Randall Barnes Articles - Page 32

As the college football season hits its halfway point, two players have emerged as the clear frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy: Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. The two-star players have dominated headlines this season for their sensational play and can almost certainly be counted on to stay in the running when the […]

Former Grambling State football greats Eddie G. Robinson and Doug Williams could be headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2025. Per a report by ESPN, the HBCU legends are among 25 candidates named in the contributor category for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The candidates’ names were released on […]

Three HBCU football contenders are ranked in the latest AFCA FCS Coaches Poll: Florida A&M, North Carolina Central, and Jackson State. These three HBCU football contenders have had phenomenal seasons and are a few key wins away from a conference championship and a trip back to the Celebration Bowl. For Florida A&M, ranked 18th in […]

Sacramento Kings star guard De’Aaron Fox is turning down a big-time extension as he looks towards the future. Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Fox turned down the three-year, $165 million extension to look for an even bigger payday come the 2025 offseason. While Fox looks to stay with the Kings and continue to help them build […]

Former Chicago Bulls star and 2010-2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose had an unlikely source of inspiration at one point in his playing career: O.J. Mayo. Rose was a guest on The Volume’s Club 520 podcast and spoke about how O.J. Mayo inspired him to be great. “When I saw him for the first time he changed my […]

NBA Legend Michael Jordan showed love to Vince Carter for his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Jordan shared kind words with Carter. a fellow UNC Tar Hill alumnus and fraternity brother as both are members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated. “Congratulations man.” Michael Jordan to #24HoopClass inductee, Vince Carter 🤝🔥 […]

Although Alabama was able to survive a tough game against South Carolina, Crimson Tide fans are not happy with Kalen DeBoer for his postgame comments after the win. Alabama fans are used to the dominance that they saw during Nick Saban’s tenure, which featured savvy game management and a clear distinction of talent between their […]

The New York Liberty are looking to rebound from a tough loss to the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Finals. The Liberty were in control for the majority of the game until the Lynx went on an 18-2 run, fueled by Courtney William’s iconic four-point play that gave Minnesota an 83-82 lead. The shot proved […]

Sheryl Swoopes kept it real about her pregnancy prior to the 1997 season on the latest edition of the Levels to This with Sheryl Swoopes podcast, produced by iHeartPodcasts as a part of the company’s new Women’s Sports Audio Network. After a decorated career in college basketball and for the USA Women’s Basketball Team, Swoopes […]

Although we’re days away from the start of the 2024-2025 NBA season, the trade buzz around Chris Paul has already commenced. Paul signed with the Spurs on a one-year, $11 million deal on July 7th as he joined a San Antonio team looking to build themselves back into a contender around Victor Wembanyama. Paul is […]

As Derrick Henry has kicked off the 2024 season in remarkable style for the Baltimore Ravens, discussions about how the Cowboys might have signed him in free agency have begun to surface. For every broken tackle, stiff arm, and phenomenal run, conversation about how the Cowboys could’ve signed him instead of Ezekiel Elliott has persisted. […]

The Minnesota Lynx fueled a historic 18-point comeback against the New York Liberty that had the whole sports world buzzing, including South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley. Staley is a huge ambassador for women’s basketball who has put several star players in the league such as 2024 WNBA unanimous MVP A’ja Wilson. Per Staley, […]

The Minnesota Lynx’s 18-point comeback attempt was successful after a wild four-point play by Courtney Williams put them up 84-83 in the closing seconds of Game One of the WNBA Finals. The Lynx struggled early out the gate and appeared to be on their way to an opening series loss as the Liberty looked more […]

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announce the big changes to the structure for the playoffs ahead of game, one of the WNBA Finals. Starting in the 2025 season the first round of the playoffs will be a best-of-three format where both teams get a home game.  Perhaps the most significant change is to the WNBA Finals, […]

An explosive report published by ESPN on Thursday afternoon details Jerry West’s regrets about his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. West was a dedicated basketball ambassador, even serving as inspiration for the silhouette of the NBA logo that was introduced in 1969. The article details that West pondered about his time in the sport […]

Cam Newton is joining Stephen A. Smith on First Take on a permanent basis. The former Carolina Panthers star and the host of the popular 4th & 1 podcast is joining First Take’s rotating crew of contributors that features Shannon Sharpe, Ryan Clark, and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo. ESPN announced the hiring of Newton on Thursday […]

As USC star Juju Watkins gears up for her second season in College Basketball, she has landed a huge NIL deal with Gatorade that puts her in the company of Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark per a report by On3. Watkins’ move is noteworthy as she will collaborate with Gatorade to engage with the next […]

Colorado Buffaloes two-way star Travis Hunter has a close relationship with Deion Sanders. Hunter has cited several times how he looks up to the Pro Football Hall of Famer and immediately took the opportunity to play for him while he was still the coach of Jackson State. But, the relationship between the two is deeper […]

Former NFL MVP and host of the 4th & 1 podcast Cam Newton is set to join Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe on the campus of Tennessee State University on Friday’s edition of First Take. The popular ESPN morning show is continuing it’s most recent HBCU tour in the Land of Golden Sunshine as the Tigers […]

The Pelicans have a new offensive approach coming into the new season, per comments by Zion Williamson to The Athletic. New Orleans head coach Willie Green emphasized in training camp the need to increase the volume of three-pointers that the team is taking, in hopes of upping their scoring efficiency as they look to contend […]

Journalist and Howard University alumnus Jim Trotter’s lawsuit against the NFL received a major update on Wednesday afternoon. Trotter took to his X account to announce that both he and the NFL have agreed to settle the lawsuit, with the league pledging to donate to Trotter’s scholarship for HBCU students. “The NFL and I have […]

The pivotal matchup between Jackson State and Florida A&M that could possibly determine the next HBCU football champion is getting a huge broadcasting boost from ESPN. The game is slated to be broadcast on ESPNU after originally being announced as an ESPN+ broadcast before the season. The matchup between the two programs has generated significant […]

Shams Charania dropped his own news bomb today when he announced that he was joining ESPN as their Senior NBA Insider, replacing Adrian Wojnarowski. Charania was rumored to be in contention for the open position as he staked his claim as one of the top news breakers in the industry and was locked into a […]

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s massive game got high praise from Deion Sanders Jr. Sanders, the owner of Well Off Media and the brother of presumptive 2025 first-round NFL draft pick Shedeur Sanders, knows a lot about great QB play but his X post about Pavia, who was almost an HBCU star at Jackson State University […]

Vanderbilt pulled off a huge 40-35 upset over top-ranked Alabama on Saturday evening and Commodores alumnus Skip Bayless was ecstatic with the outcome. Bayless is known as a huge sports fan who is very supportive of the teams he roots for. Bayless took to his X account to speak about his happiness behind the shocking Vandy […]

LeBron James is definitely a fan of the WNBA as he’s consistently shown this season with players such as Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson. Now, he’s showing love to another phenomenal player: Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx. Collier and the Lynx are a game away from birth in the WNBA Finals after a 90-81 […]

The Atlanta Falcons pulled off a miraculous 36-30 victory over Tampa Bay Buccaneers off of a game-sealing touchdown reception by former HBCU standout KhaDarel Hodge. Falcons QB Kirk Cousins, who had a record-setting night, found Hodge for a 45-yard reception in the Falcons opening overtime drive to secure the victory over their NFC South rival. […]

The Kamala Harris campaign has announced an HBCU tour, coinciding with the start of homecoming season around the nation per an exclusive report by Ebony Magazine. The tour is expected to feature celebrities and elected officials campaigning in support of Harris and her candidacy for president. “Vice President Harris has been very clear: she is […]

The Knicks trading for Karl Anthony-Towns shocked the entire NBA world on Friday night. Towns, a key piece of the Timberwolves’s ascension to contenders in the West, is now heading East as the Knicks look to become the primary challenger to the dominance of the defending champion Boston Celtics. There are mixed feeling about the […]

Jayson Tatum has brought the Boston Celtics immense success, and his leadership of the team has placed him in conversations with NBA legend Larry Bird. Tatum shares a couple of team records with Bird and both of them brought championships to the organization, so the conversations involving Bird and Tatum. “Larry Bird is the best […]

FCS contender Sacramento State is looking to make a leap to the FBS as the Pac-12 looks to further reinvent itself in the new wave of realignment. Per reporting by Yahoo Sports’s Ross Dellenger, Sacramento State is making the first moves towards expansion by announcing that the institution will be building a new multi-use football […]

Former HBCU star Javonte Cook is getting a shot to join a Western Conference contender in the NBA. The former Winston-Salem State standout is expected to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Per Yahoo Sports, an Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year agreement with a minimum salary that is not guaranteed. […]

From HBCU standout to NBA legend, Ben Wallace’s story is one for the ages. Undrafted in ’96, he defied the odds with grit and determination. Ben Wallace’s basketball journey began with a chance encounter with NBA legend Charles Oakley. Wallace hadn’t fully committed to playing basketball as he was a standout football player. However saved […]

Tom Brady had high praise for Lamar Jackson’s performance during the Raven’s 28-25 victory over the Cowboys. The game was broadcast on Fox, an unusual location for Jackson and the Ravens as they are AFC contenders. But their visit to AT&T Stadium was covered by Brady, who is only a few games into his emerging […]

Tom Brady has received mixed reviews for his performance in the broadcast booth with Fox but NBA legend and Inside The NBA analyst Shaquille O’Neal isn’t judging Brady too harshly. On the latest episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, the four-time NBA champion weighed in on Brady in the booth and how he can continue […]

U.S. News & World Report has released their 2023-24 ranking of the top HBCUs in the nation and a couple of new HBCUs have cracked the top 10. The list is published annually and uses several factors to determine the rankings of the HBCUs. The ranking system relies on two fundamental aspects: quantitative and qualitative measures that […]

One of the biggest headlines from the Washington Commanders’ impressive 38-33 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals is Jayden Daniels’s pass to offensive lineman Trent Scott for the first passing touchdown of his career. But, what Scott did after the touchdown has caused a lot of conversation that deserves some context. Jayden Daniels’ first NFL TD […]

Jayden Daniels had a stellar game to lead the Washington Commanders to a resounding 38-33 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. But, who would’ve thought that Daniels would get the first touchdown of his career by throwing to an offensive lineman that also happens to be an HBCU alumnus? Jayden Daniels’ first NFL TD pass goes […]

An HBCU marching band is set to perform alongside WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at WWE’s Bad Blood Premium Live Event in Atlanta, Georgia in October. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South announced on their social media accounts that they’d be performing at the event. “Oh nothing… just expanding […]