BILL NEAL

:10 Top 10 Greatest Black Americans: 1. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 2. President Barack Obama 3. Malcolm X 4. Frederick Douglass  5. Thurgood Marshall  6. Harriet Tubman 7. Rosa Parks 8. Jackie Robinson 9. George Washington Carver  10. Paul Robeson
:09 Top 10 Greatest Black Athletes: 1. Jackie Robinson 2. Muhammad Ali 3. Jessie Owens 4. Bill Russell 5. Hank Aaron/Barry Bonds 6. Jim Brown 7. Tiger Woods  8. Wilma Rudolph 9. Chuck Cooper 10. Arthur Ashe/Althea Gibson
:08 Top 10 Greatest Sports Events In Black History: 1. Jackie Robinson drafted into major league baseball. 2. Chuck Cooper drafted into the National Basketball Association. 3. The Life and Times of Muhammad Ali “The Greatest.” 4. Jessie Owens’ domination over Hitler and the Germans in the Olympics./ Hank Aaron hits 715 to become baseball’s homerun king. 5. Wilma Rudolph becomes the first American woman/African-American woman to win three gold medals in one Olympics (1960). 6. Jack Johnson/Joe Louis—both dominate the world heavyweight boxing crown during America’s most racist times. 7. Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points in a single game. 8. Bill Russell wins 11th NBA Basketball Championship. 9. Doug Williams becomes first African- American to win NFL Super Bowl. 10. John Thompson becomes first African-American to win NCAA Basketball Tournament/Tony Dungy becomes first African-American head coach to win the Super Bowl
:07 Top 10 Honorable Mention Great Black Athletes: 1. Michael Jordan 2. Josh Gibson/Willie Mays 3. Magic Johnson 4. Carl Lewis 5. Pele 6. Satchel Paige 7. Serena and Venus Williams 8. Jerry Rice/Randy Moss 9. John Carlos/Tommie Smith 10. Mike Tyson
:06 Speaking of historical greatness, a big congrats goes out to Westinghouse High School for pulling off a back to back this past weekend winning the boys and girls City League basketball titles and a big “way to go man!” to my long time partners, Frank Duck and “Reggie” for keeping the Bulldog’s history alive and for printing the t-shirts and “giving” them away…that’s right, I said giving!!! Ruff Ruff!
:05 Oh yeah, you know I was gonna do this list.  Here’s the biggest fools in Black sports history: 1. Rae Carruth 2. O.J. Simpson 3. “Tiger” and all them women 4. Oscar Pistorius (Mother Land connection) 5. Lance Armstrong (special write-in vote) 6. Plaxico Burress 7. All the Baseball druggies (Too many to mention) 8. Adam “Pac-Man” Jones 9. Ron Artest (not Metta “World” Peace) 10. Mike Tyson (makes both lists) 11. Jayson Williams 12. Michael Vick 13. Hector “Macho” Camacho 14. Riddick Bowe 15. Larry Bethea
:04 Here’s some Black History for ya. Kevin Cameron lasted one week with his predictions.  And that one has not happened yet. Not as easy as it looks huh Kev?
:03 Champion Enterprises, Rayco “War” Promotions and Five Starr Corporation still making history…“Harlem Nights” opening night a huge success.  Coming at ya again Friday, March 29.  Dress it up!!
:02 My No. 1 greatest ever Black sports event…Ali vs. Frazier—“The Thriller in Manilla”
:01 In closing out this special edition, remember, we, as a people, are special and our sports achievements are historical and unprecedented. “We are people, mighty people, mighty people of the sun.  In our hearts lie all the answers of the truth we can’t run from.”—Earth, Wind & Fire
~ GAME  OVER ~

2013 CITY CHAMPS—The Westinghouse Girls celebrate their City League Championship after Dr. Linda Lane, Superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools presented them the Championship trophy.

The Westinghouse Lady Bulldogs have a reputation of being able to run and play pressure defense from the beginning of the game until the end. They believe that your body is only limited by where your mind is willing to take you and that if you can conceive it and believe it, you can achieve it.
The physically fit and mentally tough Bulldogs got their revenge against the defending champion Allderdice Lady Dragons last Saturday at Obama Academy, 54-42. This was Westinghouse’s 26th consecutive City title game appearance and 24th under Coach Phyllis Jones. It was also their 10th championship during that period, the first since 2009.

Allderdice’s swagger comes from having the top offense in the City League (58.3 points per game).  High on Westinghouse’s agenda was to keep tabs on Allderdice leading scorers junior guard Sierra Fordham (21.5ppg) and senior guard Sydnee Albernathy (19.4ppg).
Westinghouse put the freeze on Fordham and Abernathy. The Lady Bulldogs held the dynamic duo to only 18 points through three quarters.
Phyllis Jones is committed to the Bulldogs and believes in excellence on and off the court. Jones and her husband, a professor who also works with athletes at West Virginia University, put a lot of focus on the classroom.
“My husband is in Indy at the NFL combine this weekend with his West Virginia University football players,” said Coach Jones.  “Our team is involved in a study after school program, because we pride ourselves in excellence on the court and in the classroom.”
Brittany Jackson is probably a good classroom student, because she “schooled” Allderdice for 18 points.
Coach Jones is truly an artist. But instead of working her magic, with a brush and paint, she does it with a clipboard, knowledge of the game and a charismatic charm with a hardnosed attitude.
Many of the Westinghouse players went down briefly with injuries during the championship game. Does Coach Jones expect any players to miss any PIAA tournament games.
“The injuries were melodramatic. I expect everybody to play,” says Jones.  “We work very hard and believe in playing defense. We are small but quick.”
Jasmine Myers, one of the top junior players in the area, scored 23 points against the Lady Dragons. Her ability to create a positive play out of a negative situation has given Myers an advantage over her opponents.  She would look good in a Pitt Uniform.
“I haven’t heard from Pitt, but I have received offers from some smaller schools,” said Myers. “But my dream is to play for UConn.”
Abernathy had 13 points and Fordham led the Lady Dragons in scoring with 16 points.
If defense wins championships, we might as well skip the whole PIAA Tournament and give the gold medal to the Lady Bulldogs.
Westinghouse relied on its defense to carry them and the way they played Saturday afternoon it doesn’t look like anyone can run with the Lady Bulldogs right now.
Westinghouse has a great football tradition that dates back to the 1960s with coach Pete Dimperio. If Phyllis Jones and the Lady Bulldogs are able to win a state championship then perhaps their basketball legacy will rank right up there with football.
As a gladiator centuries ago once said, “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”  Dreams don’t end on the court, it’s where they begin.
The Bulldogs were heading into a PIAA Class AAA preliminary round Tuesday against Johnstown at Central Cambria High School.

MILESTONE--Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer celebrates with her players on Feb. 26, in Piscataway, N.J., after defeating South Florida 68-56 for Stringer's 900th win. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

by Doug Feinberg

AP Basketball Writer

Not much has come easily for C. Vivian Stringer during her Hall of Fame coaching career.

CITY LEAGUE CHAMPS—Westinghouse boys show off their trophy after winning their first City League championship in 15 years. It was one of the biggest turnarounds in league history, from a cellar team to champs. See story and more photos in Sports section C3. (Photo by William McBride)

Much like senior Shaquan Johnson, Westinghouse (15-8) showed it has enough talent to surprise. Johnson scored 20 points and had four 3-pointers in Saturday morning’s 61-52 victory over Perry in the City league championship game. It was Westinghouse’s first City title since 1998.
 “This means the world, it means everything to me,” said Johnson. “When our backs are against the wall, that’s how we always play our best.”
 With star senior Robert Bailey held to ten points, the Bulldogs (15-8) relied on Johnson, Aaron Lyons, who added 15 points, and Affani “The Hammer” Brown.
 “This means a lot,” said Westinghouse senior guard Bailey. “Not just to our team, but also to the community, to see that there is still Westinghouse basketball.”
 Westinghouse has a great basketball tradition. Former Bulldogs Maurice Stokes is considered the greatest player in city league history. Chuck Cooper, was the first black player drafted by an NBA team, Ed Fleming and Junebug Howard. These former Westinghouse players are 4 of the top 10 greatest players ever in the city.
 Westinghouse’s 6-foot-9 center Affani “The Hammer” Brown is unselfish, raw and one of the most intimidating inside presence since Armon Gilliam played for Bethel Park in the 80’s. Brown live by two commandments. Thou shall not get a rebound and Thou shall not get a layup.
 Because of “The Hammer” Brown and his 7-foot-2 wingspan the Commodores had to rely on their outside shooters and it wasn’t meant to be. Perry shot for only 28 percent (19 of 68) for the game.
 There was a delay to the start of the game because Westinghouse brought the wrong color uniforms to the City league championship game and I guess that East Liberty was too far away from Homewood to go back and get the ­correct jerseys. Both teams were hit with a technical.

 “Westinghouse was the home team, but brought their away jerseys,” said former Perry basketball star Shawn Thompkins. “Perry brought both of their jerseys to the game, but decided to wear their home jerseys because both team’s away jerseys are black. This resulted in both teams getting technical fouls and this was very unfair to Perry.” Sounds like sour grapes.
 Former Oliver high school stars Shakeem Cox and Devin Lyles led Perry (12-13) with 19 and 15 points respectively.
 “Bailey is a all around scorer with a great first and he usually gets in a dunk a game,” said Dean Brown, former Beltzhoover Youth football president. “Plus, you better watch out for Affani Brown and Desonte White.”
 If you’re not familiar with “The Hammer” Brown, you’re not alone. Brown may not be recognizable just yet, but come the PIAA Tournament, he will be.
 “I haven’t heard from too many schools yet,” said Brown. “The only offer that I have received has come from Penn State.”
 The cold hardwood truth is that one of the scariest squads in the state is this Westinghouse group. Look for the Bulldogs to stay focused as they put the ‘Hammer’ down on their PIAA opponents.