My Favorite Female Journalists

NEW HAVEN, Ct. (BP) -- For most of last month, the sports world celebrated the 40th anniversary of Title IX, the amendment that all but put an end to sexual discrimination in regards high school -- and most importantly -- collegiate sports.

While that form of sexual bias has made the sporting field a bit more equal, the battle within the press box and locker rooms of sports tells another story. Unlike that old cigarette Virginia Slims commercial, they've not "come a long way" since the days of Phyllis George and others because of the old boy network that still exists.

Today, I'll give you a brief list of some of my favorite female sports journalists.

1. Doris Burke -- The BEST current basketball analyst in any network. She can do the NBA, NCAA, or WNBA. No pretentious bullshit from Ms. Burke. I'll take her over ANY (and I do mean ANY) hoop talking head. Her talents were wasted by ABC/The Mouse when she was regulated to the sidelines during the NBA Finals.

2. Robin Roberts -- Again another tremendously versatile performer. The only person that I know of that has hosted both "Good Morning America" and "Wide World of Sports" as well as the NCAA Women's Tournament. She could kick Trey Wingo's worthless ass in her sleep. Here's hoping that she can win her latest battle with myelodysplastic syndrome. We'll be praying for her

3. Kimberly Jones -- Yeah, she a "pretty girl". But I've always liked her work on YES Network (football, baseball) and her reporting on WFAN during the Sandusky sex scandal was outstanding. She called on her excellent reporting skills during this period and was a helluva lot more informative than mainstream media was at the time. Unfortunately, she hasn't been seen lately. How dare she be so damn good some idiot probably said.

4. Pam Ward -- I'll admit my bias here because I was lucky enough to work with this talented lady during my tenure at the Mouse. Another versatile performer who can do play-by-play (football, hoops, etc.) and or studio work. I truly believe a lot of the criticism she receives are from folks who still thinks women shouldn't be in the booth and just be barefoot and pregnant. Sadly, he was dropped from her gig as a college football announcer. It's the network's loss.

5. Pam Oliver -- Probably the only real credible "sideline reporter" in the business. She goes beyond the "so and so got hurt on the last play and that shit hurts, Joe". FOX has given her the opportunity to do more weekly interviews to offset the train wreck that is FOX NFLSunday. Oh, yeah -- she's nice on the eyes too.

A Tragic Tale of Prejudice: Remembering Porter Moss

NEW HAVEN, Ct. -- At the peak of his career, righthander Porter Moss was considered one of the finest pitchers in Negro League baseball. The Cincinnati native, born on June 10, 1910, was lucky enough to begin his pro baseball career in his home town team.

A product of West Virginia State College, the man known to many as "Ankleball" was a standout softball player in the Queen City. His unique, submarining motion caught the eye of many baseball scouts.

His career, which included three trips to the East-West All-Star Classic, began in 1934 with the Cincinnati Tigers. The Tigers, charter members of the Negro American League, were founded by another Cincinnati native DeHart Hubbard, the first black to win a individual gold medal in the Olympics. 

Nearly 10 years after making his debut, Moss' life would needlessly be snuffed out due to two acts of recklessness and prejudice. Acquired by Memphis in 1938, Moss helped lead the Red Sox to the first-half championship of the Negro American League. 

Memphis was later declared league champs after defeating the Atlanta Black Crackers.

In 1944, the 5-foot-11 hurler was enjoying a another fine season (8-6 with a 2.34 ERA) with the Red Sox. Little did Moss or his teammates know of what tragic events would take place on June 15 of that year. En route to a game in Tennessee, the team bus broke down forcing them to take the train.

According to reports, a disorderly man was on the train causing a ruckus with passengers. He was approached by the the train's porter and conductor about the ruckus. 

The man would pull a gun on the officials before he would leave the train. As the train was leaving, the man shot randomly at the train on the outside. One of the stray bullets would hit Moss in the stomach. 

He struggled to the next coach as he was gasping for air and holding his bloody stomach. His teammates quickly stretched out their uniforms for Moss to lay on until the next train stop. The next station in Waverly, Tennessee stated that Moss could not be helped. 

The team was told that the town had no doctors or ambulances.

The next stop in Bruceton, Moss was given an injection by a doctor. But he would also in turn tell the team that this town had no hospital facilities and he would have to try the next town.

As Moss continued to bleed and suffer, the next stop in Lexington would also claim to not have any hospital facilities. It wasn't until the train reached the city of Jackson that Moss would finally be taken for his wounds.

Unfortunately, it would prove to be too late for Moss. Nearly 12 hours after he was shot, Moss was given emergency surgery for his gunshot wounds. However at 6 a.m. the next morning, Porter Moss died at the age of 34.

Much like the senseless death of Lyman Bostock some 40 years later, Moss would be killed during the prime of his career. There's no telling the kind of history that could have been written by the right-hander.

While his death is another reminder of how precious life is, Moss will also be remembered as a great athlete and one of the many pioneers that make it possible for us to enjoy the great Black ballplayers of the past and present.

NOTE: The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues, pitchblackbaseball.com, and The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro League Baseball all contributed to this story.

A League of Opportunity

NEW HAVEN, Ct. -- There's a brand new basketball revolution set to start in North Carolina later this month.

After a college hoop season that saw the Tar Heels and Blue Devils fall short in their championship pursuits, and the NBA Bobcats fail to look like a professional team on most nights, a new group of hoopsters are looking to make their mark on a local and national scale.

Say hello to the 5’9″ @9′ Basketball League -- the premier national league for men under 5-feet-10. Founded in 2010 by Durham native Steve McRae, the 5’9″ Basketball League includes players who are 5-feet-9 or shorter and the rim is lowered from the traditional 10-foot to 9-foot.

For many amateur and or retired pro players, the league give one a true opportunity to play

Speaking on "The Batchelor Pad" radio show this past Monday, McRae talked about the league and his passion for the game. "I'm sure that there are many players at that height want to take their game to another level, but get overlooked by the NBA and other leagues", said McRae.

"We feel that this league will give these players an opportunity to showcase their talents in a way that no one else has ever seen before. We've been at several college games seeking players from all levels"

"There are a lot of very skilled basketball players who are denied the opportunity of league play simply because of being too short!"

An amateur league and a season ending tournament that was held in January got the ball rolling for McRae and his group. Now the inaugural pro season is set to begin in earnest later this month. In fact, Durham is one of four cities in the state of North Carolina (Charlotte, Fayetteville, and Greensboro) that will have squads this season.

McRae added that he hopes to add teams in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.by 2013. "Ideally, we'd like to have a presence in all existing NBA cities," McRae said. "The ultimate goal is to create a national league for men under 5-feet-10 that's similar to the NBA."

June 16th is the date for the league's debut with another amateur tournament slated for August.

NOTE: For more information, log on to www.All-Nets.com.