By Raven Roberts, Special to the AFRO On the morning of Feb. 20 local reporters lined the commons of Morgan State University (Morgan) in anticipation of the arrival of former professional basketball star and current SodexoMagic Chairman, Magic Johnson. Morgan students, faculty and local residents alike swarmed the campus, in hopes of securing an autograph, […]
Category: Sports
CIAA Tournament draws top athletes and fans from around the country
By AFRO Staff The 2023 CIAA Tournament returned to Baltimore from Feb. 21 to 25. The CFG Bank Arena in Downtown Baltimore was full of activity as the nation’s premier Black athletes met on the court. The CFG Bank Arena, formerly Royal Farms Arena, is newly renovated and opened its doors for the first time […]
CIAA Tournament returns to Baltimore
By AFRO Staff Fans of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) from around the nation converged on Baltimore this week for the 2023 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament. HBCU athletes, cheerleaders and mascots left it all on the court as they faced off with some of the country’s top athletes.
Fox pit reporter Sims a symbol of NASCAR’s diversity goals
By Dan Gelston, AP Sports Writer When Josh Sims reports on NASCAR this season, the stock car series these days – from the garage to the grandstands to top brass – looks more like him. Yes, Sims takes pride in the fact that he will become the first Black pit reporter for the Daytona 500 […]
National Black Players Coalition salutes first Black quarterbacks to face off in one Super Bowl game
2023 Super Bowl full of historic milestones Black athletes and artists were crown jewels of Super Bowl 57. This year’s event was full of historic “firsts” as Sheryl Lee Ralph performed an inspiring renditionof James Weldon Johnson’s Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” for the first time ever. Rihanna also gave a landmark […]
Fisk University gymnasts sparkle as first HBCU gymnastics team in NCAA
By Bianca Crawley, Special to the AFRO This year is special for Fisk University, a private historically Black liberal arts college in Nashville, Tenn. On Jan. 6 their gymnasts became the first HBCU team to compete on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) level for their sport. Since 1906, the NCAA has showcased remarkable competitive […]
Extraordinary and influential former track coach of Mervo, Freddie Lee Hendricks, dies at 81
By Nicole D. Batey, Special to the AFRO Family members of retired track and field Coach Freddie Lee Hendricks recently announced that he completed his final race on Jan. 27, 2023. Hendricks, who taught physical education at Mergenthaler Vocational Technical (Mervo) High School for 36 years, leading the high school’s team to numerous city, state, […]
Ticket demand, anticipation grows as LeBron nears Kareem
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Basketball Writer Courtside seats 166 and 167 at the arena where the Los Angeles Lakers play their home games are pretty much as good as it gets. The people occupying those chairs when LeBron James breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA scoring record will have an up-close view, with their feet on the […]
NFL has been slow to embrace mental health support for players
By Mark Kreidler, Word In Black When Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field in the middle of the “Monday Night Football” game in Cincinnati on Jan. 2, Carrie Hastings, half a continent away, understood what she needed to do — and right away. “I had a few guys […]
Sports Roundup: a look at local high school sports
On Jan. 27 the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM) track and field teams gathered at the Prince George’s County Sports Complex in Landover, Md. Some of the best high school talent in the area participated for the championship, including two outstanding athletes Elise Cooper, of the McDonogh […]
Frank Reich, fired by Colts, named to coach Carolina Panthers
By Reginald Williams, Special to the AFRO The Carolina Panthers filled its head coach vacancy with former Indianapolis Colts Frank Reich Jan.26 in a move viewed as the latest example of Black coaching talent being overlooked in the National Football League. The decision to jettison interim head coach Steve Wilks comes in the wake of the […]
The Moore Report: Sports betting: the power to win- or not– now in the palm of your hand
By Ralph E. Moore Jr., Special to the AFRO Looking at the television commercials these days, comedian and Oscar winning actor, Jamie Foxx, is quite excited about betting on sports events on his phone. So is the also very popular comic and movie star, Kevin Hart. The former entertainer is on the BET MGM app, […]

