Archive | January 2014

The Bright Lights Got Even Brighter

By Cheval John

In less than a week, SuperBowl XLVIII will commence at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

This SuperBowl is different because it will be the very first held in a cold geographic area since the merger of what is now the National Football League (NFL).

Normally, this type of event would not have taken place in an area that has all the elements like snow, etc.

But because it’s in the New York City area, the committee made the exception because it’s the center of major events.

For the players of both the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks, this game will definitely be a whole new level.

Sure, it’s the biggest game of the year in the NFL and everyone who played in it can say that there is no other feeling like it.

However, this game will be even more special because the bright lights will be focused on the major media market in the United States.

Which beg to question, what if the SuperBowl was held in the South during this time and all of a sudden, with the unexpected winter weather hitting at the very moment of the game?

What I know for sure is that it would have been canceled only because of only one to two inches of “snow”

The reason is that for the second time in as many days, schools and colleges are canceled because of this type of weather.

For many of us who live in this part of the United States, it’s understandable because it is a rarity for us to see this type of weather and the roads become a hazard for the drivers because they don’t know how to handle the situation.

As for the people in the north, this is common and it is not a big deal to them.

So thank God that the SuperBowl is being held in the New York City area because if it was held anywhere in the “warm” weather climate during this unexpected weather, the big game would have been remembered as the very first to have been canceled because of “snow.”

Do you like the idea of the SuperBowl being held in the New York City area?

Johnson’s Clutch Play Leads SHSU To Win

Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information

Hammond, La. – Angela Beadle posted a career-high 34 points and Jasmine Johnson performed her buzzer-beating magic again to propel Sam Houston to an 86-85 overtime women’s basketball victory at Southeastern Louisiana Thursday night.

Five days after sinking a three-pointer at the buzzer for the Bearkat women’s first Southland win, Johnson nailed a trey with four seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Then, with 0.6 of a second left in extra time, the senior guard nailed the game-winning free throw.

“That’s what seniors are supposed to do,” SHSU head coach Brenda Nichols said. “With Beadle and Johnson, we definitely got the ball into the right hands at the end.”

Beadle’s 34 points were four short of the Sam Houston school record of 38 set by Sirena Autman in 1990. The junior post player went 14-of-20 from the field and 6-of-6 at the line for her second 30-point performance of the season.

Johnson added 26 points, going 9-of-20 from the floor with three treys. Jazmin Wiley tallied eight points and Nyha Carter and Taylor Dorsey each pulled down 10 rebounds as the Bearkats out-boarded the Lions 48-39.

The Kats trailed by 17 points, 63-46, with 7:01 left in the game, but ended regulation with a 29-12 run to leave the score knotted at 75-75 after 40 minutes. Sam Houston’s only lead during regulation was 2-0 after SHSU scored the opening basket. Southeastern led 34-30 at half.

“Angela and Jasmine did a great job tonight but we wouldn’t have won without everyone working together,” Nichols said. “The last 12 minutes of the game, everyone did what they needed to do. We finally woke up.”

Sam Houston now stands 7-9 for the year and 2-3 in Southland action. Southeastern Louisiana stands 3-13 overall and 2-2 in league play.

The Bearkats next foe is New Orleans Saturday afternoon. Sam Houston’s four-game road swing continues next week at Incarnate Word and Abilene Christian before returning to Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville Thursday, Jan. 30, against A&M-Corpus Christi.