Football

Chaminade-Madonna Finally Starts Construction On Lights For Football Field

Chaminade-Madonna has been one of the more consistently dominant football programs in recent South Florida history.

Last year, they were the state runner-up in Division 3A and are currently on track to compete for a state championship again this year.

The program has won multiple state championships in its past.

But the lack of lights at its home field, a unique curiosity among South Florida’s powerhouse programs, has held it back.

Chaminade is having to play a home playoff game at a nearby school this week because of the lack of lights.

After having announced that the school would be putting lights in last year, construction has finally begun.

The school announced today on its Facebook page that ground was officially broken on November 14th.

No expected completion date was announced.

Photo: Chaminade-Madonna

Chaminade-Madonna is a small Catholic high school with around 600 students.

It is located in the heart of Hollywood and is surrounded by private homes.

Some of these homeowners have opposed lighting for the football field for years due to the expected disruption it would cause.

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Senator Tried To Use Connection To FPL Lobbyist To Get Power On For Her Family Post Irma

Hollywood Hills QB Becomes First Girl In Florida HS Football History To Throw A Touchdown

History was made in Broward County on Thursday night when Hollywood Hills High School quarterback Holly Neher threw a 45 yard touchdown pass to receiver Alexander Shelton.

It was the first time that a girl had thrown a touchdown in the history of Florida high school football.

And it happened on Neher’s first ever snap.

She would finish the night with two completions and 66 total yards. Hollywood Hills lost to Hallandale High School, 21 to 7.

WATCH:

Pretty awesome!

Watch More: “Why Miami’s jail dog program has worked” 

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#BamaSits: Alabama Students Sit During Protest Of National Anthem

At least a few dozen University of Alabama students sat during the playing of the national anthem before the kickoff of the Alabama-Texas A&M game Saturday afternoon.

Some of the students participating in the #BamaSits protest held signs calling for racial justice in the United States.

Other students tried to block the #BamaSits protest by standing in front of the seated demonstrators.

Some students, including UA students expressed support for the protest on social media.

But not everyone was happy with the protest.

Share how you feel about the protest in the comments below. 

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: Kyle Burger/ Twitter (Screengrab)

Some Virginia Tech Fans Just Seriously Went Over The Line

Sports should never become this.

Before the start of tonight’s University of Miami vs Virginia Tech football game, some fans decided to take it WAY over the line.

Barstool Sports Tweeted out a picture of the following banner that they found in Blacksburg.

cvpa8seumaeukac

Just awful.

The banner mentions Jose Fernandez, a 24 year old Miami Marlins player who died in late September in a boating accident.

Gross.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

Chaminade-Madonna Football Coach Resigns With Cryptic Tweet A Day Before Practice Starts

In a shocking turn of events, Chaminade-Madonna went from one of the most hyped high school football programs in Florida to a big ole question mark.

Head coach Jason Milgrom resigned Sunday morning via Twitter with a cryptic message that took a shot at the school’s “decisions” regarding the football program.

“Last night, I resigned from my position as Head Football Coach at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory,” Milgrom said in the Tweet. “There is never a good time and this is the prime definition of that.

“However, I was unable to comprehend some decisions and the thought process on the future of the program,”  Milgrom said. “I could not willingly and knowingly promote something anymore that I was not sold on.

Read his full message:

So what the heck is Milgrom talking about?

There is speculation that the issue revolved around potential funding cuts to the program.

Chaminade acted quickly and hired former Hallandale High School football coach Dameon Jones for the top job.

Jones had successful years coaching Hallandale, especially in his last two at the school when he went to a 21-4 record.

Chaminade-Madonna is a top high school football program located in Hollywood, FL.

Chaminade-Madonna is a top high school football program located in Hollywood, FL.

“Chaminade’s commitment to building a competitive athletic program supported by its vision to prepare students for higher learning brought Jones out of retirement,” Chaminade-Madonna athletic director Andre Torres in a press release obtained by the Sun-Sentinel. “His extensive background, community ties and dedication to student and program development have prepared him for his new opportunity with the C-M Lions.”

Chaminade was seen as a program on the rise due to a solid first season last year under Milgrom’s leadership (they went 7-2) and a strong class of transfers that had come to the school in the off-season.

The school also announced in April that it would finally have lights on its football field- allowing for the play of home night games.

Read More: Chaminade Madonna High School To Get Lights For Football Field

Chaminade had been ranked as the 44th best football team in the nation according to preseason polls. However, the news of Milgrom’s resignation has dropped them out of the top 50. 

According to Rob Cassidy, a reporter for Rivals.com, there are not expected to be any transfers from the school. 

Even so, what a wild few days for high school football fans in South Florida.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us!

College Football Playoff Semifinals Will Remain On New Year’s Eve For Now

HOOVER, Ala. — No significant changes are on the horizon for the College Football Playoff, the four-team tournament that determines college football’s national champion. “Our model works — 13 high-integrity people, football experts (who are) evaluating, studying, debating, frankly working their tails off during the season and producing a ranking that, while someone will always be… Read More

The Baylor Decision Could Be The Start Of A New Age In College Football

This story was first published by our friends at Dixieland Sports

By Brooks Carter

Hopefully the saga that is currently unfolding in Waco, Texas will help turn over a new leaf, and begin a new era in the college sporting world.

Baylor Bears’ Head Football Coach Art Briles and University President Ken Starr were dismissed yesterday (read the story here) after sexual assault allegations involving current and former Baylor football players that dated back to 2009.

This was a groundbreaking decision on behalf of Baylor University, firing arguably one of the top 10 best coaches in all of college football… But why did it take this long for a major college institution to “do the right thing”?

There have been so many other instances prior to the Baylor one that have occurred at other programs, where nothing more than a “slap on the wrist” has been issued as punishment.

Instances where winning was more important than morals, or maintaining a proper conduct code.

For example, at Louisville; where three former players have confirmed that escort sex services were provided from 2010-14. Head Coach Rick Pitino has still, somehow, retained his job, and the program has had zero formal punishment outside of the University issuing a self-imposed postseason ban.

Or at the University of Missouri, where administrators and coaches were made aware of allegations made by a female student athlete who believed she was raped by one or more players from the Tigers’ football team, but the University never investigated the alleged rape or made the police aware of the allegations. The alleged incident happened in 2010, and the female student athlete committed suicide 16 months later.

Baylor University at night. Photo Credit: Danny Huizinga/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

Baylor University at night. Photo Credit: Danny Huizinga/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

In fact, according to ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” only 1 more institution in the United States has had more alleged sexual assaults involving student athletes reported than the University of Missouri, many of which included football players. Gary Pinkel remained the head football coach through all of this, until he retired (on his own terms) at the conclusion of this past football season.

Like this story? Then you will probably love Dixieland Sports

This kind of culture has essentially been allowed to happen without any repercussions for the coaches or student athletes, and it’s a result of numerous major institution’s administrators and coaches repeatedly sweeping instances of sexual assault, rape, and other illegal activity under the rug, all in the name of protecting that specific institution’s and coach’s reputation.

Art Briles and Baylor University’s President Ken Starr lost their jobs because they cared more about winning than doing what was right, and that “win at all costs” mentality has resulted in a toxic environment to be teaching and molding young male and female student athletes in. By turning a blind eye to off-the-field behavior, it has endorsed the idea to student athletes that nothing else matters as long as you win.

Baylor University’s decision will hopefully be the start of a new age in college athletics. An age where institution’s actually hold their administrators and coaches accountable for allowing this type of behavior to be present in their programs, and are fired for doing so. An age where it means more to bring in a recruit that’s a quality person over just being a talented player. And an age where morals matter more than winning games.

Read more about sports in the American South at Dixieland Sports

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: Victor Araiza/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

Miami Hurricanes Celebrate First Practice Under Mark Richt With Badass Video

The Mark Richt era has begun at the University of Miami and it is looking pretty damn cool.

Well at least this hype video remix from the first day of Spring Practice does:

Coach Richt Mic’d UpMark Richt’s first practice at The U: “HIGH TEMPO”

Posted by Miami Hurricanes Football on Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Posted by Miami Hurricanes Football on Tuesday, March 15, 2016

 Richt also spoke to reporters after the practice:

Mark Richt Post Practice – March 15, 2016“It’s a blessing. It’s an honor. I don’t take it lightly at all.” – Coach Richt after Day One of Spring Practice

Posted by Miami Hurricanes Football on Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Coming off a disappointing 8-5 season which saw the firing of Al Golden, the Canes are looking for some new energy from its new head coach.

Richt indicated in a post practice press conference that he was excited about the opportunity to lead his alma mater on the field and to coach quarterbacks (his old position at the U) again.

The Canes will hold another 14 Spring practices before their Spring Game on April 16th. That game will be free to attend and will be held at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

Cover Photo Credit: Miami Hurricanes Football/ Facebook Video (Screengrab)

This Former NFL Great Called Cam Newton “Boy” In A Truly Disgusting Tweet

After walking out of a post game press conference in the aftermath of losing the Super Bowl, Cam Newton was attacked on Twitter by a former NFL player in a fashion that many believe was racially driven.

Bill Romanowski, a longtime NFL linebacker who played for four team and won the Super Bowl four times over the course of a 15 year career called Newton a “boy” after bashing his behavior in the post game press conference.

Newton refused to answer some questions and answered others in one word.

Here’s the tweet in full: (as saved by someone before Romanowski deleted it)

It is not the first time that Romanowski has shown hostility towards Newton.

In an interview with Bleacher Report, Romanowski said that if he were still in the league that he would try to hurt the Carolina Panthers quarterback.

“Are you kidding me?,” Romanowski said in the interview. “I’d hit him as hard as I possibly could, and probably at the bottom of the pile I’d try to get him by the neck and choke him. Hopefully he can’t breathe for a long time.”

After facing a storm of backlash on Twitter, Romanowski deleted the tweet where he called Newton “boy” and sort of apologized for it.

Newton and his Panthers were defeated by the Denver Broncos 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.

WATCH: Cam Newton walks out of Super Bowl post game press conference. 

Cover Photo Credit: Screengrab/Twitter

Celebrating An American Addiction Fifty Years In The Making

Nick Hickman

The decorations are up and the festivities are well in the works, for this Sunday, our Nation’s baby turns fifty.

Her roots can be traced back to the beautiful union between the AFL and the NFL in 1966. What soon came to be known as the Super Bowl was born out of a desire to crown a single champion between two unaffiliated leagues both competing for the spotlight.

Now, she owns an unofficial annual holiday at the beginning of every February. She is unmatched and untouchable. She is achievement personified, but is just as prosperous as she is cultural. In only fifty years time, she has infiltrated America’s bloodstream, pulsing and ripping through our veins as often as the air we breath.

Admit it, we’re hooked. We’re all addicted. Last year, a record 114.4 million people tuned in to watch Brady and the Patriots capture Super Bowl XLIX. There are approximately 111.1 million people living in Spain and the U.K. combined.

Aside from Super Bowl Sunday, only Thanksgiving can boast a higher statistical consumption of food.

The Super Bowl of two seasons ago between the Denver Broncos—who will compete again this year—and the Seattle Seahawks drew a record $119 million bet in Las Vegas casinos. It’s a sport played and adored by only one country in the world, but as American’s, we’re obsessed.

And part of the absurdity is that we’re all obsessed for different reasons. Sure, it’s likely that the large majority of viewers will watch for the sheer competition of the game, but many will be enticed by the halftime show and even Grandma and great-aunt Alice will tune in just to watch the commercials.

Usually we pay for clever tools to help us avoid commercials, but on Super Bowl Sunday, advertising brands will be competing nearly as hard as the athletes to capture your attention.

Though who can fault them? The rationale is simple. Say, for example, that just 5% of all viewers are motivated by an advertisement, spurring them to vote with their dollar. The resulting translation is an additional 5,720,000 customers to the responsible company.

Consequently, advertising companies will be willing to pay substantially for the privileged platform that is the Super Bowl. Thirty seconds during last year’s game sold for a record $4.5 million. According to Business Insider, that number has since grown 11% to a new average of $5 million per for this years game.

Money surrounds the Super Bowl in every corner and every aspect. Last year’s contest commanded more than $330 million in advertising revenue. This year, tens of thousands of passionate fans will pack Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, a venue that cost $1.3 billion to build.

Coldplay will headline this year’s Halftime Show after being selected as one of three finalists for last year’s game. Wall Street Journal reported that—along with Katy Perry and Rihanna—the three candidates were initially asked to pay the NFL for their performance in Super Bowl XLIX.

The Super Bowl is our baby and our addiction, and this year, both will turn fifty. It’s a small milestone in the scope of historical significance, though it’s a progression that shows no signs of slowing down.

Super Bowl Fifty will have its seats packed and its commercials rolling. It’ll have a remarkable halftime performance with brilliant effects and aesthetics, all this can be expected.

And too, you should expect the same next year, and the year after that. The NFL doesn’t need a headline like a fiftieth-anniversary to command our attention on Super Bowl Sunday.

In fact, it’s likely that they don’t even need to make any additional improvements or changes to the event at all. Barring nuclear annihilation, the NFL will be gifted next year with another energetic audience of hundreds of millions of fans.

As long as the money keeps coming, the fans will continue to be provided with a product that stimulates the deepest competitive trigger in all of us. And as long as the NFL’s product is in place, our cherished addiction will never cease.

 Cover Photo Credit: Kathy Drasky/Flickr (CC BY 2.0).

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