national protest by choosing to kneel during the singing of the national anthem during the 2016-17 NFL season, has yet to be signed by an NFL team for the upcoming season. While Kaepernick isn’t the best quarterback on the market, he’s not the worst; therefore, there’s a strong chance he’s being blackballed. http://wp.me/p4cFCW-qw
In a 2013 AL.com article, former Ensley and Jackson Olin High School girls head basketball coach Roderick Jackson suggests he’s been “permanently blackballed” from coaching in the Birmingham city school system. In 2001, as the girls head coach of then Ensley High School, Jackson complained the girls didn’t receive the same treatment as the boys team: the girls practiced in the old gym with wooden backboards, bent rims and no heat, had old uniforms and no budget for shoes, weren’t able to keep any money generated from admission and concessions and had to car pool to games while the boys used buses.
According to espn.com, Jackson spent $700 out of his own pocket to supply his players with shoes in his second season as head coach. He asked to review the athletic department’s books but was told they weren’t any of his business. Jackson complained to the athletic director and principal and they ignored him. Players even met with the principle to complain about the car pooling and practice facility; she told the players she would change it but never did. To make matters worse, the girls junior varsity program was cut.
The Lost Art of the Game: From a Player to a Critic’s Perspective
Posted on March 22, 2017 1 Comment
Now that University of Connecticut head women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma has given his perspective of the game, allow me to add my two cents…
In his recent song “False Prophets,” rapper J.Cole makes a statement “always worried about the critics who aint never freaking did it, I write what’s in my heart, don’t really care who messing with it. But in a sense, I can relate, the need to be great turns into an obsession that keeps a brother up late writing words, hoping people observe the dedication that stirs in you constantly, but intentions get blurred.” That’s the clean version.
Well, I always write what’s in my heart, whether readers agree or not. And in this case, I am a critic, but the difference is I have done it.
I’ve had the perspective of an athlete, a coach and now a fan and a writer. But, it’s tough to be a fan and a writer and not be critical. So, as I critique the game and the players who play it, I have to remind myself I was once a player being talked, written, tweeted and posted about, good and bad. It annoys me to sit in the stands at a basketball game and fans make comments when they don’t even know the game or down-talk a player when they couldn’t do any better themselves. Although I’m entitled to my perspective, I try to be as honest and respectful as possible. Read More
Jen Welter: Women, Publicity and Leverage
Posted on March 14, 2017 Leave a Comment
Photocredit: fansfavoritefan.com
In the summer of 2015, Jen Welter took the sports world by storm becoming the first woman coach in NFL history. Welter was hired by the Arizona Cardinals as an assistant coaching intern for training camp and the preseason to work with inside linebackers. But once her month-long internship with the Cardinals concluded, Welter didn’t land a full-time coaching job in the NFL.
This begs the question if Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians had any intentions of hiring Welter full-time or whether it was a publicity stunt for the Cardinal organization to be the first to give a woman a chance to coach in the NFL. A little less than a year prior to Welter being hired, Becky Hammon became the first full-time, paid woman coach in the NBA, working as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs. Even with her reputable collegiate and professional basketball resume and future Hall of Fame likelihood, it’s likely Hammon did have to intern with the Spurs to see if she would be a good fit. However, the groundbreaking news was that Hammon was actually hired as a full-time assistant coach… meaning the internship was private and the announcement of her being hired was made public; the complete opposite of Jen Welter’s situation. Read More
