William C. Rhoden
Andscape
New York, NY, United States
Contact William
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Past articles by William:
Remembering Lusia Harris
“We’ve had a lot of wonderful coaches, and we’ve had a lot of great players, but one player that gave us international respect was Lucy Harris.”Pat Summitt, the… → Read More
The Celebration Bowl is now the cornerstone in rebuilding the prestige of HBCU sports
ATLANTA — From the very beginning, what I’ve loved about the Celebration Bowl is the self-defining statement it makes about the efficacy of Black college footba… → Read More
Tracking the legacy of HBCU football in 2,500 miles
It doesn’t take much to get me to hit the open road, so earlier this month, when one of the Rhoden Fellows suggested taking an HBCU road trip in an RV to trace … → Read More
Big Ten’s Kevin Warren has no regrets canceling the 2020 fall season to safeguard athletes’ safety
On Aug. 11, 2020, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren made what I regarded as one of the most principled, clear-eyed decisions of a sports leader at the professio… → Read More
Simone Biles is an Olympic hero unlike any athlete we’ve ever seen
“… it was the closest thing to death without harming myself.” Simone Biles to Vogue magazine in a 2020 interview describing her rationale for sleeping as a way … → Read More
It’s time for USA Basketball to establish standing men’s and women’s teams
Sam Mitchell was entering his first season with the Indiana Pacers in 1992 when USA Basketball assembled the historic Dream Team, the first U.S. team to feature… → Read More
From prized QB to pariah: What don’t we know about the Deshaun Watson situation?
Doesn’t it seem strange? One month ago, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson was considered a paragon of virtue and a coveted commodity. Football analysts … → Read More
Black coaches instill confidence, speak the truth and pass the torch
I don’t remember the name of my first and only white head football coach, only that he was a volunteer and worked for 7UP in delivery. He was also the last coac… → Read More
College football is out of excuses for not hiring Black coaches
For the last three decades, African American athletes have been the economic engine of big-time college football. Black talent will again be on display Monday n… → Read More
Sports are our nation’s guilty pleasure for one reason: money
Sputtering, stalling and finally rumbling along, the NFL season has hit full stride. The outgoing president argued that the playing of an NFL season would add a… → Read More
Athletes worked to get out the vote, but what’s next?
In the euphoric aftermath of a contentious presidential election, I was reminded of something Kobe Bryant said in 2009 after the Los Angeles Lakers had taken a … → Read More
An all-Black NFL officiating crew should’ve happened a long time ago
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football, the National Football League will celebrate the breaking of yet another racial… → Read More
Dave Roberts won the World Series, but will he finally get credit for his success?
Receiving credit when credit is due is a tricky business, especially when you’re Black. Especially in an overwhelmingly white sports media environment where cul… → Read More
With the NBA bubble burst, players turn frustration into action
This was inevitable. NBA players went along with the program for as long as they could. While protests swirled outside, players performed inside a bubble design… → Read More
What’s next for MEAC? Commissioner Dennis Thomas says ‘don’t panic’
Over the last two weeks, Dennis Thomas, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) commissioner, has received some much-needed good news. With his conference he… → Read More
Makur Maker’s choice of an HBCU only becomes a movement if others follow
Last week, Makur Maker, a talented 19-year-old high school basketball player, announced via Twitter that he would attend Howard University, one of the nation’s … → Read More
He didn’t vote in 2016, but Draymond Green won’t make that mistake again
Draymond Green did not vote in the 2016 presidential election. Like many others, Green, an eight-year NBA veteran, said he felt his vote would not matter. But w… → Read More
It’s halftime America, either we fix our racial problems or we’re doomed
“We are human beings caught in a network of mutuality, and the loss of the sense of mutuality goes along with the loss of respect for the truth, and for righteo… → Read More
How a cross-country drive revealed uncertainty for black Americans during COVID-19
“Smooth road, clear day, but why am I the only one travelin’ this way? How strange the road to love should be so easy. Can there be a detour ahead?” — Billie Ho… → Read More
Coronavirus fallout shows how we have taken sports for granted
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – On the eve of college basketball’s most hallowed traditions, one of my worst nightmares has begun to materialize: restricted movement and an … → Read More