Using a wheelchair to meet her groom at the end of the aisle, Keasha (Rutledge) Draft married the love of her life, 35-year-old football player Chris Draft, in a ceremony Nov. 27 in Atlanta.  Sadly, just one month later to the date, Keasha lost her battle to cancer and passed away Dec. 27.

Video of the couple’s ceremony and reception shows what an emotional and loving celebration their wedding day was as the bride shares a first dance with her husband, cuts the cake, and tosses the bouquet to guests who hope to find a love as strong as hers.

Chris Draft last played for the Washington Redskins in 2010 but dedicated much of his life to giving back to kids by participating in different service projects including his own Chris Draft Family Foundation, which empowers families to live healthy lifestyles. His friends have asked everyone to send prayers to the families as they grieve during this difficult time.

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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You know you’re good looking when you grow one of those humongous Rick Ross beards every now and then and people still want to sop you up like a biscuit (not my words, someone else’s, but I feel them). Braylon Edwards, a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, is HOT. Not too long ago, I had no clue who he was. Sorry, I’m not a huge NFL fan like that. But after a co-worker talked him up to be sooooo fine, I had to check him out. She wasn’t lying! From the crazy abs to the lips, and you can’t forget about those sparkling eyes, the brother has it going on. He may not be on my list of play husbands, but he could for damn sure be my “manstress.” Enjoy the coffee brown goodness (smiles).

When Al Davis hired Art Shell as the head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders in 1989, Clarence Shelmon was a 37-year-old running backs coach at the University of Southern California. Shell became the first African-American head coach in the modern N.F.L. For Shelmon, now the offensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers, Shell’s hiring opened up possibilities he had dreamed of but never seriously imagined while growing up in Bossier City, La., in the 1950s.

For many aspiring African-American coaches, becoming a head coach in the N.F.L. seemed an insurmountable mountain.

“When you’re young, you think anything is possible, but you also look at what history had unfolded before,” Shelmon said in a phone interview last week. “Back then, there were not a lot of men of color in coordinators’ positions and head coaches, so while you knew it was a possibility, you didn’t see anyone in those positions. In the back of your mind, you’re wondering if you’ll ever have an opportunity.”

Read More…

Lance Gross’ stars in the upcoming movie  ‘The Last Fall’, about a star athlete who is forced into retirement at 25. After returning home broke and unemployed, Kyle Bishop (Lance Gross) starts to pick up the pieces in his life and get back to normal. Until a series of events occurs that force him to make the same tough decisions in his life off field.

Watch the trailer here…

Will you be checking out this movie?

by Wayne Hodges

A good friend of mine asked me the other day: “Who won the NFL Lockout? ” I replied,”the owners.” He said: “Really? How so?” I said, “because the owners retained ownership.”

Let’s discuss the word ‘ownership’ for a second. It’s a term that doesn’t get enough attention in prominent black business circles.

The NFL and NBA, organizations that foster the two largest professional revenue sports in the United States, currently have one African-American majority owner: Michael Jordan of the thrifty nickel Charlotte Bobcats.

That’s it. Only one, which presents a glaring statistical anomaly.

See, 13 percent of the U.S. population is black. However, the NFL is 65 percent African-American and the NBA is 80 percent black.

The disproportionate ratio that exists between black athletes and African-American ownership illuminates our inability to seize corporate deed and title; even when the commodity is comprised of predominant black talent.

Not good. Not good at all.

This scenario, in a nutshell, describes my angst with black leadership. Both NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith and NBA Player’s Union executive Billy Hunter were thrust into battle during owner-imposed lockouts earlier this Summer.

Salary caps, revenue allocation, blood testing, training methods and player safety were among the items negotiated between union executives and franchise owners.

However, Hunter and Smith, both African-Americans, should’ve raised the issue of increasing black majority ownership during contract talks. It’s already too late for Smith. NFL players ratified a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement weeks ago.

Hunter, on the other hand, still has time.

Why is majority ownership important?

According to BusinessPundit.com, 78 percent of NFL players and 60 percent of NBA players are dead broke five years after retirement. Meaning? Ownership provides the best opportunity to secure wealth.

EXHIBIT A: Chris McAlister, a valuable member of the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl team in 2000, insists he’s now broke and unemployed. His testimony comes after signing a lucrative $55 million dollar contract in 2004.

Seven years later, McAlister is destitute. He’s way behind on his $11,000 per month child support payments. And he’s living at home with his parents.

The lesson to learn here is that there’s no wealth in padding the pockets of others. True wealth is accompanied by an intangible bundle of rights. I’ve yet to hear of a sports franchise owner moving back home with his mama as a means for financial support.

Conversely, we hear these stories about professional athletes all the time.

By Alexis Garrett Stodghill

Former Baltimore Ravens defensive player Chris McAlister has joined the ranks of black celebrity ballers who can’t hold on to their money. After playing in the NFL for ten years, and signing a $55 million extension contract in 2004, the Super Bowl-winning athlete now claims to be broke.

In court documents obtained by gossip site TMZ, McAlister claims: “I have been unemployed since 2009. I have no income. I live in my parent’s home. My parents provide me with my basic living expenses as I do not have the funds to do so.”

These statements were made in a filing by McAlister with the goal of reducing his $11,000 monthly child support payments. He was married to his ex-wife, Marlene, for only 13 months.

The pattern of black male athletic superstars spending all their cash is a common one. From Mike Tyson to Antoine Walker, it is very sad to watch them come up from nothing only to squander their earnings. They could have lived comfortably on the interest of their fortunes had they managed their funds correctly. The recurrence of this problem points to a severe lack of financial education among pro athletes that should be part of their physical conditioning.

Let’s hope in this case the rumors are true — that McAlister is merely feigning poverty to get out of an excessive child support obligation. While lying to the courts is reprehensible, it is even more depressing to witness yet another African-American star athlete commit financial suicide through a sheer lack of discipline.

Who says athletes don’t have style? Topping the ‘best dressed’ lists alongside some of the most stylish celebrities, many athletes have started to embrace fashion and demonstrate their personal style.  Trading in their sweats for tailored suits, most of these men have enlisted the help of personal stylists to create a signature look that compliments their tastes. From Dwyane Wade’s love for pin-striped suits to Lebron James’s secret obsession with blazers, what’s not to love about an in-shape, Hot athlete who also knows how to dress?