On Blacklight on Sports, hosts Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald and Charles Hallman sit down with Lucas Patterson, founder of Future Academic Ballers and Minnesota Prep, whose program has sent more than 35 players to Division I programs over nine years.
Charles Hallman
Posted inSports
The man who brings the big events to Minneapolis
Meet Minneapolis president and CEO Melvin Tennant was integral in landing the 2028 NFL Draft for the Twin Cities, continuing a quiet legacy of bringing major events to Minneapolis that the mainstream media rarely credits him for.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Maya Caldwell: Right where she’s supposed to be
Minnesota Lynx guard Maya Caldwell has navigated waivings, overseas stints and four WNBA clubs in five years on a journey built on faith, perseverance and a belief that she is right where she is supposed to be.
Posted inAnother View
Royce and Kaelen: Working their way back to the show
Royce Lewis is working to rediscover his game after a demotion to the St. Paul Saints, while top prospect Kaelen Culpepper is making a case for a promotion, and the two Black teammates are leaning on each other along the way.
Posted inLocal & State
Rest in Power: Larry Fitzgerald Sr., MSR Sportswriter and Champion of Black Athletes, Dead at 71
Larry Fitzgerald Sr., beloved Minnesota sportswriter and longtime Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder columnist who spent more than 45 years advocating for Black athletes and coaches, has died at age 71.
Posted inSports
From Rondo to Cooperstown: St. Paul Honors David Winfield With Bronze
A bronze statue of Baseball Hall of Famer David Winfield now stands at Toni Stone Field in St. Paul, honoring the Rondo native and 22-year MLB veteran who credits his upbringing in the heart of St. Paul’s Black community as the foundation for everything that followed.
Posted inAnother View
The NFL blinked. Now what?
Charles Hallman examines the NFL’s rollback of minority hiring mandates under pressure from Florida’s attorney general, and the NAACP’s new Out of Bounds campaign calling on Black athletes and fans to boycott SEC programs in states targeting Black voting rights.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Rachel Banham delivers for Chicago Sky in Minneapolis return
Rachel Banham returned to Minneapolis and delivered 13 points off the bench to help the Chicago Sky past the Minnesota Lynx 86-79, continuing a decade-long WNBA career built on delivering buckets when her team needs them most.
Posted inSports
Trailblazing NFL coordinator denied a head coaching shot, dies at 83
Sherman Lewis, a Heisman Trophy finalist, three-time Big Ten track champion and 12-year NFL offensive coordinator who was repeatedly passed over for a head coaching job, passed away May 15 at age 83.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Lynx veteran Nia Coffey is her father’s daughter
Nia Coffey, St. Paul native and nine-year WNBA veteran, is back home with the Minnesota Lynx, bringing a decade of professional experience and a commitment to pouring into younger players on a roster that is 71% new this season.
Posted inBlacklight On Sports
Blacklight on Sports: EJ Shelby Brings a New Vision to Anoka High School Football
On this episode of Blacklight on Sports, hosts Charles Hallman and Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald sit down with EJ Shelby, the newly named head football coach at Anoka High School, on his long road to a head coaching job and what it means to lead as a Black man in education.
Posted inCoaching while Black
Gopher running backs Coach Mohamed Ibrahim and Tennis Coach Lois Arterberry
Former Gophers star Mohamed Ibrahim returns to Minnesota as running backs Coach Mo, while tennis head coach Lois Arterberry reflects on a difficult 2026 season and former Hamline coach Chip Taylor lands at Lehigh.
Posted inTwins/MLB
LaTroy Hawkins: From the Mound to the Dugout
LaTroy Hawkins, now in his first season as the Minnesota Twins’ bullpen coach, is the franchise’s first Black bullpen coach in history and the first Black pitching coach since 2018, bringing a 21-year playing career and a hard-earned college degree to his new role.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Softball in color
MSR sports columnist Charles Hallman covers the 2026 Summit League Softball Championship at the University of Minnesota, spotlighting the Black players who stood out, including Omaha’s Bailey Sample and St. Thomas sophomores Zoe Trotter and Miley Wichman.
Posted inAnother View, Twins/MLB
Two Black aces, one rotation: Taj Bradley and Simeon Woods Richardson make history in Minnesota
Twins pitchers Taj Bradley and Simeon Woods Richardson are one of the rarest sights in MLB, two Black starting pitchers on the same team, and both say the bond they have built is making them better.
Posted inSports
Me in KC: A Lynx preseason game and a city on the rise
Charles Hallman travels to Kansas City to cover the Minnesota Lynx preseason game against the Nigerian National Team and finds a growing city where Black entrepreneurs and community voices are thriving.
Posted inTwins/MLB
For Josh Bell, it all started in the backyard
Twins first baseman Josh Bell reflects on baseball, fatherhood and what it means to be part of a Minnesota roster leading the majors in U.S.-born Black players.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Augsburg, Hamline bring two Black head coaches to the field
Augsburg’s KiJuan Ware and Hamline’s Chip Taylor made MIAC history as two Black head coaches faced each other for only the second time. Charles Hallman highlights why the moment matters for representation in college sports and shares other key MIAC sports updates.
Posted inBlacklight On Sports
A Conversation with Lawrence Ellis on Leadership, Youth Athletics, and the Future of Minnesota Sports
In this episode of MSR Blacklight On Sports, hosts Charles Hallman and Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald talk with Minnesota sports leader Lawrence Ellis about the evolution of youth athletics, policy decisions influencing access and fairness, and the leadership needed to support student-athletes statewide.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Men’s basketball newbies
Minnesota has 13 new additions on its 2024-25 men’s basketball team. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson played for Niko Medved at Colorado State last season. “I set the tone early for the guys on the glass,” said the 6’8” junior forward from San Antonio, Texas. “I’m just trying to be a good two-way player on defense and offense.” […]