Page 26 - Florida Sentinel 1-22-21

Sports
First-Ever CIAA Virtual Tournament Week To Be Held February 23-27
Nets’ Kyrie Irving Buys Home For George Floyd’s Family
KYRIE IRVING
Nets star Kyrie Irving is
continuing his activism with Black Lives Matter, this time using his wallet to help.
He has bought George Floyd’s family a new house.
During an interview on Etan Thomas’ podcast “The Re- match”, former NBA player and close friend to Floyd Stephen Jackson revealed to the world what Irving has done for the Floyd family, along with what other celebrities have done to help, when asked about how the family is doing.
“She’s getting so much love — not just from us, but from people all around the world who are showing support,” Jackson said. “I’m just continuing to do what I said I was going to do; I said I was going to be my brother’s keeper and take care of his daughter and make sure that her next days are her best days. A lot of my friends [have helped]. Kyrie Irving bought them a house. Lil Wayne’s manager bought them a Mer- cedes Benz. Barbra Streisand gave them stock in Disney.”
This is just the latest in a number of activist things Irving has done over the past couple of months. He has been conspicu- ously absent from the Brooklyn Nets for the majority of the sea- son, and prior to his absence, he refused to talk to the media, re- ferring to them as sheep.
Chiefs Built To Roll Bills Again In AFC Championship Game — But Still Need Patrick Mahomes
The CIAA Week is the third most attended basketball tournament among all NCAA divisions.
CHARLOTTE, NC – The Central Intercollegiate Ath- letic Association (CIAA), the nation’s oldest historically Black athletic conference, in partnership with Visit Balti- more, announced Thursday (Jan. 14th) its first-ever virtual tournament. The highly antic- ipated week-long celebration will be tabbed the CIAA Vir- tual Vibe: Tournament Edition and takes place from February 23-27, traditionally known as CIAA Basketball Tournament Week.
The CIAA Virtual Vibe marks the Tournament’s 76th annual celebration of HBCU championship basket- ball, sports, and culture. It brings a legendary legacy and a community experience to a
new, global audience.
Free registration for the
Tournament is now open on the virtual platform.
The CIAA Virtual Vibe: Tournament Edition will fea- ture a Baltimore-themed in- teractive virtual platform that will help welcome fans to the ‘Charm City’ while showcasing a host of events, including sev- eral that serve as cornerstones of tournament week.
The virtual experience, hosted by comedians B. Si- mone, Darren Brand and Burpie, will also offer a collection of new events, including an Old School/New School DJ Battle presented by Sprite and the CIAA Esports Tournament presented by Bayer Pharma- ceuticals.
For the latest information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com. You can also like us on Face- book, and follow us on Twit- ter and Instagram.
PATRICK MAHOMES
The Chiefs, with their 22-17 survival over the Browns in the AFC divisional playoffs on Sunday, advanced to host the expected No. 1-vs.-No. 2 matchup against the Bills in next week's AFC championship game. Kansas City should feel good about that, and its chances to get a shot to repeat as NFL champions in Super Bowl 55.
Assuming quarterback Patrick Mahomes is cleared to play. The Chiefs defense will have their hands full against the Bills star quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Ste- fon Diggs. This will be a good game assuming Mahomes play.
Mahomes and the Chiefs won rather comfortably when visiting Buffalo in Week 6 of
JOSH ALLEN
the regular season — 26-17 — by pulling away in the second half. The score may not have screamed dominance, but the Chiefs were in complete con- trol of the game, outgaining the Bills 446-206 in total yardage.
Although the Chiefs got good enough play in a quarter- plus from Chad Henne after Mahomes was concussed against the Browns, they can't expect to win with a second- string quarterback against the second-best team in the con- ference. With Mahomes, however, tight end Travis Kelce, the running game and the defense all will remain big problems for Buffalo. And this time, Kansas City also has the home-field advantage.
The game will be televised Sunday at 6:40 p.m.
Deion Sanders Calls Out
Inequity, Lack Of Resources
At HBCUs: 'It's Unacceptable'
New Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders is on a mission.
After securing the services of Louisville wide receiver Corey Reed via the transfer portal, and plundering a treas- ure trove of other three-star and four-star talent from the SEC and other Power Five con- ferences, you would think he would be all smiles. After all, the Hall of Fame defensive back is clearly building some- thing special at Jackson State.
But the 53-year-old is also keenly aware that in order to level the playing field, he’s had to dip into his status as one of the greatest players in the his- tory of the sport and pull rabbit after rabbit out of a hat—a lux- ury that most HBCUs don’t have. So in speaking with re- porters during SWAC Media
DEION SANDERS
Days, Sanders called out the inequities that football pro- grams at historically black uni- versities face.
“The playing field is horri- ble,” he said, via the Missis- sippi Clarion-Ledger. “It’s not a level playing field. It’s unac- ceptable. Thank God that God called me to change the game, to open their eyes, to open the door. Not just for Jackson State, but for everybody.”
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