Iverson the soccer player?

His NBA career is all but over and his basketball playing days are quickly approaching the end of the tunnel, but former NBA star Allen Iverson may have another shot in a different sport—as a soccer player.

Iverson was a two sport star in basketball and football in high school, but do you really see Iverson as the next soccer sensation? Yeah, me neither. But this is what happens when athletes blow through millions of dollars and become broke way before they near the retirement age.

Though he's denied it, Iverson is reportedly in debt after earning $154 million in salary earnings and at least another $50 million from a lifetime endorsement from Reebok. These may very well be rumors, but considering his inability to cough up a $375,000 debt to a jewelry store, which forced a Georgia judge to freeze his bank account until the debt, now more than $850,000 after interest and legal fees, is paid, it seems Iverson has now joined the continuous stream of major athletes who are broke after earning hundreds of millions. That club includes the likes of Antoine Walker, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Terrell Owens.

Nicknamed The Answer in the NBA, Allen Iverson is still seeking answers to why no NBA team is interested in him

 So to help pay down his bills, the Rochester Lancers of the Major Indoor Soccer League, is offering Iverson a spot on its roster for its last two home games. In exchange, Iverson would earn $20,000 per game with the possibility of earning another $5,000 for each goal he scores.

It's nothing close to what stars of the 11-time NBA all-star's caliber are making in the sport, but the MISL is a far cry from Major League Soccer and even further from the more attention-grabbing and better paying English and Spanish soccer leagues. Still, it's obvious the Lancers are more interested in the potential publicity they would get if he actually suits up. And considering no one's really sure of Iverson's soccer skills, this is more than a generous offer.

It's unlikely Iverson will accept the offer especially since he has received another offer to play in the Puerto Rican basketball league and is more interested in any offer that would draw him closer to an NBA return. But it's hard not to let curiosity seep in, wondering what kind of soccer player he would be. He was once a very speedy athlete and probably has some of that speed left in him at 35. He was also considered one of the NBA's toughest athletes, despite his 6-foot frame. These are two key elements of a good soccer player.

Wondering aside, it's sad to see Iverson go the route of many other athletes with major earning potential. Somehow these athletes never heed the advice to cut down on frivolous spending on women, bling and exotic cars and just save their money. With a divorce underway and no visible substantial income coming in, Iverson is a long way from financial freedom. But if he's lucky he may be able to find a team who will look past his off-court problems and give him another shot to earn some money back.

Third time a charm, fate for Zambia

On their third trip to the African Nations Cup final the Zambian Chipolopolos won their first African title, defeating Cote d'Ivoire 8-7 on sudden death in the penalty shoot out.

This win comes nearly 20 years after the Zambians lost all but two members of the national team in a 1993 plane crash in Libreville, capital of Gabon. The final was played just 10 minutes away from that crash site, obviously a source of motivation for the Zambians based on how well they played.

The chipolopolos celebrate their first Nations Cup win after a dramatic penalty shootout

For a little bit of history lesson, the Chipolopolos were headed to Senegal for a World Cup qualifier in April '93, when the plane crashed, killing 20 players, 12 coaches and staff, as well as the flight's cabin crew. Less than a year later, the newly formed team made it to the final of the '94 Nations Cup before bowing out to Nigeria.

The Zambians were hardly the favorite coming into this year's Cup. They lost a pre-tournament warm-up match to Nigeria 2-0, who failed to qualify. And with the Black Stars of Ghana and the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire expected to meet in the final, very few people predicted the Zambians could pull off an upset. But it's exactly what they did. Zambia took out Ghana in the semifinal, setting up the epic final on Sunday.

Cote d'Ivoire boasts an impressive lineup up made of stars on English Premiership teams— Didier Drogba, Gervinho and the Toure brothers, to name a few. So I expected Zambia to put up a decent fight worthy of justifying their place in the final. I didn't expect the Elephants to be flustered by their lesser known opponents, so much that Drogba, Cote d'Ivoire's best player, missed a penalty late in the second half. By then I was rooting for the underdogs, while hoping for a penalty shootout that would separate the men from the boys.

You can never underestimate the heart of a champion or interfere with destiny. The kind of destiny that helped unheralded American wrestler Rulon Gardner earn an upset win over Russia's Alexander Karelin in the gold medal match at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Karelin, a three-time Olympic gold medal winner, was considered the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler in history and was riding a 13-year winning streak, which ended with a 1-0 loss to Gardner.

Rulon Gardner's upset win over Alexander Karelin was a shocking moment at the 2000 Olympics

That's the kind of destiny train the Zambians were riding. You could argue that the spirits of the '93 squad were on that field playing alongside their compatriots because the Zambians played like it. With each climatic penalty attempt the Zambians made to tie the Ivoiriens, they silenced their critics. Yet it wasn't until Stophira Sunzu clinched the win on the ninth penalty kick, after Gervinho's missed attempt, that destiny was fulfilled.

I'd say third time wasn't a charm for the Zambians, it was fate.

Suarez deserves more punishment over racist act

The racial saga involving Liverpool's Luis Suarez and Manchester United's Patrice Evra didn't end upon Suarez's return from suspension.

Suarez recently served an eight-game suspension for racially taunting Evra with a word expressed in Spanish. At first Suarez, a Latino Uruguayan national, denied the allegation. But he later said the word he directed at Evra, a black player, wasn't a racially offensive word in his country, so it wasn't intended to be conveyed as a racist statement.

Nevertheless, after an investigation was concluded, the English Football Association suspended Suarez. During his suspension, many Liverpool fans donned shirts in support of Suarez. Two weeks ago, when both teams met in an FA Cup match, one fan was arrested on suspicion of making racist taunts aimed at Evra. Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish also vocally supported Suarez, even defying orders to not speak about the issue while investigation was ongoing.

Liverpool's Luis Suarez was accused of racism by Manchester United's Patrice Evra

It's no surprise then that Dalglish continued to sing his forward's praise after Saturday's offensive act. Just before the start of the match, players exchanged the obligatory handshakes symbolizing fair play. But when it came to Suarez's turn to shake his opponents, the Liverpool forward ignored Evra. Not appreciating the diss, Evra grabbed Suarez's arm in a bid to stop him, but was separated by match officials.

It appears that despite the time off, Suarez remains unapologetic and hasn't learned his lesson. Neither has Dalglish. Suarez had the chance to show his previous action was out of character, and to really prove he wasn't a racist player. He knew the cameras would be anticipating the moment he would meet with Evra; perhaps hoping that Suarez might linger a bit longer to embrace the Man U captain or even exchange a few words. Instead, his act of defiance confirmed his immaturity. It proved he had learned nothing from the experience.

Dalglish also missed an opportunity to instil some discipline as a manager.

"People are already speculating on the pre-match ceremony, but from Luis’s point of view we have spoken to him and I know he will shake the hand of Patrice Evra and the other Manchester United players before the game," said Dalglish, in anticipation of the match.

Yet, Dalglish did not publicly chastise Suarez's behavior. In fact, he did the opposite. He continued to back his star player, urging everyone to move past the incident.

How can a major issue such as racial discrimination be ignored? Several European football leagues have struggled with this problem. The Italian league and German Bundesliga have had their share of racial incidents. The English Premiership hasn't been exempt from its own racial discrimination allegations either. Previous English team captain and Chelsea defender John Terry, who's white, was recently stripped of his title amid allegations he directed a racist comment at Queens Park Ranger's Anton Ferdinand, a black English player. English national team manager Fabio Capello resigned in protest of Terry being stripped of his role while the investigation is ongoing.

Anton Ferdinand and John Terry argue over allegations of racist remarks. The investigation is ongoing.

Dalglish could have exercised his authoritative right by pulling Suarez from the match. Yet he chose the cowardly way, like Capello's resignation, to let Suarez play. The Terry-Ferdinand incident is still under investigation, so Capello may get a pass, but Dalglish' poor handling of Suarez' behavior sends the message that he condones the actions.

Several black players in the EPL have voiced their disdain and lack of respect for Suarez. Manchester United's manager Alex Ferguson has publicly decried both Suarez' behavior and the team's handling of it, but there needs to be more outcry, backlash and penalty involved. The EPL has already shown it is more of a reactive league than an active one. But now is the time to take control of this situation once and for all, and send the message to players and fans that racial discrimination will be treated with zero tolerance.

The pressure of National Signing Day

In a little more than 24 hours, the New England Patriots and New York Giants will face off for the Super Bowl title. Thousands of high school football players will be watching, envisioning the day they could play on the same stage.

For these young teens, the chances of playing on the biggest stage in football could increase, depending on what college football program they play for. That's what National Signing Day is all about: where the best and brightest are headed.

Many under-privileged kids, especially blacks, have gotten opportunities to go to college through athletic scholarships. In exchange for an education (not everyone earns a free ride,) these guys put their bodies on the line to earn thousands of dollars for the university. In football, the top programs earn millions of dollars for the university. Not bad huh?

That's why the competition to land the most prized recruits has intensified over the years, increasing interest in what I now see as the outrageous National Signing Day with high school seniors signing letters of intent that they may or may not honor. While the intent (pun intended) can be good, such as this story of linebacker Jeremiah Allison signing a letter of intent without the cameras, next to his comatose mother in a hospital bed, the spectacle it has become is troubling.

Check out the video in my previous post about Richard (Ala.) Vigor High defensive lineman Darius Philon struggling through his decision to go to Alabama or Arkansas. Or this video of the nation's top safety prospect Landon Collins choosing Alabama over LSU, to the disappointment of his mom. April Justin said she was unhappy about Alabama coach Nick Saban's recruitment approach, which she felt did not emphasize education. But she also alleged that her son chose Alabama because Saban offered Collins' girlfriend a job in his office. This allegation has not been confirmed.

When Miami Heat star LeBron James announced his decision to "take his talents to South Beach," leaving Cleveland, he caught a lot of flak for it. But as self-centered as it may have appeared, it raised $3 million for a Boys and Girls Club. ESPN aired "The Decision" special and is also responsible for coverage of signing day. No money from advertising or ratings is donated to charity, yet there isn't any backlash about exploiting these kids or the situation for profit.

There's no need for these kids to face this much pressure before they have officially donned their college uniforms.Very few of them eventually graduate, and even fewer will ever suit up for an NFL team. But who cares? At the end of the day, what matters is the promise they are sold by the college recruits, pretending to care about the kids' future while mentally calculating their dollar-earning potential for the university.

And if a national TV camera happens to be there to capture the moment these young'ns sign away their lives, sometimes petrified or heavily burdened, then so be it.

High school senior struggles to commit to a college program

Watching this high school football player struggle through signing his letter of intent is exactly why National Signing Day should no longer be televised.

Burke's death costs family hefty medical bill

Sarah Burke died while practicing at an unsanctioned event in Utah. Why did it matter what kind of event it was? Because her insurance coverage in the U.S. did not cover unsanctioned events.

This meant that upon her death, her family was left with a medical bill in the hundreds of thousands of dollars—early reports put it at $550,000, but latter reports suggest it was in the neighborhood of $200,000. If Burke had suffered the accident at any kind of event in her native country of Canada, her medical bill would have cost her family nothing.

Burke's death is the latest incident raising the viability of President Barack Obama's healthcare plan, which has called for a universal healthcare insurance available for all at affordable costs, but which has been opposed by the majority of the Republican Party. Republicans now control the House, but long before the swing, several states had filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the government's ability to mandate states health laws.

What many opposers to the plan are saying is that Obama is introducing socialism to the U.S. by allowing the wealthy minority pay for the poor majority, but what Burke's death shows is that the mounting cost of paying for health care can affect anyone.

Fortunately for the charismatic athlete, her fans have shouldered the burden of paying her bills through donations. A reported $285,000 has been raised and her family has vowed to use any extra money to start a foundation in her name.

It would have been a worthy gesture if the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association had picked up the tab on Burke's bill considering how big an ambassador she has been to not just the sport, but for Canada as well. Still it's good to know that after all her family has been through since she first slipped into a coma, they won't be crippled by a financial setback.

Now, if only the rest of America can have the luxury of walking into a hospital for a medical procedure or check up without the fear of becoming bankrupt by the time they walk out.

Robin Thicke concert review

It's long overdue, but since I teased about it in an earlier blog entry, I have no choice but to share my pictures and videos from the Dec. 7 concert I attended featuring my favorite soul singer Robin Thicke.

It was a pretty cold night in Atlanta and I was a bit sick, but it was an early birthday gift to myself (my birthday is Dec. 8) and there was no way I was missing it for the world. I had been dying to see him perform in concert, but never had the chance to as I was never in town when he performed in Miami or Atlanta. I finally got my opportunity and took advantage of it.

Robin Thicke took the stage for a promo concert at The Loft in Atlanta Dec. 7, 2011

Despite the heat, Robin Thicke kept the crowd hype all night

It was an intimate setting at the Loft, a small bar/club above the Center Stage in Atlanta, to boost publicity for Thicke's newest album "Love After War." It was extremely hot in the room (partly because of his gyrating moves,) but it was a lot of fun.

Thicke performed his current single, which shares the same title as the album title, as well as future single (in my opinion) "Pretty Lil' Heart." But he belted out other crowd favorites like "Love you girl," sans Pharrell Williams and "It's in the Morning," from his previous album "Sex Therapy." He also covered some of his less notable songs like "Shooter" and "Shakin' it 4 daddy."

If you are well versed on Robin Thicke's background, you'd know he's well known for his soulful ballads. He couldn't get all of them in, but he performed "Can U Believe," "Sweetest Love," "Sex Therapy," and closed with his most popular tune "Lost Without U."

When I say closed, I don't quite mean done. Finito! He remained on stage for a surprise song, which judging by how many times he teased the surprise during his set, I don't think he expected anyone to guess he would sing a song like that. I certainly didn't. So instead of spoiling it, I'll just play it.

Overall, Robin Thicke covered songs on all his albums save for his first: "A Beautiful World." I understand many fans hardly know about that album, but I would have loved to hear either "When I get you Alone" or "I'm A' Be Alright." Still, for a small promo concert held a day after his album had dropped, it was worth every minute in the hot air balloon called the Loft.

I am looking forward to when he goes on tour (he announced he would begin in March) so I can see him perform on a bigger platform. Just as I predicted correctly that he would tour with Alicia Keys about two years ago, I'm predicting he would tour with Mary J. Blige this year. What do you think? Who do you think would make the perfect touring partner this year?

Freeskier Sarah Burke dies

The skiing world lost a champion earlier today when Canadian freeskier Sarah Burke passed away from complications resulting from injuries she sustained while training in Utah.

Burke, 29, was regarded as the most famous freeskier, earning the respect of peers such as Grete Eliassen, who confessed to watching Burke for inspiration in this article I wrote after interviewing the two at the Women Sports Foundation's Annual Salute to Women in Sports. In the article, both women discussed injuries while competing in a dangerous sport. Unfortunately Burke wasn't able to recover from a Jan. 10 accident in Utah.

Freeskier Sarah Burke died after injuries sustained while training in Utah

Burke tore her vertebral artery, leading to severe bleeding of the brain, according to a statement from her publicist Nicole Wool. Burke suffered a cardiac arrest and went into a coma. Wool said Burke sustained irreversible damage to her brain due to a lack of oxygen and blood, and was unable to recover.

When I interviewed Burke in 2007, it was difficult to keep it professional because she cracked up everyone in the room with every word. Burke was interviewing Eliassen for a video feature on the Foundation's sister website GoGirlGo! Besides using information from that interview for my article, I was allowed to interview the both of them for about 10 minutes after. Those 10 minutes resulted in one of my most interesting interviews ever.

Sarah Burke was known for her smile as much as she was for her incredible twists and tricks

 The two biggest stars of their sport were not only each other's biggest rivals, but also best friends. Not too many sports can boast of such a dynamic relationship. But their free-spirited characters, so alike, were a big reason they developed such a unique relationship.

Not too many celebrities take the time to reach out to the people who interview them. But Burke did. I was pleasantly surprised to get a Facebook message from her, thanking me for capturing the essence of her relationship with Eliassen in the article, and we exchanged a few messages on the social network.

Now, as her family privately mourns her passing, I think about that effervescent smile, always planted on her face no matter what. I remember her for her campaign to get more women competing in her sport and for contributions toward encouraging more girls to become active and participate in sports, which earned her the Yolanda L. Jackson Give Back Award at the 2007 Annual Salute.

That's who she was, a fighter. She fought until the very end; until she could fight no more. For that, her legacy should reflect her fighting spirit just as much as it reflects her incredible records and wins as an athlete.

FAMU hazing death declared homicide

The medical examiner has ruled the death of Florida A&M student Robert Champion a homicide, raising the punitive stakes for who is ultimately found responsible for his death.

Champion, a drum major for the FAMU Marching 100 band, died shortly after the band's performance at the Orlando Classic football game between the Rattlers and Bethune Cookman University. The medical examiner said Champion, 26, suffered multiple blunt trauma blows, resulting in his death. It wasn't long before his death was linked to a hazing incident, setting the stage for a blame game that has put the university in the national spotlight.

As a recent graduate of FAMU's School of Journalism & Graphic Communication, it's sad to see the university thrust in the limelight for negative reasons. But more importantly, it's worse to observe how poorly FAMU has handled the aftermath of Champion's death.

That the actions leading to his death even happened is condemnable, which is exactly what just about everyone who's weighed in on the issue has done. Hazing has never been the right thing to do, but it has remained the unspoken rite of passage in many organizations.

Four drum majors were dismissed by the university for their alleged involvement in Champion's death. The Famuan, the school newspaper has identified three of the four. Band director Julian White was also fired, although his termination was scheduled to become effective at the end of the band's season. Following Florida governor Rick Scott's announcement of a task force to investigate the death, White's termination and the students dismissal were rescinded.

Last year, I covered the Marching 100 for a package story that ran in FAMU's Homecoming Special. I met, though never interviewed or talked directly with, two of the drum majors dismissed: Jonathan Boyce, now the head drum major, and Shawn Turner. I don't recall seeing Ricki Willis, the third identified student. Neither Boyce, nor Turner, struck me as killers, which is exactly what whoever's found guilty could be branded.

Amid the PR circus enveloping this case– the students and White's dismissal, the revelation of more hazing incidents within the band, alleged financial misappropriation of band-related funds, Gov. Scott's call for FAMU President James Ammons resignation, students' protests in front of Scott's residence and the Board of Trustees division over Ammons future as president– very little has been done to address this problem of hazing.

Hazing has been a cultural staple in organizations for decades, and despite a Florida law making it a felony, fraternities continue to engage in the act. That is the scary part. That Champion, who as a drum major was one of the band's leaders, submitted to the physical torture speaks volumes on how deep-rooted the culture is. The fact that the Marching 100, and I suspect other organizations on the campus, continued this tradition after a similar incident involving a fraternity pledge garnered national attention and led to the conviction and expulsion of several students in 2005, is a testament that it will take more than the loss of lives to end this practice.

Ammons announced a zero tolerance for hazing in the wake of Champion's death, yet White said when he dismissed 26 students for hazing two weeks before the Orlando Classic, and supported a recommendation for their dismissal from the school, the university ignored it. Considering the 2005 hazing of Marcus Jones, a Kappa Alpha Psi pledge, which led to expulsion and conviction of several students within the fraternity, it's hard pressed to not point a finger at the FAMU administration for its terrible handling of White's decision, and even poorer handling of Champion's death.

It's not enough for Ammons and the BOT to fire everyone of authority within the band and suspend the band's activities. That means nothing to the Champion family and to the general public watching to see what the university would do to address the problem. FAMU needs to establish itself as a symbol of anti-hazing. And so far it's failing to do so. Students marching in support of Ammons when they should be marching against anti-hazing is disgraceful. But when you think about the fact that many of those students could likely be victims of hazing through their various organizations, it speaks volumes about the lack of sensitivity for the Champion family.

It could be months before this case is settled and charges are brought against anyone. Normal life will eventually resume on FAMU's campus, but not for the Champions. They entrusted their son to the care of FAMU and it's world renowned marching band. In return, they got his corpse and now have to contend with the fact that their son was bludgeoned to death by members of his other family: the FAMU community.

Back from hiatus

Judging from my last post, it's certainly been a while since I've been here. It wasn't intentional. I have been working on my graduate project, which is a documentary on the lack of blacks in soccer in the United States. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback about the subject matter and will share it with you once my defense is officially over.

Just because I haven't recorded an entry in a long time doesn't mean I haven't been keeping up with what's been going on in sports, and a lot has happened. Another major college sports program (Syracuse basketball) has been hit with sexual abuse allegations. The NBA player reshuffle is in major frenzy as teams hustle to lock up key players before the Christmas Day start of the shortened season.

But one major story that hits close to home is the ongoing investigation over the death of a Florida A&M University Marching 100 band player. Robert Champion III, a 26-year-old drum major died hours after the band had performed at the Orlando Classic. The apparent cause has been linked to hazing, which has set off a firestorm of who bears the responsibility for his death. In the next few days, I'll share my thoughts on the issue as a graduate of FAMU.

It was my birthday on Dec. 8, and as a gift to myself I finally got to attend a Robin Thicke concert on Dec. 7. I'll share some of the videos and pictures I shot at the concert. The end of the year is fast approaching, but I still have a few things to share before the end of the year.

Stay tuned.

**Update** on Penn State sexual abuse

Joe Paterno, longtime coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, was fired yesterday by the university's board of trustees for his role in covering up the alleged sexual abuse by his former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. University President Graham Spanier tendered his resignation rather than face termination.

Mike McQueary, the graduate assistant who witnessed Sandusky performing anal sex on a boy of about 11 years, was not fired and was set to coach in Saturday's game. However, latest reports from the team say McQueary, the wide receivers coach, will not attend the game.

Click on, if you are interested in reading the Grand Jury report on eight victims stories involving sexual acts Sandusky performed or tried to perform on them.

**I should warn that some of the acts are of extremely graphic nature, however, I think people should be aware of some of the behavior sexual predators employ to lower their victims' defenses. So please read with caution.

Penn State continues to drop the ball in this sex scandal

Few days ago, I was blogging about a sexual harassment issue within the ESPN enterprise. Little did I know the U.S. would be rocked by a far worse sexual scandal involving the highly regarded Penn State University. Well, at least it used to be highly regarded until this mess officials at the school have created by turning a blind eye to an egregious crime.

I am enraged that such a thing was accommodated by the school for nearly a decade after it was first reported to officials. Penn State is losing more respect as a university with each hour that passes without the announcement of current coach Joe Paterno being fired. He should not even be allowed to retire, he should be fired effectively. However, the university's board of trustees are sitting on Paterno's decision to play out the season and retire at the end? They continue to empower Paterno even after the revelation that he was aware of the alleged sexual abuse between his defensive coordinator and several underaged boys? The school first announced that Paterno would give a press conference, but would only address football-related questions, not the scandal. When word of the backlash got back to the school, the press conference was canceled. Why on earth would anyone be interested in anything but the abuse allegations? Since then, there has been no public address from Paterno except to announce he plans on coaching the remainder of the season? Way to send the message that football continues to be your priority, instead of a moral obligation to the victims of these heinous crimes and their families.

Jerry Sandusky faces multiple sexual abuse charges on boys

If you've somehow missed the biggest news in American sports right now, and certainly one of the biggest news nationwide, former Penn State defensive coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested and charged with 40 counts of sexual misconduct including indecent assault of a minor under 16. The allegations occupy a 15-year period between 1994-2009. Some of the alleged victims are as young as 10. Sandusky is an adoptive father of six kids, who along with his wife, started The Second Mile foundation to help at-risk children. However, he's now accused of taking advantage of these children. Authorities allege there were likely much earlier instances of abuse and details, which went unreported. And now it makes me wonder if he preyed on his own adopted children.

Several grand jury reports have been released alleging many incidents including the following:

The first reported incident involved a boy of about 11 or 12, who revealed physical contact with Sandusky during overnight stays at Sandusky's home. The boy's mother reported the sexual assault allegations to his high school, and Sandusky was banned from the child's school district in Clinton County.

Another accuser, now 27, testified that Sandusky initiated contact with a "soap battle" in the shower that led to multiple instances of involuntary sexual intercourse and indecent assault at Sandusky's hands. The accuser said he traveled to charity functions and Penn State games with Sandusky. But when he resisted the coach's advances, Sandusky threatened to send him home from the 1999 Alamo Bowl.

Another child, a boy between ages 11 to 13, was seen by a janitor pinned against a wall while Sandusky performed oral sex on him in fall 2000.

And in 2002, then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary, now a wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator, saw Sandusky sexually assault a naked boy, of about 10 years old, in a team locker room shower.

Now this is where the blame game begins. Prosecutors say McQueary reported what he saw to Paterno, who immediately told athletic director Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, the school's senior vice president for business and finance. By this time, Sandusky had retired as defensive coordinator (in 1999,) but was still allowed to use the Nittany Lions' facilities to host foundation events. Penn State's decision was to ban Sandusky from hosting youth camps on the campus, however reports are he continued to host events on Penn State's satellite campus in Erie, Pa. Curley and Schultz are now facing charges for lying to cover up the incident, instead of reporting to the authorities. If you're interested in what their responses to the charges are, you can read more here. McQueary and Paterno, despite being aware of the incident, never followed up on the outcome.

Tim Curley

Gary Schultz

As it stands, there are calls for even the university's president Graham Spanier to resign or face being fired.

Here's portions of Paterno's retirement statement, which he announced today.

"I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief. I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can. This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more. My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this university."

Penn State coach Joe Paterno

Your goal now is football? Really? In hindsight, you would do things differently, however, you currently choose to focus on coaching your team through the remainder of the season? Would he still take the same stance if one of those boys was his son? You accepted the university's decision to ban him from coming on the main campus, but it's OK to go somewhere else to sexually assault boys?

In 2009, I joined the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization in Virginia. The organization focuses on pairing at-risk children with mentors, who could guide them to become responsible adults. That is essentially what Sandusky signed up for. These children are not necessarily poor kids who are desperate for monetary gifts. They are children who may be products of broken homes or who have been exposed to the kind of lifestyle that could lead to a life of crime. These children look to their mentors to give them the positive guidance that would lead to a productive future. My little sister wasn't my blood, yet I worried that at 11, she had a Myspace account. I repeatedly cautioned her against the dangers of falling prey to a sexual predator online. To hear that a man, who's a father of six, would take advantage of children under his care is appalling.

Which is why I'm disgusted that Paterno and McQueary, as of this moment, are still scheduled to coach Saturday's game; to continue to be representatives of Penn State. The university has already lost respect for not handling this case years ago and preventing the abuse of many more victims. But allowing Paterno to go out on his own terms sends the message that they care more about their legendary coach of 46 years than of the abused victims.

Thrilla in Manila revisited

If you haven't seen the documentary Thrilla in Manila, you have to. HBO's 90-minute documentation of the historic final fight between two of the greatest boxers in history, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, is worth the watch. Released in 2008, the documentary is presented from Frazier's perspective, and doesn't include any direct interviews from Ali beyond archival footage from 1969-1975, when the trilogy of fights were hosted after Ali's boxing license had been restored. Still, with commentary from the Ali camp, including his ringside doctor and Manila liaison, this is a pretty good account of their series of fights.

What everyone should easily remember is that Ali won that fight and has since been referred to as the "greatest boxer of all time." What many may have forgotten is how Ali's hunger for maximum publicity, beginning with the first fight, drove a wedge between the one-time friends. Frazier would never get the kind of fame or money that Ali was awarded, and at the time of the documentary was living in a shabby apartment on top of his boxing gym located in one of Philadelphia's poorest neighborhoods. To get a more in-depth or accurate synopsis of the documentary, you can go here.

Joe Frazier's only win against Muhammad Ali came in the first of their three fights.

I'm more enthralled by the courage and resolve of the two fighters on that day. When you watch highlights from the fight, it's clear why boxing was the biggest sport during that period. It was a period when the best wanted to go against each other. Frazier not only lobbied emphatically for Ali's license to be restored, he assisted Ali financially and helped stage some of the earlier publicized friction between the two (before Ali's 'Uncle Tom' and 'gorilla' taunts resulted in a broken friendship.) It's a far cry from today when the two biggest fighters currently in the sport, Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather, cannot come to terms to stage arguably the biggest fight since Thrilla. I was captivated by Ali and Frazier's ability to go toe-to-toe for 15 rounds of pure boxing; each taking explosive jabs and combos at each other unlike today's style of dancing around the ring for two of the three minutes allotted for a maximum 12 rounds.

By the time Frazier's corner threw in the towel at the start of the 15th round of the Thrilla fight, both fighters were barely standing upright. I feel like Ali's body had taken more beating of the two by the end; just as some–and I mean just some–of the analysts who called that fight had suggested. But Frazier's face, notably his right eye, had suffered the most external damage. We'll come to find out later that Frazier had been fighting with a partially blinded left eye for most of his major fights, and could barely see once his right eye was shut from swelling. It explains why though he appeared to be the more agile of the two, Frazier couldn't evade Ali's punches. He couldn't see. That alone was the reason his camp threw in the towel on the final round.

Ali won the brutal final fight between the two, sealing his place as boxing's greatest

"Would you have been willing to risk your life for that final round?" documentarian John Dower asked Frazier in an on-camera interview for the film. "Yes!" was Frazier's response, which he gave even before Dower was done asking. And I don't doubt that for a second. Frazier's trainer Eddie Futch was quoted as saying years after the fight that he had watched eight fighters die in a ring in his lifetime and didn't want to watch a ninth. Many have said Ali was set to win the fight based on punches landed regardless, unless he was knocked out. Some even speculated that Ali was also considering throwing in the towel, especially since he fell to the mat after the fight was ended. We may never know what Ali's strategy for the last round of his greatest fight would have been. Not that it matters now.

Sadly, both boxers continued to fight instead of ending their career on that iconic fight. Ali now struggles with Parkinson's disease. Both fighters endured years of friction, particularly from Frazier toward Ali because the former felt he never got a real apology. In 2001, Ali apologized in a story published in the New York Times, saying he regretted many of the words he called Frazier and had done it merely for publicity. Sadly, Frazier never did leave down some of those words. Being called an Uncle Tom, even though of the two, he was actually the one who had worked since he was a kid. And even though Ali had associated himself with the white supremacist group known as the Ku Klux Klan.

I assume HBO is re-airing the documentary now in light of the news that Frazier, 67, is battling liver cancer. BBC has reported that Ali, 69, has offered his prayer and support to his old friend. Many Frazier fans have offered their livers for a possible transplant to keep him alive, which I only hope will happen. But thanks to documentaries like this, sports fans like me get to relive historical matches, games and fights that we never could have witnessed.

**Update**

Unfortunately, Frazier passed away late Monday night from complications from his battle with liver cancer. R.I.P. Smokin' Joe!

Ex-ESPN employee involved in masturbating scandal

I met Keith Clinkscales in 2005 or 2006 while I was a student at Florida State University, taking my journalism classes at Florida A&M University. I don't remember the specifics, but I recall being extremely excited that my professor and mentor Joe Ritchie had invited me to a small group meeting with an ESPN executive, which was aimed at encouraging budding sports journalists.

Five or six years later and Clinkscales now joins the ranks of an increasing number of ESPN employees involved in sex scandals. Unlike the likes of MLB analyst Steve Phillips, who engaged in a sexual affair with a network production assistant turned stalker, or NFL analyst Jeremy Green, who was busted for child pornography and drug charges, Clinkscales is accused of not only physical assault on a fellow employee but also masturbating in an airplane to another employee. That employee? None other than Erin Andrews, the notably sexy college football sideline reporter. Can Andrews' tenure at ESPN get any more plagued? You may remember she was unknowingly taped in the nude through the peephole of her hotel room by a stalker. And as if that wasn't creepy enough, now an alleged masturbating incident by a vice president within her workplace?

Photo illustration of Keith Clinkscales and Erin Andrews courtesy Deadspin

Thanks to the editorial team at Deadspin, the website known for breaking the Brett Favre sexting scandal involving former FSU Cowgirl Jenn Sterger, the public is now aware of a defamation lawsuit by Clinkscales against the woman he believes leaked the unreported and unpublished masturbating event to the site. I won't go into the details of this story, you can read it here. But I will point out that according to the article, Andrews confirmed the incident happened, but didn't want to report it for fear of losing her job especially in the wake of her very public nude video.

Clinkscales, innocent or not,  has been plagued by negative incidents despite his brilliant works. At Vibe magazine, where he worked before ESPN, there were allegations of intimidation on the magazine's staff. At ESPN, he's credited with discovering ESPN anchor Sage Steele and writer/contributor Jemele Hill. He was also behind some of the network's successful creations like its 30 for 30 documentary series and the magazine's Body issue, which I believe was created to mirror the success of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit edition. So it's definitely a red flag that he would leave the network's successful content development section, which he headed, to become an independent producer. Even more telling is ESPN's decision to close the division in the wake of his departure.

When Clinkscales, also a FAMU alum, left that boardroom after speaking to my group, I wished he had taken note of me. I wished he had seen the potential in me, as he did with Steele and Hill, and tabbed me as a future star. But as this allegation surfaces and his track record as an executive emerges, maybe it's not so bad that I wasn't discovered by him.

So what say you? You think Clinkscales is innocent or guilty? Meanwhile, you can find more about ESPN's sex scandals, including NBA moderator Mike Tirico's, here.

My meeting with Barack Obama...

...never happened. But I came close last Friday. How close? Well, a door stood between me and the Oval Office, which, at the time of my visit, was occupied by President Obama. He was probably preoccupied with working to pass an executive order on drug shortages in the U.S., while I was hoping he'd pop his head out so I can ask him all sorts of sports-related questions. Alas, I didn't get my wish, but it was a memorable experience all the same.

I was part of a group of students from Florida A&M University (the No. 1 historically black college & university in the U.S.) who were invited to the White House to learn about career opportunities within the White House office of communications. We also visited Capitol Hill to hear about similar opportunities within other branches in government. Thanks to FAMU alum Quintin Haynes, the associate director of finance operations at the White House, and Kevin Lewis, White House director of African American media, we got a rare opportunity to hear from White House Press Secretary Jay Carney and his deputy Josh Earnest.

Jay Carney imitating the Rattler strike.

Growing up in Nigeria, I was never interested in politics. If you know anything about Nigerian politics, you know it is a dirty game where "no holds barred" is the only rule applied. If you need some context as to how different the political game is between the U.S. and Nigeria, then you only need refer to the case of U.S. Rep William Jefferson of Louisiana, who was convicted for corruption charges involving a number of shady dealings with several African countries. Among his cohorts was then-Vice President of Nigeria Abubakar Atiku, who was never investigated in Nigeria for his role in this criminal act. Ironically, one of the people we met on the Hill was Jefferson's former press secretary Melanie Roussell, now the Democratic National Party's press secretary. Roussell, a FAMU alum as well, was very genuine in her recollection of how difficult that period was her, job-wise, and for Jefferson, who wanted more focus to be placed on the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. Along with other officials at the Hill and White House, she convinced me that a career in U.S. politics could be beneficial and rewarding.

With White House officials. FAMU connections indicated by the strike.

The trip wasn't all work, though I wouldn't totally classify a White House visit as work. We stopped by the newly dedicated Martin Luther King Memorial. We were scheduled to cover its original unveiling, but missed out on the opportunity thanks to Hurricane Irene, which forced its postponement. If you haven't visited this national monument yet, you should. There's something serene about this place. And you never know who you may meet there. I ran into noted black historian Henry Louis Gates, who was also visiting for the first time.

With Henry Louis Gates at the MLK Memorial

The gigantic sculpture of Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Overall, I enjoyed this trip immensely. I didn't get to talk sports or play basketball with President Obama, but I left with a valuable experience worth savoring for years. Meanwhile, I'm encouraging total honesty here. For those of you who've known me and know about my passion for sports, can you envision a career in politics for me?

White House Press Room