Howard football star wide receiver Arlandus Hood caught four passes in
Saturday’s scrimmage.
Howard Holds Spring Football Scrimmage
By Ed Hill
WI Contributing Writer
Floyd Haigler capped off the spring practice with an impressive effort in the Howard University Annual Blue-White scrimmage at Greene Stadium. A 6’2”, 200 pound senior from Orangeburg, S.C., Haigler completed 16 of 24 passes for 185 yards. He threw a perfect 25-yard touchdown strike to Brandon Sherman, completed a long pass to Andre Lane that set up another touchdown, and engineered a drive that set up a 37-yard field goal by Dennis Wiehberg.
From Press Row
Losing Isiah
by Carla Peay
Isiah Thomas is without a doubt one of the greatest point guards to ever play in the NBA. Recognized as one the league’s 50 greatest players, Thomas’ 13-year career with the Detroit Pistons was highlighted by 12 all-star selections and two NBA Championships.
But his post-playing career has no highlights, only lowlights. In a decision that has basketball fans nationwide saying “finally” and “what took them so long,” Thomas has been fired from the New York Knicks. Well, sort of.
Knicks owner James Dolan relieved Thomas of his position as president of Basketball Operations, replacing him with Donnie Walsh, back on April 2. Then, on April 18, Walsh relieved Thomas of his head coaching duties as well, giving Knicks fans what they had been clamoring for, since Thomas’ ineptitude as the head coach led to a 56-108 record in two seasons.
Equally incompetent as a general manager as he was as coach, Thomas mismanaged the team’s salary cap, made highly questionable trades, put the team in the hands of career malcontent Stephon Marbury and feuded with hall-of-fame coach Larry Brown. Not to mention that pesky little lawsuit. In a span of four years, Thomas turned one of the NBA’s premier franchises into a league-wide joke.
Knicks fans (as I once was as a kid growing up in New Jersey), had taken to chanting “Fire Isiah” during the games and showing up with giant pink slips as signs, and wondering just how long Dolan would let this farce continue. Even NBA Commissioner David Stern considered stepping into this mess. When asked about the state of the Knicks back in 2007, Stern famously commented that the Knicks “demonstrated that they are not a model of intelligent management.” Ouch.
If anything, Stern understated the issue. Thomas’ incompetence as a coach and president pale in comparison to his reprehensible behavior toward former Knicks executive Anucha Browne-Sanders, who was fired when she objected to Thomas’ behavior towards her, and filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Thomas and Madison Square Garden.
Browne-Sanders won her case, to the tune of $11.6 million dollars, but to the surprise of no one, Thomas continued playing the victim, still believing he could flash his brilliant smile and charm his way out of anything.
Even now, Teflon Thomas lives on. Shortly after the Knicks made the announcement that Thomas would not return as coach next season, Walsh was quick to add that Thomas would remain with the team, although he will have no official title, and that no one will be reporting to him. And no doubt earn millions. Nice work if you can get it.
“I value his opinion, so I will use him as a resource,” Walsh said during a media conference call last Friday. Walsh and Thomas worked together with the Indiana Pacers, so once again, Thomas has an ally.
So let’s recap. After a brilliant career on the court, Thomas left the Toronto Raptors amidst a dispute with team management, bought the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) then plunged it into bankruptcy, was mediocre at best in his three seasons as coach of the Pacers before coming to New York and imploding the Knicks, and was found guilty of sexual harassment in a court of law. Yet his friends in the NBA still find ways to continue giving this man a multi-million dollar paycheck.
Basketball fans are shaking their heads. Browne-Sanders is likely somewhere shaking her head. And the New York Knicks, once the class of the NBA in the days of Willis Reed, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, are still a joke, as they allow this travesty of a sham of a mockery to continue.
Carla Peay is the assistant managing editor of The Washington Informer Newspaper, a writer for the Black Athlete Sports Network, and author of the novel “Just Another Sunday.” She can be reached at cpeay@washingtoninformer.com.
D.C. United 1, Columbus 2.
Jaime Moreno returned to the lineup last Thursday, and took back the captain’s armband from Marcelo Gallardo who wore it in his absence.
Playing on the forward line, Moreno was able to set up some good passes for his teammates, but they could not get the ball in the nets. “The whole second half, Columbus was just packed in the back,” said D.C. striker Franco Niell, who came on for Marc Burch in the 57th minute.
Emmanuel Burriss is the first high school DCPS baseball player to be drafted by a major league baseball team since 1989. Burriss was drafted in 2006 by the San Francisco Giants. Burris attended Wilson High School and Kent State University in Ohio. Burris, a shortstop, started in his first major league game on Monday April 21 when the Giants played the Arizona Diamondbacks.
WIZARDS 1
After dropping the first two games in their opening round playoff series to the Cavaliers in Cleveland, the Wizards are back in Washington for game three on Thursday and game four on Sunday, in an effort to even the series on their home court. The Wizards lost game one 93-86, and game two 116-86, and will need a strong effort to make this series competitive. “Cleveland did a great job tonight.
They played with a lot more intensity, a lot more discipline, executed a great game plan and they really handed it to us. They beat us. We beat ourselves and their coach kept them disciplined and this coach couldn’t keep our guys disciplined enough to stay competitive. They did what they are supposed to do obviously.
High School Track and Field Season Preview
By Odell B. Ruffin
WI Contributing Writer
As the track and field season is set to open, Dematha looks to return to the national stage, seeking their fourth straight championship. In the short sprints, the squad is not as strong as it has been in recent years, but senior standout Rodney McLeod should be a key contributor, as he has posted some of the league’s best 200m and 400m times.
Dematha’s key to winning, however, lies in the great potential of its distance squad. Seniors Chad Rogers and Lloyd Foster are expected to both finish in the top three in the 800m at the championship meet. Junior Brian Benkhadra is one of the league’s best milers and distance runners Robert Patterson and Cory Puffett should dominate the 3200m just as they dominated the WCAC Cross Country Championship for the past two years.
Sports Shorts
By John E de Freitas
Emmanuel Burriss is the first DCPS high school baseball player to be drafted by a major league baseball team since 1989. Burriss was drafted in 2006 by the San Francisco Giants. Burris attended Wilson High School and Kent State University in Ohio. Burriss, a shortstop, started in his first major league game on April 21 when the Giants played the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Bowie State completed an undefeated run through the bracket by shutting out Virginia State, 5-0, in the championship game to capture the 2008 CIAA Softball Championship for the second consecutive year. Riding the arms of starting pitcher Heather Enders and reliever Jillian Willey, the Lady Bulldogs only allowed VSU two hits in the seven inning contest. Tiffany Toney and Annette Makle supplied the necessary offense going a combined four for seven with three RBI and two runs scored. The win gives the regionally ranked Lady Bulldogs (24-8) their eighth straight victory and 20th win in their last 22 contests. They also earn an automatic bid to the Division II Softball Playoffs and await the announcement of pairings.
Howard sophomore Michele Gee was named to the All-MEAC Women Tennis second team at the annual awards banquet last Thursday night at the Marriott Crabtree Valley Hotel in Raleigh, N.C. Gee posted a 7-6 overall mark and a 3-2 record in league play. She was undefeated at number one singles and picked up individual non-conference wins over netters from Towson, Mount St. Mary's, James Madison and George Mason.
Cathy Parson, who served as the Howard’s women’s basketball coach the past eight seasons, will no longer serve with the University, Director of Athletics Dwight Datcher announced last Friday. “All of us in the Howard family recognize and are appreciative of the contributions that Cathy Parson has made to our program and our institution,” Datcher said. “She and her student-athletes have always represented Howard with great class and dignity, and we wish Cathy nothing but the best as she transitions to her next opportunity.”
Head Women’s Basketball Coach Doug Robertsonhas resigned his position to accept the head coaching post at South Carolina State University. South Carolina State, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), finished the 2007-2008 season in seventh place with a record of 9-7 (13-17overall) “Coach Robertson did an outstanding job advancing our women’s program,” said Athletic Director Derek Carter. “We wish him much success as he embarks on this newest phase of his coaching career.”
D.C. Unitedand its non-profit arm, United for D.C., announced recently proceeds from The Sixth Annual Kickoff Luncheon totaling $42,000.The event’s keynote speaker, MLS Commissioner, Don Garber spoke about United for D.C., as well as the proposed home of D.C. United at Poplar Point, and head coach Tom Soehn introduced some of the new faces of the 2008 team All proceeds from the Kick off Luncheon are used to benefit United for D.C., which was established by D.C. United as a 501 (c) 3 organization in 2002. The non-profit has three signature programs: United Reads which supports childhood literacy in Wards 6, 7 and 8 in six D.C. public schools; Kicks for Kids which provides the game-day experience to thousands of inner-city, under-served youth each season; and United Soccer Club which was developed after a request from Ward 8 families for meaningful after school opportunities to play organized soccer.
Editor's note: Based on published news reports
