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‘Here we go’: Washington Commanders fans react to Jayden Daniels’ call-up

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WASHINGTON — As DCity Smokehouse staff prepare plates of brisket, pulled pork, rib suggestions and Meaty Palmer and Big Snoop sandwiches within the kitchen, all eyes are on the various televisions dotted across the local barbecue joint.

Some people eat meals, others send text messages on their phones. At least one person sits on a stool and rubs his face while waiting.

The smell of spicy barbecue sauce fills the air. Auntie hairstyles may be found at many tables. The evening host updates the status of Thursday night’s draft in a small restaurant.

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As expected, the Chicago Bears will select former USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the primary overall pick. There is light applause as Williams is a Washington product who led Gonzaga College High School to the 2018 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship.

Next up are the hosts, the Washington Commanders. Former LSU quarterback and current Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels was the consensus pick No. 2 in ESPN’s mock drafts prior to tonight, so it’s almost certain that he will likely be the one chosen. However, former UNC quarterback Drake Maye is also chosen.

Daniels, who threw 40 touchdowns and 4 interceptions last yr, looks to be the subsequent dynamic NFL quarterback. He’s big (6-foot-10), has a powerful arm, and his speed has been compared to quarterback Lamar Jackson, the two-time MVP of the Baltimore Ravens.

For fans who have not had a player like this in greater than a decade since Robert Griffin III was drafted in 2012, Daniels may very well be the one to finally – finally – make the Washington franchise relevant again. And do it as a black quarterback. There’s at all times hyperbole in situations like this, but Daniels may finally be that guy.

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When NFL commissioner Roger Goodell steps up to the rostrum to announce the commanders, everyone within the restaurant stops in his tracks.

“Here we go,” one fan shouts, “Jayden to the rescue.”

Daniels was chosen.

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III is helped off the sphere after suffering an injury throughout the second half of a game against the Baltimore Ravens on December 9, 2012 in Landover, Maryland.
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Patrick Semansky/AP Photo

Washington fans have had terrible draft pick luck through the years. Receiver Terry McLaurin, a third-round pick within the 2019 draft, was a very good pick, but ask him about bad picks they usually can easily name them: Emmanuel Forbes Jr., Chase Young, Jonathan Allen, Ryan Anderson. “…We chose Patrick Ramsey,” said Lionel Redd, 44, who’s wearing a T-shirt that reads: “I’m proud he hates the Cowboys.”

But turn the query around and ask fans about their top draft picks and all of it comes back to one name: Griffin.

The 2011 Heisman Trophy winner burst onto the scene in his first game for the Washington Redskins in 2012, completing over 73% of his passes for 320 yards, two touchdowns and a further 42 yards on the bottom. More would come later in his rookie season, as Griffin dazzled along with his legs and arms, totaling 4,015 yards and 27 touchdowns.

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The future looked vibrant for each Griffin and the franchise. That was until Griffin tore his ACL within the playoffs, never regained his superstar form from his first season, and left the team in 2016.

“I just wish he knew how to take care of himself and learn to skate,” Redd said. “He might have won the Super Bowl.”

For those interviewed for this story, an important takeaway from Thursday’s selection was that commanders chosen someone who could contribute immediately and who would remain because the starter for a while. The last Washington quarterback to lead the team in passing yards for five straight seasons was Mark Rypien (1989-1993).

If Daniels stays on target, he’s destined to be a long-term command option on the position.

In five college seasons (three at Arizona and the last two at LSU), Daniels amassed 12,750 passing yards, 3,307 rushing yards and 123 total touchdowns. His most impressive season got here in 2023, when he threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns after which rushed for a further 1,134 yards and 10 scores. Daniels did this by playing error-free, throwing just 4 interceptions and being sacked 22 times (down from 43 in 2022).

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Daniels has a powerful arm (nation-leading 11.7 yards per attempt) and might run the ball in addition to any starting player within the league. Daniels is not shaken by various defensive coverages or situations wherein coordinators determine to attack him. As Daniels’ 8.4-yard cross-country average last yr shows, he also can take off.

Before the Commanders selected Daniels, fans on the DCity Smokehouse were asked who they wanted the team to select. Most of them fell on Daniels, praising him for his speed and, more importantly, his passing ability.

“First and foremost, he throws,” said Kenny Anyikud, 32, a Washington native.

Cedric “DJ Mello T” Curtis, a hometown musician who has written many anthems in regards to the Washington franchise (“Let’s Go Redskins,” “Commander Stomp”), notes Daniels’ big arm and quick release but is worried in regards to the quarterback situation a leaner frame (Daniels weighs 210 kilos) holds his own within the NFL.

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“Personally, I think Daniels is too light in the butt,” Curtis said, comparing Daniels’ physique to Griffin’s.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels celebrates with fans after being chosen by the Washington Commanders with the second overall pick in the primary round of the NFL Draft on April 25 in Detroit.

Paul Sancya/AP Photo

In addition to Daniels’ ability on the sphere, he also represents more of the Washington region. Racism has permeated every crevice in American sports, however the Commanders find themselves within the unlucky position of being the last NFL team to racially integrate their roster. The first black quarterback to start and win the Super Bowl was Washington’s Doug Williams in 1987. Since 2005, the team has drafted three quarterbacks in the primary round: Jason Campbell, Griffin and Dwayne Haskins.

Being a black quarterback in Washington means something. While the remainder of the world probably doesn’t think much of Griffin the player anymore (Griffin currently works for ESPN as an analyst), his name remains to be respected within the district thanks to only one season of service. For an area that is almost 45% black, Washington is exclusive in its association with black quarterbacks. Williams, for instance, still often visits Ben’s Chili Bowl, the neighborhood’s top Black-owned restaurant.

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Melvin Hines, founding father of DCity Smokehouse, one other Black-owned establishment, has been a lifelong Washington fan, dating back to when his father had season tickets to Redskins games. Although the years under Daniel Snyder’s ownership have tested Hines’ faith, he still watches every game and is willing to host a draft party for the team’s fans. While winning was an important think about deciding the commanders Thursday night, Hines knows how necessary it’s to have someone who looks like Daniels playing here.

“Seeing a black quarterback is inspiring,” Hines said. “Seeing a black quarterback thrive makes me feel a little better.”

Hines has an 8-year-old son who loves the NBA because he sees the faces of black players and identifies with them. He wants the identical from the preferred team within the district.

“It means a lot to these young people,” he said.

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Gabriel Olaiya is a friend of Anyikuda who also grew up in Washington. While Olaiya can list all of Daniels’ strengths as if he were writing a scouting report, it means something to him that a black point guard plays on his favorite team.

“I will always stand up for our people,” Olaiya said. “Absolutely.”

Anyikud imagines what a man like Daniels could do along with his fan base. Most Commanders home games, especially against NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, can sometimes feel like away games given the sheer variety of opposing fans within the stadium. A player like Daniels can change that.

“It’s called Chocolate City, so why not?” Anykiud said. “Why not bring back Chocolate City? Put more butts within the seats.

But a player’s race doesn’t necessarily equate to success. In football, all the pieces is dependent upon winning. And for musician Curtis, the band’s success sets a precedent.

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“The only colors I identify with, brother, are burgundy and gold,” he said, referring to the Commanders’ team colours. “And green for the dollar.”

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels waves to fans after a 49-39 victory against Missouri at Faurot Field/Memorial on October 7, 2023 in Columbia, Missouri.

Ed Zurgi/Getty Images

While Daniels’ success is dependent upon him becoming the second coming of Jackson moderately than Griffin, it isn’t entirely up to him. The coaching staff, offices and team property are integral to player development. Until recently, commanders were a multitude from top to bottom.

Ron Rivera was fired as coach in early January after going 26-40-1 in 4 seasons. And that pales compared to the damage Snyder has done to the franchise since becoming majority owner in 1999. Attendance was among the many lowest within the league, Snyder was repeatedly accused of sexual harassment by former employees, and the franchise was subject to quite a few state and federal inspections. investigations. Snyder was also known for meddling in football decisions, including the drafting of Griffin and Haskins. Washington had a record of 164-220-2 from 1999 through 2022.

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In 2023, Snyder sold the team to a consortium led by Josh Harris.

“Now that Daniel Snyder is gone, there is no disrespect,” Redd said, before catching himself. “Well, to hell with him, I’m sorry.”

Redd believes the team is finally in good hands with Harris, who also owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, and recent general manager Adam Peters, who won Super Bowls as a scout with the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos.

And meaning Daniels actually has a likelihood to succeed.

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“I definitely want us to show that now that we have a new owner and new management, we’re going to treat him better and act differently than Dan Snyder unfortunately did,” Redd said.

After Daniels’ selection was announced, I asked Hines how he felt. In his opinion, “we’ll see” because he isn’t very aware of Daniels’ game. Hines notices the energy within the room after the dial – Curtis doing the “Commanders Stomp” – and tells him the band is heading in the suitable direction.

Washington has had many starts and stops, but one draft pick has filled the team’s fans with optimism for the primary time in an extended time. Who knows who Daniels will ultimately change into? But for now, the Commanders are a team value supporting.

“Here we go,” Hines said.

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Martenzie Johnson is a senior author at Andscape. His favorite moment within the cinema is when Django asks, “Do you want to see something?”

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Lebron James is not sure what will happen after leaving Playoff Los Angeles Lakers: “I have no answer to it”

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On Wednesday evening, Lebron James, Luka Dončič and Los Angeles Lakers lost to Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, the full of life Julius Randle and Minnesota Timberwolves, 103-96, within the match of the primary round of Playoff of the Western Conference, losing 4-1. This loss ended the Lakers season-the second exit from the primary round in a row-their records of 50-32 and 3-nance within the West.

This season, limited by the legendary (historical, crazy, etc.) in the course of the season, talent talent NBA All-Nba Dončič Lakersom in exchange for NBA All-Star (and a member of Lakers within the NBA championships) Anthony Davis, was perceived by many as a likelihood for lakers for an additional title. These hopes were broken through the series, when Edwards continued to delight analysts and fans together with his determination and will to win.

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Of course, because it happens yearly, when James’s teams lose in Playoffs (James has 4 NBA championship rings – two with Miami Heat and one in every of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers), He was asked through the pressure after the match for his thoughts about his future (And retirement) When he closed his twenty second season within the NBA.

“I don’t know. I have no answer to it. Something to sit with my family, wife and support group and I will just talk about it and see what will happen. And just talk to each other as I want to continue playing.”

Of course, James was asked how the list may very well be improved to (hopefully) to provide higher probabilities for Playoffs next 12 months, if he returns; James is until June 29 to choose a contract with the lakeers for the 2025-2026 campaign, which might pay him $ 52.6 million. Otherwise he would change into a free agent.

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“It’s business,” probably said the largest player of the NBA of all time. “So you don’t know what the list will look like next year, except for guys who (they are) closed in contracts. S …, I have a lot to think about myself. So I don’t know what the list will look like. I don’t know where I stand now.”

Lebron James: From basketball to a cultural icon

In particular, James-who’s son Lebron “Brony” James, Jr., has a contract with Lakers until the season 2027-2028-was instrumental in his son, putting the Lakers uniform and the addition of a coach, JJ Redick. Redick and James had a podcast together wherein they talked about basketball, before Redick was announced with the brand new Lakers coach.

James, asked to make clear his comments concerning the contract, made sure that he did not consider (now) other teams wherein you’ll be able to play, but his desire to play.

“I just continue playing, I don’t know where I am. That’s how it is. I’m not coming back to play here. Just play, dot.”

He continued: “To be honest, I don’t know the answer, so we’ll see.”

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It seems that the summer of 2025 will be thoughtful at James’s house.

(Tagstranslate) Lebron James (T) Los Angeles Lakers (T) NBA Playoffs

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Black basketball players were called to the NBA 75 years ago

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Monty Williams, Detroit Pistons, fired


NBA recently celebrated and confirmed the seventy fifth anniversary of the first three black players who took the court in the league.

According to the 1950-51 basketball season, three black men broke the racial barrier once they made debut (*75*) the National Basketball Association: Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, Chuck Cooper and Earl Lloyd. To recognize their feat, NBA talks about the celebration of three pioneers annually, from the next season during the Black History month.

“I am excited about the fact that we intend to honor the heritage, courage and determination of these pioneers, as well as many players who came after them,” said NBPA (National Basketball Players Association) and the Pelicans Guard of the New Orlean CJ McCollum. “But it begins with them and how they transformed the NBA and the way they inspired players like me. They fought many extremely difficult challenges from racism to discrimination. But they showed great determination to overcome these obstacles and continue to come up with a way to perform at a high level.”

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Clifton had the honor to be “Jackie Robinson” NBA because he became the first black player who had a NBA contract after New York Knicks bought his contract from Harlem Globetrotters in May 1950. Cooper had a distinction between being the first black player made by the NBA team, when Boston Celtics selected him in the second round of NBA Fraft. In the same project, in the ninth round, with 101, Washington Capitals selected Lloyd to change into a part of their team.

Due to the problem of planning, Lloyd became the first black player who played in the official game in the regular season, when he took over the court on October 31, 1950. Another achievement for Lloyd was one in every of the first black coaches, when he did it for Detroit Pistons. He and Jim Tucker were the first black players who won the NBA title when Syracuse Nationals won the championship in 1955.

NBPA plans to release three movies on its social and digital platforms that may have a good time Clifton, Cooper and Lloyd. In the next season, NBA will honor three pioneers who’ve transformed the league and enables the ones who play today.

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(Tagstotransate) nba legends

This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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The NFL Shedeur Sanders slide was not caused by racism

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Let’s get something straight concerning the nightmare experience of the playmaker Shedeur Sanders in NFL Draft: It had nothing to do with racism.

While many draft observers watched the perceived Sanders slide As stunning development within the three -day NFL process, employees who actually select players and place them in the sector assessed the situation much otherwise. Of course, many aspects contributed to the rocky entrance of Sanders to the league with Cleveland Browns – but his skin color was not amongst them.

The fact is that no NFL teams assessed Sanders as a possible difference in an important position in sport.

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We know this because in NFL the whole lot turns across the playmaker. That is why the owners often approve daring movements within the project to amass potential franchise passers -by, and general directors are able to risk their profession, advising them to do it. If Sanders were on any “compulsory” letters, he could be elected within the opening round. It’s so easy.

For NFL Film Game Sanders decision makers, he told a story that was not good for the previous distinguished in Colorado and son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Sanders. Quincy Avery guru criticized it similarly.

Avery, a private coach of the playmaker of a few of the perfect NFL, Avery played a key role in the event of Jalen Hurts from Philadelphia Eagles, CJ Stroud from Houston Texans and Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers.

In addition, Avery is a longtime teacher of Browns Deshaun Watson, who’s to be late for a big time next season, and potentially throughout the season, after re -assembly of Achilles’ right tendon. The owner of Browns, Jimmy Haslam, described Watson’s acquisition as “a great swing and miss”, and the team is to go from three -time pro Bowler.

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The project developed as Avery, who was critical of Sanders’s performance, before Browns selected him, he imagined that it might be so.

“The tape did not lead me to believe in something other than (Sanders should be a choice of late round),” Avery said on Monday in a telephone interview with AndScape. “As at best, it is copying a backup.”

The quarterback of Colorado Buffaloes Shedeur Sanders (on the best) runs with the ball against Oklahoma State Cowboys on Folsom Field on November 29, 2024 in Boulder, Colo.

Andrew Wevers/Getty Images

The inspirational history of Avery’s life is the topic of the Hulu document, (Full disclosure, I’m considered one of the producer producers of the film). For Avery, the position of black playmakers within the NFL is personal and is saddened that many fans have expressed disenchanted views on something that is definitely not rooted.

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“Black people said these things … It’s so frustrating,” she regretted Avery. “Because when there are situations that really affect the breed, (white) people will not value it in the same way. They will say:” They do the whole lot with a race. ” We just haven’t got to do that.

“And many people, most people who do this, make these claims without sight. They do not understand how NFL actually assesses the position and what is important. They have no eye to understand that it is not good enough to be in the position for us to enter it. So this is frustrating.”

By opposing the unsupported narrative of racism, Avery pointed to the height of the sketch. Tennessee Titans selected the previous CAM WARD for the primary time in Miami. What’s more, during each of the last three NFL projects of black quarterbacks, the primary in the final classification was chosen and 7 were chosen within the opening round.

The black playmaker won the last three Most worthy awards for Super Bowl players, two of the last three MVP Lige Associated Press and the last two AP offensive awards. At NFL, that is the era of a black playmaker. Crying racism, because one player was not appointed where the so -called draft experts thought he could be chosen, he’s funny, says Avery.

“Black playmakers gain more opportunities than ever before,” said Avery. “We ask young men to give you the option to be authentically themselves, that are black, which is a culture that’s all of the things that he covers and have opportunities.

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“And now we see how things move in this direction in the right direction. To complain, because someone who is not really talented enough, there is no way someone who is more talented than him … is wild and funny.”

The quarterback of Colorado Buffaloes, Shedeur Sanders, desires to throw a pass before a big match 12 against Kansas Jayhawks on November 23, 2024 at Geha Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire

After Sanders became unresolved in the primary round, many fans began to social media to explode NFL to plot against him. They expressed that the player which was so statistically productive In Colorado it might fall to the fifth round. They argued that NFL punished Sanders because he was an open black man with a big ego.

During the escape to the NFL draft from 2011, many analysts characterised the playmaker Cam Newton as a script, selfish and having a big ego. Despite this, Carolina Panthers selected Newton with no 1. Why? Because his talent jumped off the screen.

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Last season, Caleb Williams faced control because he painted his nails in college and was shot crying on the pitch. Chicago Bears selected Williams with the primary selection within the 2024 project.

Avery said no movement was surprising.

“In the case of a draft, he really comes down to whether the juice is worth squeezing these bands,” said Avery. “And if this is not the case, they will not worry about it.”

For NFL, Sanders was not price a high round. It’s only a fact. However, by attributing his situation to racism, Sanders, in addition to the achievements of black stars playing in today’s game.

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Jason Reid is a senior author of NFL in andcape. He likes to observe sport, especially all games together with his son and daughter.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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