Stephen A. Smith, a CIAA Success Story

Well I've had a blast this week, watching CIAA hoops and reuniting with old friends and acquaintances. One of them I haven't seen in almost a decade, Stephen A. Smith, the opinionated NBA analyst on ESPN. Stephen A., a Winston-Salem State grad and basketball player, did the on-air announcing for the championship game. He's a bona-fide CIAA success story.
He came to the Greensboro News & Record in the mid-90s, a fresh-face cub reporter in our High Point office, where I was the editor. I still remember driving him around High Point to look for apartments. One by one, he shot them down with the same disdain that he dismisses a bad call by a referee. He wrote some stories, we played some hoops, then he moved on.
Stephen A.'s career took off soon after. A short stint reporting in New York, then on to the Philadelphia Inquirer, where he's still a columnist. But he found his niche on ESPN covering the NBA. He recently got his own show, "Quite Frankly," on ESPN2, where he does interviews in his animated pull-no-punches style that viewers either love or don't love.
Me, I love that he's doing his thing and staying true to himself. And I finally got a chance to tell him after the game.

What do you think about Stephen A. Smith? Post comments below.

Don't Make Me A Grill, Please

As I made my way through the arena crowd after the championship game, I couldn't help but notice the number of grills in young people's mouths as they spoke. I'm sorry if I cringed when you looked my way. But I have a personal stake in the battle against grills. I'm raising a teenager who has one.
For you uninformed types, a grill is that gold-plated or platinum fitting that covers the teeth, and it's mostly a guy thing. I've heard of them costing anywhere from $90 to $1,000. It's become a hip-hop phenomenom. Nellie even wrote a song about it. "I robbed the jewelry story and told 'em make me a grill."
Ok, if you're still a kid, I'll give you a pass. It's a fad and your brains haven't fully developed, according to Dr. Phil.
But if you're over 21 (and some of you are) you should know and care what other adults were thinking when you opened your kisser at the concession stand: Grow Up!!
And the young ladies aren't really feelin' it either. How would I know? I asked one. Her response: "My brother has one, and his breath stinks."

What do you think about grills? Post comments below.

Old Dogs Need Culture Too

A friend of mine who's in town for the CIAA tournament wanted to know where the best parties were. Hmm, I don't really party enough to know but I didn't want to come across as un-cool. So I told him that Magic's "Grown and Sexy" party at the Hyatt will be the hot spot. He said that's cool, but what about the theater, like plays and stuff.
Plays? When did you discover the arts?
Well, he said, I've matured over the years.
Now, I'm baffled. Had the quintessential "dog" been tamed?
FRIEND: Nah, dog, I've gone a couple of times and apparently women love a well-dressed man with some culture.
ME: Sure, but don't they love a well-dressed man who knows how to get his party on?
FRIEND: Yeah, dog, but at the club they have their pick. At the theater, it's mostly just me.
ME: So you're still an old dog. You've just learned some new tricks.
FRIEND: Yeah, dog, exactly.

So my question is, were there enough things (other than parties) for CIAA visitors to do? What should we add next year? Post comments below.

Silent Tribute on Press Row

I was trying to keep my emotions in check while watching my N.C. Central Eagles get smacked down by Virginia Union Thursday night. I mean, as part of the media, it's in bad form to do the "ride-the-pony" dance after a rim-shattering dunk. Not that Central provided many highlights. So instead of cheering, I just sat on press row wearing the team colors - maroom and gray - as sort of a silent tribute. I know, clever, right?

But with Central losing, you know what that means: There may be some stray tickets available for tonight's game. Rumor has it that Central fans are notorious for leaving the tournament after the Eagles lose, sometimes giving away their tickets.

Drop-off Lane's a Hit

One of the most user-friendly aspects of Bobcats Arena is the handicap drop-off lane and it's getting plenty of use during the CIAA tournament. Because so many senior citizen alums attend - many of them in wheelchairs or on walkers - the drop-off was a popular gathering place. Mrs. Francis Arthur, 73, of Atlanta had gotten dropped off Thursday night and was waiting for her son-in-law to park. "Everybody's so nice," she said. "I just got out of car and it was like the red carpet at the Oscars or something. A couple of my friends were already over here waiting."

What do you think of the handicap drop-off? Is it convenient enough? What do you think of parking in general? Post your comments at the bottom

Old School Reunion

The crowds are starting to pick up at the CIAA Tournament. I walked in the arena Wednesday night and you could feel the energy. The seats were filling up for the Winston-Salem State vs. St. Paul's game and old friends were starting to meet for their annual get together. I was fortunate to be in ear-shot when a couple of tourney regulars reunited for the first time in 47 years. Ernest Holley and William Hale were fraternity brothers (Kappas) at Tuskegee Institute but had not seen each other since they left in 1959. Holley, who lives in Stanton, Va., and Hale, of Cary, N.C., had each come to the tournament several times over the past 20 years but hadn't run into each other until Wednesday. Wonder how they recognized each other after all these years. "His face hasn't changed that much," Holley said. "Yeah, but my waistline has," Hale joked.

Have you run into any long lost friends? Anybody you're hoping to see? Post your comments at bottom.

Say it Ain't So, Central

The CIAA Tournament is finally here and the good news is that it's gonna be in Charlotte through 2008. The bad news, however, is that it's the last year N.C. Central and Winston-Salem State will be members of the conference. Next year, they're both making the jump to the MEAC, a Division 1 conference that'll bring in more cash, more scholarships and a shot (I know, a long shot) at the NCAA Tournnament.
But as a Central alum, I'm disappointed. The MEAC tournament doesn't come close to the CIAA. The MEAC doesn't have the flair, the flavor, the fashion. (Where else will you see macho men put as much thought into what they're gonna wear as the women?) You won't find that at the MEAC. What you will find is NCCU and WSSU getting their butts kicked for a few years until the extra scholarships land some Division 1 talent. And you'll find MEAC member N.C. A&T, our arch rivals, ready to pounce. Of course, that's the one team I think we can beat. Correction, add WSSU to that list because they'll be in the same boat as us.

Do you think it's a good move for NCCU and WSSU? Can they compete right away?

Speaking of what to wear, I'm probably going more casual this year than in year's past. First of all, I'm in a work-related workshop most of the week and will be heading straight to the arena from there each day. I'd feel out of place in the class wearing a Burberry suit with matching fedora. Don't laugh, a friend of mine tells me there's one for sale for $300 at an area "thrift" store. He said it jokingly but I know he started planning his outfits three months ago. He'll probably show up wearing a pair of gators fresh out of the Everglades. Secondly, I'm so out of the loop, I don't know what's fashionable these days. The last time I went to the tournament (I forget the year) I was wearing a royal blue suit with Freddie Jackson-style shoulder pads. They say it was a hit, but I think they were clowning me.

If you see any outfits that you like or if you're wearing something you want published, e-mail me the photos and I'll publish them.


I just drove around the Bobcats Arena several times looking for a place to park long enough to pick up my media credentials. No luck. The folks in charge of handing them out say they're located at 5th and Caldwell. Isn't that the arena? The police said they had no idea. An arena security guard said it's around the corner and through a tunnel. One of the helpful volunteers said they're here to help the visitors, not the media. Thanks. So I figured I'd just park illegally and walk around the building till I found it. Dude, the tow truck was on the way before I got up the block. So I turned around, got back in and drove back to the Charlotte Observer. I'll pick up the media pass tomorrow.

Anybody having trouble with parking or finding their way around? What do you think of the new host city so far?