Reggie Bush Released By Detroit Joining A Deep Class Of Free-Agent RBs

BY:  John “Hennry” Harris

The Detroit Lions have released running back Reggie Bush, surprisingly bringing an end to the playmaker’s two-year stint with the team.

 Bush, who was a heralded draft pick coming into the NFL out of the University of Southern California, still seems to have some good years left but has suffered from injuries.  Bush is a dynamic player that can make plays in the running game and is an excellent receiver out of the backfield and hopefully he will find new life on another team.

As for Detroit, they will not be saving much money cutting the veteran running back, but I see this move as flipping the couch cushions looking for change as they are trying to re-sign some of their biggest contributors like Ndamukong Suh.

According to Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated, the Lions will only get back $1.7 million on the $5.28 million that Bush is due this season.

Bush now finds himself in a large class of free-agent running backs and a rookie class of running backs that is deep:

2015 Free-Agent Running Backs

Rank	Player	2014 Team	Age
1.	DeMarco Murray	DAL	27
2.	C.J. Spiller	BUF	27
3.	Ryan Mathews	SD	27
4.	Mark Ingram	NO	25
5.	Justin Forsett	BAL	29
6.	Frank Gore	SF	31
7.	Shane Vereen	NE	25
8.	Stevan Ridley	NE	26
9.	Roy Helu	WAS	26
10.	Reggie Bush	DET	29
11.	Ahmad Bradshaw	IND	28
12.	Darren McFadden	OAK	27
13.	Knowshon Moreno	MIA	27
14.	Ray Rice	BAL	28
15.	Ben Tate	CLE/MIN	26
16.	DeAngelo Williams	CAR	31
17.	Chris Johnson	NYJ	29
18.	Antone Smith	ATL	29
19.	Jacquizz Rodgers	ATL	25
20.	Bilal Powell	NYJ	26

All may not be lost for Bush as there are teams that desperately need a veteran running back that can still contribute and still pick up the blitz.

The first of the teams that could use Reggie Bush is the Indianapolis Colts, who are a good running back away from getting over the hump to make it to the Super Bowl.  Another team is the Washington Redskins, who have a great running back in Alfred Morris, but Bush could be a great addition as a change of pace running back to complement Morris’ power game.

In recent years the NFL has been devaluing running backs, choosing to go to a more running by committee style, as opposed to relying on a star feature back.

It appears that Bush still has an uphill climb to land on a team and it seems that it is going to boil down to if he can stay healthy and if he fits into the need of an offensive coordinator’s scheme.

http://www.brothersonsports.com/bushfa/

‘Dancing With the Stars’ 2015: Season 20 Celebrity Cast Announced

See the list of season 20 celebrities and their pro partners below:

Noah Galloway with Sharna Burgess

Robert Herjavec with Kym Johnson

Patti LaBelle with Artem Chigvintsev

Nastia Liukin with Derek Hough

Riker Lynch with Allison Holker

Charlotte McKinney with Keo Motsepe

RedFoo with Emma Slater

Michael Sam with Peta Murgatroyd

Willow Shields with Mark Ballas

Suzanne Somers with Tony Dovolani

Rumer Willis with Valentin Chmerkovskiy

http://jezebel.com/patti-labelle-redfoo-join-new-cast-of-dancing-with-the-1687685230

Will MSNBC Fire Al Sharpton? It Looks That Way

There appears to be no end in sight to the recent shake-up at MSNBC, with reports making rounds that Rev. Al Sharpton’s “Politics Nation” is likely to be the next show to get the ax.

The shake-up is said to have been kicked off with the six-month suspension of the highly-popular “NBC Nightly News” anchor, Brian Williams. MSNBC followed up with the announcement last Thursday that it has canceled afternoon shows with Joy Reid and Ronan Harrows— a move that did not come as much of a surprise to those familiar with the shows’ low ratings.

The Daily Beast reports that “Politics Nation with Al Sharpton,” which has been on air since 2011, could be affected as well. The program has performed relatively well since its inception, with its audience consisting of about 35 percent of Black viewers. The popularity of Sharpton’s show cannot be divorced from its somewhat controversial approach of addressing issues affecting the oppressed.

As of late, the show seems to have lost much of its popularity and Sharpton has become the regular butt of jokes.

Sources are saying that the show could be moved from its weeknight slot to only weekends. The envisaged change in the time slot of Sharpton’s show may be a result of MSNBC’s apparent shift from left-focused programming, which the network thinks is no longer as popular or lucrative as it used to be.

“Going left was a brilliant strategy while it lasted, and made hundreds of millions of dollars for Comcast, but now it doesn’t work anymore,” an MSNBC source said. “The goal is to move away from left-wing TV.”

MSNBC President Phil Griffin aims at placing more emphasis on news-centric programming rather than providing a platform with high emphasis on left-wing views and opinions. This, he hopes, will help address the problem of falling viewership figures.

Sharpton has yet to comment on the rumored change in time slot for his show.

It also appears the shake-up will not end with Sharpton. Sources are saying popular hosts such as Chris Hayes, Ed Schultz and Lawrence O’Donnell may also be affected by the ongoing restructuring.

One person who sources say looks safe in the face of the ongoing shake-up is Rachel Maddow. Her show, which currently airs at 9 p.m., will reportedly be moved to Hayes’ 8 p.m. slot while a replacement would be sought to fill the 9 p.m. slot.

http://yourblackworld.net/2015/02/25/will-msnbc-fire-al-sharpton-it-looks-that-way/

Former James Bond Pierce Brosnan: Down for Idris Elba As 007

Feb 22, 15

*It’s says a lot when a former James Bond believes you would be a worthy pick to carry on 007’s legacy on the big screen.

So it went for Pierce Brosnan, who weighed in on Idris Elba replacing current Bond Daniel Craig when he’s done saving the world as the MI6 secret agent. Brosnan is noted for his own stint as Bond, which lasted four films from 1994 to 2002.

“Yeah, he would actually,” Brosnan said about Elba during a recent interview with Radio Times. “Colin Salmon also. May the best man get the job and may Daniel bring home the bacon for as long as he wants.”

Brosnan’s interview was part of Radio Times art special. Regarding his own art, the actor said, “I think we should all paint, we should all sing, we should all dance, we should all have an artistic life and celebrate it. I have been an actor all my life and a quiet painter all my life. I reap the benefit from my own stumblings in the dark. It’s just a lovely balance to being an actor, to being in front of a production crew of 60-100 people and all the time being observed, judged.”

With the Oscars coming up later today, Brosnan admitted that would be rooting for British actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne, who are both nominated for best actor.

“They are just great actors – glorious young men who are exhilarating to watch; they have great strength of character and humility and grace. When someone like that comes on the stage you can’t help but root for them,” Brosnan shared in the interview.

Read more at http://www.eurweb.com/2015/02/former-james-bond-pierce-brosnan-down-for-idris-elba-as-007/#x7P2qgXDt5wYpIXr.99

Larenz Tate Downplays Rumors of Replacing Columbus Short on ‘Scandal’

*Although there are some who would love to see Larenz Tate on “Scandal,” the actor downplayed all talk about him replacing Columbus Short on the hit ABC show.During an appearance on Access Hollywood, Tate addressed rumors of him joining the cast of “Scandal.” According to him, all the talk is just talk.

“The ‘Scandal’ is such a scandal!” the actor told Access’ Billy Bush and Kit Hoover. “The ‘Scandal’ hearsay or rumors started I guess through the gladiator fans. Like, they’re people who love the TV show ‘Scandal’ and thought that I would be a great addition to the show.

“I think it’s an amazing show, but it’s just hearsay,” he added. “Nothing official.”

Rumors of Tate taking Short’s place on “Scandal” surfaced after Short’s exit from the show. Since his departure, the entertainer has endured a series of negative press directed at his recent encounters with the law. Nevertheless, Tate extended well wishes for his friend.

“I know Columbus, I’m friends with Columbus, and he’s had a really tough time right now. For me, I just hope the best for him and his family above all,” the “Love Jones” star expressed. “The job – that’s great, being on a hot TV show – [but] what’s important is family, and for him to just keep the family together as best as possible.”

Despite Tate’s stance, the fact remains that if he joined the “Scandal” cast, the situation could conflict with his current gig starring in the USA Network’s new drama, “Rush.” So the question is would Tate’s contract allow him to appear on network television as well as cable TV at the same time?

“I think that things are always up for negotiation, you know what I’m saying?” he said. “I’m a businessman. But I like what I’m doing right now.”

Read more at http://www.eurweb.com/2015/02/larenz-tate-downplays-rumors-of-replacing-columbus-short-on-scandal/#2GLHjUoFB0Cd7flu.99

Jack Nicholson: I’ll Sell You My Lakers Tix….I’m Sorta Over It

2/22/2015 12:45 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF

EXCLUSIVE

Lookin’ for some insane courtside seats to the Lakers game?

Jack Nicholson tells TMZ Sports he’s willing to sell you his for face value … since he’s not as motivated to go the Staples Center as he used to be.

It’s actually pretty sad … Nicholson — who’s been a staple at the Lakers games for decades — was leaving Madeo in Beverly Hills when he told us he’s just not as into the Lake Show as he used to be.

We’re guessing the team’s abysmal record has a lot to do with it.

The good news? You could sit right next to stars like Leo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg … that is, if they even feel like showing up these days.

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2015/02/22/jack-nicholson-ill-sell-you-my-lakers-tix-im-not-going-as-much/#ixzz3SVGA7C00

Civil Rights Groups Plan to Protest Oscars Ceremony

African-American civil rights leaders plan to hold a protest in Hollywood outside Sunday’s Academy Awards show, where all this year’s 20 acting nominees are white.

 

 A group of African-American civil rights leaders plan to hold a protest in Hollywood outside Sunday’s Oscars show, where all of this year’s 20 acting nominees are white, AFP reports.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson, head of the L.A. Urban Policy Roundtable group, says the purpose of the demonstration is to draw attention to Hollywood’s diversity problem. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards Oscars, is comprised of voting members who are overwhelmingly white and an average age of 60, the report says.

“The goal of the protest is to send a message to the Academy, send a message to Hollywood, send a message to the film industry,” Hutchinson says, writes AFP. “And the message is very simple: you don’t reflect America; your industry doesn’t reflect America. Women, Hispanics, African-Americans, people of color (are) invisible in Hollywood.”

Some of this year’s snubs include Britain’s David Oyelowo, who was widely praised for his role as Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma. The film’s director Ava DuVernay, was also left out, though the movie is among eight picture nominees, the report notes.

After an uproar over the lack of black Oscar nominees in 2015, the Academy Award’s first African American president, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, said she was encouraged to accelerate reforms to make the awards more inclusive.

“Personally, I would love to see and look forward to [seeing] a greater cultural diversity among all our nominees in all of our categories,” she said at the time, the report notes.

However, Darnell Hunt, head of the UCLA center for African American studies, and author of The Hollywood Diversity Report, said the Academy is heading in the wrong direction. He plans to release an update on his diversity report in a couple of weeks, AFP writes, saying that 93 percent of the Academy’s members are white, about 70 percent male, while the average age is 63.

“In many ways the Academy is falling further and further behind because America is more diverse,” Hunt said, according to the news outlet.

In 2002, Halle Berry and Denzel Washington were celebrated for making a breakthrough for their wins for best actress and actor, but rights groups say there has been little progress in the decade since then, the report notes.

Read more at Yahoo.

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http://www.theroot.com/articles/news/2015/02/civil_rights_groups_protests_mostly_white_2015_oscar_nominees.html?wpisrc=topstories

Diddy explains why he invests so much money in liquor

 

In this interview, Diddy talks about the way he manages his brands. We ask you to take a look at the video to get a sense of how people in this income bracket think. But notice the question that the host asks Diddy about liquor.  Do you think that there is a tendency for black entrepreneurs on Diddy’s level to make most of their money selling things like liquor and clothing, two problematic consumer items?

Malcolm X once said, “The white man will sell you the liquor bottle, then lock you up for being drunk.”  In this case, the person selling the liquor directly isn’t white, but Diddy is one of many black intermediaries who makes distribution deals with large corporations to help them make money from the African American market.  The same model applies to the music industry as well, where most “black-owned” record labels are actually subsidiaries of larger musical conglomerates.  Critics claim that this artificial labeling allows the majority company to present the illusion that the the consumer is supporting a black-owned business, when they are not.

We don’t know about you, but the question about liquor just seemed a bit awkward, and it’s hard to see this same question being asked of most white entrepreneurs, who make their billions investing in dot coms and other items. Not to say that white guys don’t invest in liquor too, but it does seem that when it comes to black people, someone is always seeking to keep the party going.

Diddy says that he was known as the “King of Parties.” Have black entrepreneurs been typecast?  Are black people more likely to be leaders in entertainment and sports, but not in other kinds of business ventures?  What role does media play in the creation of this perception?

Check out the video and tell us what you think.

Mo’Nique: ‘I Was Blackballed After I Won the Academy Award’

Friday, February 20, 2015

Comedian/actress Mo’Nique says Hollywood blackballed her after she won the Academy Award for her role in Lee Daniels’ critically acclaimed film Precious.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mo’Nique recalled winning the Oscar and expecting to receive an abundance of higher quality movie roles. But that didn’t happen, and she said director-of-the-moment Lee Daniels told her why.

“I got a phone call from Lee Daniels maybe six or seven months ago. And he said to me, ‘Mo’Nique, you’ve been blackballed.’ And I said, ‘I’ve been blackballed? Why have I been blackballed?’ And he said, ‘Because you didn’t play the game.’ And I said, ‘Well, what game is that?’ And he gave me no response. The next thing he said to me was, ‘Your husband is outbidding you.’ But he never asked me what [salary] we were asking for.”

Mo’Nique said her husband and manager Sidney Hicks, who is also an actor, decided the best alternative for her was to go independent. She and Hicks have an independent film set for limited theater release on April 24 called Blackbird.

Mo’Nique denied rampant rumors that she is “difficult” to work with on the set.

“Whoever those people are who say, “Mo’Nique is difficult,” those people are either heartless, ruthless or treat people like they’re worthless. And that’s unacceptable,” said Mo’Nique. “They’re set to say, ‘Mo’Nique is tactless, she’s tacky.’ That’s why I have my beautiful husband, because he’s so full of tact, ’cause I’m a girl from Baltimore. I come from a blue-collar town — and being from that place, you learn not to let anybody take advantage of you. You don’t let people mistreat you. You stand up for what’s right.”

Mo’Nique also low-key blamed Oprah for being the main culprit behind her being blackballed.

Mo’Nique said she was offered the role as Forest Whitaker’s mother in Daniels’ movie The Butler. But Daniels gave the role to Oprah. Mo’Nique was also offered the role of late comedian Richard Pryor’s grandmother in Daniels’s upcoming biopic on Pryor’s life. But that role also went to Oprah, who obviously used her significant influence over Daniels in her shameless pursuit of an Academy Award nomination.

http://sandrarose.com/2015/02/monique-i-was-blackballed-after-i-won-the-academy-award/#more-112556

Miami’s Dorsett Runs Fastest 40-Yard Dash At NFL Combine, WRs Impress

BY:  John “Hennry” Harris

The University of Miami’s Phillip Dorsett entered this week as the favorite to run the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2015 NFL Combine.  Dorsett lived up to the hype running a blazing 4.33 unofficial time yesterday (February 20, 2015).  In his first run, he clocked a 4.35 and was able to chisel that time down making him the leader in the clubhouse among the top 40-yard dash times.

Dorsett’s 4.33 time was impressive, but as a track athlete it was expected.

Doriel Green-Beckham is turning the most heads after running a 4.49 and 4.50 in his two attempts.  Standing tall at 6’5″ and a stout 237 pounds, his numbers beat out Mike Evans‘ times from last year, who had an outstanding rookie season at wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Evans, a 2014 top-10 pick out of Texas A&M, ran a 4.51 at 231 pounds at the 2014 NFL Combine and if this is any indication, Green-Beckham has a promising future on the field.

But it is Green-Beckham’s problems of the field that has teams concerned. Green-Beckham was dismissed from the University of Missouri after 2 marijuana-related arrests and an incident in which he allegedly forced open an apartment door and pushed an 18-year-old woman down several stairs.  How teams feel about Green-Beckham’s decision-making skills off the field will ultimately decide how high he will get drafted.

University of Alabama’s Amari Cooper ran a respectable 4.42 and 4.43 40-yard dash, which was faster than expected.  On the field, Cooper displays easy acceleration and speed was never a real concern for him.  Running a faster 40-yard dash than Sammy Watkins from a year ago solidifies him as a top-10 draft projection.

Auburn University‘s Sammie Coates recorded a 4.43 and 4.45, but his times are almost seen as a disappointment because he did not break the 4.3 barrier. At 6’2″ and 213 pounds, he is still above average and displays field speed.

Raw speed is important for wide receivers, but not considered the judge all component as it once was.  The wide receivers in this year’s draft have impressive speed, especially considering their sizes coupled with their skill levels.  There are a good number of receivers available this year for clubs that need them.

http://www.brothersonsports.com/fast401/