9/11 Weekend In Sports: A Lot of Choices

This weekend finds DC sports events off the barometer leading up to the anniversary of 9/11. For starters, Jimmy Lange fights Raul Munoz this Saturday at the Patriot Center. Official start time 7 pm.

Here are the official fighter weigh-in stats from earlier today.

World Boxing Union (WBU) Championship Fight
Main Event:

#8 - Jimmy Lange 153 lbs (36-4-2, 24 KOs) vs. Raul “El Toro” Muñoz 154 lbs (22-14-1, 16 KOs) – 10 Rounds, Jr. Middleweight

Co-Main Event:

#7 -Jonathan “Reid Dawg” Reid 157 lbs (35-12, 19 KOs) vs. George “Wartime” Rivera 157 lbs (12-6, 4 KOs) – 8 Rounds, Jr. Middleweight

Undercard:

#6 - Michael “No Joke” Stewart 150 lbs (47-6-3, 24 KOs) vs. Jimmy LeBlanc 151 lbs (12-20-4, 4 KOs) - 6 Rounds, Welterweight

#5 - Todd “White” Lightning” Wilson 142 lbs (10-0, 3 KOs) vs. Eric “Mighty Mouse” Aiken 142 lbs (16-7-1, 12 KOs) - 6 Rounds, Jr. Welterweight


#4 - Zain “Tiger” Shah 158 lbs (5-0, 3 KOs) vs. Julius “Vicious” Kennedy 156 (7-2-1, 3 KOs) – 6 Rounds, Jr. Middleweight

#3 - Tori Nelson 154 lbs (4-0-1) vs. Michelle Garland 147 lbs (1-1-1) – 4 Rounds, Middleweight

#2 - Scott “Cujo” Sigmon 172 lbs (16-3, 8 KOs) vs. Bruce “The Rage” Rumbolz 172 lbs (22-22-2, 13 KOs) – 8 Rounds, Super Middleweight

#1 - Lawrence Jones 157 lbs (3-5-2, 1 KO) vs. Jose Felix 155 lbs (10-9-2, 3 KOs) – 6 Rounds, Jr. Middleweight

For the official FaceBook fight page click here.

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Happening tonight: All Female Boxing at Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center. Visit www.fightlady.biz for details.

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AT&T National Collegiate Football: Howard University vs Atlanta, Georgia's Morehouse College: More Than A Game.

All roads lead to the best collegiate matchup before homecoming as HU takes on Morehouse this Saturday at RFK.

Events leading up to this historic event, dubbed HU vs Morehouse: More Than A Game, thus far have included a Presidential Symposium with Howard University president Dr. Sidney A. Ribeau and Morehouse College president Dr. Robert M. Franklin. The symposium featured a hearty welcome from Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed and DC mayor Vincent Gray. Other forums on Thursday included the Shattering Myths and Breaking Barriers: The State of Black Men in the U.S. forum featuring noted collegiate professor Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, actor Isaiah Washington, Morehouse Assistant Professor Dr. Bryant Marks,film producer/director Seith Mann, Washington Post columnist Jason Reid, and CNN's Fredericka Whitfield.

Friday's event sparked debate between the two leading schools in African American academia with the Mordecai Wyatt Johnson (Howard president from 1926-1960)- Benjamin E. Mays (Morehouse College president 1940-1967) debate featuring the two school's debate team. The topics of interest were 'Student Athletes Should Be Paid', and 'Cyber-bullying Should Be a Criminal Offense'. Both teams presented exquisite, well-thought out arguments on both issues, garnering both teams awards for their efforts.



An official Empower Me Tour/Kick-off Rally took place at the Washington Convention Center featuring Howard alum Sean 'Diddy' Combs, and music producer Jermaine DuPri.

The half week-long event continues Saturday (9/10) with the official Morehouse v Howard Football Classic, sponsored by AT&T. The game begins at RFK Stadium at 3:30 pm. The contest renews the college football rivalry between the two schools after nearly 15 years. The history between the two teams dates back to 1923 when Howard defeated Morehouse 10-6.

Pregame activities on the RFK Stadium field begin at 2:30 p.m. with the Pepsi MAX Pregame Concert featuring Brand Nubian (“Slow Down”), Nice & Smooth (“Sometimes I Rhyme Slow”) and DJ Biz Markie. Local entertainer Raheem DeVaughn (“Believe”) will perform the national anthem and rising musical artist and D.C. native Alison Carney (“You Said”) will sing “Lift Every Voice.” Following the singing of the anthems, D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed join together to perform the ceremonial coin toss.

For info see www.NationsFootballClassic.com.

The festivities culminate with a Sunday church service at Rankin Memorial Chapel at HU's Cramton Auditorium. HU president Dr. Sidney Ribeau said the service will be a "time of healing" after the week's rivalry between the schools has ended.

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Redskins Honor Victims of 9/11

The 9/11 Memorial game between the rival NY Giants and Washington Redskins will begin this Sunday at 4:30 pm.

Patriotic spirit and pride will spread throughout the stadium when all Redskins fans in attendance receive American flags as they enter FedExField.

The Washington Redskins' will pay tribute to several Pentagon first responders and families of the 9/11 event.

The franchise has invited media to interview the approximately 150 family members affected by the terrorist attack on the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., as well as first responders from Arlington County that will be honored during the Redskins’ pre-game ceremonies.

Media members can also see the 9/11 Tribute Tour featuring a Firefighter display from the famous Madame Tussauds wax museum, which will be on the plaza outside the stadium.

Also featured is an exhibit on loan from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in Canton, Ohio, that highlights the Redskins’ and NFL’s continuing involvement and commitment with the United States Armed Forces.

General Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State, will serve as the Redskins’ honorary captain for the pregame coin toss.

NFL In a 9/11 Tribute State of Mind

...More 9/11 Tributes Planned

* Players, coaches and sideline personnel will wear honorary NFL 9/11 ribbon as a patch or pin on their uniforms and sideline apparel.

* The Club Level at FedExField will host an exhibit on loan from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in Canton, Ohio, highlighting the Redskins’ and NFL’s continuing involvement and commitment with the United States Armed Forces.

* The Redskins, in addition to other NFL games featured at 4:15 PM, will present the NFL’s TAPS video message which includes images from Arlington National Cemetery, VA on the video board.

* Following a moment of silence and remembrance, platinum recording artist Ne-Yo will perform the national anthem.

* The NFL and NFL Players Association will contribute $1 million to three memorials and two charities related to the Sept. 11, 2001 events.

* The NFL and NFLPA will contribute $500,000 to the 9/11 Museum & Memorial in Lower Manhattan, and $250,000 to be divided between the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa. and the Pentagon Memorial Fund.

The NFL, its players and fans will take time to remember the courage and resilience that followed the events of September 11, 2001 with special tributes in stadium, on field and on television during all games on Sunday, September 11.

All games in each of the broadcast windows (1:00 PM, 4:15 PM and Sunday Night Football) will feature a special video introduction followed by performances of “Taps” from near the sites of the attacks, and moments of silence. For the 1:00 PM games, “Taps” will be performed in Shanksville, PA while the 4:15 PM games will feature a rendition from Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA.

Players, coaches and sideline personnel will wear a special NFL 9/11 ribbon as a patch or pin on their uniforms and sideline apparel. All stadiums hosting games on September 11 will feature the ribbon logo on the field.It was announced on Tuesday that the National Football League and the NFL Players Association that it will contribute $1 million to three memorials and two charities related to the events of September 11, 2001.

The NFL and NFLPA will contribute $500,000 to the 9/11 Museum & Memorial in Lower Manhattan, and $250,000 to be divided between the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, PA and the Pentagon Memorial Fund in Washington, D.C. In addition, the NFL and NFLPA will donate all proceeds from the sale of auction items from games played on Sunday, September 11.

These items, which fans can bid on at www.NFL.com/Auction, will include game-worn autographed player jerseys, coaches and player hats, and commemorative game coins used during those games.

Youth on Their Side
After the final cuts on Saturday, Sept. 3, the Redskins’ 53-man roster consisted of 25 players with three years of NFL experience or less, including nine rookies. This year, the team opens the regular season with an average age of 25.58 in comparison to the 2010 team’s Week 1 average age of 27.69.

Said head coach Mike Shanahan:
“Any time you have young players, you’re hoping that they don’t make [mental] mistakes. You’re preparing them during the week and trying to get them ready to play. You don’t want to put too much pressure on them so they don’t make those mistakes. We do expect them to know what they’re doing both on offense, defense and special teams. We’re realistic enough to know there are mistakes that are going to be made.”
Washington will start the season without older players LaRon Landry (hamstring), and TE Chris Cooley (Knee). Questionable for Sunday's game are Oshiomogho Atogwe(hamstring), WR Brandon Banks (knee), Donte Stallworth (shoulder), and RB Ryan Torain (hand).

Sunday’s matchup will be the 156th overall meeting and 154th in the regular
season between the Redskins and the Giants. The storied series began in
1932 and the two teams have played twice a year during each regular season
since 1960.

Isn't It Odd, Though?
Football Coach with Muslim Name Gets Coach of the Week Honor

Coincidence that going into the anniversary of 9/11 the Redskins announce today they have named head football coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim as Coach of the Week?

Rahim is head coach at Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington, D.C.

Coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim enters his seventh season and serves as the first and only head football coach at Friendship Collegiate Academy Public Charter School (FPCS) located in Washington DC. Coach Rahim founded Positive Choices, Inc. a nonprofit servicing the academic, socio-emotional, health and wellness, and physical needs of youths of Ward 7, an area with a high student dropout rate.

Coaches chosen throughout the high school season as Coach of the Week receive a $1,000 donation from the NFL Youth Football Fund to their football program and a framed certificate signed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Redskins Head Coach Mike Shanahan and Redskins General Manager Bruce Allen.

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