Weldon Edwards planted seeds as first black football player 50 years ago at UR
“Last August the University of Richmond signed its first Negro football player, Weldon Edwards,” so wrote Mark Holpe of The Collegian, UR’s campus newspaper, in 1970.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Davis dies at 85
When historians reminisce about the Green Bay Packers dynasty of the 1960s, William Delford “Willie” Davis’ name is among the first to come up.
Bobby Mitchell, a trailblazer with the Washington NFL team, dies at 84
Former NFL great Robert Cornelius “Bobby” Mitchell, famous for immense talent and racial trailblazing, died Sunday, April 5, 2020.
Varina High sophomore makes All-State Team
All-State boys basketball teams generally are reserved for experienced seniors, with perhaps a junior here and there. Alphonzo Billups is an exception to that largely because of his exceptional talent.
NBA one-on-one tournament would be interesting about now
Going crazy with no sports? Wouldn’t a live NBA one-on-one tournament be entertaining about now?
Get ready for Team Fiction
We still have peanuts and Cracker Jacks to munch on this spring, but there is no live baseball to enjoy with the snacks.
Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Famer Tim Brown dies
Former NFL great Tim Brown, who drew acclaim as an athlete, actor and singer, died Saturday, April 4, 2020, of complications from dementia. Mr. Brown was 82 and living in Palm Springs, Calif.
Virginia native vying for ‘World’s Fastest Human’
Track and field enthusiasts will have to wait another year to see the unveiling of the next “World’s Fastest Human.” The 2020 Olympic Games set for this July and August in Tokyo have been postponed to 2021 because of the …
With postponement of Olympics, Biles fighting time, age to win gold again
Simone Biles was an overwhelming favorite to repeat as All-Around Artistic Gymnastic champion at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Then, because of the coronavirus, the 2020 Olympics were postponed to 2021, when Biles will be 24 years old.
University of San Francisco broke unwritten ‘two black max’ rule to win NCAA in the 1950s
During NCAA basketball’s early years, there was a “gentleman’s agreement” not to play more than two African-American players at a time. Fortunately, not everyone shared that same bigoted mindset.
Scoring his 1,000th point, Huguenot’s Jordan Parham gets a Gatorade bath
On special occasions, it can be OK for an athlete to take a shower even before getting to the locker room. At least that was the case for Huguenot High School’s Jordan Parham on Feb. 7, Senior Night.
‘Curly’ Neal, who added skill and laughs to the Harlem Globetrotters for more than 20 years, dies at 77
Many people felt Frederick “Curly” Neal was like a magician on the basket- ball court. And his most dazzling trick of all— and one he never failed at—was putting glowing smiles on the faces of people of all ages.
Flying Squirrels get ready for the season with virtual tours despite coronavirus
The Diamond will be eerily quiet this early spring.
Les Hunter, who helped change the face of NCAA basketball, dies at 77
Les Hunter, famous for his role in the “Game of Change,” died Friday, March 27, 2020, near his home in Chicago.
Remembering VUU’s glory days as NCAA champions
There will be no national college basketball championships to celebrate this season. As unfortunate as that is, the pause in sports because of the coronavirus pandemic offers an opportunity to reflect on past glory.
