411 Sports Issue VI June 2010 by 411 Sports and Entertainment

Top 10 Female Athletes Volume VI Issue 08 • June 21-27, 2010

RACE TO THE MVP WEEK 6 RANKINGS PG 5

JADA PINKETT-SMITH AND WOMEN ON THE VERGE PG 14 MICOLE LYNN WHAT

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ENTERTAINMENT MANAGER COPY EDITOR s. l. lyons STAFF WRITERS euGene lynCh DelmetRia milleneR beRtRam D. aDams CheRyl w. Robinson DJ biG bink (97.9 the beat) GReGoRy mooRe DaRyl washinGton ChRis howell

the

titians

in the world of sports, african american women have overcome insurmountable odds to achieve success, fame and fortune. by d i s p l a y i n g perseverance, determination and

RemembeR

sheRyl swoops

Kobe bryant

Cappie Pondexter

in light of the “non-perfect Game” controversy from Detroit tigers game, i went back to the vault for this post on technology and instant replay that i wrote last november. i felt strongly about

after reviewing several sports movies, i was finally able to come up with my top ten best. the movies i chose are well-acted and directed and have all the elements that

05 8 18 FRESH THINKING ALWAYS AVAILABLE.

PUBLIC RELATIONS & MARKETING 1401 Elm Streeet, Suite 1900 • Dallas, Texas 75202 • (214) 744-1428 • (214) 744-1435 fax• www.focuspr.com Fresh thinking in diversity communications June 21-28 2010

PUBLISHER/EDITOR CeDRiC e. lyons EXECUTIVE OFFICER RoD Jones

TOP TEN SPORTS STORIES OF THE DECADE

with the exception of one of the top 10 spots, all of the picks from last week's rankings remain intact. that's not to say there weren't some d o m i n a n t

Volume VI Issue 8 • June 21- 28 2010

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ChaRles stephen Fossett, iii tRina s. GeoRGe Chelsea sheFFielD latoya haRDaway peaRl JR. oCtavia whitelowe maRk CRutCheR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES lauRen JaCkson k eDwaRD Ross DESIGN DEPARTMENT woRlD pRoDuCtion anD DesiGn PHOTO DEPARTMENT kauwuane buRton intRospeCt photoGRaphy anD viDeo ACCOUNTING amenity FinanCial seRviCes LEGAL DEPARTMENT JaCkson & Ross ADVISORY BOARD ChRis aRnolD RolanDo blaCkman RoGeR b. bRown ken CaRteR DeRek haRpeR ChaRlie paRkeR pReston peaRson mel RenFRo John wooten DR. RobeRt wooDaRD RayFielD wRiGht SUBSCRIPTION AND ADVERTISING RATES INQUIRIES CALL: 866-874-4574 • ISSN 1933-2092 • 411 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT IS PUBLISHED BY DBL, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE AND IN PART WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT IS PROHIBITED. • VIEWS OF EDITORIAL CONTENT DO NOT NECESSARY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF 411 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT, DBL, INC., OR IT’S ADVERTISERS. 411 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT • PO BOX 380494 • DUNCANVILLE, TX 75138

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there are a few things that are going on with the paper. First, lets start with someone who has been with the paper but will become a part of the regular publications. she is from the ok state and she is ok. she has skills in so many areas we just need to focus on one thing, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who she is. my wife will have a consistant place right beside me in the paper. shellye lyons will be a proud member of the 411 sports family. i guess she should because she is a proud member of me. the 2nd change will happen soon so you need to stay tuned. now to the sports of the day, week. i know that we are in Cowboy country, but we need to watch out for the Redskins, so here is my take. two years ago, a nFl team coming off a 4-12 season made banner headlines by dealing for a highly-decorated veteran quarterback who was expected to return that franchise to glory. the same team beefed up the offensive line that would be protecting the new Qb, and also radically altered the look of its defense as part of a largescale organizational shift. and brett Favre, offensive linemen alan Faneca and Damien woody, and defenders kris Jenkins and Calvin pace very nearly led that team, the 2008 new york Jets, to its targeted plateau. the record reflects that the Jets experienced a five- game improvement to 9-7, and only missed the playoffs because Favre's shoulder wasn't quite right during a season-ending 14 stretch of football. two years later, the changes taking place in our nation's capital bear a striking similarity. Coming off a 4-12 campaign in 2009, the washington Redskins have themselves an esteemed veteran quarterback in Donovan mcnabb, and have brought in two legitimate starting tackles in rookie trent williams (oklahoma) and former saints pro bowler Jammal brown (obtained in a

THE WATER COOLER

trade over the weekend) to help protect him. the defense hasn't brought

haynesworth's teammates in washington have been fairly vocal in their disagreement with his stance as well, and if and when he does show up, the new- look skins could already have a lock. the Redskins wouldn't be dead without haynesworth ex-Raven and panther ma'ake kemoeatu is a capable and lower-maintenance fill-in up front - and haslett has a nice mix of veterans (london Fletcher, andre Carter) and talented youngsters (brian orakpo, laRon landry) to keep the team's head above the waves. once all the personnel battles are settled and schemes are in place, the big question for washington becomes, "who you gonna beat?" since the 2002 realignment, there hasn't been a deeper division in football than the nFC east, which boasts four teams that have championship-level resources. the last-place team in the division was 8-8 in both 2007 and 2008. but the eagles are young and in transition with the inexperienced kevin kolb at Qb. the Giants finished 2009 in a tailspin and have much work to do to get back to a super bowl level. that leaves the Cowboys - the sensible pick to win the nFC east - but the Redskins have traditionally made life miserable for tony Romo in their battles with him and won't enter their 2010 encounters with any fear. the rest of the schedule shakes out nicely for washington as well. the toughest non-division games, against the packers (10/10), Colts (10/17) and vikings (11/28) are all at Fedex Field. winning the nFC east for the first time since 1999 might be a reach, but this is a team that can make the playoffs if most of the stars align. if it fails to happen, you can bet we'll be talking about some more headline-grabbing changes for this free-spending organization at this juncture of 2011.

a slew of marquee names into the fold, but there is a new look on that side of the ball courtesy of coordinator Jim haslett and the 3-4 scheme he has opted to employ. haslett will effectively serve as the head coach of the defense, while the real head coach - mike shanahan - devotes most of his efforts to overhauling the nFl's 27th-ranked scoring offense of a year ago. "until you put pads on, you're guessing at a lot of different positions," shanahan said after a recent ota. "but what you try to do is learn the system, learn what we're doing offensively, learn the terminology, so once you put the pads on, you can react, you don't have to think. same thing defensively." then, of course, there is the elephant in the room, or perhaps more accurately, the elephant not in the room. Defensive tackle and $100 million man albert haynesworth has not shown up for offseason activities, miffed over the fact that the team has transitioned to a 3-4 defense that would seem to marginalize his skills as a penetrating passrusher. the Redskins, who gave haynesworth permission to seek a trade as long as he got it done before april 1st when a $21 million bonus came due, are ticked that the former allpro took the money when no trade occurred, yet failed to publisher clyons@411sportsnews.com show to mini-camp.

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June 21- 28 2010

RACE A Womens’ Point of View

Remembering Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009, the entire world was brought to a halt and rocked to the core as billions of people waited to hear the news… “michael Jackson, the king of pop is dead”. i woke up June 25, 2010 thinking, with tears in my eyes and a heaviness on my heart, “has it been a year already”? Do you remember where you were and how you felt when you heard that sad and terrible news? i remember walking through the door of my home and my husband telling me i should sit down. i’d heard that michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital but i just knew he was going to be alright. i was looking forward to finally getting to see him in concert since rumor had it he’d be making a stop in Dallas. the best part about it was that hubby was going to get us backstage passes and i’d get to meet him in person. i was so excited! however, to my disappointment and sadness, i sat in horror and disbelief as newscast after newscast commentated and confirmed the passing of the man who held so many of my childhood’s precious memories. For a moment, i felt my world crumble into a million pieces. it was so surreal. i couldn’t believe i felt so much hurt over the death of someone i never knew personally, but at the same time, was so much a part of my life. i remember that i kept waiting to hear that it was just a hoax, a practical joke, or a lavish publicity stunt to boost the excitement of mJ’s impending concert tour. but it wasn’t. For several days after his death, i cried and cried and watched every tv channel that would have a video or movie or anything talking about his life, his history, and his untimely death. i couldn’t get enough. i wanted to retrieve everything i could to keep him close to me. i called my parents to have them pull out all my records and memorabilia and hubby made six different CDs of nothing by michael Jackson music for me to listen to wherever i would go. i know my family thought i’d lost my last mind. i really had to pray! i didn’t worship him, but since the age of 2, i truly had an undying love for the boy who would become king in this life.

as a little girl, i remember telling my friends that mJ was my uncle. i mean, my last name was Jackson so it was possible, right? i watched every cartoon, soul train, american bandstand, and other tv specials he appeared on and my brothers will confirm that i decorated my room with posters, buttons, magazine articles, and album covers so much so that i created my own michael Jackson wallpaper. no matter what other musical artist my mom would introduce to me, be it new edition, new kids on the block, stacy lattisaw, or otherwise, michael was always number one. when i was sad, i would turn him on and sob in my pillow. i remember winning tickets to see him in concert in kansas City. i was 12 yrs old at the time, but we lived in oklahoma City and my mom wasn’t about to allow me to travel to kansas City by myself. man, i cried for days!! i was so upset! even into my teenage and college years, mJ was there. i remember days of dancing in front of the mirror, singing with my hairbrush, and dreaming of the day when i would meet mJ face to face and give him the biggest hug he’d ever had from his number one fan. but that dream was shattered when he died on June 25, 2009. michael Jackson was the greatest entertainer to grace this life. he impacted the music world and broke down barriers for those who would come behind him. he gave up having a normal life to give back to the world through his music, his time, and his talent. most of all, he was a humanitarian. he used what God gave him to help others all over the world. even with people beating him down and mistreating him, he didn’t stop helping others. i think that is the legacy he leaves with all of us who loved him. we should all learn to have compassion for those that are less fortunate and give of ourselves with what God has given us. like michael said, start with the “man in the mirror”. i continue to pray for michael Jackson’s family. i can never imagine the pain they endure everyday for having lost someone as precious as this man. i remember michael Jackson in a good way. may he continue to rest in peace.

entertainment editor slyons@411sportsnews.com June 21-28 2010

MVP WEEK 6 RANKINGS BY

411 STAFF

ith the exception of one of the top 10 spots, all of the picks from last rankings week's remain intact. that's not to say there some weren't d o m i n a n t performances worthy of consideration this around. time instead, it's more a the to credit consistency of the players selected last week. with that said, it just wouldn't be right to ignore the efforts of those on the outside looking in. earlier this week i had the pleasure of chatting with a los sparks angeles ticket season what holder. initially started as a discussion about the stars at the sun quickly turned into a general wnba discussion about the of some top league's players. one of the names tossed into the mix was that of Rebekkah brunson. while both of us easily agreed that brunson was having a strong year with the lynx, we just as quickly agreed that she was faced with the unfortunate circumstances of playing good basketball on a team that is struggling to gain some ground. needless to say, this conversation got me thinking. Could i live with the decision of not including brunson in this week's Race to the mvp rankings base solely on her team's performance? i mean, we're talking about a has who player recorded a doubledouble in five straight games. she is literally averaging a doubledouble for the month of June. but the reality of it all eventually comes back full circle. brunson's double-double streak is solid in its own right, but minnesota has gone 1-4 during that span. Candace parker experienced a similar dilemma with the sparks early in the season and continues to do so. as you'll see in this installment, parker's recent injury

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combined with the sparks' place in the standings continues to play a part in her position in the Race to the mvp rankings. sadly, the same can be said of brunson, who once again rests on the outside looking in. if the lynx can collectively turn things around, and brunson remains the backbone consistent that she has been, then the odds of her working up the ladder will only improve. Crystal langhorne or erika de souza? i must've asked myself that question more times than i can remember. in the end i elected to go with de souza in the top 10, if only because her recent more have numbers been a bit more flattering in both the points and r e b o u n d category. that not should the diminish of efforts langhorne though. if one word describes langhorne than it's consistency. she may not be lighting up the scoreboard on a nightly basis, but she has been a reliable anchor of sorts for the mystics when it comes to hauling in rebounds. on her best night this season, may 30th against the sun, langhorne pulled down 16 boards en route to a 69-65 win. in worst her night, may 25 against the storm, she pulled in just four. but if you look at her rebound column for the season you will see numbers lingering around the eight and nine rebound range. her season average of 9.1leads all mystics players and keeps her within shooting range of the top 5 in the league. Candice Dupree is a player who has been on the outside looking in since the first week of SEE

WNBA

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Cover Story

sPeCIal

n what is traditionally the quickest turnaround of the Grand slam season, wimbledon 2010 will commence in less than a week on the storied lawns at the all england Club, where the great Roger Federer and serena williams will be your defending champs. less than two weeks ago, the clay-court French open concluded in paris, where Rafael nadal won his fifth title there in six years and Francesca schiavone virtually came out of nowhere to capture the women's title at Roland Garros. at wimbledon, serena will be the women's top seed, while Federer has been installed as the men's top seed, despite the fact that nadal, not Federer, is currently ranked no. 1. nadal supplanted his great swiss rival atop the men's rankings last week following his predictable victory in paris. Roger Federer has won six of the last seven wimbledon titles and hasn't missed the final there since 2002. Federer ran the table at the aeC last year, a year in which nadal was unable to defend his 2008 title because of chronic knee injuries. nadal, of course, outlasted Federer in perhaps the greatest tennis match of all-time two years ago at wimby, where the spanish strongman handed the elegant swiss his first loss there in six years. Federer beat nadal in the 2006 and 2007 wimbledon finals. last year, Federer and andy Roddick hooked up in another classic final at the aeC, as the super swiss finally prevailed in a 30-game fifth set to secure his sixth title there in seven years. it also gave Federer a men's record 15th major title, surpassing american legend pete sampras. Federer is a remarkable 76-2 on grass over the last eight seasons and, of course, owns wimbledon like nadal owns Roland Garros. is a nadal-Federer final rematch in the offing this year? they've already met in a men's record seven Grand slam finals, with nadal taking five of 'em. Federer is, however, 2-1 in their wimbledon title fights. the 12-time major champion serena, meanwhile, nailed down her third career wimbledon title by beating her big sister venus in a fourth all-williams final there last year. serena also bested venus in the 2002 and 2003 finals, while venus defeated her page

FEDERER, SERENA SET TO DEFEND BIG W TITLES

younger sibling in the '08 finale to nail down her fifth career wimbledon and seventh overall major championship. serena williams is a three-time wimbledon champ and owns 12 major titles overall. in addition to her three titles and the '08 runner-up finish to venus, serena was also a wimbledon runner-up, to maria sharapova, back in 2004.

at least one of the williams sisters has contested the final there in nine of the last 10 years, and one of them has won it eight of the last 10. serena is considered the favorite this time around, while it's probably a toss-up between nadal and Federer on the men's side. either Federer or nadal has accounted for the last seven winners at sw19, with Federer securing six of the coveted wins. the hard-luck-loser Roddick has been the runner-up to Federer in three of the last six finales. the last time someone other than Federer, nadal or Roddick appeared in the wimbledon final was mark philippoussis back in 2003, the year of Federer's first victory there. andy murray will try to give britain its first male wimbledon champion in 74 years. the legendary Fred perry was the last british man to title there, back in 1936. as a matter of fact, perry was the back-toback-to-back wimbledon titlist from 193436. in all fairness to the brits, wimbledon was not contested from 1940-45 because of world war ii, which means six of those 74 years fall into the category of "what might www.411sportsnews.com

by lloyd VanCe, 411 sPorts and entertanIment

have been." Rafael nadal is fresh off his fifth French open title and captured wimbledon in his last appearance there in 2008. the last british woman to capture wimbledon glory was virginia wade back in 1977, which is also the last time a british woman reached a wimbledon final. murray, this year's aussie open runnerup and the 2008 u.s. open runner-up to Federer, was considered among the favorites at the big w last year, but the Dunblane, scotland native was ousted by a tenacious Roddick in the semis. the reigning aussie open and wimbledon champion Federer heads to wimbledon '10 on the heels of some shaky play. two weeks ago, the smooth swiss was stunned by Robin soderling in the French open quarterfinals, which prevented Federer from appearing in a mind-boggling 24th straight Grand slam semifinal. the setback also marked a rematch of last year's Roland Garros finale, which was won by the 16-time major champion. and last week, the five-time halle champion Federer lost to fellow former world no. 1 lleyton hewitt in the grasscourt finale in halle, marking only Federer's second grass-court loss since 2002. the seemingly-past-his-prime hewitt had dropped his previous 15 encounters with Federer, who was riding a monster 29match winning streak in halle. Does this put the 2002 wimbledon champion hewitt among the contenders at the aeC? i wouldn't think so. by the way, hewitt is ranked 26th in the world, but seeded 15th at wimbledon. venus williams will head to wimbledon in search of her sixth championship there. and in another surprising loss last week, Feliciano lopez ousted his fellow spaniard nadal in the fourth round on the grass at london's Queen's Club. the stunner halted nadal's sizzling 24-match overall winning streak (22 of the wins, and a trio of titles, came on clay). back over on the women's side, serena and venus are among the favorites for sure, but Justine henin figures to be in the equation. the determined belgian came out of her 20-month retirement this year, setting her sights on a first- ever June 21- 28 2010

Cover Story wimbledon championship. like nadal, she's captured 4/5ths of the career Golden slam, with only wimbledon escaping her grasp. she was the wimby runner- up in 2001 (venus) and 2006 (amelie mauresmo). note: henin has been knocked out at wimbledon by a williams sister on three occasions. henin fell to her arch-rival serena in this year's aussie open finale, and was stunned by samantha stosur in the fourth round at Roland Garros two weeks ago. the belgian star owns seven major titles and would like to make it eight next month. if henin should fail to capture wimbledon during her career, there's no shame in that (see also monica seles). most expect nadal and Federer to meet in another wimbledon final, and obviously murray has a shot to do something big, but don't forget about Roddick, who has appeared in just as many wimbledon title tilts as nadal, but, unlike nadal, has yet to break that Federer spell. the former world no. 1 and former u.s. open champion Roddick, who will try to give the u.s. its first male wimbledon titlist in 10 years (sampras in 2000), is a quality 34-9 all-time there. if Roddick should ultimately fail to capture wimbledon during his career, well, there's no shame in that (see also ivan lendl and ken Rosewall). andy Roddick is a three-time wimbledon runner-up to Roger Federer. some other men to keep an eye on are former aussie open champ novak Djokovic and two-time Roland Garros runner-up Robin soderling. the Djoker just about always cruises into the second week at the slams, while soderling, who's quietly up to no. 6 in the world, has been one of the best players on the planet over the last 12 months. the swedish masher, who lost to Federer and nadal, respectively, in the last two French open finals, enjoyed his bestever showing at wimbledon last year with a run into the fourth round before succumbing to Federer. big-servers like Roddick can thrive on the lawns at the aeC, and that's why fellas like aussie open semifinalist marin Cilic, 6foot-9 american John isner and last week's surprise grass-court Queen's Club champ sam Querrey of the u.s. also have a chance June 21-28 2010

FEDERER, SERENA SET TO DEFEND BIG W TITLES

to do some damage. i'm not picking any of these three guys to win it all, but i would expect to see all three playing in the second week. the 6-foot-6 Querrey already owns three titles this season, on three different surfaces. back over on the women's side, the scrappy schiavone will try to become the first woman since serena in 2002 to capture Roland Garros and wimbledon back- toback.

two weeks ago, schiavone became the first-ever italian woman to reach a Grand slam final and capture a major title when she went 7-0 in paris. Can she do it again at wimbledon? no way! the clay-court-loving italian struggles mightily on grass. Justine henin has won an olympic gold medal and every major title, with the exception of wimbledon. how about French open runner-up samantha stosur, can she follow up on her French success at wimbledon? sure she can. the quality aussie, who also excels at doubles, plays great around the net and has a big serve that can win her a lot of easy points on the grass. other women to keep your eye on are the former wimbledon champ sharapova, 2009 u.s. open winner kim Clijsters and '09 u.s. open runner-up Caroline wozniacki. sharapova is fresh off her grass-court runner-up finish in birmingham and she's very comfortable on the lawns at the aeC, where she titled back in '04. the lanky Russian is a three-time major champ, with only the French open eluding her to this point. Clijsters returned to action on the grass www.411sportsnews.com

in eastbourne this week, marking her first tennis in two months after suffering a foot injury. the two-time u.s. open champion and four-time Grand slam runner-up has never reached a wimbledon final. the once-retired Clijsters will play in her first wimbledon draw since 2006, when she reached the semis. the Danish wozniacki has been quite steady over the last two seasons. she was last year's u.s. open runner-up to Clijsters, has appeared in a pair of finals (1-1) this season, and landed in the fourth round at the aeC last year. andy murray hopes to end britain's 74-year male title drought at the all england Club. note: the Championships, wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, having first been staged in 1877. Federer hasn't won a title of any kind since capturing his fourth aussie open crown five months ago. and since then, he's lost to the likes of marcos baghdatis, tomas berdych, ernests Gulbis, albert montanes, nadal, soderling and hewitt, respectively. that's seven straight events that have ended in a loss for the swiss superstar, and he'd won all 12 of his previous matches against soderling and a whopping 15 straight against hewitt before suffering those particular setbacks. is the slippage starting to show? and when Federer lost to nikolay Davydenko in the 2009 season-ending world tour Finals in london, he lost his perfect 12-0 record against the speedy Russian star. long story short, he's been losing to people he once owned. Really owned. now, for the predictions. i still think Federer, who's performed in the last seven wimbledon finals, will do it again and grasp wimbledon title number seven, which would tie him with sampras for the most men's titles there in the open era. and i'm gonna have to go with serena to make it two in a row and four wimbledon titles overall on the ladies' side. of course, nobody would be surprised if venus went for number six.

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LEGACY STAMPED: BRYANT LAKERS' BEST ,

Business in the News

efore the nba Finals got underway, i wrote that kobe bryant was officially done playing with his peers -- that he was playing instead against history. at some point, that happens with all the great ones. John elway was one of the best quarterbacks in nFl lore. to those around the game, elway's legend was already secured long before he won the big game, but to the masses there was a big hole in his resume' that wasn't filled until the signalcaller finally won super bowls XXXii and XXXiii, thanks to a muchimproved supporting cast in Denver. elway was long past his prime when he won. in fact, his performance in super bowl XXXii, where he completed just 12-of-22 passes for a measly 123 yards against the Green bay packers was one of the worst of his career, a fact that is now largely forgotten thanks to the stamp of "winner" that was finally applied. elway could have retired before he won the super bowl, secure in the knowledge that a bust in Canton was waiting but he hung in -- not to beat the packers or the atlanta Falcons in the next season -- he did it for history's sake. bryant also had a rather glaring omission on his curriculum vitae that needed to be cleaned up. it certainly wasn't a championship. the philadelphia native had already secured four of them before last night. it wasn't a title without shaq. kobe exorcised that demon last year when the lakers topped orlando in the nba Finals. it was, however, beating the Celtics, la's biggest rival, in the Finals. the lakers' history is filled with hall of Famers. players like George mikan, elgin

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sPeCIal

by lloyd VanCe 411 sPorts and entertanIment

baylor, wilt Chamberlain, kareem abdul-Jabbar, magic Johnson and the logo himself, Jerry west. when you talk about the best in the team's past, most settle on magic -- simply because he was the leader of the only la teams to beat the Celtics in the Finals -- until last night. bryant and the lakers failed in their first attempt against the C's back in 2008 but came through this time winning a hard-fought, defensiveminded Game 7 to take home the franchise's 16th nba championship. like elway, it was far from bryant's best performance. in fact, it was one of his worst, at least offensively. the lakers' superstar forced far too many shots and finished the game shooting a miserable 6-of-24, a number that will also surely be forgotten as the years pass. the biggest knock on kobe has been his inability to trust his teammates and it came to the forefront early last night as he fired up contested shot after contested shot as the Celtics built a 13-point advantage. "the more i tried to push, the more it kept getting away from me," bryant said. Realizing the jumper just wasn't there, bryant finally started deferring. Derek Fisher and Ron artest both sunk huge threes in the fourth quarter and pau Gasol was a monster inside, parading to the free throw line late and finishing with 19 points and 18 rebounds. bryant, meanwhile, was content to clean the glass, defend and follow Gasol's lead by drawing contact and getting to the line. "i'm just glad my teammates got us back in the game," bryant said. "i was thankful that i was able to make one damn shot at the end and make some free throws." in the end, it might have been bowling shoe ugly but the scoreboard read: lakers 83, Celtics - 79. "i try not to (get caught in the hype of a Game 7). tonight, it got the best of me,"

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bryant said. "i wanted it so bad. sometimes when you want something so bad, it slips away from you. i can't say enough about (Gasol). we wouldn't have won it without him." before the series started, bryant downplayed the matchup but his relief was palpable after the final buzzer sounded. "this is the sweetest (of the five)," bryant said as he accepted the bill Russell award as Finals mvp. "we understood how badly the city wanted it. this one is by far the sweetest because it was against (boston) and it was the hardest, by far."

now, when people look in the record book, they will see the 2010 lakers beating the Celtics, and bryant joining Johnson as the two signature players that got the best of boston. when espn's stuart scott introduced Johnson at the championship celebration on the floor at staples Center after last night's Game 7, he used the throwaway line of "the greatest laker of them all -- magic Johnson." a decade from now when the next generation of lakers is celebrating and espn's newest talking head wants to introduce the greatest laker of them all, it will be bryant stepping to the center of the floor. most will remember his superlative scoring ability, his deft ball-handling or his lockdown defense. i'll remember this series, his willingness to finally defer and his growth as a player.

June 21- 28 2010

Race to MVP-Week 6 Rankings 411 SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Race to the mvp rankings. after five weeks of near misses in the top 10, you have to really take a step back and acknowledge just how well she is playing for the mercury. saturday, in the franchise's record-setting 116-84 win over the tulsa shock, Dupree set a franchise record of her own when she shot a perfect 9-for-9 from the field en route to an 18 points outing, making her the first player in mercury history to shoot a perfect 100 percent. the previous record was set by kamila vodichkova in 2005 when she went 10-for-11. Dupree remains on the outside looking in despite that incredible feat, but can you really dismiss her as a footnote in this week's rankings? i venture to say no. Renee montgomery had one heck of a weekend. Friday, on home court against the Fever, montgomery dropped 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting to help power the sun past indiana 86-77. top that off with her 5of-10 from beyond the arc and it's a contribution the sun will gladly take from her on a nightly basis. Case in point: a rematch on sunday, this time on the road in indiana. montgomery posted up 17 points in the second half of the home-and-home, with 12 of those points coming from three-point land. her three-

June 21-28 2010

point percentage of 0.422 ranks her as the fifth best shooter from beyond the arc and her total made, 19, is good enough for fourth. as far as the outside looking in section is concerned, montgomery replaces sue bird's spot in the rankings this time around. the final spot is awarded to yet another member of the atlanta Dream, the third to grace the rankings this week. but hey, there's no quota for how many players from a certain team get consideration in the Race to the mvp. if a player is playing well and garnering plenty of praise for her play, then you can be she'll find her way onto the list. sancho lyttle is that player. in 12 games this season, lyttle has posted double figures in 10 of them. what's more, she has recorded five double-doubles and just recently watched her streak end at three straight tuesday night against Chicago. Double-double aside, the Dream still walked away with the win and she still tallied 15 points, four boards, two assists and two steals. lyttle has always possessed a commanding defensive presence to her game but has taken on more of an offensive role with the Dream since the team selected her in the Comets dispersal draft.

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what started as bench player role in houston between 2005-2008 has since elevated to the level of starter with new career highs across the board in 2010. so far this season, lyttle is averaging 15.3 ppg and 10.1 rpg. before coming to atlanta, lyttle never averaged more than 8.2 ppg in a single season. i could go on, but if you pull up her career stats on wnba.com it'll tell you all you need to know.

race to mVP- overall Player rankings 1. lauren Jackson seattle storm 2. Cappie Pondexter, new york liberty 3. diana taurasi, Phoenix mercury 4. angel mcCoughtry, atlanta dream 5. Candace Parker, l a sparks 6. sylvia Fowles, Chicago sky 7. monique Currie, Washington mystics 8. erika de souza, atlanta dream 9. tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever

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GOLF TIDBITS: U.S. OPEN STARTS A RUN OF BIG EVENTS

he next 10 weeks will be one of the best stretches of golf that a fan could ask for. in that span, there are nine significant championships at stake, and several other huge tournaments. on the major stage, that stretch includes the u.s. open this weekend, as well as british open (July 15-18) and pGa Championship (aug. 12-15). two weeks away is the at&t national, which is an invitational (only 120 players) with one of the top-15 purses of the season. also, the third world Golf Championship event takes place the week before the pGa Championship. one could argue this is the most important part of the pGa tour schedule, with five important events in the next 10 weeks. if the lpGa is more your speed, the tour treks through three majors in its next six events. the tour is in a stretch where it is playing five consecutive weeks, which is the second-longest continuous run of the season. also in this stretch is the evian masters for the lpGa. that event, along with the u.s. women's open, share the largest purse of the tour's schedule. if you follow the Champions tour, you are in for three majors in a six-event span. the seniors go back-to-back with majors starting with the senior british open and following

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with the u.s. senior open. not only are we starting a run of stellar events, but the venues are among the best of the best as well. this week's u.s. open is at pebble beach, one of the most scenic venues in all of golf, and of course the place where tiger woods rolled to an historic 15- stroke win back in 2000. the pGa tour stops at aronimink Golf Club in suburban philadelphia for the first time since the 1962 pGa Championship, then heads to the "home of golf" -- st. andrews -two weeks later. the british open Championship, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, will be contested on the old Course at st. andrews. woods will go for his third straight title at st. andrews. he won by five strokes in 2005, the year Jack nicklaus said goodbye to the open, and cruised to an eight-stroke win there in 2000. three weeks after st. andrews will be the third wGC event of the season at Firestone, which serves as the final tune-up for the pGa Championship at whistling straits. For the lpGa, the tour returns to locust hill for the lpGa Championship next weekend. locust hill had been one of the longestrunning venues on tour with the wegmans

lpGa, but that event ended last year. the ladies will play the u.s. open at oakmont Country Club (July 8-11) for the first time since 1992. the men played the u.s. open there in 2007 and angel Cabrera won with a score of five-over par, so this will be a very tough test for the women. after traveling to France to play at scenic evian masters Golf Club for the evian masters (July 22-25), the lpGa shifts to Royal birkdale for the women's british open Championship (July 29 - aug. 1st). birkdale has hosted the women's british four times previously, with the last two being major championships. that event only became a major for the women in 2001. the Champions tour's first major in this stretch is the senior british at Carnoustie (July 22-25), which has hosted seven british opens, but is hosting the senior british for the first time. it will be a tough go for those playing the senior british and the u.s. senior open in consecutive weeks. For those playing both events, they'll have to get from scotland to sammamish, wash. three weeks later, and wrapping up this strong run of tournaments, the Champions tour will play its fourth of the year at the JelD-wen tradition.

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June 21- 28 2010

2010 NBA Draft John Wall

evan turner

derrick Favors

point Guard, kentucky the wizards get their point guard of the future.

Guard, ohio state turner can be a jack-of-alltrades for philadelphia.

Forward, Georgia tech talented forward can make an immediate impact.

Wesley Johnson

demarcus Cousins

ekpe udoh

Forward, syracuse the wolves get the top sF prospect in the draft.

Forward, kentucky kings get frontcourt help with tough, talented big guy.

Forward, baylor athletic udoh will fit well with up-tempo warriors.

Greg monroe

al-Farouq aminu

Forward, Georgetown a superb passer with a high basketball i.Q.

power Forward, wake Forest, Great rebounder gives Clippers front-court depth.

Gordon Hayward Forward, butler versatile swingman can score, pass and rebound.

Paul George

Cole aldrich

Xavier Henry

Forward, Fresno state high-riser shot up the draft charts during workouts.

Center, kansas excellent shot-blocker and a productive rebounder

shooting Guard, kansas henry has great range and size for his position.

ed davis Forward, north Carolina long, active big with a high motor. terrific rebounder

larry sanders Forward, virginia Commonwealth long and athletic. Great rebounder and shot-blocker.

luke babbitt

Kevin seraphin

eric bledsoe

small Forward, nevada Great offensive talent, can score from anywhere.

Forward, Cholet basket (France) may be going to wizards as part of kirk hinrich deal.

point Guard, kentucky Great athlete with longdistance range.

avery bradley point Guard, texas may be the best defensive guard in 2010 Draft

June 21-28 2010

Patrick Patterson Forward, kentucky Rugged patterson fits in well with blue-collar Rockets.

James anderson shooting Guard, oklahoma state one of the most polished offensive prospects in draft.

Craig brackins Forward, iowa state highly skilled scorer with good size for combo forward.

elliot Williams

trevor booker

damion James

Guard, memphis Gives blazers depth at both guard positions.

Forward, Clemson strong, tough, and athletic power forward.

Guard, texas terrific rebounder will provide toughness and energy.

dominique Jones

Quincy Pondexter

Jordan Crawford

Guard, south Florida athletic slasher. Good midrange shooter off dribble.

Guard, washington top tier athlete with great quickness and leaping ability

shooting Guard, Xavier Creative scorer. explosive leaper who attacks rim.

Greivis Vasquez

daniel orton

lazar Hayward

Guard, maryland Crafty and fearless player. excellent distributor

Forward, kentucky Record fifth uk player of first round. Great defender.

Forward, marquette excellent upside as a defensive-stopper.

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June 21- 28 2010

MISS DALLAS JANUARY

MARRIETTA FEBRUARY

MICKY MARCH

AJAY APRIL

KIMBERLY MAY

SHAN JUNE

MICOLE LYNN JUNE

JUNE 2010 SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR Monday

Sunday

Tuesday

Wednesday 1

D.l. hughley @ addison improv venue: addison improv * location: 4980 beltline Rd #250, Dallas, texas, 75254

alan barnes Fine art presents impressions of europe, a collection of over 50 recent ... 10:00a to 5:00p alan barnes Fine art, Dallas tX

own your own tax Franchise business seminar time: 7:00 pm Renaissance Dallas location: 2222 stemmons Fwy,

Friday

harvey martin Classic 12:00 press Conference Dallas City hall

harvey martin Classic Golf tournament the Golf Club at Castle hills 7:30 shotgun

table of Contents: stories of hunger and Resilience 9:00a to 6:00p Janette kennedy Gallery, south side on lamar, Dallas tX

MICOLE LYNN name: micole lynn nickname: to-Good birthplace and date: oklahoma City, ok 05/31/1986 Height: â&#x20AC;˘ Weight: 5'1/115 measurements:34/27/36 eye color/Hair color:brown/black best asset: lips/smile Career Goal: designer/stylist What's the 411 about you- I have always been hot and always will be I'm not a one hit wonder. Favorite sport: Football What is your dream job? being paid to do nothing lol, kidding my dream job would be a designer, to see other people wearing clothing that you designed says a lot about you and your style. Favorite team: saints baby most embarrassing moment: I think I blocked those moments out... Jet or 411 sports? 411 sports of course summer or Winter? I vote summer because I am a summer baby and I love laying out by the pool. mountains or beach? beach, I am not prepared to climb or hike no mountain.

harvey martin Classic 11:00am luncheon westin City Center

Saturday

June 21-28 2010

Thursday

harvey martin Classic Cotton bowl kick off 5:00pm new mexico workshop 16 brazos Gallery, Reception ... 7:00p to 9:00p brazos Gallery, Richland College,

CALENDAR GIRL do you have any brothers or sisters? 3 brothers and two sisters What would you do if you won a million dollars? all that would be invested in my designs for marketing. Complete this phrase: "I would be voted most likely...to curse a female out. If you could change 1 thing about yourself what would it be? I love me everything about me has made me who I am now so nothing would change...love me or leave me. bikini or one-piece? bikini because I need more of my body to tan when out, but I do love some one-pieces. Worst job ever: mcdonalds, one of the managers was a tamale hugger as I like to say had it in for me I swear. How much would you pay to win a date with yourself? (i.e. Charity auction) I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be cocky, 5,000 Would you rather cook or clean? Cook and clean they go hand in hand you can't cook in a dirty kitchen.

players should be able to play with their shirts off just like they would in the streets, yea body and tattoos every where. biggest mistake: Was not moving to California in 2003 for school, I wonder where I would be now if I would of just went but i love my life now. I've never been able to: lie correctly so I don't even try my last meal would be: a tray of lobsters, love sea food.

Who pays on a date? the guy always, I dont mind sometimes but the guy majority of the time. What is your hottest sports opinion? nba www.411sportsnews.com

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COVER SPECIAL 411 SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Jada Pinkett smith and women on the verge For decades, they’ve shone in Front oF the camera. now women are taking over behind the scenes.

ada pinkett smith laughs knowingly when she discusses learning the “language of man” in her role as a producer, director, and actress in tinseltown over the years. the petite star says one of the mistakes she has made and feels many other women commit in an effort to progress in the male-dominated world is trying too hard to be just one of the guys. “early on i really think i attempted to be the loudest one in the room,” pinkett smith says. “i wanted to be heard and felt like that was the only way in a room full of men. but eventually i realized that all i needed was my own authentic confidence to get their attention. i think as women we often forget that femininity can be a great thing if used in the right way. trust me, i had my days of wanting to go ‘dude to dude’ with the men in the room, and then it just hit me that that didn’t work as well as being confident in myself as a woman and allowing that to show.’’ pinkett smith, who is the producer of the upcoming film the karate kid (starring her son, Jaden) and the current tnt hit show hawthorne, says that the art of communication is probably the most vital lesson she has learned from her superstar husband, will smith, in navigating the boardroom. “men have a way of communicating with each other that is very direct and clear,” says pinkett smith, who has worked as a singer as well as an actress, director, and producer. “that stood out to me, and i think when a woman gets into the mix, the reactions can change, and men can shut down just like they do in the home. if they don’t know how to respond to an idea or disagree with a woman, it can get very complicated. they can’t challenge you to a duel or yell and argue like men can do with each other, so that becomes an obstacle that as women we have to find a way around. For me that means page

remembering to keep that authentic

academy awards, only four women have

confidence, and to allow the fact that i am a woman to shine through.”

ever been nominated for best director; kathryn bigelow was the first to win this year with the hurt locker. that prompted many industry observers to declare 2010 the year of the woman, suggesting that the traditional barriers holding women back in entertainment had disappeared— much in the same way obama’s election as president signaled a watershed for racism to some observers. not so fast, according to pinkett smith. “her win was very inspiring, and it proved that great work will be rewarded,’’ she says. “that said, we still have a ways to go for more doors to open for women on every front. things still aren’t where they should be for

while women have reigned in front of the camera for decades, their place behind the scenes—writing, directing, and producing—has been much harder to establish. pinkett smith says it’s not that the male-dominated industry lacks interest in hiring women; it’s more a lack of comfort. “they like the familiar so they lean towards that in the people they place around them,” she says. women still make up a small fraction of screenwriters, television and film directors, and music producers. in the 82-year history of the www.411sportsnews.com

June 21- 28 2010

Jada Pinkett smith and women on the verge women, minorities, and other nonwhite males. but it’s looking up.’’ mara brock akil couldn’t agree more. the creator of two hit television shows with the Game and Girlfriends, the 40-year-old says that while movies provided a major coup for women’s awards this year, television is actually where the most dramatic changes are happening. Former saturday night live stars tina Fey and amy poehler have helped revive the american sitcom with their respective witfests, 30 Rock and parks and Recreation. brock akil says that since she started her career as a writer on comedies such as sinbad and martin, opportunities both in front of and behind the cameras have increased substantially. “television has more room to explore, and that gives women more of a chance to make inroads,” says brock akil. “television has to appeal to the audience in a more real and tangible way, so it only makes sense that women play a role in that. we make up such a large part of the audience that our input is imperative if it’s going to reflect who’s watching.” the trend is most evident on cable television. shows like in plain sight, the Closer, and hawthorne all feature female leads and employ a host of female writers and producers at the helm. the results are powerful, complex characters with layers that are examined and challenged weekly in detailed storylines. “what i love most about television is that i have 12 to 26 shows to work out my character on hawthorne, says pinkett smith, who stars on the show as well as coproduces it with her husband. “the audience gets the chance to see all the flaws and bumps of the character, which gives a more realistic idea of who she is. it also provides a richness that i don’t think was there a few years ago because diversity in roles wasn’t there.” hawthorne follows the life of a Christina hawthorne, a registered nurse, newly widowed and the mother of a rebellious teenage daughter. the show regularly deals with the issues balancing work, relationships, and parenting, and attempts to offer a more realistic view of what a woman must face as she juggles being the June 21-28 2010

head of t h e

COVER conveyed to the audience to show how we all sometimes allow our professional lives to flow over into the home. i was deeply moved as a kid listening to my mother talk about getting women into a shelter or helping a sick child. i wanted t h a t

household and a jobholder. “my mother was a nurse,

complexity on the s h o w . ” someday maybe her daughter will create a show in her honor, about the complexities of being a woman producer.

and i saw her bring the problems of her patients h o m e ,” pinkett smith says. “i wanted t h a t

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HE SAY/ SHE SAY there are not many times i find myself browsing Facebook. i have enough to try to keep up with to find the time or the energy to peruse and check out profiles but since my insomnia kicked in fore day this morning i did jus that. the most interesting thing was how so many work hard to look good for the masses. Granted some might actually do it for themselves but geesh if you need all of that makeup, hair, nails and etc is it really worth it and do you honestly considering yourself a dime or beautiful? this is not me passing judgment, i am genuinely curious if the illusion of beauty pays off more than just being natural? i can’t help but wonder do men actual enjoy the fact that everything on the woman they are talking to at the club fake? From her nails, hair, eye lashes, contacts, purse and maybe her behind considering they have padded panties this days all have been manufactured and sold. what about this is beauty? are these women attempting to keep up with the allure of those that are on television and since that is what they think men want, they follow suit? if you are one of these women who cant leave your house without a full face of makeup on, how do you feel about yourself? hell, do you even know what you look like or has this avatar you created taken over your identity and buried your true self under the piles of maC? true beauty comes from within and if you are in your mid to late 20s and you need all of that to go get dinner with a man, have a shopping date with girlfriends or a run out to the grocery store, you have a serious problem and i suggest you snatch the hair, nails and eyelashes off, scrub your face clear and stand in front of a mirror. soak up the Real you and if you can’t stand the sight of that person, seek therapy now because there isn’t enough man made enhancers that can solve or hide the troubles you have in your soul. Comments marcus d. Joubert "because there isn’t enough man made enhancers that can solve or hide the troubling you have in your soul." ...smh... let the truth be known! mDJ brandon savoy no, men (For the most part; and including the keyword "men" not just a bunch of horny boys) don't care for all of the fake body parts that some women feel obliged to put on. i personally hate, with a passion mind you, when women put on so much make up you think they're going to Clown school. it gets ridiculous. melissa akdemir i dont like make up, its full of chemicals and hard to get off, plus if it get in your eyes it stings, but there is a difference in how ppl treat me when i wear it. not to say i get better treatment, but yes more men apprecaite a woman that takes time to make herself look good. some females are fake and make up is their way of expressing that. regina Cooper i love to play Devil's advocate, but page

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June 21- 28 2010

HE SAY/ SHE SAY indulge me here for a moment, will you? these "fake" women, these plastic chicks, cosmopolitan copy-cats, burned out barbie wannabes have probably been bombarded with images of what the "ideal" woman looks like for years, and, like many other young ladies, did not have confirmation from a mother or a father ... Krissy d Carter @Regina a little of one or the other is one thing... personally, i think it's the combination of all of the fake ish that's the problem.... like seriously... who is looking back at the girl standing in front of a mirror while wearing fake hair, nails, colored contacts, and a shitton of makeup. when the person staring back in the mirror is a "surrogate" or as lyd put it, and avatar... then there's a really a problem. sharde marie nabors avatar....great metaphor. i never understood it. all the weave, fake nails, contacts....just stop. i might throw on a bit of make up but it still looks natural. i might wear a girdle once in a blue moon in order to tuck my tummy away a bit. but 95% of the time i am all natural. brandon savoy @krystal you put it nicely i think. that's how i feel. Fake nails? okay i can deal with that. Just some Flashy eye shadow? Cool, if that's your thing. but it's just when it gets obsessive, and you have on more than one of these kind of things on, all at once. "less is more." Kwame Freshoff-thejet Hall this note proves there are women out there who understand the meaning of tRue beauty. thanks for the taG. Garfield Hylton i personally like women that look as natural as possible. all that s@#t does nothing for me and it i hate to see a woman covered up in all that bullshit. but instead of complaining, i just don't date women who wear alot of it. some weave sometimes is cool. i hate makeup, but whatever. Fake nails, probably the most tolerable of the three. all three of them together in excess, i'm usually not interested. nicole thompson i wear arcylic overlays, weaves and light makeup and i just make sure that it looks as natural as possible. i think its fine as long as its not obsessive where when you remove everything you look like a completely different person. sharde marie nabors shaving and waxing are understandable because it's taming your body hair. nothing at all wrong with that. but leading a man to believe you have long silky hair when you don't or green eyes, when they're really brown....why???? why not just be you? i think that has a lot to do with the images of "beauty" we see every day. deacon Womack here is the trouble as i see it true beauty has to do with one's character and spirit but i can only get to know your true beauty when we communicate....if one is skeptical of others one will not communicate hence i cannot know your true beauty..any suggestions?ents, makeup as a touchup is ok, but on a daily basis to lie to the public, is not acceptable June 21-28 2010

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BlackTopTens.com Top 10 Female Athletes

Top Ten Lists Featuring African Americans in the world of sports, african american women have overcome insurmountable odds to achieve success, fame and fortune. by displaying perseverance, determination and unsurpassed athleticism, they have been able to break through barriers and achieve their goals & dreams. in honor of some of the best female athletes to participate in professional sports, i’ve decided to put together a list of the top10 greatest african american female athletes of all time. i welcome your thoughts, opinions and comments. 10. sheryl swoopes 1971 sheryl Denise swoopes is an american professional basketball player who played most recently for the seattle storm in the wnba. she was the first player to be signed in the wnba when it was created. she has won three olympic Gold medals and is a three-time wnba mvp. Frequently referred to as the “female michael Jordan,” swoopes is famous for both her offensive and defensive skills. in 2005, she averaged 18.6 points, 85% free throws, 4.3 assists, 2.65 steals and 37.1 minutes playing time per game. swoopes is considered “one of the best collegiate players of all time”. as a member of the houston Comets, she has accumulated over 2,000 career points, 500 career rebounds, 300 career assists and 200 career steals. her extraordinary scoring and defensive ability have made her the first three-time wnba mvp (2000, 2002, 2005) and the first three-time wnba Defensive player of the year (2000, 2002, 2003). swoopes is a four-time wnba champion (1997–2000). swoopes is the first women’s basketball player to have a nike shoe named after her: the “air swoopes”.[ 9. Cynthia Cooper 1963 Cynthia lynne Cooper-Dyke is a retired american basketball player who has won championships in college, the olympics, and in the women's national b a s k e t b a l l association (wnba). she is considered by many as one of the greatest women's basketball players ever. she played for the houston Comets from 1997–2000 and again in 2003. Cooper

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was voted the wnba's mvp in 1997 and 1998 and also won four wnba Championships with the houston Comets. she was named most valuable player in each of those wnba Finals. Cooper was named the 1998 sportswoman of the year by the women's sports Foundation. During the Comet dynasty, she was a vital part of the triple threat offense with sheryl swoopes and tina thompson. when retired in 2000, Cooper became the first player in wnba history to score 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 2,500 career points. she scored 30 or more points in 16 of her 120 games and had a 92-game doublefigure scoring streak from 1997–2000. she went on to coach the phoenix mercury for one and a half seasons. 8. lisa leslie 1972 – lisa Deshaun leslie-lockwood is a retired american professional women's basketball player in the wnba. she played her whole career for the los angeles sparks.[1] she is a three-time wnba mvp and a four-time olympic gold medal winner. the number seven pick in the 1997 wnba draft, she followed a superb career at the university of southern California with seven wnba a l l - s t a r appearances and two wnba championships. in 2003, leslie, a 6′5″ forward, became the first player to dunk in a wnba game. that same year she became the first wnba player to score over 3,000 total career points and contributed to the sparks winning their second straight world championship. two seasons later, she became the first player to reach the 4,000-career point milestone. Considered a pioneer and cornerstone of the league during her eleven-year wnba career, leslie announced her retirement effective at the end of the 2009 season on January 4, 2009. entering that season she is #2 all-time in the wnba in total rebounds and rebounds per game, and #1 in total blocks and blocks per game. 7. althea Gibson 1927-2003 althea Gibson was a world no. 1 american sportswoman who became the first africanamerican woman to be a competitor on the world tennis tour and the first to win a Grand slam title in 1956. she is sometimes referred to as “the Jackie Robinson of tennis” for breaking

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the “color barrier.” Gibson was ranked in the world top ten from 1956 through 1958, reaching a career high of world no. 1 in 1957 and 1958. she was also the top ranked u.s. player in 1957 and 1958. in 1956, Gibson made history by becoming the first black person to win the French championships. the next year, she made more history by winning wimbledon and the u.s. nationals, the first black to win either. she must have liked winning the world’s two most prestigious tournaments, because she repeated the accomplishments in 1958. the 5foot-11 right-hander had a strong serve and preferred to play an attacking game. an athletic woman, she had good foot speed, which allowed her to cover the court. as the years went on, she became more consistent from the baseline. including six doubles titles, she won a total of 11 Grand slam events on her way to the international tennis hall of Fame and the international women’s sports hall of Fame. 6. alice Coachman 1923 alice Coachman paved the way for hundreds of black female olympic champions. she became the first african american woman to win a gold medal with a victory in the high jump in the 1948 olympics in london. born in albany, Georgia, in 1923, Coachman was denied access to public training facilities because of segregation. so she ran barefoot on the back roads of Georgia, devising various makeshift barriers to jump over. in 1939, at the age of 16, she received at scholarship to attend tuskegee preparatory school. before classes began, she competed in the women’s track-and-field national championship. she broke the high school and collegiate high jump records without wearing shoes. in 1948, the Xiv olympiad was held in london, england. Despite a back problem at the london olympics, she jumped 5 feet, 6-1/4 inches on her first try, a record-breaking jump for which she earned the gold medal. alice Coachman became the first woman of color in the world, and the first african-american woman to win a gold medal in track and field in the history of the modern olympics. in addition, she was the only american woman to win a gold medal at the 1948 games. in 1952, Coachman became the first black female athletic champion to sign a product

June 21- 28 2010

BlackTopTens.com

Top Ten Lists Featuring African Americans endorsement for a multinational corporation, Coca-Cola. 5. Venus Williams 1980 – venus ebony starr williams is an a m e r i c a n professional tennis player. she has been ranked world no. 1 by the women’s tennis association (wta) on three separate occasions; as of February 1, 2010, she is ranked world no. 5. she is the reigning australian open, wimbledon and us open doubles champion and has won 20 Grand slam titles: seven in women’s singles, eleven in women’s doubles and two in mixed doubles. in addition, she has won three olympic gold medals, one in women’s singles and two in women’s doubles. williams reached the us open finals at the age of 17, becoming the first woman since 1978 to

June 21-28 2010

Top 10 Comedians

reach a us open final on her début and was the first unseeded female us open finalist since 1958. after her breakthrough, williams reached the top ten on the wta world rankings for the first time in 1998 when she won the lipton Championships in miami. between 2000 and 2001, williams won four of the six Grand slam tournaments she entered. her 35-match winning streak remains the longest of the millennium. 4.. Florence Griffith-Joyner 1959 – 1998 Florence Griffith-Joyner (born Florence Delorez Griffith, also known as Flo-Jo was an african american track and field athlete. During the late 1980s she became a popular figure in international track and field due to her recordsetting performances and flashy personal style. while her fans remember her gold medals and world records she earned as a runner, they also cannot forget her 6-inch-long elaborately painted fingernails or her signature running outfits that teased audiences all over the globe with the view of a single bare leg. at the 1988 seoul olympics, Flo Jo topped off her track career with three gold medals in the 100, 200, and 400 meter races,

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as well as a silver medal in the 1600 meter relay. her time at the 100 and 200 meter run at the seoul games is a world record that has yet to be broken. in 1998 she died of an epiletic seizure due to a congenital defect. she was the wife of triple jumper al Joyner and the sister-in-law of heptathlete and long jumper Jackie Joyner-kersee. 3. Wilma rudolph 1940 – 1994 wilma Glodean Rudolph was an american athlete, who was born prematurely and weighed only 4.5 pounds. because of racial segregation, she and her mother were not permitted to be cared for at the local hospital. it was for whites only. there was only one black doctor in Clarksville, about 50 miles away, but the Rudolph’s budget was tight, so wilma’s mother spent the next several years nursing wilma through one illness after another: measles, mumps, scarlet fever, chicken pox and double pneumonia. but, she had to be taken to the doctor when it was

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RESTAURANT ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE

Top 10 Best Black Sports Movies SPECIAL 411 SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT BY: LEON SHEPHERD

fter reviewing several sports movies, i was finally able to come up with my top ten best. the movies i chose are well-acted and directed and have all the elements that create good drama; love, competition, passion, and glory. so, without further ado, here’s my top 10 best black sports movies of all time. let the top 10 debate begin! 10. He Got Game he Got Game is a 1998 sports-drama movie written and directed by spike lee. it stars Denzel washington as Jake shuttlesworth, a prison inmate convicted for murdering his wife. the father of the top-ranked basketball prospect in the country, Jesus shuttlesworth (Ray allen), Jake is released on parole for a week by the state’s governor in order to persuade his son to play for the governor’s alma mater in exchange for a heavily-reduced prison sentence. 9. above the rim

and their dream of becoming professional basketball players. originally intended to be a 30minute short produced for the public broadcasting service, it eventually led to five years of filming and 250 hours of footage. it premiered at the 1994 sundance Film Festival where it won the audience award for best Documentary. Despite its length (171 minutes) and unlikely commercial genre, it received high critical and popular acclaim. it was on more critics’ top ten lists than any other film that year, including pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump, and the shawshank Redemption. 6. the bingo long traveling all-stars the bingo long traveling all-stars & motor kings is a comedic sports movie about a team of enterprising ex-negro league baseball players in the era of racial segregation. the movie stars billy Dee williams, James earl Jones and Richard pryor. the movie was produced by berry Gordy and released by universal on november 17, 1976. 5. love & basketball

above the Rim is a 1994 movie, starring Duane martin, leon, tupac shakur, and marlon wayans. the movie tells the story of a promising new york City high school basketball star and his relationships with two people; one a drug dealer and the other a basketball star now employed as a security guard at his former high school. 8. Coach Carter Coach Carter is a 2005 film from paramount pictures, directed by thomas Carter. (the white shadow) the movie, based on a true story, stars samuel l. Jackson as basketball coach ken Carter. in the movie, Carter tries to teach his players that there’s more to life than basketball. to show that he’s serious, he benches his undefeated team due to poor academic results. 7. Hoop dreams hoop Dreams is a critically acclaimed 1994 documentary film. it follows the story of two african-american high school students in Chicago

love & basketball is a 2000 romantic drama starring omar epps and sanaa lathan. it is the story of two next-door neighbors in los angeles, California who grew up loving basketball and, eventually, loving each other. 4. brian’s song brian’s song is a 1971 abC movie of the week that recounts the details of the life of brian piccolo a white football player stricken with terminal cancer, and his friendship with african american Chicago bears running back teammate and pro Football hall of Famer Gale sayers (billy Dee williams), who helps him through the difficult struggle. the movie is based on sayers’ account of his friendship with piccolo and coping with piccolo’s illness in sayers’ autobiography, i am third. the production was such a success on abC television (november 30, 1971) that it was later shown in theaters. 3. When We Were Kings

when we were kings is a 1996 documentary film about the famous Rumble in the Jungle heavyweight championship match between muhammad ali and George Foreman held in Zaire on october 30, 1974. it highlights muhammad ali’s trademark wit and charisma, as well as his superb skill in the ring during the fight itself. 2. White men Can’t Jump white men Can’t Jump is a 1992 film starring wesley snipes and woody harrelson as basketball hustlers. the movie, which co-stars Rosie perez, is enjoyable and quite entertaining, especially during the basketball scenes. 1. remember the titans Remember the titans is a sports drama released in 2000. this wonderful movie stars Denzel washington as Coach herman boone. the movie, based on a true story, centers around the newly integrated t. C. williams high school in alexandria, virginia. the black and white members of the football team clash in raciallymotivated conflicts on a few occasions while at football camp, but after forceful coaxing and team building efforts by Coach boone, the team achieves both harmony and success.

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Top Ten Lists Featuring African Americans discovered that her left leg and foot were becoming weak and deformed. she was told she had polio, a crippling disease that had no cure. the doctor told mrs. Rudolph that wilma would never walk. but mrs. Rudolph would not give up on wilma. she found out that she could be treated at meharry hospital, the black medical college of Fisk university in nashville. it was there that the doctors taught mrs. Rudolph how to do the physical therapy exercises at home. Finally, by age 12, she could walk normally, without the crutches, brace, or corrective shoes. it was then that she decided to become an athlete. in the 1960 summer olympics in Rome, she became the first american woman to win three gold medals in track and field during a single olympic Games, despite running on a sprained ankle at the time. a track and field champion, Rodolph elevated women’s track to a major presence in the united states. 2. serena Williams 1981 serena Jameka williams is an american professional tennis player and the current

Top 10 Comedians

world number 1 ranked female player. she has been ranked world number 1 by the women’s tennis association (wta) on five separate occasions. she regained this ranking for the fifth time in her career on the 2 november 2009. she is the reigning champion in both singles and women’s doubles at the australian open and wimbledon and in doubles at the us open. in total, she has won 25 Grand slam titles: 12 in singles, eleven in women’s doubles and two in mixed doubles. in addition, she has won two olympic gold medals in women’s doubles. she also has won more Grand slam titles than any other active female player and has won more career prize money than any other female athlete in history. williams reached the top ten on the wta world rankings for the first time in 1999 when she won several tournaments, including her first Grand slam victory at the us open at the age of 17. between 2002 and 2003, williams won five of the six Grand slam events she entered, becoming the fifth woman in history to hold all four Grand slam titles simultaneously.

1. Jackie Joyner Kersee 1962 – Jacqueline “Jackie” Joynerkersee is a retired american athlete. she was one of the top american track stars of the 1980s and 1990s, winning numerous olympic medals and setting or tying records in several events. she was the first american ever to win a gold medal in the long jump and the first woman in history to earn more than 7,000 points in the grueling seven-event heptathlon. she won three olympic gold medals, one silver, and two bronze, and she established a world record in the heptathlon. her achievements are so astounding-and her personality so engagingthat she has become one of america’s favorite track athletes. Joyner-kersee has often found herself in competition with only the clock and the yardstick, having left her competitors in the dust. not satisfied just to win, she struggles for records, for solid recognition that she dominates her sport. as ken Denlinger put it in the washington post, Joyner-kersee “smokes the world’s playgrounds as no other female athlete in history.” sports illustrated for women magazine voted Joyner-kersee the Greatest Female athlete of the 20th century.

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SPOTLIGHT

oy story 3 opened the weekend with record success for pixar: $109 million in boxoffice sales, the l a r g e s t

opening the studio has seen. they've come a long way, too, s i n c e launching in 1995

with the release of, ironically enough, "toy story." now, the studio's very first franchise has come to an end

June 21-28 2010

'Toy Story 3' Director Talks Record-Setting Box Office

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to widespread audience approval. "it's amazing," said director lee unkrich, who also wrote the third installment. "i've been with pixar since the beginning and i've been fortunate enough to see big opening after big opening, but we were never able to crack the $100 million opening and i don't think any of us ever thought we would," he told mtv news. "to see that happen this past weekend is just mindblowing. i was kind of waiting to wake up from the happy dream i was having all weekend." unkrich said he usually avoids catching debut-weekend showings of his films, fearing he'll stumble upon an "apathetic audience." but he was emboldened to take his family on a trip to the multiplex after getting an overwhelming response from fans on twitter. "i've been getting tweets from my followers all weekend," he revealed. "i feel like i've gotten 1,000 at least. i've read every single one of them, and people have just been gushing, loving the movie." unkrich is an early adopter of twitter, and he's taken to it with gusto. through the production of "toy story 3," he tweeted constant on-set updates, often adding images or even video to satisfy fans. "the whole twitter thing is ... really interesting because i feel like i have my finger

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on the pulse of what people feel about the movie in a way that we've never been able to before, so it's pretty cool," he said. "i've got people, literally, while the end credits are rolling, they're sending me their reactions. it's crazy." with such a strong opening, it would seem almost certain that woody, buzz and their pals will get another feature-length outing. unkrich revealed last week that a "toy story" short film will open "Cars 2," pixar's summer 2011 release. but the studio has a long history of swearing off sequels. after the first "toy story," pixar said there wouldn't be another. after a sequel did, in fact, hit theaters, they made the same promise â&#x20AC;&#x201D; only to break it, of course. the key difference here may be that the conclusion of the third movie really does have an air of finality to it. unkrich agreed, admitting that was his intent from the start. "i really tried to end the story â&#x20AC;&#x201D; i have ended the story of andy and his toys. we've brought that story to a close," unkrich said. though he added anything can happen. "never say never, i suppose. ... but people can rest assured that we would only ever revisit this world if we really feel like we have a special story that needs to be told. we're not going to crank out a sequel just because ['toy story 3'] happens to do well. that's not how we operate."

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