Category Archives: Sports

“Black” National Anthem to be performed at 2024 Super Bowl

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The NFL announced its pregame lineup for Super Bowl LVIII on Thursday, and the league drew criticism over its intentions to have the Black national anthem played before the game.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the Black national anthem, has been played at each Super Bowl since Super Bowl LV and has stirred controversy on social media since. This year, the NFL said the song is to be performed by Grammy-winning R&B singer Andra Day. The Black national anthem has been played at Super Bowl since 2020 season

“Black” National Anthem – Lift Every Voice and Sing
From Saint Peter Relates an Incident by James Weldon Johnson. Copyright © 1917, 1921, 1935 James Weldon Johnson, renewed 1963 by Grace Nail Johnson.

Lift every voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list’ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.

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Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh recites Bible verse to open press conference after playoff win

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The Baltimore Ravens are hosting the first conference championship game in Baltimore since 1971 after Lamar Jackson accounted for four touchdowns — two throwing and two rushing — in a 34-10 victory over the Houston Texans Saturday.

The game was tied at 10 at one point, but Baltimore won with 24 unanswered points. After earning a playoff bye, emotions ran high in Baltimore’s locker room, and it was Jackson’s second playoff win.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh opened his postgame press conference by reading a Bible verse. “Greatness, power, glory, victory and honor belong to you, because everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you. The kingdom belongs to you, Lord,” Harbaugh said, via OutKick NFL insider Armando Salguero, reciting 1 Chronicles 29:11.

Harbaugh’s quote came a week after C.J. Stroud, the quarterback Harbaugh’s Ravens beat Saturday, gave “all glory to my Lord and savior Jesus Christ” after the Texans’ playoff win over the Cleveland Browns. Stroud’s comments were edited out of a post on X, formerly Twitter, from the official account of NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”

Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb criticized NBC for the move. “It’s very lame. Players always express that as well, and to have that cut out is truly … it’s disrespectful,” he said. “There are a lot of people out there who are Christians and believe in Jesus, and those who don’t believe in Jesus, still, they don’t feel like that’s disrespectful to them.

“For NBC to do this … they really have to go back … and evaluate themselves. They have to get this thing corrected because that’s definitely not the direction it needs to be going in at this point.”

A quick reminder that Jaylon Smith’s bowl game injury likely cost him tens of millions

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It was horrible to watch. Jaylon Smith was headed to be a possible top-5 draft pick when in his final college game, he was pushed from behind and awkwardly twisted and bent his knee.

The injury was brutal: his ACL and LCL were torn, and he had nerve damage. He ended up being drafted in the second round by the Cowboys — but likely, even with an insurance policy, lost a large amount of money and was placed on injured reserved by the Cowboys this week. Should he have gone in the top five, as projected by some draft experts, his contract would be in the $20 million range. Instead, he got $4.42 million guaranteed.

Too often college football fans get very upset when their best players choose to skip a bowl game and enter the NFL draft. This can explain at least some of it.

Mike Norvell named ACC Coach of the Year

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Florida State head coach Mike Norvell was voted the 2023 ACC Coach of the Year, it was announced Thursday.

Norvell has led the Seminoles to a perfect 12-0 record, including 8-0 in the ACC, and the top seed for Saturday’s ACC Championship Game. He produced the seventh unbeaten regular season in program history and only the fourth 12-0 mark in a season, joining the 1999 national championship team, the 2013 national championship team and the 2014 College Football Playoff semifinalists. Norvell is the sixth different ACC coach to lead his team to an undefeated record in conference play since 2000.

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FSU over Florida 24-15

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No. 5 Florida State Seminoles (12-0, 8-0 ACC) capped their regular season with a finale against rival Florida Gators. ( 5-7, 3-5 SEC) inside Ben Hill Griffen Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. Roars could be heard throughout the city as 93,000 screaming fans cheered their teams on. The Seminoles would leave The Swamp with a 24-15 victory over the Gators.

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For the second week in a row, a starting quarterback for the Seminoles was injured. Quarterback Tate Rodemaker was attempting to convert a third and 14 and was struck by Jaydon Hill who was later ejected for targeting. Rodemaker would later return. 

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Traditions

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Arguably the greatest spectacle in college football unfolds moments before kickoff at Doak Campbell Stadium when Osceola charges down the field aboard Renegade, a beautiful Appaloosa, and plants a flaming spear at midfield prior to each home game. This tradition is a tribute to the great Seminole Tribe of Florida.

The tradition was born on Sept. 16, 1978, when a student, portraying the famous Seminole warrior Osceola, led the football team from the tunnel riding a horse as the Seminoles headed into battle against Oklahoma State. The first student to portray Osceola was Jim Kidder riding Renegade I. Since then, six different Renegades and 16 different riders have made the ride and planted the spear, which brings the game day crowd to its feet. In 2018, the tradition of Osceola and Renegade is celebrating 40 years as the 17th Osceola takes to the field aboard Renegade.

Bill Durham, a 1965 FSU graduate, developed the concept of the Osceola and Renegade tradition. He launched the tradition at Florida State University in 1978 after obtaining permission from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The Durham family provides the beautiful Appaloosa horses involved with the program and has directed the Osceola and Renegade program since its inception with the assistance of the members of the Renegade Team. The regalia used by Osceola is designed for authenticity and approved by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Prior to the 2011 season, ESPN’s SportsNation voted Osceola and Renegade the best NCAA Football Tradition in the country. A framed rendering of the spear plant was presented to the Durham family during the Oklahoma game on Sept. 17, 2011. That rendering now resides in the Moore Athletics Center.

In 2013, Osceola and Renegade made their second appearance at a National Championship Game, traveling to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, to watch the Seminoles claim their third national title. Osceola and Renegade also appeared at the Orange Bowl where Florida State won its first national championship to cap the 1993 season.

Renegade Throughout FSU History

NAMEYEARS
Renegade I1978
Renegade II1979-89
Renegade III1989-99
Renegade IV1999-02, 2005-06
Renegade V2003-04, 2007-14
Renegade VI2014-present