Deeper Than Sports!

Athletes have become more than just players on the field or court. We grew up wanting to shoot, catch, and run like them for years, now we can even dream to emulate them off the playing field. Athletes are proving themselves to be more human than ever pushing for more success just as do we. Aside from the die-hard dedication given to their own devoted sport they are making plays in the board rooms.

Once I saw Serena Williams “twerking” in Beyonce’s new anthem video “Sorry”. I knew there was nothing she couldn’t do. Seriously, we are coming to see more and more athletes venturing into other avenues and we’re here for it! Of course a feature in a video has been done this not her only endeavor.  Williams has been serious about branding herself. Delving in fashion she has her own clothing line and her collections have been seen at critically acclaimed fashion shows.  She is part owner of the Miami Dolphins and has done voice overs and appearances on multiple television shows. All while dominating the tennis court. See any signs of Serena Williams slowing up? …. 

Boy BYE!

Serena is not the only athlete that we know holding it down on and off the court. Many athletes are using their initial sports recognition to take them down other paths.

 I asked Siri how many sources of income the average millionaire had and dozens of articles read "seven or more". I think some of these athletes asked Siri the same question and got the memo. Endorsements are nothing new to the sports world but they are not relying on those alone.

Sports do not last forever and though the case may be true for former Laker Kobe Bryant, he’s not done working. It is said that he will be trademarking the name “Black Mamba” and has founded Kobe Studios. He intends to bring the story of others’ to life through an assortment of media outlets. 

Stories of athletes going further and pushing the limits are important because they are idolized by our youth. Kids want to be like Lebron or Curry more than they do FAMU graduate and Microsoft Chairmen, John Thompson. 

Having any of those individuals as an idol is great but letting the youth know not to set limitations on themselves is the ultimate lesson and best example they could give. 

Lets talk about athletes doing more than just their first job and show the world brains and bronze can be the perfect recipe. The boundaries to our creativity and passions can be endless so why limit ourselves? Athletes have shown us how perfecting our craft can take us to higher places but once your there the climb does not end. We have to strive to be better and allow ourselves the opportunity to manifest multiple opportunities and showcase all of the many talents we possess. Challenge yourself to be more than just enough. I'm more than a striving college student. What are you more than?  

Athlete Talk Mock Draft 1.0

By: Jimbo Brown 

1. Tampa Bay: Jameis Winston, QB,  Florida State-- They need a quarterback and he's #1 on the board. Take EM!
2. Tennessee Titans: Leonard Williams, DT/DE, USC-- They will pass on a QB right now and get the best player in the draft.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB, UF--I'm a gator and the Jags need a game changer to come off the edge. He will give them a Jamie Collins type hybrid player.
4. Oakland Raiders: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska-- HE will join a talented front seven with Justin Tuck and Khalil Mack. Immediate impact because those two can demand double teams at any time. 
5. Washington Redskins: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri-- With Brian Orakpo entering free agency, they will need a pass rusher to step in and Shane was very productive for multiple years in the SEC.
6. New York Jets: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson-- With Revis and Cro returning back to New Tork, a dynamic pass rusher will make them a force in the AFC East.
7. Chicago Bears: Alvin "Bud" Dupre, DE, Kentucky-- With a great resume as a Wildcat, he will bring that toughness and talent of the SEC to the bears. Who need to add more pieces to a depleted defense.
8. Atlants Falcons: Lando Collins, SS, Alabama-- An All-American wit the Rolling Tide. He was a playmaker throughout his career; know for big hits and causing mayhem. 
9. New York Giants: Ereck Flowers' OT' Miami-- I'm  not going to lie I got a text message telling me that Flowers will be drafted by the giants. He will be a great addition because they need to protect Eli to have any chance in the NFC East.
10. St. Louis Rams: Kevin White, WR, WVU-- Another West V receiver that has the size, speed and ability to be a #1 receiver. The have a good possession receivers and White will be the deep threat to make the defense "Kiss the Baby"  Chad Johnson voice.
11. Minnesota Vikings: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama--Coop will be reunited with the doctor Teddy B and be the playmaker to compliment Adrian Peteson. He will get immediate separation due to his crisp routes.
12. Cleveland Browns: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon-- Even though I got a feeling that Chip is going to make a way to get Marcus, Cleveland needs a back-up plan incase Johnny doesn't be fully rehabilitated. Marcus will be a project but they have a good defense to protect him earl in his career.
13. New Orleans Saints: Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota-- With the departure of pro bowler Jimmy Graham, you have to get first round potential to replace em. 
14. Miami Dolphins: Devante Parker, WR, Louisville--With Mike Wallace not living up to his potential and the lost of productive veterans. He will be a vertical threat early in his career. He is arguably the best receiver in the draft if he was healthy throughout his career.
15. San Francisco 49ers: Eddie Goldman, DT, FSU-- With the lost of Justin Smith , they need a good interior d-linemen. Goldman is a run-stopper and can put pressure on the quarterback. 
16. Houston Texans: Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas-- You add this talent with Watt and Clowney and be one of the best defensive lineman in the NFL. 
17. San Diego Chargers: Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin-- Ryan Matthews leaves to Philly, so this is a excellent replacement. Melvin is the best running back in this drive. He does have fumbling issues.  
18. Kansas City Chiefs: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri/Oklahoma-- A big receiver that KC need to be more effective on offensive. He has some red flags but he will be a red zone threat early similar to Mike Evans this past season.
19. Cleveland Browns: Cameron Erving, OL, FSU-- Lets protect whoever is the starting QB next season , whether its Mariota or Manziel. Erving is a great talent who protected Winston for two years and looked good doing it. 
20. Philadelphia Eagles: Trae Wayans, CB, MSU-- A long, fast lock down corner who has an incredibly high ceiling. This will allow the Eagles to push Thurmond into the inside and like Maxwell and Wayans handle the outside. 
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford-- A former five-star recruit who has major potential, he had some lapses during his career but with the right coaching he will be a great professional.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers: P.J. Williams, CB, FSU-- A 2-year starter at Florida State, who is talented enough to upgrade the Steelers secondary who desperately need corners. It will be interesting to see P.J's game translate to the next level.
23. Detroit Lions: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington-- Sometimes you have to take the best available. 
24. Arizona Cardinals: Danielle Hunter, DE, LSU-- With his lanky build, he brings strength and agility to this team. In this pass happy league he will fit i. 
25. Carolina Panther: DJ Humpries, OT, UF-- An outstanding player for the Gators. He will be a starting RT but needs to be groomed into a LT. 
26. Baltimore Ravens: Todd Gurley, RB, UGA-- Even though they need a corner back and maybe a interior d-linemen, I believe you have to take the best available prospect. Especially when healthy fits the culture that's already in Baltimore.
27. Dallas Cowboys: Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon-- He will bring size and athleticism to a Cowboys defensive that will have to get better now that DeMarco is gone now. 
28. Denver Broncos: Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma--With the lost of Knighton they will need first-round talent to fill his shoes. 
29. Indianapolis Colts: Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA-- A fast linebacker who can play sideline to sideline. He is alittle undersized but can make big plays all over the field. His big brother being in the NFL already, he have someone to show him how to represent himself on and off the field.
30. Green Bay Packers: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington-- Former safety with the Huskies, he will transition into the NFL perfectly. He has the skill set to be that hybrid safety that can play in the box and cover RB's and TE's.
31. Seattle Seahawks: Jaelen Strong, WR, ASU-- He will add to the recievers corp they already have. HE is big, fast strong and will win on most 50/50 balls.
32. New England Patriots: Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest-- Will be an immediate starter due to the lost of Darelle Revis. He has the talent to survive in the AFC East. 

The Bigger Picture: Jackson Robinson West striped of Little League World Series Title

By: Jimbo Brown 

Life has shown us that if you are in a position of power (race, money, title) you are somewhat above the rest of society. You are more than likely will go through life without any major hiccups. Growing up in the 90’s when most of the MLB stars were using PED’s while the people in charge turned the blind eye. Alex Rodriguez, arguably one of the greatest Yankee players admitted to the DEA that he used Performance Enhancement Drugs for a two-year period. Even though the MLB has since tightened their polices, the actions of the 90’s probably played a part in A-Rod decision making. Kids easily can see that if you are in a position of power the rules of life are beneath you. This got me to thinking about the Jackie Robinson West little leaguers.

If your not familiar with the situation, an all black team of little league baseball players from the inner city of Chicago had some players out of their region on the team. This was against the rules of the Little League World Series and had their 2 championship titles vacated. The players of Jackie Robinson West will be hurt because they are not the Little League World Series Champions. The memories created can never be destroyed. I believe the committee did make a impact on the future athletes of the world. 

I believe that this can be an example for future generations to learn from. With great success it can be great failure. The adults in the situation failed the kids. The committee could have slapped them on the wrist and punish them for the next year, instead extreme measures was took and the title was striped from the team. We may prevent the next Josh Gordon or Johnny Manziel from happening once they get success. 

#AthleteTalk Recaps National Signing Day

By: Candy Man

National Signing Day came & went and Dade County sent athletes to schools all over the country. Two of the biggest football programs in Miami, Booker T. & Central, had about 30 players altogether sign with schools yesterday. Both schools are coming off three straight state championships & have sent big time athletes to college & the NFL over the years. Booker T. had 2 players sign with Miami, running back Mark Walton & linebacker James King, joining Chad Thomas & Demetrius Jackson from last year’s class. Devonaire Clarington & Davante Davis, a Homestead transfer, both signed with Texas. The 3 other Homestead transfers that played big roles for the T last season committed to FIU (Maurice Alexander), Florida (Antonio Calloway), and FAU (Ocie Rose). Two other key players that had productive seasons, Terry Jefferson signed with FAMU & Vaquan Smalls signed with Samford. Central already have 2 of their best players from this class attending Florida State, receiver Da’Vante Phillips & defensive back Calvin Brewton, continuing the Central to FSU pipeline. Fermin Silva & Anthony Jones both enrolled early at FIU. Marshall University, where former Rockets Rakeem Cato & Tommy Shuler have broken multiple records, is getting Marquis Couch & Jason Jean. Keivonnis Davis will be joining the Gators & Dade County’s leading rusher signed with Jacksonville State. I’ve seen Miller play in person & I’m surprised because he has the talent to play for a major D1 team & should’ve got more offers. 

Some of the best high school football is played in South Florida & that is illustrated on National Signing Day every year, with high schools all over Dade & Broward sending athletes to college on football scholarships.

·      NORLAND…Carlton Davis – Auburn, Rayshad Jackson – Florida, D’Andre Smart – Kent State, William Gordon – Alcorn State

·      KILLIAN…Jaquan Johnson, Sheldrick Redwine – Miami, James Bowe – Massachusetts

·      NORTHWESTERN…DeAndre Baker – Georgia, Khalid McGee – South Florida, Samuel Dervil – South Carolina State, David Vincent – Mississippi Valley State, Xavier Bailey – Florida A&M

·      CAROL CITY…Rashad Fenton – South Carolina

·      EDISON…Robert Knowles – Miami

·      GULLIVER PREP…Dominic Sheppard – Virginia, George Grimwade – Samford, Antonyo Sotolongo – Bowling Green, Jowan Watson - Georgetown

·      ST. THOMAS AQUINAS…Jordan Scarlett, Richerd Desir-Jones – Miami, Damon Arnette – Ohio State, Colin Byrne, Samuel Clausman – Syracuse, Chris Hart, Tyson Cisrow – Utah, Devante Peete – Louisville, Brandon Boyce – Duke, Rashard Causey – Central Florida, Wyatt Ray – Boston College, Jawaun Harris - Rutgers

·      MIRAMAR…Tyrek Cole, Jovon Durante – West Virginia, Kahlil Lewis – Cincinnati, Leeward Brown – Tulane, Jeffrey Hill – Northern Illinois

·      AMERICAN HERITAGE…Torrance Gibson – Ohio State, Tarvarus McFadden – Florida State, Christian Irving – Wyoming, Anthony Flory – Appalachian State, Janarvis Pough – Bowling Green

·      MONARCH…Calvin Ridley, Shawn Burgess-Becker – Alabama, Ronnie Hoggins – South Florida

·      HALLANDALE…Sh’mar Kilby-Lane – Florida State, Juwan Taylor – Georgia, Taj McGowan – Central Florida, Malik Henderson – Pittsburgh, Dana Levine – Temple, Richie Cooper – Akron

Alabama, Florida State, USC, Clemson & Tennessee all finished with top 5 recruiting classes according to Rivals & ESPN, with Alab

ama having the #1 class in the ESPN rankings & USC with the #1 class in the Rivals rankings. Florida State, by far, ended up with the best class in the state. They signed 5 5* athletes that should be able to come in & contribute right away. Florida had a horrible class a month ago but new head coach Jm McElwain & his coaching staff had a great National Signing Day & finished with a top 25 recruiting class. Headlined by Martez Ivey & Cece Jefferson, they also stole a few recruits from Miami including Jordan Scarlett, Jordan Cronkite & Antonio Callaway. Miami had a good class and ended up finishing a few spots behind Florida in the rankings. Mark Walton, Jaquan Johnson, Bar Milo & Scott Patchan are some of the key players they signed but UM also lost a lot of potential players with about 15 decommitments.

Things I learn during the 2014-2015 season

By: Jimbo Brown

Tom Brady is the best ever

• After winning his 4th Super Bowl, Tom Brady, has cemented his spot as one of the all-time greats. Tom is the poster child for the NFL since the start of his career. First, he was a 6th round pick who was the 2nd a string quarterback behind the legendary Drew Bledsoe. Once throw into the starting he began to show levels of greatness by winning 3 Super Bowls in 4 years. While losing twice to Eli Manning in the big game, Tom still lead his team to the first undefeated regular season since the 72 dolphins. He had his down points during his career with the knee injury and recent deflate gate scandal. When the clock reached zero this past Sunday and the New England Patriots was world champions again, Tom had put the exclamation mark on his profound career. 

2014 Wide Receiver Class on track to the best ever

• The 2014 draft class was deep with receivers. There was so many receivers that talent like Allen Hurns went undrafted after setting records at the University of Miami. Rookie receivers has shined all over the NFL. Odell Beckham Jr, Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins and Brandon Cooks all high draft picks had good start to their careers. Even the overlooked guys have contributed to the success: Allen Hurns, Jon Brown and Chris Matthews late Super Bowl efforts. I can’t wait to see how do these guys careers pan out. If they stay hungry and work hard everyday, we will see many great moments. 

Running Backs = Super Bowl

• The road to the Super Bowl is hard and difficult for even the best teams in the league. Those two teams this year was preseason favorites: New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. Even thought they have two different cultures, they are built on some of the same principles. Both teams came into the playoffs at full stride. The teams are highlighted by their defensive powers. Richard Sherman and Darrell Revis are arguably the two  best cornerbacks in the NFL. With talent at each level of the defense these two teams are offensive coordinators nightmare. Both teams had a strong running game. Seattle put the offensive success in the hands of Marshawn #BeastMode Lynch. On the other hand, the Patriots put their running in the hands of a cast of running backs. Legarette Blount become the main gut once things didn’t work out in Pittsburgh and he went back to his former team. 

5 Things I Learned during the 2014-15 NCAA Football Season

By: Jimbo Brown

SEC Exposed

• For the first time in 8 years the best conference in the NCAA was not represented in the inaugural college football playoff championship game. Out of the 5 power conferences the Pac-12 had the best record. The SEC was second with a record of 7-5, but this record can be deceiving. Three of the five losses were by the SEC’s top teams: Alabama, Mississippi and Mississippi State. Alabama who has won national championships throughout the decade lost in the first college playoff game against The Ohio State Buckeyes. The SEC had a losing record (2-4) against ranked teams this bowl season. In my opinion, the most talented conference didn’t get exposed this bowl season. Teams throughout the NCAA just have been getting better through recruiting. 

Urban “The Greatest Ever” Meyer

• During his 15-year Head Coaching career, Urban Meyer has an awesome record of 141-26. He followed up that great success with a 9-2 bowl record. Urban Meyer has had an winning record at every school he has coached at. When he first arrives at the school he automatically turns the football program around in the first year. For example at Bowling Green University, Urban turn a 2-9 team the year before to a 8-3 record. He finished that season off with beating conference rival the University of Toledo. I believe that Urban Meyer will retire as the greatest to ever coach college football. He has already changed the culture at 4  different program and brought national championships to 2 of the 4.

Talent will be Found

• When I was growing up all the good recruits went to the national headlining schools. They wanted to play on TV each and every Saturday so that NFL scouts will have a chance to catch their talents. The growing demand for college football cause smaller schools to gain national relevancy. This has lead to recruits deciding to play at smaller schools. With schools outside the power 5 conference being shown on the EPSN networks during the week, recruits are considering these schools more often. For example, a 4-star recruit out of Miami chose to go to FIU over local rival University of Miami. In this day and age, Talent will be found no matter what school the student-athlete decide to go to. Lynden Trail, star defensive end from Norfolk State was selected to this years Senior Bowl. He has already been labeled as a sleeper in the upcoming draft. When/if Trail is drafted he will help out Norfolk state recruiting game plan by showing recruits they can make it no matter where they play. 

University of Miami is at the point of no return 

• The University of Miami hasn’t been the same since the devastating lost to Ohio State in the 2002 National Championship game. Since 2003, The U hasn’t won 10 games. It hard to believe that this program isn’t one of the national powerhouses when their is abundance of local and in-state talent. Randy Shannon had to deal with the sanctions handed down by the NCAA. I feel he wasn’t given a fair chance due to his skin color. The hire of Al Golden may be the start of this downward spiral. Former players under the Golden era feel cheated and misused during their career at UM. If you wasn’t recruited by Golden, you usually got put on the back burner for a freshman. This disgruntled the players because the more talented and experienced players wasn’t on the field. To me, the nail in the coffin was when UM signed a multi-million dollar deal with Adidas to sponsor their athletic programs. The Hurricanes was the first team to have a sponsorship deal with Nike and for them to just jump ship over money is a desperate move.

Who is the king of Florida?

• This year we seen two of the states top three programs look like their players still had the high school mentality. UM and UF used to be known as the dominant teams in the state of Florida. While FSU had some success against them and others, they still came second to the two big dogs. Each school has won multiple national championships over the years. Each school created a legendary coach. In my opinion, there will never be just one king of the state. History shows that the #1 spot has a revolving sit. We just have to wait and see who will step up and compete with the Seminoles of Tallahassee.

The Great Urban Meyer

By:Candy Man 

​Ohio State just won the first College Football Playoff National Championship. Before the season, many people counted the Buckeyes out when their star quarterback for the prior two seasons, Braxton Miller, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Then they lost their first game of the season to Virginia Tech. But since then, backup quarterback & Heisman candidate J.T. Barrett led his team to 10 straight victories before he went down with an ankle injury during the Michigan game. In came the 3rd string quarterback, 6’5 250 pound Cardale Jones. Never before getting a chance to step ontothe field for Ohio State, he finished the season with a win in the B1G TEN championship game over Wisconsin, the playoff semifinals over Alabama & the national championship this past Monday over Oregon. It was an improbable season for Ohio State full of adversity and many people thought they were still a year or 2 away from reaching the championship game. When the playoffs committee picked them as the #4 seed in the playoffs over TCU & Baylor, it was a controversial decision and the general thought was that they didn’t deserve a spot. But with a coach like Urban Meyer, anything is possible.

​Meyer, who already won 2 championships with the Gators, will become a legend in the state of Ohio after winning another one at his alma mater. Urban Meyer got his Master’s in sports administration from Ohio State and also started his coaching career there in the 80’s. His first head coaching job was Bowling Green where he took a 2-9 team to an 8-3 season in 2001. He left after his second year to coach at the University of Utah. He won the MWC Coach of the Year award in his first year after winning 10 games, and followed that up with the first undefeated season at Utah in his second year. He then jumped at the chance to coach the Florida Gators where he won 2 championships in 2006 & 2008. He left the University of Florida in 2010, took a year off, then was hired in 2012 to become the next Ohio State football coach after a disappointing 6-7 season the previous year. In his first year, he went undefeated but couldn’t contend for the national championship because of NCAA violations that resulted in a bowl ban and a loss of scholarships. His second year started strong but ended in 2 straight losses in the conference championship game and the Orange Bowl. He then went on to win the conference and national championship in 2014. So in summary, he went undefeated at 3 schools and won national titles at 2 of them. It only took him 2 years to win one a title at Florida and 3 years to win another title at Ohio State. So you can see why many people and the media are already calling him the greatest of all time and even better than Nick Saban.

While Ohio State fans were celebrating Monday night, Gator fans were reminiscing to the good ol’ days when Meyer was theircoach. Many of them are grateful for the 2 titles that he brought to Gainesville while there are others that would never forgive him for how he left UF high & dry to suffer in the years after he stepped down for “health and family” reasons. Despite that, nobody can doubt his coaching success. He’s on his way to starting a dynasty at Ohio State and could be even better than Woody Hayes, a legend in Ohio who won 5 titles as the Buckeyes coach in the 50’s, 60’s & 70’s. With a young team that is returning most of its starters including the national championship MVP and possibly all three quarterbacks, Ohio State will have the best odds of winning the 2016 CFP National Championship.

Should Collegiate Athletes get Compensated?

By: Candy Man 

We’ve heard the arguments hundreds of times. Student-athletes receive more than enough from a full scholarship & free education. Student-athletes enjoy perks that regular students don’t have access to. Student-athletes should be getting a cut of the revenues the athletic department earns. Student-athletes should profit off the likeness of their names. Over the last few years, this question has lead to heated debates about how universities profit off their athletes while those same athletes can’t profit off themselves until they go pro. The NCAA itself has been taking heat about the petty rules & regulations they use to govern & restrict its student-athletes off the field. “Impermissible benefits” is a phrase everyone has heard & it has affected many big time college football programs around the country such as Ohio State, Miami, Florida State, USC, North Carolina, SMU, & Auburn.

Many people argue that there are so many cases of illegal benefits in college sports because the athletes aren’t being properly compensated. Combine that with the wild wild west nature of recruiting where recruits are being offered any & everything from coaches to play for their teams. You hear stories about athletes getting free cars to play for this football team or getting paid thousands of dollars for a big play. You hear stories of star athletes that can’t even afford clothes or food, such as Shabazz Napier, who said he sometimes goes to bed starving. And then you see cases across the country where the NCAA penalizes programs over little things such as an athlete receiving some extra help here & there from a coach such as a free meal or gas money and you can see why people have been turning on the NCAA to loosen up their rulebook. Even artists such as Wale have taken notice to the hypocrisy of the NCAA, rapping about it in a song called “Varsity Blues.”

 Some student-athletes consider it a full-time job. They wake up early in the morning for practice, workouts & conditioning. Go to class late into the afternoon. Another evening practice, study hall and then spend the rest of the day finishing up on studying or homework. Some athletes desire to work part-time jobs on the side to earn a little extra income but they’re not even allowed to earn money outside of their scholarships. So it’s easy to see how they end up struggling in college. I honestly think student-athletes will be paid eventually. College football, and college sports in general have become too big of a business for the athletes not to see any of the profit. The NCAA & athletic departments make billions, not millions but billions, off television contracts, sports apparel deals, & sponsorships and some of the top coaches are getting paid more than 5 million every year. The University of Texas even have their own network channel with ESPN dedicated to their athletic program. Student-athletes should be getting more than a scholarship & free gear. I don’t believe in them being salaried employees making millions in college but they should at the least, be able to profit off jerseys being sold with their names on it. That’s another issue that rises if they do end up getting paid, how will they split the profits among revenue-generating sports like football and the lesser sports like tennis & volleyball, and how big of a paycheck should they see? But when you realize that some of the top athletic programs earn more in revenues than professional sports teams, they have more than enough to share the wealth. 

Miramar Patriots Football: Is it the End?

By: Candy Man 

The 2014 Miramar football team was the #1 team in the preseason Class 8A polls & one of the most talented teams in Florida. They were projected to win the Class 8A state championship but soon got off to a disappointing 2-2 start to the season, losing leads late in the game to Plantation-American Heritage & St. Thomas, and another lead later in the year to Flanagan. They finished the year with 8 wins & 3 losses. They also lost their head coach, Matthew Strout, who resigned midway through the season for personal reasons. However, after his resignation, he claimed that several players were academically ineligible to play and others were paid to transfer to Miramar & for their play on the field. 

To provide a little background on the situation, the 2013 Patriots finished the regular season undefeated before losing in a surprising upset to Palm Beach Gardens in the regional finals. Damon Cogdell, the head coach that built Miramar into a powerhouse and won the 2009 Class 6A state championship, left the school to become the linebackers coach for the West Virginia Mountaineers. Strout who was an offensive line coach, got promoted to head coach. This past summer, Miramar received several transfers including highly-recruited prospect, Jovon Durante from Norland. The Patriots got off to a 5-3 start before Strout was forced to resign. Soon after, allegations of ineligible players and impermissible benefits surfaced. Along with his other claims, Strout also claimed that he gave “sports gear, airfare to summer camps, presents for players’ girlfriends, cash incentives for grades, and tickets to USF football games to two teachers,” according to the Sun-Sentinel. Strout also lied about his educational background and job history. 

I don’t know if Miramar football has a history of academic misconduct & giving illegal benefits to athletes under Coach Cogdell or if this all started when Matthew Strout was named the head coach but it’s unfortunate that the football team had to lose their whole season and a shot at the state championship because of a few bad people in the program. It is said that more than 20 student-athletes were implicated and some ineligible athletes even had their grades fixed so that they can continue playing. Others were paid for making big plays on the field. After the team learned that it would lose its spot in the playoffs, athletes, parents, & coaches protested in front of the Broward County School Board building but the school board was firm & steady in their decision. Hopefully, Miramar will find a coach that can clean up the program, be a leader to the young men and help the team bounce back from this controversy in 2015.

Carol City Football was Everything: The Dynasty that Never Happened

By:Jimbo Brown 

It's the 1st day of summer practice at Miami Carol City High School and your a freshman trying to find your way on a talented JV roster. The year is 2005 and I was that freshman in high school who didn't know nothing about Carol City football besides they won state a few years earlier. If it wasn't for my mom I would have been at Miami Northwestern. Schools outside of Carol City was the landing spots for most of its talent from 2005-2012. Due to the old school mentality of legendary coach Walt Frazier and the dictatorship of his predecessor Harold Barnswell,  the football program at CC hasn't returned back to their once elite status. 

From the class of 2009 and up Carol City has seen talent come in and out of the school and having success in other programs. NFL stars such as Kayvon Webster and Stedman Bailey both were freshmans with me. Webster who later became a dual threat for Pace was tricked into helping the team by being stuck in a position he didn't want to play. This lead to him transferring to neighborhood rival Miami Norland. Norland that year and helping them end our 6-year streak of undefeated seasons. Stedman on the other stayed at CC until the end of his incredible sophomore year. He left to join Geno Smith at Miramar High School, a school that inherited a lot of the talent from Carol City. The youth had a bad stigma about CC that made them run away and find homes elsewhere.

If I told you guys that we had Teddy Bridgewater for a hot minute, would y'all believe me? Yeah he was practicing but because of an executive decision from moms he headed to Northwestern where he became arguably the greatest quarterback in their history. That happened a lot with the talent at Carol City. Either the off-season workout was too much for them, the philosophy was to demanding or other schools was a better destination. A big part of the problem was that Carol City wasn't putting their players in college. Even the talented ones who stayed was looked over because the coaches didn't do their jobs. 

For the pass decade Carol City football program has been in the middle of the pack. How potent of an offense we would have had with Teddy at QB with Sted and Allen at receiver. Or think about how many shutouts we would have had with Kayvon and Robert Sands on our defense. Class of 2009 had the best chance to make some noise but was oust from the playoffs by one of the luckiest catches in football history. Carol City is heading back in the right direction. With the help of the flakey business with Miramar head coach. Talent will be returning back to its home and hopefully we can get back to a national powerhouse. Chief Pride! 

Amari Cooper: The Hometown Favorite for the Heisman

By: Jimbo Brown

Miami Northwestern Bulls is one of the nationally known high school powerhouse coming out of South Florida. Many high school legends were made on 71st. Greats such as Teddy Bridgewater, Antonio Bryant and Lavonte David have all went to college and onto the NFL. In recent years, The West has had 3 players in the race for the Heisman in their college career. Jacory Harris and Teddy Bridgewater both were in the conversation, but with mid-season collapses they weren’t invited to New York once the season ended. The player who has be consistently great for the Alabama Tide and has a great chance to win this trophy is Amari Cooper. 

As a high school stud, Cooper was a three-sport athlete that shined in every sport that he played in. In his junior he was one of Teddy Bridgewater’s primary targets. As a senior, he had 33 receptions for 722 yards and was considered the 6th best wide receiver recruit by Rivals.com. This landed him a scholarship to the great University of Alabama. 

Fast forward to the 2014-2015 season, the Heisman race this year is clearly a three headed race in my opinion. Marcus Mariota, Melvin Gordon and Amari Cooper. These three candidates have all had their Heisman moment this year that all winners have to defy their greatness. Cooper just has more then one this season.  He killed my Florida Gators with 201 receiving yards and three touchdowns and thats not the stat that catches my eye. Against a tough LSU and at the time #1 Mississippi State he has caught eight passes for 80-plus yards and a touchdown. He finished the Iron Bowl with 13 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns to help the Tide comeback against a well coached Auburn team. 

Miami Northwestern and youth throughout the inner-city of Miami  should look at the success Cooper is having and to the best of their power emulate. Its not many athletes who have national success like this and have no off the field issues. Even though I believe Marcus Mariota will win the Heisman, Cooper should have the support of his hometown and help campaign for him to at least get invited to the ceremony. Big time players make big time plays in all situations. 

High School Cheerleaders Defy Ban of Prayer

By: Jimbo Brown

The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) of Tennessee sent out letter last year banning school lead prayer over the pa system before the start of sporting events. Up until September no one really reaction to the ban. That changed the first week of this years football season, the Oneida and Watertown high school cheerleaders joined hands when the announcer signaled for a moment of silence. They began to recite the Lords prayer. Shortly after the crowd joined in and the prayer was heard a crossed the stadium. Faith has played a strong presence in their community and going hand to hand with Friday Night Lights. They were executed this perfectly because they dodged legal trouble. 

When this was brought to my attention I felt that the ACLU was hurting the students and communities across Tennessee. I remember reciting the Lords Prayer before and after games ever since I started playing sports. It gave the team assurance that when things go wrong we had extra spiritual help. On the other hand, you have to consider the people who are big on religion and how uncomfortable they will feel during the prayer over the PA System. I believe if the teams will do this privately by themselves then its okay. Even the bible states that prayer should be conducted in private. Matthew 6:6, But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. This bible verse made me changed my mind on this topic. How do you feel?

Hallandale Chargers: Recipe of Success

By: Jimbo Brown

Since I graduated from high school in 2009 the sports scene has change drastically. The classifications was expanded to 8 classes instead of 6. The outlets on which these student-athetes have to showcase their talent has also grown. Back in my time you only had camps to show off your skills. The football is starting to resemble the times when I played. Its competitive and theirs not one good team. Anybody can win state, LITERALLY ANYBODY! Hallandale Chargers are real contenders in the class 6a.

If the Chargers were to lose this weekend to a stack Central team they would have already accomplished a lot. They are the first team in school history to go undefeated throughout the regular season. Other teams have came close but none as good as this batch of talented chargers. If your not familiar with Hallandale football programs, UF great Frankie Hammond Jr. and now Kansas City Chief was a dual-sport athlete there. Speaking of the Hammond family, his little Joshua Hammond (#5)  is one of the talented juniors who contributed a lot to their success. Their receiving core includes Neru N’Shaka (#8) who has made big catches throughout the year. Neru known for his big plays at receiver he has also seen time at quarterback. Both of these players with a long list of others are already getting offers from bit time universities. The team beat district rival Boyton Beach Tigers in a nail-biter of a game. To win with great talent you have to have great coaches to get them to the next level. 

Coach Dameon Jones and his staff is doing a good job with the kids from the Hallandale community. Since 2007 when Jones took over the team, he has put at least 40 kids into college to play football. Players went to all levels of collegiate football from JUCO to D1. As they head into this tough match-up this week, I know the Chargers will be prepared for the task at hand. With the young talent and leadership the Chargers have even with a lost this weekend they have a good chance of going further next year. 

Season of Giving: 1st Annual Turkey Bowl Extravaganza

By: Jimbo Brown

“Good works is giving to the poor and the helpless, but divine works is showing them their worth to the One who matters.” - Criss Jami

One day while exploring the clouds, I had a flashback of some of the great times my close friends and I enjoyed together. These times included throwing one of the biggest house party in Tallahassee, Florida, to playing football every thanksgiving morning. The one I remember the most was when my homeboy from Oregon gave us some gear and we all was out there looking like baby Ducks. This was one of the few times that we could all get together and indulge in an activity that brought us all together. It became an event that us and other compadres would look forward to while home for the holidays. Once I came down from cloud surfing, the idea of making this an annual event for the community was stuck in my mind. Thus, the 1st Annual Turkey Bowl Extravaganza Fundraiser/Flag Football Game was born. 

C-Town Athletics, Behind the Scene Kings and Beautiful Spirited Women has put together this event. The purpose of this event is to give families the ability to have a thanksgiving dinner that we believe everyone should experience. Most people have the pleasure of eating a hot meal on Thanksgiving while others can only day dream about it. These organizations want this event to bring the community together and show that there are people that care. 

TBE2K14 is half fundraiser/food drive and half flag football game. This event will be held on November 23rd from 1pm-5pm at Betty T Ferguson Sports Complex. The day will be filled with music, giveaways and flag football. An limited amount of thanksgiving baskets will be given to the families that need it. There will be two flag football game: CTA vs BTSK and Total Package vs Go Gettas. Come out and enjoy yourself at this community event.