Sports & Entertainment

Former NBA star Allan Houston addresses the egregious misconduct by a growing number of professional athletes that has left a major blemish on an otherwise vibrant sports industry. Currently the Assistant to the President for Basketball Operations at the New York Knicks, Houston, a model leader both on and off the court, talks about player development and the importance of father-mentors to help young people cultivate life skills.

Judging from the empty seats at Yankee stadium last year, baseball has taken a hit, but it is not alone. Professional sports, which in the past have proven to be recession-proof, are not immune to the current economic crisis. What will it take to bring the fans back?

Broadway will likely forever remain the sought-after landmark that people from all around the world flock to see. But this artistic director questions whether theater-going audiences are being dealt a disservice with choices of entertainment that are canned.

From his iconographic Pop inspired characters to his limited edition of vinyl toys, his OriginalFake shop in Japan, Times Square billboards and more, KAWS seems less of an “Outsider” artist and more about bringing people into the art world experience.

With no end to the writers’ strike in sight, viewers of The Daily Show ‘can’t get no (political) satisfaction.’ But weary souls downtrodden by a lack of humor in domestic and international now have reason to rejoice! Voices brings you Daily Show comedian Rob Riggle just in time for the holidays. While his segments live from Iraq may be in reruns, our exclusive interview with Riggle is a fresh gift for you.
……….Here’s hoping Jon Stewart, Rob Riggle and friends are back on the air very soon.

Sure it’s hard to be number 1 in the world of sports. It takes grit, hours of practice and a lot of heart. Track star Marion Jones had a couple of these qualities but apparently she lacked self respect and she forgot why she was an athlete in the first place.

Ironically life is sweet for actor Demore Barnes. His role as Hector Williams in David Mamet’s television show, The Unit is over. Williams was killed while serving as a Delta Force special operations soldier in Iraq. But in a strange turn of fate, Williams’s death breathed life into an awareness of meaning and purpose in life for Barnes and in so doing, fiction spoke louder than words.

What happened to traditional romance where boy meets girl and actually talks to her? That’s what actress Madeline Zima would like to know. Today’s dating scene – at least in the U.S. – is happening over text messaging, facebook, and myspace where fiction outpaces truth and relationships can break up as easily as a click of the finger.

An event featuring President Bill Clinton, Bono, Shakira, Alicia Keyes, Wyclef Jean on the same, historic stage of the Apollo Theater (New York City) co-sponsored by MTV was intended to inspire youth activism to affect positive change throughout the world.

Even the best role models are often not strong enough to counter an acceptance of mediocrity. Renowned R&B singer Jean Baylor knows this is all too true. “As African American youths, we even referred to getting As in school as white grades – as if we didn’t have the ability to earn those same grades.”