Page 21 - Florida Sentinel 11-16-18

HBCU News
The Florida Classic Is Again Relevant
Powerball Winner In New York Finally Comes Forward After Winning $700M
BY TED TAYLOR
In 2010, when Brian Jenk- ins took over as head football coach of Bethune-Cookman Uni- versity, the Wildcats were unde- feated at 10-0, and at 7-0, the leader in the Mid-Eastern Ath- letic Conference (MEAC).
The legendary Joe Taylor was in his third year guiding the Rattlers of Florida A&M Univer- sity, with an overall record of 7-3, and 6-1, in the MEAC.
In 2018, FAMU has the first- year coach in Willie Simmons. B-CU had steam-rolled its op- ponents, on the way to its perfect record. FAMU had struggled to reach 7-3, whereupon, B-CU was highly favored to dispense with
FAMU in the Florida Classic.
In the end, Taylor took Jenkins to the woodshed, 38- 27, which gave FAMU a share of the MEAC title at 7-1, along with B-CU and South Carolina State. To accomplish the three-way tie, each team beat the other as SCSU beat FAMU, B-CU beat SCSU and
FAMU beat B-CU.
In 2011, B-CU was victorious
26-16 in the Classic and FAMU fell on hard times thereafter. From 2012 through 2017, FAMU did not win more than three games in a season — and did not defeat B-CU in the Classic during that period.
This year’s version of the Classic has two milestones await- ing FAMU. For the first time since 2010, FAMU is tied for the conference lead at 5-1, with North Carolina A&T — FAMU holds the tiebreaker, having beat A&T in Greensboro earlier in the season, and FAMU can end the seven-year B-CU Classic-win streak.
Most significantly, a victory by FAMU will land them in the postseason for the first time since 2001, the longest hiatus ever for FAMU not playing in a postsea- son or similar contest. A victory for FAMU gives an automatic berth in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta. The Celebration Bowl pits the champion of the MEAC against the champion of the Southwestern Athletic Confer- ence (SWAC), for the Black Col- lege National Championship.
The winner of the late-Oc- tober Mega Millions lottery that created such a frenzy has yet to claim the prize and may remain anonymous even after cashing in on the $1.537 billion.
Robert Bailey did not have that option.
New York state law requires winners to reveal their names when claiming a lottery prize, so Bailey took some steps to protect himself and his bo- nanza after collecting the biggest jackpot in state history, the $343.8 million Powerball on Oct. 27.
He consulted with a lawyer and with a financial adviser be- fore stepping up to present his winning ticket with the num- bers 8, 12, 13, 19 and 27, with the Powerball of 4.
He wore a beard and large dark glasses in posing for a publicity photo.
He kept most information about his family and his plans for the loot private during an introductory news conference at the Resorts World Casino in Queens.
ROBERT BAILEY
National
Still, the retired federal gov- ernment worker realizes land- ing such a huge windfall comes with some pitfalls.
“You have to watch out for your safety, that’s the main thing,’’ Bailey said. “With any type of money, and this type of money also.’’
Bailey, who said he in- tends to buy his mother a house, has been playing the same six numbers for 25 years. The most he had won was $30,000 from a Take Five lot-
tery ticket.
His Powerball take is actu-
ally half of the nearly $700 mil- lion pot up for grabs in the Oct. 27 drawing. A woman in Iowa also picked those numbers and will receive the other half.
Bailey, 67, purchased the lucky Powerball ticket at a deli in Harlem on a day when he was visiting a friend and ducked in to avoid the rain. And just because he won does- n’t mean Bailey’s done play- ing the lotto.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 13-A