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Since when did football have anything to do with grown men sexually abusing little boys?

By: Taren Vaughan

College football is by far one of the most watched sports in the nation. And it brings the current students and past alumni of institutions together, cheering on their team front and center in the stands or in the comfort of their homes and local bars. Sports fanatics stand behind their teams through wins and losses. But there is a point when the actions of those who run the teams stem far beyond what happens on the gridiron.

Legendary Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno’s era has finally come to an end. And it came just shy of his retirement. On Wednesday, the Board of Trustees at the university fired 84 year old coach for his knowledge of his former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexual abusing young males.

His response to not saying anything about this despicable act:

“I Wish I Had Done More”

You think Joe? With all this power that Joe Paterno had at that school, couldn’t he have spoken up and said something? If he had of let his moral instincts kick in and exposed that coach for the true pervert he was, that man would gotten caught a long time ago. But for the sake of the program, he remained silent. And his unspoken words have potentially scarred the lives of these young men.

To no surprise, not everybody felt that the dismissal of JoePa was necessary.

Turning on the television this morning and what did you see? Hundreds of students with picket signs reading “We Love Joe” and “Please Don’t Go Joe”. Broken car windows and raging emotions were the result of the gathering, the want for Paterno to stay and finish out his last games with the Nittany Lions.

I understand the love of winning but I hope that these students see the severity of what is going on here. Paterno didn’t get fired for something petty. We are talking about a man who knew that a member of his coaching staff was molesting innocent young boys, engaging in sexual acts with them. That is a criminal act, one in which was brushed off for several years too many.

Words have been spoken and some of them I can’t even believe people let leave their mouths. One comment in particular was to the tune of football being to blame for this all taking place.

So tell me, what the hell does this pervert’s actions have to do with the game of football?

“Man, you have got to be kidding me. All of these people are walking around here talking about all the great things that JoePa did while he was at Penn State but they are saying little about the fact that he knew this BS was going on and didn’t bother to say anything at all about it. But the point is that it has nothing to do with the game of football, period”

-Bryan S.
Age: 31
Marion, SC

“Joe Paterno ought to be ashamed of himself. How could you look in the mirror everyday and call yourself a man of morals having the knowledge of this situation? There is no way that I would know something like this was going on within my program and not do anything about it. And I'm sure other people on his staff knew about what was going on too and they should be held just as responsible”

-Janaya L.
Age: 21
Port Arthur, TX

“I’m not surprised at all that people are speaking more about JoePa’s accomplishments than about the fact that he literally turned his back on a group of innocent children. That's how some college programs roll, rant and rave about the good and try to conceal the bad. It’s funny to me how Michael Vick is still being dragged threw the mud for his knowledge of dog fighting taking place on his property, which he served time in jail for but didn’t JoePa turn his back on eight kids who are getting sexually abused by one of his coaches? And all we can talk about his how great of a coach he was. Help me understand this please”

-Marcus W.
Age: 19
Jackson, MS

“Imagine if one of those boys was your child. How would you feel about JoePa then? Would you be parading around, talking about this man’s 409 wins? I don’t think you would. I know the parents of these boys are so hurt by what has happened to their children. I don’t know how I would be able to handle that. And to those who say that football itself is to blame, give me a reason why because I don't see one”

-Ashlee D.
Age: 28
Brooklyn, NY

"I played football all through high school and college. And I'm here to say that people can not blame a sport for someone doing something like this. Sandusky has his own personal issues and unfortunately they are a reflection of the athletic program that he was associated with. So to bash football as a whole to me is wrong. But to fire Joe Paterno was the right thing to do"

-Marshall R.
Age: 32
Miami, FL

ANYBODY, and I do mean ANYBODY, can commit a demoralizing, despicable act like that so let’s not blame this on the sport itself because it has absolutely nothing to do with that.

It’s not about the power of the pigskin so let’s not go bashing other football programs for the shortcomings of another. It’s about the pervert who committed these acts that is the culprit in this situation and those who knew about it, along with a huge lack of moral responsibility to top it all off. Most importantly, it’s about the children. It’s about what they are suffering from, physically, mentally and emotionally.

So will Penn State ever live this down? Probably.

Will Michael Vick ever live what he did down? Probably Not.

Marinate on that…


Does having a boat load of talent on your squad always lead you to victory?

By: Taren Vaughan

After a series that appeared to be leaning in their favor, the Miami Heat played their last game of the post season on Sunday, falling to the Dallas Mavericks 105-95. The outcome was quite a shocker as all bets seemed to be on the Heat before the two teams even touched the court. But Dirk and company were on a mission, clawing back from being down 2-1 early on and giving Miami’s Big Three some very intense competition. Not only did Dallas win the series but they did it on the Heat’s stomping ground, in front of thousands of their ride-or-die and “new found” fans. People acted amazed by what went down but I'm not too sure why though.

Did we forget that Dirk Nowitzki never won a ring either? Why wouldn’t he be just as hungry as LeBron and C Bosh? Let’s not also forget that this is the very first franchise championship that the Mavs have ever won…period. This put a huge smile on Mark Cuban’s face I’m sure. Dallas had already proven that they were a group of true competitors by making it to the Finals so why would anyone think that they would lay down and die when they had made it that far?

Now of course you could hear the cheers across the world from the Cleveland Cavaliers fans who have been despising LeBron since he left their franchise and rooting against him to get a ring. Even though he still remains ring-less after this playoff season, James still appears to be very positive about how things turned out, despite his display of disappointment after the final game came to an end. And after admitting that he had a lot of work to do, he still caught backlash for…being confident?!?

He still has faith in himself and his team. Where’s the problem with that? And all this talk about how he thinks he is “superior” to everyone else? Hell, even if he did truly feel that way, would he honestly be the first pro athlete to feel that way about themselves? I mean really people. Enough LeBron talk because that could go on for days. Now back to the matter at hand folks.

Do destined dynasties really ever live up to their full potential? Is there always a ring on the way for a team who has massive amounts of talent throughout their roster?

Well, let’s see…

The “Bad Boys” of Detroit did it years back and the Laker dynasties of the past and present have done it too. So to say that a team full of superstars can’t get the job done is far from the truth. The Miami Heat and the New York Knicks have put together elite squads this past season that have the potential to reach that goal of snaggin’ an NBA championship so no worries to LeBron, Carmelo, Amar’e, D Rose or any other superstar who is chasin’ the ring. The teams that they are on have the fire power and the ability to be champions. After all, they weren’t at home watching the playoffs; they were apart of it so that says something right there. But as far as when they will get to do so, only time will tell when and where that will all take place.



By: Taren Vaughan

Playing a sport on the professional level has its obvious perks as we all know. But with anything that involves these great benefits, also comes with some trying times for these athletes as well. Fortunately, these players are able to shake off the various distractions and nervousness that comes along with playing amongst the elite. And one would think that after playing in front of millions of fans in sold out arenas on a regular basis that there is nothing that would make a star football player overly nervous.

Recent Dancing With The Stars winner Hines Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers revealed to viewers that he was rather uncomfortable about showcasing his dancing skills on national television and had always had some reservations about hitting the floor:

“It felt amazing. For me, when I signed up for Dancing with the Stars, I never danced in my whole life. I was so scared. I was so scared, I didn't even go to my prom. I had a big fear of dancing and it was exciting,”

Crazy hearing an NFL football player saying this huh? I mean they are notorious for hyping up the crowd and teammates alike with animated end zone dancing, something that continues to be a popular thing for them to do as their way of celebrating a touchdown. But for Ward, he never truly broke out of his shell until he appeared on the ABC hit show.

His initial jitters must have died down quickly as he not only advanced far into the competition but was in fact the last man standing. Just as he does his Super Bowl MVP trophy, Ward is treating this award from the show with just as much importance as he plans on placing them right next to each other in his home. He also plans on taking what he learned from his time on the show and taking it to the gridiron, joking about creating an end zone dance of his own:

“I'm going to use some of my dance moves. If I happen to get a touchdown, you'll see a little tribute to Kym -- a little cha cha in the end zone,”

Who would have known that a Super Bowl champ had a fear of throwin' down.

Dancing With The Stars has seen the fancy foot work of many other NFL talents like Chad Ochocinco, Emmitt Smith and Warren Sapp.




It’s easy to sell your apologies…especially when you’re worth millions but will that work for Kobe this time?

By: Taren Vaughan


Over a week later, NBA superstar Kobe Bryant is still issuing apologies for his outburst in last Tuesday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. After being called for a foul by referee Bennie Adams, Bryant showed his frustration not throwing a towel on the court but by dropping the “F” word and not the one that most would have guessed.

His response to Adams’ call was by calling him a “f***ing f****t”. Bryant claimed the anti-gay slur directed towards the ref was not in any way a display of his views of homosexuality and that he now sees how his anger-filled comment has affected everyone:

“In this situation, seeing how many people were affected, it helps you understand the weight that comes from that word”

Well clearly he understands the weight because not only did his outburst affect a number of fans, those who are homosexuals and those who are not, it cost him $100,000 too. As this is chump change to the Black Mamba, it is still money wasted because simply because his mouth got a tad bit too reckless. In addition to being overly apologetic for his behavior, the Lakers and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) are working together to put an end to gay slandering altogether.

In the heat of the moment, there are a lot of things that people say and do that they don’t necessarily mean. And when you are talking about a competitive sport like basketball and it’s playoff time at that, “f***ing f****t” is probably one of the milder things that you will hear coming out of a player’s mouth.

Excusing his behavior is not even an option for the Laker franchise so no “brushing this all under the rug” technique will be used. And it’s very obvious they are well aware of that as apologies have been issued most promptly. But even after the “I’m sorry” ‘s have run their course and the dust settles, will Bryant be known as the league’s “Gay Basher” for the rest of his career?

Even after his string of apologies for this most recent incident, some people are led to believe that it was all for show:

“Kobe is arrogant to me so it’s hard to believe that he is sincere about his apology when it comes to this situation. But I will say that as a former athlete myself, I know that you can let a lot of things slip out of your mouth out of pure frustration with no real intentions of hurting anyone’s feelings”

Oliver W.
Age: 31
Des Moines, IA

“I am a Kobe fan but when you say or do something out of order, you should be held accountable for it, pro athlete or not. Now whether or not he meant what he said, I don’t think we will truly ever know the answer to that question”

Ashley F.
Age: 20
Austin, TX

Makes you think…are athletes really sorry for their actions all the time? Or only when it’s caught on camera for the world to see?



















March Madness is down to the wire…Who will be the last team left standing?

By: Taren Vaughan

This year’s March Madness has most definitely lived up to its name as we have witnessed powerhouse programs like the Louisville Cardinals get knocked out in the first round and #11 seeds make school history by advancing far beyond even the most savviest of sports fan’s wildest imagination. After a slew of busted brackets, tear shedding and long bus rides home, we are now left with only a total of four teams to watch. And even though this tournament has deemed itself as a pure toss up when it comes to who will win, which ball club looks to be the one who will take it all? Let’s start with VCU.

VCU

A team that only two people out of the millions that did brackets this year had in their Final Four have practically shocked the world by becoming one of the four teams left. And in addition to stunning analysts and fans alike, the Rams have made school history by making it to the Elite Eight and the Final Four for the first time ever. Who would have ever thought a #11 seed would stand a chance against the Morris brothers? VCU proved yet again that they can hang with the best of them.

Butler

After falling to the Duke Blue Devils in last year’s championship game, the Butler Bulldogs have come back with much tenacity as they have made it back to a place that they were at just last year. Only this time, they are looking to cut down the nets down in Texas as the 2011 champions. Butler took out some notable teams along the way including #2 seed Florida. As Butler is drawing much similarity from 2010, they will however be facing a team out of Richmond that is bound and determined to put that final stamp on their incredible tournament run and don’t appear to be losing any steam.

UCONN

The Hall of Famer Coach Jim Calhoun and his UCONN Huskies are Final Four bound yet again to the surprise of many. Led by star guard Kemba Walker who has been a dominate force throughout this entire tournament, this team has arose out of the West defeating a physical Arizona squad that gave them a run for their money in the paint. But the Huskies’ sharp three-point shooting has kept them around much longer than many people expected and led them past Derrick Williams and the Wildcats by a bucket.

Kentucky

Knocking off #1 and #2 seeds along the way, the Kentucky Wildcats are now headed to Houston to battle it out with UCONN for a chance at the national title. This program that was once headed by the great Tubby Smith is now on the verge of playing in a championship game as freshman point guard Brandon Knight has made a huge impact on their 2nd half surges that have led them to victories. They will be going up against another team that loves to throw up shots from beyond the arc, armed with a freshman of their own that has been stepping up tremendously for his team, UCONN’s Jeremy Lamb. Be that as it may, Kentucky appears to be more than ready to dig their claws into the Huskies’ offense…This match up should be fairly interesting.


So after a mass of upsets and shocking game endings, can we truly make an accurate prediction? It’s a tough call if you ask me.





What will be the outcome of Tennessee’s program now that Pearl is gone?

By: Taren Vaughan

As many have been anticipating, Tennessee’s head men’s basketball coaching position has now become vacant as Coach Bruce Pearl was shown the door today by the school’s athletic director Mike Hamilton. Pearl’s dishonesty concerning his player recruitment tactics is the cause of his termination, something that has been quite an issue for other collegiate coaches in the past.

His dismissal was a result of a number of violations on his behalf, one related to investigators’ discovery a photograph of Pearl with two high school prospects at a cookout. And when questioned where the picture was taken, Pearl fell clueless, claiming that he had no idea where the picture was taken. Turns out, they were in a place that he knows quite well actually…His own house. The blatant dishonesty was topped with not one violation, but a total of ten which made his firing not something that too many people are dwelling on. Pretty clear that he brought that on his own self. Regardless of the poor choices he made that put is career at stake, one thing for sure that can not be contested is what Pearl did during his years at Tennessee.

Don’t let Tennessee’s early exit from this year’s NCAA tournament fool you because it was not by far a reflection of the quality of the program. Under Pearl’s leadership, the program made a great turn around, earning their rights back as a competitive ball club. He successfully led the Vols to the NCAA tournament all six years that he was with the program and left with an overall 145-61 record. Very impressive Mr. Pearl.

But back to the matter at hand though, when you fail to follow the rules, the axe will shortly await you. As of yet, the NCAA has not made their final ruling so further penalties may go against both Pearl and the school.

Now that Bruce Pearl’s reign with the Volunteers has come to an end, the question remains: What will be the future of this program? Will they continue to make their appearances in the Big Dance and hold on to their rep as a competitive bball squad? Or will they slowly fall into a slump?






Readers give their thoughts on recent trade that is sending Carmelo Anthony to the NY Knicks.

By: Taren Vaughan

Aside from Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to name a few, Carmelo Anthony is yet another superstar that any team in the NBA would be crazy to pass on. And would give up almost there entire bench if they could to secure him a spot on their roster. Although the New York Knicks didn’t give up everybody, they did however trade away some notable players like point guard Raymond Felton, who was finally finding his spark after several lukewarm seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats. With this trade, the Knicks sacrificed four of their current players, a first round draft pick, two second round picks and $3 million.

Was getting Carmelo worth all of that? Let’s see what some of our readers had to say:

“I always thought Melo would end up in NY with Amar’e. I just had a gut feeling about it the entire time. The combination of the two is what any coach would hope for, and most of them never get the chance to have two players of that caliber on the same squad”

-Michael B.
Age: 24
Washington, DC

“People keep saying that the Knicks gave up a lot in this trade, way more than they probably should have. Yeah, six players and 3 mill is nothing to smirk at but you gotta understand what they are getting in return. Two words…Carmelo Anthony. And let's not forget that they also acquired Sheldon Williams and veteran Chauncey Billups with this trade too”

-Kendall R.
Age: 31
Charleston, SC

“The Knicks have 28 games left in the season right now. So if the question is will this trade help them improve their position in the East? Chances are it won’t go down like that. You can’t put together a top notch team near the end of the season and expect them to blow every remaining opponent out of the water. It takes time for them to get familiar with each other’s playing styles first”

-Ricky S.
Age: 36
Brooklyn, NY

So what exactly are the Knicks trying to pull here? Perhaps a powerhouse squad like The Miami Heat, jammed pack with talent? If that’s what they are going for, there is a small problem with that. They are deep in the season now. And as we saw, even after adding LeBron James and Chris Bosh to their team, the Miami Heat had to form the chemistry that they now have; it wasn’t an instant win for them. Could be that the Knicks are gearin’ up for next season with this trade. Either way you look at it, a Melo-Mar’e combination is sick, hands down. Just hope that they have a great supporting cast and a hell of a point guard to help them get the Knicks back on top again.






African American males do extremely well in these areas…But can they have the same level of success in other sports?

By: Taren Vaughan

For years, African American males have found huge amounts of success in the field of sports. And for many of them, their true niche lies on the gridiron or on the hardwood floor of a gymnasium. Finding an incredible basketball player, football player or track runner amongst a population of Black men is not a hard task at all. They are all over the place. And unless something changes drastically, it will always be that way. As African American men generally gravitate towards these sports, does that necessarily mean that they can not achieve high in other areas of athletics? Is it possible that a Black man could do more than jump hurdles, dunk a basketball or tackle somebody?

One name…Arthur Ashe.

Arthur Ashe was the first Black male tennis player to ever win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, or Australian Open and still currently holds that title. This phenomenal tennis player accomplished a number of things both on and off the court. As a Civil Rights leader, Ashe traveled to South Africa to fight for racial integration and was heavily involved in politics. But his reign as a tennis pro came to an end in 1993 when he tragically died from a disease that has taken the lives of millions of people across the world, AIDS. Ashe reportedly got the disease from a blood transfusion that he underwent during heart surgery.

African Americans still hold high rankings in the tennis category thanks to the dynamic sister duo of Venus and Serena Williams, who continue to break long standing records each year. It is heart warming to see Serena and Venus do their thing but it would be even more wonderful to see another brother pick up where Mr. Ashe left off.

Tennis is one thing. But how well do Black men fair in the water?

Swimmer Anthony Ervin seems to handle the water just fine as he became the first male of African American descent to make the USA Olympic Swimming Team. As a member, he received a gold medal in the men’s 50m freestyle. He also was on the silver medal winning men’s 4 x 100m freestyle relay. Ervin further set the tone for other Black male swimmers with Cullen Jones becoming the second African American man to do that.

Thought brothers had a fear of the pool? Yet another myth has been busted.

Speed skater Shani Davis became the first Black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual Winter Games sport (1,000 m) and was the first to defend his title in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Davis’ win was the most notable achievement of an African American male in the Winter Olympics since the Jamaican Bobsled team. Since his win, he has appeared on the cover of magazines, gone on several interviews and changed the face of Winter Olympics for years to come. Throw Tiger Woods in the mix also as he has single handedly taken over the game of golf period, despite his personal issues off the green.

So as you can see, our brothers are very talented in more areas than they are often given credit for. Yes, it is a known fact that Black men are in a league of their own when it comes to basketball, football and track. Their natural speed, quickness and the ability to grasp the fundamentals behind playing these sports allows them to do so with perfection. But why must they be limited to just these sports? It’s obvious that they can be great in other areas so why not encourage them to do so?

The years of the Black man as just the ball player or the track star are long gone.

Are basketball, football and track the only sports that African American men excel in?

Judging from these men, that is definitely a myth that I am glad to see proven false.