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The Road To Redemption
Team USA seeks a gold medal in Beijing
by Yolande Lezine, yolandelezine@blackathlete.com
July 2008
2008 Olympics in BeijingHOUSTON -- USA Basketball announced it's 12-member 2008 Men's Senior National Basketball team this past Monday, finalizing their roster for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games that will be held August 8-24th, in Beijing, China.
Named to the 2008 USA Basketball Senior National Team were: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz), Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors), Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks), Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets), Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons), Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks), Dwayne Wade (Miami Heat), and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz).
Duke University head men's basketball coach and Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski was named as the head coach of the team. His assistant coaches will be Jim Boeheim from Syracuse University, New York Knicks head mentor Mike D'Antoni and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan.
The 12 players selected have incredible talent and should represent the United States well. However, just like in the NBA they will face some of their teammates and colleagues who will be playing for their respective countries.
Of the 12 players selected, six were part of the 2006 USA Basketball Men's World Championship Team, and eight of them were part of the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship that qualified for the U.S. for the 2008 Olympics.
Three players: Anthony, Howard, and James were members of both teams. Players on the 2006 USA Basketball Men's World Championship Team include: Anthony, Bosh, Howard, James, Paul, and Wade.
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At age 35, Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd will be the veteran leader of the team. Kidd was a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team that finished 8-0 and captured the gold medal in Sydney, Australia. He has played on eight USA Basketball teams and has a record of 44-0 at senior level competitions.
The team opened training camp on this past Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada. The players will participate in a mini-training camp at Cox Pavilion on the campus of UNLV.
Yolande Lezine is a Houston-based writer that covers both college and professional sports for BASN. She can be reached via e-mail at yolandeylezine@blackathlete.com.
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AFI TOP 10
July 2008
Earlier this month, the American Film Institute (AFI) released the top ten sports movies of all time. This is the first time in film history.
There are blatant omissions in this list of movies, Especially or specifically the absence of African Americans or Americans of color. The omission of females is notable. African American, Asian, Latino, or Caucasian this number is ZERO.
While America celebrates the nomination of the first African American Barack Obama for the president of the United States, some influential Americans are still viewing issues in black and white.
Anyone can compile a list of their favorite movies and the AFI could be such an example of one list.
There is nothing wrong about this list of movies AFI selection. Everybody has their own taste, everybody has their own likes and dislikes but there is a glaring earmark that is very noticeable in the AFI list. There is not one leading role by an African American or any person of color on this list below.
The main black characters in the AFI movie list are subjugated to the white leading role. As in the movie Jerry Maguire, Cuba Gooding Jr. is the side kick of Tom Cruse. The question remains did AFI chose these movies on purpose or was it just by chance. What was the criteria in the selection of these movies? Was it the ticket sales?
Here's is the 2008 AFI All Time Sports List:
10. Jerry Maguire
9. National Velvet
8. Breaking Away
7. Caddyshack
6. The Hustler
5. Bull Durham
4. Hoosiers
3. Pride Of The Yankees
2. Rocky
1. Raging Bull
Listed below are some of the greatest sports movies of African American males but there are many more that could be listed here. While researching this subject I found over 20-30 sports movies of African Americans which were omitted from this list.
One movie on the AFI list many African Americans walked out of right in the middle of the film. This film is about two aging boxers a white challenger and a Black champion. The white challenger comes out of retirement to fight an epic 15 round battle, and wins.
Yes it could have happen and it has happen but this movie hero boxer became bigger then life. Americans made songs about him, they made five more movies about him, this year in 2008 there was another remake of this make believe champion. They even have a statue of this factious champion on the steps of City Hall in Philadelphia. Now mind you this city had a real Heavyweight Champion of the World named Joe Frazier and he does not have a monument or statue anywhere in the City of Philadelphia.
A very interesting phenomenon finding these movies. There are few African American female movies. With Black female athletes like Alice Coachman, Cheryl Miller, Layla Ali, Dawn Staley, Jackie Joyner-Keerse, Cynthia Cooper, Florence Griffin-Joyner, Cheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Willye White, Dominique Dawes, Anita France, Teresa Edwards, Voletta Flowers, Althea Gibson, Zina Garrison, The Williams Sisters, Robin Roberts, Wilma Rudolph, C Vivian Stringer, Lynett Woodward and Marion Jones.
These are 25 sports superstars in basketball, track, and boxing, who happen to be African American and female. So where are their stories? Where are their movies? Where do younger African American females watch these great women of yesterday and of tomorrow? How can anyone have an opportunity to watch these super stars?
Come on Spike Lee, Come on F. Gary Gray(no-relations), Come on Hughes Brothers, Come on John Singleton, and last Come on Van Peebles Family. Cannot forget sister Oprah Winfrey, Come on Black producers and directors let America see the African American Woman sport story, then they can be added to this great list of beautiful movies.
As the Black Eyed Peas stated in their number one hit song “Lets Get It Started”,
The list below display the struggles of African Americans in Sports
THE GRAYLINE ALL TIME SPORTS MOVIE LIST
1) Remember the Titian's
2) Hurricane- The Carter Story
3) Coach Carter
4) Requiem for a Heavyweight
5) Brian Song
6) The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
7) Ali
8) The Joe Lewis Story
9) White Men Can't Jump
10) Hoop Dreams
11) Pride
12) Glory Road
13) The Jackie Robinson Story
14) Murder Ball (disabled basketball)
15) The Roy Campanella Story
What is your favorite sports movie? Let America know.
Gary Norris Gray
garyngray@blackathlete.com
XM Radio Completes Southeastern Conference (SEC) Sports Line-Up with Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Vanderbilt
XM's Expanded Coverage of SEC Football, Basketball and Baseball Begins This
Fall
July 2008
XM Satellite Radio, the
official satellite radio provider of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), announced that the University of Alabama, Auburn University, University of Florida, and Vanderbilt University will join XM's blockbuster line-up of SEC sports starting fall 2008.
With the addition of these four schools, XM is the exclusive satellite radio provider of all 12 SEC institutions.
Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Tennessee joined XM in 2007. At the time, XM announced that South Carolina would come aboard in fall 2008. Florida was originally scheduled to join XM in fall 2009, but the Gators will come to XM one year earlier than announced.
As the official satellite radio provider of the SEC, XM plans to carry every football game for all 12 SEC teams, as well as the majority of men's regular season basketball games. XM will also carry key women's basketball and baseball games during the regular season. XM is also the exclusive satellite radio home of SEC championship football, men's basketball, baseball and women's basketball games.
"We are so proud to welcome Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Vanderbilt to our lineup, allowing our listeners to now hear every team in the SEC on XM," said Eric Logan, executive vice president, programming, XM Satellite Radio. "These are four great institutions with outstanding sports programs and passionate fans. The SEC is one of the most important and competitive conferences in the nation, and through our partnership with the SEC, XM Radio brings hundreds of SEC games to fans living all over the country."
"Our relationship with XM Satellite Radio provides the opportunity to extend the SEC brand to an expanding national audience," SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said. "We are particularly pleased that all 12 SEC member institutions will now be participating in the conference-wide agreement. The extensive SEC programming available on XM will enable people to more closely follow their favorite SEC athletic programs."
SEC fans can tune into their favorite teams on XM radios for the car, home, office, and portable use. XM is heard nationwide by more than 9.3 million subscribers.
XM is the official satellite radio provider of the six BCS conferences: SEC, ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, and Pac-10.
SEC games can be heard live and nationwide on XM Radio's SEC channels (XM channels 199 - 201). XM has a special offer on XM radios for SEC fans at http://www.xmradio.com/sec.
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