LeBron Brings His Talent to Baltimore

Last night, Baltimoreans received a rare treat: NBA Basketball.  Well, it wasn’t quite an NBA game, but rather NBA players taking part in a charity pro-am game at Morgan State University.   The Melo League played the Goodman League before a capacity crowd of 4,500 at Edward P. Hurt Gymnasium.  The game featured NBA Stars LeBron James, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Josh Selby, Jarrett Jack, Gary Neal and Baltimore’s own Carmelo Anthony.

The game was originally scheduled to be played at St. Frances Academy, but with more stars committing to play and the demand for tickets growing, organizers had to find a bigger venue fast. Kurk Lee, the former Towson State basketball standout, is the athletic director for the Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center and organizer of the Melo League.  He put the word out that the charity pro-am was looking for a bigger home.  Morgan State answered the call.  Floyd Taliaferro, director of student activities at Morgan, said the event landed on his lap at noon on Monday.  After getting the OK from the school president, Taliaferro had the task of getting the entire campus community on board.

Team Terry on Track

It was inevitable that Terry’s efforts to reel in more of the lucrative youth tournament market would take him around the track. Particularly when the facilities and access in Maryland are so attractive for regional competitions. It was only a matter of time before a major governing body like USA Track and Field came calling, and that’s where Terry and Tweety were this week when soccermania started to swirl.

The site visit took them first to Landover, where the Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex is located on 80 acres next to FedEx field. As the name indicates, the facility is all about showcasing scholastic athletes in a four star setting.

While it includes a natatorium and Bermuda grass football/lacrosse fields, the arena and indoor/outdoor competition tracks make it the Holy Grail of youthful harriers. The Prince George’s facility, constructed with public and private sector resources, is managed by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It is being considered for the 2013 Masters Indoor Championship.

The arena, with its field house, 200 meter Mondo track, fitness room, gymnastics facility, and aquatics center – all linked by an atrium and overhead observation areas — is a knockout in the “wow” factor. Add all the onsite parking and nearby interstate access and you can see why Terry was so eager to show it off.

Morgan State is in the hunt to land the 2012 Junior Olympic Championships. The rambling urban campus with its stadium and 400 meter Mondo track (that’s the same surface used in the Olympics) traditionally hosts the Maryland State Track and Field championships in the spring.

As luck would have it, Team Terry has leave for Virginia Beach for the final presentation of the bids to USATF right after we learn about the 2022 World Cup. The good news is the governing body will make their decisions about both events on December 3rd. So hopefully we’ll be celebrating a lot the first week of December.

In any case, we know the visitors were greatly impressed with what Maryland has to offer. It won’t be the last time we are considered for major track and field tournaments.