“Outside the ring he was as great a gentleman as he was a fighter.” INSIDE – Boxing Hall of Fame director Ed Brophy on former Liars, cheaters and lying cheaters Middleweight champion Emile Griffith, who died ~ See ‘Claib’s Call’ page B4 ~ Tuesday at age 75 Sports B3 JULY 25 – 31, 2013

INSIDE SPORTS RAMS ROUNDUP With Earl Austin Jr. With Palmer L. Alexander III Summer track season Rams are happy reaches climax campers Local track stars depart for nationals Training Camp in North Carolina and gives fans and

The summer track and field season reaches its coaches something climax in next two weeks as the area clubs will be headed out of town for some big national to look forward to meets. The USA Track and Field Junior Olympic Championships will be this week on the campus Training Camp has finally arrived for the of North Carolina A&T University in St. Louis Rams, and the Rams are looking to Greensboro, N.C. The competition wraps up on take the next step in Jeff Sunday, July 28. Fisher’s second season. The following week, the Amateur Athletic Last season a lot of us didn’t know what Union Junior Olympics will be held from July to expect out of this football team, including 27 to August 2 at Eastern Michigan University in its head coach and new general manager. In Ypsalanti, MI. Athletes in age groups from 2012 the Rams played hard, showed some Primary (8-and-under) to Young Men and resilience, and flirted with the playoffs. Women (17-18) will be compet- Oh, and how could anyone ing. forgot about the improved Athletes from the various play inside the now-rugged summer track clubs from St. NFC West division, with the Louis and the Metro East area Rams only losing once and always bring home a bevy of that was on the last game of medals from the Nationals, as the season against the Seattle well as some national champi- Seahawks. onships. The Rams finished 2012 One of the area’s top athletes with a 7-8-1 record, which Palmer L. was a stark contrast to 2-14 Earl to watch will be Charles Jones of Alexander Austin Jr. Cardinal Ritter College Prep. and 1-15 in years prior. They Jones will be trying to defend his finished strong down the titles in the 800-meter run at both the AAU and stretch, winning four of their last six games. USATF national meets in the 17-18 division. In the last two games, the offensive line did- Cahokia High sophomore sensation Ja’Mari n’t allow a sack. The defense was tied for Ward will also seek to win championships in the first place with 52 sacks and had five defen- long and triple jumps in the boys 15-16 division. sive scores, with four of them coming from cornerback Janoris Jenkins. When the season was over, some hard Jordan Barnett goes ‘Global’ choices had to be made. Familiar names like Steven Jackson and Danny Amendola were CBC standout Jordan Barnett was gone via free agency. was in selected to play in the Nike Global Challenge, need of help on offense. His two most reli- which was played last week in Washington, D.C. able targets are The Global Challenge is an international compe-  The fanbase no longer with tition that features teams from the United States, the franchise. here was getting Division rivals Canada, Puerto Rico, China and Lithuania. anxious because Barnett was a member of the USA Midwest San Francisco Team. Barnett enjoyed an excellent summer with it was looking like 49ers added the St. Louis Eagles 17U team. He led the team another off Anquan Boldin, in scoring and also averaged 15 points to lead and the Seattle season when the Seahawks added the Eagles at the recent Nike Peach Jam in North Rams don’t make Augusta, N.C. Percy Harvin in a any bold moves. trade with the Minnesota AAU excellence Vikings. The fanbase We had several youth basketball teams go out here was getting anxious because it was of town and represent the St. Louis metro area looking like another off season when the Rams don’t make any bold moves. So they well at various Amateur Athletic Union national Photo by Wiley Price signed Jared Cook, who adds speed tournaments around the country. One of the area’s top athletes to watch at national track and field meets will be and size to the receiving corp. But that was- The Southwest Illinois Titans finished in Charles Jones of Cardinal Ritter College Prep. fourth place at the AAU Division II 14U n’t going to be enough. Nationals in Orlando, FL. The St. Louis Wolves Then Jake Long agreed to a four-year advanced to the Elite Eight and finished in Jets 13U team finished in 11th place at the AAU Fourth Grade Division I Nationals in contract for him to play left tackle, moving eighth place at the same 14U Nationals. The 13U Division 1 Nationals in Memphis, TN. Orlando. Roger Saffold to right tackle. With Long STL Team Adidas seventh-grade girls team fin- Team Ramey’s 13U’s finished in 12th place at Congratulations to all of the young boys signed, it’s less likely the Rams will be draft- ished in eighth place at the AAU Division 1 the same tournament in Memphis. The St. Louis and girls on their excellent accomplishments Nationals in Kings, Island, OH. The SW Illinois Lady Pros finished in 11th place at the AAU this summer. See SURGE, B5

IN THE CLUTCH With Ishmael H. Sistrunk Price of prestige Nets submit to luxury tax to build fantasy league roster

By Ishmael H. Sistrunk face of the fran-  Yes, Prokhorov’s Nets Of The St. Louis American chise, it’s been will pay more in luxury the behind the As hip-hop mogul Jay Z scenes work of tax than most teams will exits stage left as a minority Nets majority spend on their entire owner of the Nets and enters owner Mikhail roster. the realm of sports agency, he Prokhorov and is largely credited for rebrand- GM Billy King ing the Brooklyn ballclub. The (and by “work,” man who once made the brash I mean making claim, “I sell ice in the winter. Ishmael H. it rain around that brought future hall of I sell fire in hell. I am a hustler Sistrunk the league) that famers Paul Pierce and Kevin baby, I’ll sell water to a well,” have the Nets Garnett to town along with did a wonderful job selling a threatening to become the New Jason Terry. They gave up vir- franchise to the Brooklyn bor- York Yankees of the NBA. tually nothing besides draft ough. Earlier this month, the Nets picks, except for a diminishing Nets majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov completed a blockbuster trade with the Even though Hov was completed a blockbuster heist Boston Celtics that brought future hall of famers Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to largely seen as the the public trade with the Boston Celtics See CLUTCH, B5 town along with Jason Terry.

Page designed by Mike Terhaar