NABJSTF Events at 2011 Convention in Philadelphia

Greetings,

NABJ Sports Task Force members...we are 9 days away from this year's NABJ convention in Philadelphia. I hope you are registered and ready for what is absolutely a can't miss NABJ convention. As promised, here is the updated schedule of NABJ Sports Task Force events and as always, I ask that you support NABJ Sports Task Force events so we can continue to be a leader of the NABJ Task Forces.

-Sherlon Christie

Thursday, August 4, 2011
8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
SPORTS TASK FORCE MENTOR BREAKFAST
Powered by ESPN
Location: 119AB (Convention Center)
Join the NABJ Sports Task Force and ESPN for its annual mentorship breakfast. Aspiring journalists are paired with professional mentors from broadcast, print and online newsrooms.
Speakers: ESPN's Rob Parker and Claire Smith.

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
THE VANISHING BLACK SPORTS REPORTER: WHY DIVERSITY MATTERS
Location: 119A (Convention Center...same room as breakfast)

In an era where African Americans dominate the playing fields and arenas, the press boxes above and around them do not reflect that trend. The latest AP Sports Editors census reveals fewer people of color covering or leading newsroom coverage. What’s changed since earlier in the decade when America had six African American sports editors compared to today having one? What should those in power do to change the dynamic?

Panelists:
David Aldridge, Reporter and Analyst, TNT, NBA-TV and NBA.com
Hollis Towns, Executive Editor and Vice President-News, Asbury Park Press
Michael Anastasi, Managing Editor, Sports, Features and Production, Salt Lake Tribune
Steve Smith, Studio Analyst, NBA TV
Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBC Sports Group
Garry D. Howard, Editor-In-Chief, Sporting News

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
CULTURAL TENSIONS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY
Location: 115A (Convention Center)

Several issues have divided African Americans for years, including educated/uneducated, middle class/poor and urban/rural. As a result, offensive terms have been used to take aim at one’s "blackness.” Such instances have garnered national attention in the past year including ESPN analyst Jalen Rose’s "Uncle Tom” remark aimed at black Duke players in the 1990s; boxer Bernard Hopkins questioning the blackness of NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb; and Dr. Cornel West’s criticism of President Obama. In addition to closely examining these examples, we will also explore how these stories have been and should be covered by the media.

Panelists
Soledad O’Brien, Correspondent, CNN
Roland S. Martin, Analyst, TVOne, CNN, Essence
Dr. Argie Allen, Director of Clinical Training Programs, Drexel University,
Isiah Thomas, Former NBA Star and College Basketball Coach
Greg Anthony, Former NBA player and Current Basketball Analyst.
Nathaniel Normant, Chair and Associate Professor of African American Studies, Temple University
Bill Rhoden, Sports Columnist, New York Times

10:00 p.m. – 3:30 a.m.
SIXTH ANNUAL SPORTS TASK FORCE SCHOLARSHIP JAM
Location: Whisper Night Club (1714 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103)

What are folks saying about the best party at the NABJ convention the last five years running, CHECK OUT THE FACEBOOK EVENT.

Tickets are as cheap as $15 for NABJ members, get YOUR TICKET TODAY!

Friday, August 5, 2011

5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
SPORTS PIONEER AWARDS CEREMONY
Location: 119A (same room as the breakfast from Thursday)

Saturday, August 6, 2011

10:30 a.m. – Noon
BLACK ATHLETE MANIFESTO
Location: 119A (same room as the breakfast from Thursday)

The Black Athlete has suddenly changed in front of our eyes. The superstars of our games are now born in the late 1980s, where they have faint memories of the Cosby Show or The Notorious B.I.G. and definitely have little concept of the Civil Rights Movement or the sacrifices of their predecessors. How do we deal with these athletes as journalists? How do we deal with those who are in the forefront of the Twitter generation, U-Stream craze and who seem to tattoo every one of their life achievements or opinions on their bodies? How do we close the generational gap and social gap between reporters and those athletes? And are these athletes more difficult to cover than those in the past?

Panelists
Kyle Draper, Studio Host, Comcast SportsNet
Jerry Brewer, Columnist, Seattle Times
Stephen A. Smith, Talk Show Host, ESPN Radio
Mitch Richmond, Former NBA Player
Vinnie Goodwill, Detroit Pistons Beat Writer, Detroit News

12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Sports Task Force Business Meeting & Elections
Location: 118C (Convention Center)

NABJ Conventions Past, Current and Future

Updated 3:32 p.m. July 25th 2011

For the first time in my professional career, which started in 2003, I'm not at the mercy of an airline to attend an NABJ convention. I can drive. I can take a bus. I can take a train. I can't tell you how excited I am about that.

Philadelphia, the home of the 2011 NABJ convention, is only an hour's drive from me and I'm already planning to spend an entire week in Philadelphia. I hope others are considering that too.

Then the next year, the 2012 UNITY convention will be in Las Vegas, which I'm always excited about going to Las Vegas, and that will be going on during the 2012 Summer Olympics, which I will also attend. So, the next two summers will be filled with some very memorable events.

---------------------------------

The 2011 NABJ Convention will be in Philadelphia from August 3 to August 7 and the convention hotel will be the
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/phldt-philadelphia-marriott-downtown/

The 2012 UNITY Convention will be in Las Vegas from August 1 to August 4 and the convention hotel will be the http://www.mandalaybay.com/

Get those vacation/time off requests in a.s.a.p.

Here is NABJ convention history past, current and future.

1976 -- Houston
1977 -- Baltimore
1978 -- Chicago
1979 – Washington, D.C.
1980 – Washington, D.C.
1981 -- Louisville
1982 -- Detroit
1983 -- New Orleans
1984 -- Atlanta
1985 -- Baltimore
1986 -- Dallas
1987 -- Miami
1988 -- St. Louis
1989 -- New York
1990 – Los Angeles
1991 -- Kansas City, Mo.

1992 – Detroit

1993 - Houston

1994 – UNITY in Atlanta

1995 – Philadelphia

1996 – Nashville

1997 – Chicago

1998 – Washington, D.C.

1999 – UNITY in Seattle

2000 – Phoenix

2001 – Orlando

2002 – Milwaukee

2003 – Dallas

2004 – UNITY in Washington, D.C.

2005 – Atlanta

2006 – Indianapolis

2007 – Las Vegas

2008 – UNITY in Chicago (July 23-27)

2009 – Tampa (August 5-9)

2010 – San Diego (July 28 – August 1)

2011 – Philadelphia (August 3-7)
2012 – New Orleans (June 20-24)

2013 - Orlando (July 31-August 4)
2014 - Boston (July 30-August 3)
2015 - Minneapolis (August 5-9)
2016 - Joint Convention w/ NAHJ in Washington, D.C. (August 3-7) 
2017 - New Orleans (August 9-13)
2018 - Detroit (August 1-5)
 -----------------

The home stretch (part 7)

I'm wearing a burgundy suit, white shirt and multi-colored tie today.

Today is it.

You have a 5 p.m. deadline to cast your vote for the next board of directors.

If you have your own laptop, go to http://mynabj.org/ and vote online before the deadline.

user name = membership number
password = last name unless you have changed it.

If you have any issues, go to the registration area in the Tampa Convention Center and speak to someone from the national office. Your vote must count.

If you don't have a laptop you will need to go to the Tampa Convention Center room 7 today. The on-site voting area is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.

Hopefully, we'll have good news around 5:15 p.m. or so.

MY PLATFORM

The home stretch (part 4)

For those individuals that plan to vote on-site in Tampa on Friday, August 7, you will need to go to the Tampa Convention Center room 7 on that day.

The on-site voting area is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on August 7 only but everyone is strongly encouraged to vote online before coming to Tampa or anywhere you can get internet access in Tampa at http://mynabj.org/

The home stretch

I've spent the last few days helping NABJ members find roommates for the NABJ Convention and finding people buying/selling registrations they can no longer use.

Exhausting work...but hopefully I've made a difference.

Please show your appreciation by voting Sherlon Christie for NABJ secretary at

http://mynabj.org/ before August 7.

Thanks.

It is Twitter Time!

Follow me on the campaign trail and also at the NABJ convention in Tampa on Twitter!

http://twitter.com/spchrist

Atlanta Chapter NABJ Candidates Forum

I've been told on several occasions that my personality fits that of a Southern gentleman. I consider this a big compliment considering that I've lived 86 percent of my life in the Northeast between three states (Massachusetts, New York and now New Jersey). The other 14 percent was spent as a baby in Jamaica.

Prior to Saturday, my only visit to Atlanta was for the 2005 NABJ Convention. I still have my 2005 NABJ convention bag (one of the few that my mother hasn't confiscated). I'm not sure why she's infatuated with my NABJ convention bags but she asks to see the new bag every year. Go figure. It is hard saying no to my mother but I've stood my ground and held onto the 30th anniversary convention bag.

Nevertheless, I went to Atlanta again on what appeared to be the hottest day of the year (98 degrees...and I'm not talking about the music group). I felt the heat the second I walked outside of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Of course, I had on a suit and tie, so it felt like 108 degrees to me. As I'm walking outside the airport, I thought back to the day I received the invitation to come to Atlanta. I said "yes" without hesitation and booked a flight a few days later without even knowing if I could get the day off. I work Saturdays and while it usually isn't a problem to switch around my schedule in the summer time, I had to eventually use a vacation day to make my appearance possible.

I felt it was well worth a vacation day to meet the members of the Atlanta chapter and visitors to the candidates forum. It was also good to see a wide range of ages in the auditorium and some familiar faces from the NABJ listserves. I had several goals by coming to Atlanta:

1) I hope I made a good impression on the Atlanta Chapter members because I know they vote.

2) I hope I showed that I really want to be the organization's next secretary via my platform.

3) I hope that I showed I have the time to make a serious commitment to the organization for the next two years.

4) Most importantly, I'm crossing my fingers on getting some votes from the 404 area code.

Deadlines, Deadlines and one Update

NABJ Convention pre-registration deadline is today, April 15
https://www.eshow2000.com/nabj/registration_information.cfm

NABJ Region 1 conference pre-registration deadline is April 17
http://www.nabj.org/about/regions/region1/story/09conf.php

NABJ 'In the City' Bowling Night in Philadelphia on April 29
NABJ Members can purchase tickets at http://mynabj.org/

NABJ Convention Workshops

I'm not sure if everyone gets the NABJ e-blast e-mails but the workshops were released today.

Click on the link below.

https://www.eshow2000.com/nabj/conference_program.cfm