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by Hal Lamar Black College playoffs may soon became realityFor too many years, I have advocated for the nation’s historically black college football teams to abandon the idea of trying to capture the NCAA’s Divisional championships and instead adopt their own playoff bracket to determine a true HBCU national champ. Currently, the champion is determined largely through the Sheridan Broadcasting Network poll or Atlanta's 100% Wrong Club which annually crowns one of the schools via their WA Scott trophy. But I have never thought that was the way to determine the numero uno black college grid team. Even the so called major colleges once discussed the idea of adopting a playoff bracket. Their national champ too is mythical, determined by the final poll from the wire services. But the profit potential of the bowl games has usually drowned any playoff talk at that level. That is why the idea of an HBCU playoff is enticing and practical. There has never been an HBCU school as a Division II or Division III national football champ. Florida A&M won the first NCAA Division 1AA crown in 1978. No HBCU has come close since. But my arguments and pleas along with many others have fallen on deaf ears…..until now. Warren Jones, a reader of this column, decided to write the Southwestern Athletic Conference to gauge their interest in an HBCU playoffs. He got this response from Kelly Brooks, an associate Commissioner for the SWAC: ………”. Without going into details, discussions have already begun, including college presidents, regarding a potential Black National Championship Game which would give SWAC teams the opportunity to prove it on the field against others. We hope that all parties involved can get on the same page sooner rather than later and produce what would be an incredible event!! Keep your eyes open!’…….This response is the first from someone in black college officialdom publicly and is very encouraging.
INSIDE has learned that Atlanta High School coaching legend Raymond “Tweet” Williams is working on a book of his life. The native son and Clark-AU grad says he will also reveal how he got the nickname “Tweet”… INSIDE EXTRAS: We (yes, you and me) cannot afford to let Morris Brown College collapse because (a)-it is the only school within the six college Atlanta University Center founded by black peopleThe AME founded college needs a big influx of cash or it won’t be able to open for the spring semester in January. ……The annual SBN black college All American banquet is moving its 2009 event to the radio network’s headquarters in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. SBN Sports Director Ty Miller said they felt it important that their 35th banquet and weekend be held in the home city of the net. The SBN banquet, which names the black college All American team, its HBCU national champ and a slew of other superlative has been held in Atlanta since 1975. The first, in 1973, was held in NYC where it returned in 2003 for the 30th event…… The 75th sports jamboree of the 100% Wrong Club of Atlanta has changed venues from the Airport Renaissance Hotel to the Atlanta-Airport Hotel. The annual weekend sports “do” is February 6-7….If your travels bring you to Atlanta, don’t leave without dining at the Beautiful Restaurant. The eatery of slap-yo-grandma down home cooking is 30 plus years old and was started by the Perfect Church. No, you won’t be preached or pitched too, just well fed. Got an item or comment?
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INSIDE READING: Atlanta native Al Goggins (Clark AU) has taken experiences from his personal bout with cancer and created a book called “ So It’s Serious- I really have cancer” (Xlibris Books). It’s gutsy to expose a personal challenge to the public and I really applaud Al for that. To order a copy, visit www.Xlibris.com.....