Page 24 - Florida Sentinel 3-12-21

Sports
Bucs, Tom Brady
NFL Hires Maia Chaka As 1st Black Female On-Field Official
MAIA CHAKA
Maia Chaka will become the first Black female on-field official in NFL history, the league announced on Friday.
Chaka, who has officiated college football and XFL games, will begin her new role this up- coming season.
When not on the field, she's a teacher for at-risk youth at her home in Virginia Beach, Vir- ginia. Chaka told ESPN she wants to inspire young girls both on and off the field.
"It gives those girls an op- portunity to see, 'OK, I can see my teacher works with people who don't look like her, and maybe it gives me an opportu- nity to work with people who don't look like me also,'" Chaka told ESPN.
Ryan Fitzpatrick Leaning Toward Retirement
RYAN FITZPATRICK
Fitzmagic might finally be ending ahead of the 2021 NFL season.
Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is apparently headed toward retirement. The Denver Broncos were among teams interested in Fitz- patrick, but he appears likely to be “out of the mix” and may be set to end his playing career.
Fitzpatrick is 38, so the timing does make sense. He was still contributing in the NFL in 2020, going 4-3 as a starter for the Miami Dolphins. 2020 marked the 13th consecutive season that Fitzpatrick had started at least one regular sea- son game for someone, a period of time that saw him suit up for seven different teams.
Bucs Raising Ticket Prices For 2021 Season After Super Bowl Win
‘Getting Closer’
To Restructuring
In perhaps the least sur- prising move of the offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be increasing ticket prices for the 2021 season.
The Bucs are coming off an incredible Super Bowl run this past season, and already had a significant increase in ticket sales last offseason, following the signing of quarterback
Tom Brady. Those ticket sales were never able to come to their full fruition due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but like the rest of the NFL, the Bucs are hopeful they’ll be able to return to a full stadium of fans this fall.
Increases for season-ticket holders will be anywhere from 10 to 45 percent.
The Tampa Bay Bucca- neers are full steam ahead in their efforts of retaining most of the roster from 2020. Part of that effort is restructuring contracts, including veteran quarterback Tom Brady.
According to Josina An- derson, both Brady and the Bucs are close to restructur- ing his $50-million contract he signed last March.
It won’t just end there, though. The Buccaneers need to make a lot of room to bring back their core. Wide receiver Mike Evans was initially said to have offered to re- structure his contract to help out as well.
Recently, head coach Bruce Arians was asked about players restructuring and their willingness to do so.
“I think we have a number of guys that would restruc- ture if needed to be just to help the rest of the guys out,” Arians said. “Nobody’s giv- ing up money. That’s one
Bucs DL Will Gholston
Contract
TOM BRADY
thing for sure. They’re just pushing it in a different di- rection to help the cap. We’re in great shape. Jason [Licht] and Mike Green- berg have done a great job of keeping us in a great spot that way. It always comes down to dollars and cents, but it also comes down to fit. Guys know where they fit and I think all these guys know they fit here. We’ll get the dollars right and hopefully keep this core to- gether.”
For Cancer Research
Makes Big Donation
Tampa Bay Buccaneers de- fensive lineman Will Ghol- ston is doing his part to help the fight against cancer, do- nating $225,000 to the Mof- fitt Cancer Center in Tampa.
“After realizing all of the trials and tribulations that we go through as a minority com- munity, donating allowed me to not just talk about it, but to be about it and let my actions follow.”
“With my donation, I want the results to be that we gave accessibility to those who did- n’t have it before. Have them
WILL GHOLSTON
acquire the knowledge, they learn what to expect or see, then they go and share it with others in the Black commu- nity,” Gholston said in a statement.
Shaq Gets Ripped Over
Awkward Comment About
His Experience At An HBCU
During All-Star Game
Sunday’s NBA All-Star game was dedicated to Histor- ically Black Colleges and Uni- versities.
According to the league, they were giving HBCUs $3 million in charitable donations while also putting a spotlight on the schools during the weekend.
While talking about HBCUs during the All-Star game, Shaq told the story of how he couldn’t pass biology at LSU but was able to transfer to Southern University to com- plete the course.
“I have a confession, if it wasn’t for an HBCU, I would- n’t have graduated from LSU.
SHAQUILLE O’NEAL
I couldn’t pass biology at LSU and I cross transferred to Southern University and they let me take a biology class.”
Many felt Shaq was saying HBCU classes were easier than a state school like LSU which didn’t sit right with viewers at home.
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