Philadelphia Tribune - Index

Philadelphia Tribune - Friday, September 18, 2009 - Index

Page 2-C Friday, September 18, 2009
Kemp looking to recover
Southern gets
from embarrassing loss
ready for TSU
Donald Hunt
Tribune Staff Writer
Kellen Kemp expects Saturday
fternoon’s game between
elaware State and the Universiy
of Delaware to create a lot of
nthusiasm.
This will be the first regular
eason intra-state rivalry game
etween the two colleges. The
ame will take place at Delaware
tadium in Newark, Del. The
ickoff will be at noon. The game
ill be televised on Channel 12
HYY.
The Hornets are coming off a
ough loss to Florida A&M, 21-12
wo weeks ago. Delaware State is
ooking to rebound with a win
ver the Blue Hens.
Delaware won the first matchup
etween the two schools, 44-7
uring the first round of the 2007
CAA Football Championship
ubdivision playoffs.
“It’s going to be exciting,” Kemp
aid. “We still have a bad taste in
ur mouths from the last time we
layed them. So that’s still in the
ack of my mind.
“That throbbing on television
4-7 loss (really hurt), but we’re
oing in there looking at it as
nother game and come out with
win.”
Kemp, a former Cardinal
ougherty standout, plays offenive
tackle for the Hornets. The 6-
foot-3, 330-pound senior, is one
of the best offensive linemen in
the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
The All-Catholic League and
All-City star has improved his
game each year.
“It’s just basically technique
and you see a lot as time goes on,”
Kemp said. “You become more
experienced. You pick up a lot of
things. As far as I was playing as
a freshman so wide-eyed looking,
you know wow this is what is
going on. This year I’m a senior.
I’m letting the young guys know
what’s going on. It’s a big step.”
Kemp had a chance to meet
Jamaal Jackson, Philadelphia
Eagles starting center, who
played his college football at
Delaware State.
“I know he’s proud to see the
program do pretty good,” Kemp
said. “I met him when Coach
(Jeff) Braxton (now Cheyney head
coach) was here. He’s a good guy
to talk to about the game. He’s
helped us out with a couple
things as far as what to look out
for and the different things the
defense might be doing.”
Kemp appears to be a solid NFL
prospect. He should get some
interest after the season from
some pro teams.
“I’m definitely looking into playing
professional football,” he said.
“If it happens, I would be glad to
accept it. But it’s not going to be
Delaware State offensive tackle Kellen Kemp (64) sets up to protect
quarterback Vashon Winton in a recent game.
– PHOTO/COURTESY OF DELAWARE STATE MEDIA RELATIONS
something I’m going to chase. I’ve
seen a lot of guys — it’s either the
NFL or nothing. Even if I make to
the NFL, I’ll have my education to
fall back on. My major is business
management.”
Delaware isn’t the only nonconference
game on the Hornets’
schedule. They have a number of
games to play in the MEAC. They
also have a big time non-conference
game against Michigan.
“That’s going to be something
playing in front of 100,000 people,”
Kemp said. “Michigan has a
big stadium. They always have
great teams. We play them on
Oct. 17.”
all over again
BATON ROUGE, La. — Southern
and Tennessee State will meet for
the third year in a row when they
tee it up Saturday in A.W. Mumford
Stadium and while the two
teams know each other, they don’t
really know each other.
Both ballclubs have taken on a
slightly different look on offense
since they last met.
The Jaguars (1-1) have spent
much of their first two games trying
to re-establish their ground
game, which faded toward the end
of last season.
Meanwhile, the Tigers (1-1) had
to replace nine starters on offense
as they headed into this season,
including quarterback Antonio
Heffner, tailback Javarris Williams
and No. 1 receiver Chris Johnson.
Then, in the season opener
against Alabama A&M — a 24-7
loss — starting quarterback
Dominic Grooms suffered a hamstring
injury. In stepped Calvin
McNairl, a running threat who
started four games as a freshman
in 2007.
Last week, in a 14-7 win over
Jackson State, McNairl ran for
101 yards and attempted just 11
passes.
Last season, in their 34-32
barnburner win against Southern
Pete Richardson
in Nashville, Tenn., the Tigers ran
for 156 yards and threw for 305
yards.
“Last year, they really threw the
ball around,” SU coach Pete
Richardson said. “(But) until they
gain some experience, they’re
going to try to run the football.”
In two games, the Tigers have
69 rush attempts and 49 pass
attempts.
TSU’s starting offensive linemen
weigh an average of 334 pounds
apiece. — (AP)
Chicago’s Olympic bid unharmed
Pat Ryan, Chicago 2016 bid leader, responds to IOC’s evaluation
candidate cities for the 2016 Summer Games with 2016
Operations Chief Doug Arnot, right, on Sept. 2 in Chicago.
-- AP PHOTO/NAM Y. HUH
Stephen Wilson
LONDON — IOC president
Jacques Rogge said disputes
with the U.S. Olympic Committee
will have “no negative effects
whatsoever” on Chicago’s
chances of landing the 2016
Summer Games.
Rogge also reiterated Thursday
that he believes the Oct. 2
decision will come down to a
handful of votes. He said President
Barack Obama told him
that first lady Michelle Obama is
the best “stand-in” to push
Chicago’s case at the meeting in
Copenhagen.
Rogge spoke in a conference
call with reporters two weeks
days ahead of the International
Olympic Committee vote in the
tight race between Chicago, Rio
de Janeiro, Madrid and Tokyo.
“I think I can make a bet today
and say that it’s probably going
to be a couple of votes, two,
three, four,” Rogge said, echoing
his comments in an Associated
Press interview last week.
“Something like four, five votes is
only the situation of a change of
mind of two or three persons.
You see how close it is. You can
convince two people more and
you might win.”
The IOC’s 100-plus members
vote by secret ballot, with the
candidate getting the fewest votes
eliminated in each round until
one city secures a winning
majority. In 2005, London beat
Paris by four votes — 54-50 — in
the final round to secure the
2012 Olympics.
Chicago, seeking to bring the
Summer Olympics to the U.S. for
the first time since 1996, has had
to endure tensions between the
USOC and the IOC over the
American body’s share of
Olympic revenues and its plans
to launch a U.S. Olympic television
network.
However, Rogge noted that the
two sides reached a truce on the
revenue issue in March and the
USOC agreed last month to put
its TV project on hold.
“I think it will have no negative
effect whatsoever,” he said.
“These two things are out of the
discussion now, so I don’t except
a negative aspect.”
Obama, who considers Chicago
home, called Rogge last Friday
to inform him that he wouldn’t be
going to Copenhagen because he
is busy seeking a health-care
overhaul. Instead, he is sending
his wife, who grew up in Chicago,
to lead the delegation.
“President Obama expressed
in a very clear way his very
strong support for Chicago, and
you know how charismatic he is
when he wants to express the
love for his city,” Rogge said. “He
was very clear to say he’s totally
behind the bid and will remain
behind the organization should
Chicago get the games.
“But he explained (to) me that
the current political situation in
Washington did not allow him to
participate in the bid in Copenhagen.
He said with a sense of
humor that he would send the
best part of his couple, and that
the first lady would probably be
the best stand-in that he could
have imagined for himself.”— (AP)
Duncan
From Page 1C
Martelli. Ben Dubin, Pioneers
head coach, believes Duncan
made a solid choice.
“It’s a good situation for
Shaq,” Dubin said. “The
coach went to La Salle High
and coached at La Salle. It’s a
highly competitive program.
They love to run offensively,
which is good for Shaq.”
The Purple Eagles have a
number of local players such
as Bilal Benn, former Cardinal
Dougherty star and
Kashief Edwards, a product of
Imhotep Charter.
Duncan will be the next
player from Philly to play
there.
“Kashief Edwards looks like
a growing product,” Duncan
said. “He’s going to do well.
Bilal has played really well for
him. He’s one of the best players
in the conference. He has
a chance to play in the NBA.”
Duncan, a solid NCAA Division
I prospect, chose Niagara
over Drexel, Iona, Virginia
Commonwealth, George
Mason, Nebraska, Seton Hall,
St. John’s and Robert Morris.
He had a terrific visit, which
made a huge difference.
“If I stayed home, I would
have gone to Drexel,” Duncan
said. “I like Coach Bru (Bruiser
Flint). He has a good program.
But I wanted to get
away from home. I had a
great visit to Niagara. I went
to Niagara Falls with all the
water. They gave me a poncho.
Even with the poncho, I
got wet. I had a lot of fun up
there.”
Eagles
From Page 1C
two years ago. He was badly
outplayed by the Giants’
defensive end Osi Umenyiora,
giving up four sacks.
Since then, Justice has
made a lot of strides.
“I think I’ve improved a lot
since my rookie year,” he
said. “With coaches like Juan
and Reid, you can’t help but
to get better. You’re going to
be there before practice and
be there after practice.
You’re going to be there a lot.
I’m here 12 hours a day.
That’s more than I am at
home.”
Justice grew up in Long
Beach, Calif., where he
starred at Long Beach Polytechnic
High School. He was
touted later as one of the top
offensive linemen in college
football.
In fact, he left Southern
Cal with quite a track record.
He blocked for quarterbacks
Carson Palmer (Cincinnati
Bengals), Matt Leinart (Arizona
Cardinals) and running
back Reggie Bush (New
Orleans Saints), whom he
will see on Sunday. All these
players were Heisman Trophy
winners.
Justice will be blocking for
quarterback Kevin Kolb on
Sunday in place of Donovan
McNabb who looks like he will
miss the game with a fractured
rib. He feels Kolb will be
able to run the offense.
“Nothing has changed,
Kolb is going to step up and
play,” Justice said. “We’re
confident that he’ll do well.”
Saints
From Page 1C
“That’s one of our main focuses
right now,” Grant continued,
“producing to become one of the
premier (defensive) bookends
they consider us to be in this
league.”
Saints teammates were hesitant
to comment on whether they
thought the NFL’s ruling was fair
to other players who have already
been suspended for similar violations,
such as their own teammate,
offensive linemen Jamar
Nesbit. They said only they were
pleased to know their starting
defensive ends apparently would
be able to play all season.
“All I can say is I’m really glad to
have Will and Charles playing for
us,” quarterback Drew Brees said.
Nesbit, like Smith and Grant,
was using the StarCaps weightloss
supplement that apparently
contained the banned substance,
though it was not listed as an
ingredient. He chose to accept his
suspension without any appeal,
lost his starting job in the process,
and later sued StarCaps in civil
court in an effort to recoup the
income he lost while suspended.
Nesbit said the civil case is
ongoing and that he could not
comment on it. He added that it
was too early to tell whether he
made the wrong choice by not
fighting his suspension.
“I would have loved to have finished
last season” as a starter,
Nesbit said. “But on the flip side
of that, I probably would not
enjoy having (the suspension)
hanging over my head.”
As for Smith and Grant, Nesbit
said, “Congratulations to them.
I’m happy for them. They’re teammates.
Our team will be better for
the fact they are able to play.”
NOTE: RB Pierre Thomas practiced
fully for the first time since
spraining his right knee on Aug.
22, but he wore a large brace. He
said he hoped to play against the
Eagles on Sunday. “We need to be
smart about it, but I think I can
go,” he said. ... TE Jeremy Shockey
rode a stationary bike during
practice. Head coach Sean Payton
said he only wanted to give
Shockey some rest. Shockey
offered a thumbs-up sign when
asked if he expected to play Sunday,
adding with a smile, “I’m all
right. I’m walking.” — (AP)
Kolb
From Page 1C
ed to by Eagles trainers before
eventually leaving the field on his
own.
Reid said McNabb’s ribs need
to get “sticky” — or, not move up
and down — before he should
play.
Running back Brian Westbrook,
who missed a game last
season with a broken rib, said
McNabb’s ability to play could
depend on how much pain he
can tolerate.
“He might be able to take a little
bit more pain than I can,”
Westbrook said. “It’s painful
when you get hit, when you
breathe, when you run. It’s
painful every time you move.”
Kolb’s most meaningful playing
time came last season when
Reid benched McNabb at halftime
of a loss at Baltimore. Reid
thought Kolb gave the team a
better chance to win a game it
desperately needed to maintain
its slim playoff hopes.
Kolb was 10 for 23 for 73 yards
and two interceptions, including
one returned an NFL-record 108
yards for a touchdown by Ed
Reed.
The Eagles were down 22-7
and had a second down inside
the 1 with just under 8 minutes
left when Kolb threw the costly
pick to Reed.
That was all for Kolb. McNabb
returned to the starting lineup
the next game.
“I think I pressed too much,”
Kolb said. “I felt like I had to show
everybody right now, ‘Hey, I’m
ready.’ And you just press and
you can’t press as a quarterback.”
Win and play well and the job
is Kolb’s however long is McNabb
is out.
Throw interceptions and lose,
and fans will clamor for Vick or
Garcia to start Week 3 against
the Chiefs.
Kolb’s been in Philly long
enough to know those are his
options.
“Because I haven’t had much
success, it’s totally fair and I look
forward to the challenge,” he
said. — (AP)