The Baylor Bears are the 2021 Men’s National Champions. This is the first time the team has ever won this title.
After a rough season taking off three weeks due to COVID-19 related reasons, they fought hard and are the new champions.
Baylor started the game leading by nine points. The team was up 10 points at halftime with a score of 47-37.
Baylor maintained the lead the entire game, winning it by 16 points with a score of 86-70.
Gonzaga was favored by 4.5 points, they were undefeated this season. Although they had a fairytale season, Baylor is the team with the Cinderella story in the end.
Congrats to the Baylor Bears.
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University of Michigan Men’s Basketball Team. Picture courtesy of @umichathletics on Instagram
The University of Michigan Men’s Basketball Team lost to the University of California, Los Angeles by two points.
UCLA held Michigan to 49 points.
Earlier in the tournament, UCLA beat Michigan State University in overtime. Now UCLA has taken out both Michigan “Big 10” teams and has earned bragging rights.
In a post-game interview, Coach Juwan Howard said it was a great run for the team and staff this season.
“It was a very disappointing loss to end our season this way. I give a lot of credit to the UCLA Bruins, the head coach, and players for fighting hard to the victory to advance to the Final Four,” Howard said. “It’s very disappointing for our guys, working extremely hard this year for it to come down to one possession.”
Howard said that although they came up short, this is the game of basketball and he is proud of the year that the team has had.
Let’s not forget, Michigan did win the Big 10 Title this season although they had to take weeks off for COVID-19 related reasons.
This may be the end of the season for Michigan, but it is not the end of their tournament chances in the future.
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Left to Right: Romeo Miller and Hercy Miller. Picture courtesy of @masterp on Instagram.
Hercy Miller, the son of mogul Percy “Master P” Miller, announced his plan to attend Tennessee State University (TSU).
Miller said he wants to commit to TSU to put the spotlight on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
“I’ve always grown up being a leader. My dad told me to never follow the crowd, and I want to make a difference,” Miller said. “Most people think that HBCUs are mid-major schools and they can’t do it. A lot of star pros come out of HBCUs and mid-major, they just don’t have the spotlight. So with me, I want to put the spotlight on all the HBCUs around, and I just want to see the bigger picture and change the narrative.”
Miller is one of the top high school basketball players in the country, and maybe the nation. He attends Minnehaha Academy located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Miller is 6-foot-3 and plays guard. He was given several offers from many major universities across the country such as USC, LSU, Georgetown, and many more. He turned down those offers to play at a smaller university where he feel he’ll make a bigger difference.
During the announcement, Miller said he wants to be one of the next successful people to come out of an HBCU. He said he plans to work hard to achieve that goal.
Congratulations Hercy Miller!!!
*ALWAYS REMEMBER TO TUNE IN EVERY THURSDAY AT 5 PM FOR A NEW EPISODE OF SPORTS TALK WITH WHITNEY B*
Bruce was tested in college but did not follow through with his medications. After his third year he dropped out and turned to a life of drugs. “I am in treatment now, and I go to my group meetings. I have been trying to stay focused but what I do realize is I am a lot better around people that I feel are more like myself. It’s not easy being a recovering drug addict and I feel that I should probably be dead, but group has really been helping me,” said Garcia.
Bruce was tested in college but did not follow through with his medications. After his third year he dropped out and turned to a life of drugs. “I am in treatment now, and I go to my group meetings. I have been trying to stay focused but what I do realize is I am a lot better around people that I feel are more like myself. It’s not easy being a recovering drug addict and I feel that I should probably be dead, but group has really been helping me,” said Garcia.
Drug Abuse is an issue that have been taking over many urban cities in the United States of America since the early 70s and have been an issue since. Mental Illness have been named as one of the major causes of drug abuse. In the past people were just being treated for drugs and not for the underlying problem that caused the abuse. Now and days there are many programs that work with individuals to treat both the mental illness and the drug abuse such at the Behavioral Center of Michigan located in Warren, MI, where the treatment works hand-in-hand.
Photo of the main office for Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries
The Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries along with many other organizations in the city of Detroit work together to keep people safe and off drugs. There are many different programs offered and half-way houses that are setup so that people can be successful before, during, and after their program. Many of these non-profit organizations cater to the person’s individual needs, understanding that everyone is different, treatment is catered to the individual person’s needs. DRMM has several locations across the city of Detroit that are set up to assist people and their needs. They have Genius House 1-3 and the Christian Guidance Center for men and women, these are places where they can go for treatment, have meetings and also have a safe place to sleep. According to the Facebook page for DRMM, in 2016 963 men and women received mental health and substance abuse treatment.
Photo of Vernon Bryan Standing outside DRMM Christian Guidance Center
Vernon Bryan is a resident of Detroit that has been in the treatment program and is a witness that it works. “It used to be hard for me to talk about my life but now it is something that helps the lives of other young men. When I was on the street, I never thought that programs like this worked because so many people that I ran with tried before. One day I knew that I could not live like that anymore, that I had a family and needed to be a better man for them. I called the number, they sent me to CDC (Christian Guidance Center) and I went through the program. From there I stayed in another home that I am now employed through an able to help other people like me. It’s like a second chance at life,” says Bryan.
Photo of Vernon Bryan standing outside the residential facility for men where he works
Drug and alcohol abuse have been on the rise in Michigan and about the national average, since 2003. With many efforts in many different cities to keep the streets clean, it seems that each year it there are new drugs being introduced, or something easier to access. It’s not just up to law enforcement, but also the community. Community outreach programs are designed to help, but they are non-profit and many of them depend on donations or partnerships. “We partner with hundreds of churches, para-churches and for-profit corporations who send us volunteer groups. Because of that we have over 300 men and women graduating from various life-changing programs next month, this is what we are here for,” says Rev. C. Paschal, director of Spiritual Life and Public Relations for DRMM.
Dale A. a homeless man that has been living on the streets of Detroit for going on 4 years now, due to dysfunction in his family
The city of Detroit has a growing number of people living on the streets or in need, and many different community service organizations have pitched in and are offering services to people in need. In 2015 there were more than 69,000 people in the State of Michigan reported homeless during homeless week November 12th-20th. Due to a growing number of donations and community outreach that number has gone down, and the city of Detroit hopes to keep it down.
“I can remember my first time seeing someone homeless and asking my mom questions about what was going on with the man. At first I thought it was a game almost, I didn’t understand that the person was homeless, and I never thought that it would be me. I can remember wondering why people were so cruel to the guy, he just sat outside the local store not bothering anyone, but now I wonder when kids look at me if they are thinking the same things,” says Megan Zuwinski.
This winter have not been easy on the people living on the streets of Detroit, there have been many churches that have opened their doors as emergency warming centers for people living on the streets and with no heat. Because there are so many people and so little resources, many of the homeless find shelter an abandon homes or buildings with hopes that blankets will keep them warm.
“I have been to warming centers and shelters but it is hard to go with Meagan, usually they want to separate us because we are not married. Many times we try to make enough money so that we can afford to get a room for the night at a cheap motel, if not we find an abandon house and make the best of the situation. Many times I have wanted to go to different places for help, but with no ID or way to verify who I really am to the people, it is hard for me to get the correct help that I need.” says Dale A.
Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, COTS, and many other organizations have teamed up with the Detroit Homeless Coalition to help keep the homeless safe and warm. To find out how to donate or volunteer to any of the organization in partner with the National Homeless Coalition, you can visit them at http://nationalhomeless.org there will be a list of all organizations affiliated along with how to contact them.
Dion Shepherd Jr. a 25-year-old Detroit native talks about his time in jail and how he plans to make a difference not only in his community but the world around him. Dion’s ambitious personality have gotten him far in just a short period of time, working with Dog the Bounty Hunter his senior year of college, to being a participant on A&E’s new original series 60 Day’s In.
Shepherd obtained his undergrad degree in Criminal Justice from Western Michigan University. There he was a counselor for troubled youth and did all kinds of work outside of his internship with Dog the Bounty Hunter in his field of criminal justice. Becoming bored and wanting more for himself, Shepard moved to California to pursue bigger opportunities. He went to graduate school at the University of California Irvine getting a masters in Criminal Law and Society, but first making his appearance on the show 60 Days In as a part of his master’s thesis project.
Dion at the turning point for himself on 60 Days In. Photo still taken by: A&E digital production team
Being from the city of Detroit, Shepherd thought that jail wouldn’t be so bad based upon the things he run into on the streets from day to day. “The main goal was to stay focused and not crack, the living conditions in jail is nothing like being on the outside,” said Shepherd. “This went from being an internship I was looking into on the website, to them asking me if I wanted to be a part of the show and it worked for me because of my master’s thesis.” A project rejected twice by the university became a learning experience for Dion and others around him, often people take advantage of their freedom, or are not aware of conditions that people go through in jail, the amount of security and even the hygiene issues.
“I am very proud of my son, there are many other things that he could have done, or many other paths but he chose this. I was not sure what he was getting himself into but being his mom all I could do was support him, now the jail thing I thought was a lot, but seeing how it has motivated him now and where he is, I am just so happy and proud to be his mother,” said Kendra Grier.
Dion Shepherd Jr. Photo taken by: Thomas Pierson Photography
Along with starting his own consulting company Elaio Properties, Shepard is currently studying for the graduate record exam so that he can become a post-graduate student at Stanford University. He is also starting a panel discussion series called Millennium Surviving and Thriving which will focus on social justice issues among millennials. “I was able to find a great mentor in Dr. Waymen Rodgers and I want to be that for other young men,” say’s Shepherd. Dion’s season of 60 Days In has ended but it is available on A&E on demand.
Detroit Lions Logo 3D Image. Photo taken by: Whitney Bryan
The Detroit Lions are ranked number one in the NFC North and their fans are considering becoming season ticket holders due to the team’s comeback in recent years. The Detroit Lions aren’t known to be fan favorites due to their poor performance overtime. Although there have been key players on the team in the past such as Barry Sanders (running back) and Jason Hanson (kicker) they have still not made an appearance to the Super Bowl. Fans thought for sure that the Lions success would change in 2007 when wide-receiver Calvin Johnson was drafted and signed.
There have been many upsetting moments and seasons for Detroit Lions Fans. The team went with a 0-16 record in 2008. It became so bad for the team that in 2006 many fans walked out of the stadium during the game. “The Same Old Lions” have become a saying in many conversations involving the Lions due to their horrible record on the field.
“As a fan of the Detroit Lions I feel that the team have some great players but for some reason they haven’t been able to take advantage of their opportunities, and over the years it shows with losing record with them being one of the first teams to go 0-16, so as a fan I never really wanted to go to any of their games at all” said David Robertson a long time Detroit Lions fan.
This season has been up and down for the Detroit Lions fans, but remaining number one in the NFC North for 4 straight weeks and sweeping the Minnesota Vikings on Thanksgiving have given the fans their faith back. Opening up the season in Indianapolis to the Colts and winning gave the fans hope for the season, but after losing three straight games, once again they were the same old Lions. The Lions never lost faith winning six of the seven games played since their losing streak, placing them in a great position for the second half of the season. The success is also great because the fans are now wanting to cheer the team on from Ford Field causing more and more fans to look into season tickets.
“Now that the Lions are winning it is easy to just jump on the bandwagon and say that you want to be a part of the season and contribute and be a ticket holder. But I always had faith in them and knew that they would be this good” says Robertson, “Now I think that I would like to be a season ticket holder considering that they are wining and they may even go to the super bowl this year.”
Fans know that this may not be the season that the team make it to the Super Bowl, but the way that they are looking this season gives them hope for the future. Although football is a game, winning means more for the team. There is an increase in revenue for the team and also for the surrounding community. The fans are depending on the team to bring a championship home to Detroit, and with the way that the Lions have been playing this season it doesn’t seem like it will be too long before they do.
Left to Right: Mike Utley, Keisha Hardison, Brandon Scott, Whitney Bryan, Larry Lee. Photo taken by: Mrs. Utley
Larry D. Lee born September 10, 1959 in Dayton Ohio began his journey into sports and bass guitar in the sixth grade. At a young age he decided to start a band with his friends after requesting instruments for Christmas; Lee also started playing football that same year. Everything seemed to work for Lee until his senior year of high school when he played bass for Soul Explosion. There was a show and a game the same day and after six years of doing both he had to make a choice to focus more on one than the other.
“I knew that at the time football was more important, I was a freshman playing varsity football. My senior year I was an All American and All State player. I was not in the position to choose the guitar and from then on my football career took off,” says Larry Lee.
Lee attended UCLA for college and was then drafted in 1981 at the age of 22 to the Detroit Lions, as an offensive lineman. Lee played four and a half seasons as a Detroit Lion from 1981 to 1985; he then started playing with the Miami Dolphin’s in 85-86, and ended his playing career with the Denver Broncos from 87-88. Lee spent nine years in the NFL as a professional football player, and went on to spend another nine years as vice president of the Detroit Lions.
Larry Lee and Back In The Day is the name of his band and is known as one of Detroit’s hottest. Spending 18 years in the NFL, Lee was not able to focus on his love for the bass as much, but after leaving the Lions in 2001 he has been focused on the strings ever since. The band not only preform in the city of Detroit, but they travel and do events all of the US.
“This is it this is my profession. I have retired from athletics, and at one point I thought about going into the front office for another team and become and executive, but I have done the band now for 14 years and we have done big things. Such as super bowl parties to major concerts, and this is my love and my passion. The beauty about it is if I work back in football or something I am working for somebody, but this is my business, I am the boss and this is my profession. I do this for a living now,” said Lee.
It’s hard to become and pro-football player, it takes a lot of hard work and determination on and off the field. It’s also a challenge to become a popular musician with the same amount of work needed to be successful. Larry Lee is someone that can say that he has been successful at both. 18 years of knowledge in the NFL and at least 50 years of experience playing the bass guitar, Lee is definitely someone that we can call an expert in his field.
Left to Right: Mike Utley, Keisha Hardison, Brandon Scott, Whitney Bryan, Larry Lee. Photo taken by: Mrs. Utley