It’s official. St. Louis has landed an MLS franchise and the sport with a storied history here will return on a national level in 2022.

Hopefully, a white man with red hair and the first name of Race will stir a passion among black athletes in America and move them to visibly demonstrate their opposition to racism. Maybe a black woman wearing blue lipstick with the guts to emulate American icons John Carlos and Tommie Smith …

The St. Louis Cardinals have proven that a wild-card berth into the postseason can be a path to a championship.

While the U.S. Women’s National Team won the World Cup with a roster that included three African-American players, America creates few black professional players – especially stars on the international stage.

As the St. Louis Cardinals prepare to honor third baseman Scott Rolen, and pitchers Jason Isringhausen and Mort Cooper with enshrinement into its Hall of Fame on August 24, it’s time the team consider one of the most important players in franchise history.

In the City of Brotherly Love, they now call it, “the most devastating play in Philadelphia sports history.”

A familiar name will guide the St. Louis XFL squad’s wide receiving corps – former St. Louis Rams standout Az-Zahir Hakim.

In 2016, when most athletes and team executives were running away from former San Francisco Giants quarterback Colin Kaepernick as fast as their mouths and legs could carry them, American women's soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe took a knee during the national anthem before a game.

Let’s go back to December 8, 2011. St. Louis Cardinals superstar Albert Pujols had just accepted a 10-year $254 million offer from the Anaheim Angels and Cardinal Nation sure didn’t like it.

Jackie Robinson was allowed to play Major League Baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers 72 years ago on April 15, 1947.

African-American musician and composer W.C. Handy composed “St. Louis Blues” in 1914. It chronicled the tough times he had in this city in the late 1890s as he struggled to find lasting success.

Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1’s first black driver and five-time champion, is dominating the 2019 schedule and is a heavy favorite to win his sixth driver’s title. He won his first title with McLaren and the remainder with Mercedes, for whom he still drives.

Former St. Louis Cardinals standout running back Theotis Brown has been named director of player personnel for St. Louis’ XFL franchise, the league announced last week.

The U.S. Women’s National Soccer team has not only fared much better than their male counterparts in international play, it is also more diverse.

Wayne Gretzky was 9 years old when he saw highlights of Bobby Orr’s Game Four Stanley Cup Finals goal that beat the St. Louis Blues 4-3 and brought the NHL championship to Boston for the first time in 29 years.

The world will have to wait until June 20 to see if the New Orleans Pelicans select Duke one-and-done star Zion Williamson with the first pick in the NBA Draft. For now, it seems like a no-brainer but this franchise has demonstrated a lack of mental capacity throughout its history, including…

The XFL will bring something new and historic to St. Louis’ professional sports scene when it kicks off in February 2020.

Drew Lock, the former Missouri quarterback who was slated to be a first-round pick in last week’s NFL draft, is headed to the Denver Broncos.

Forget the history, emotion and sentimentality of Tiger Woods’ win at The Masters on April 14. Let’s talk about the increase in revenues, television ratings and golf interest his victory instantly created.

How historic, dramatic and spectacular was Tiger Woods’ Masters victory last Sunday?

While Missouri’s basketball season ended with a losing record and no tournament play, the school can boast that it has a rarity among the Power 5 athletic conferences.

Finally, real momentum is building in Congress to address the NCAA’s blatant use of college athletes for its – and individuals – personal gain.

Dexter Fowler started slowly in 2018, but there was no reason to believe his season would be the disaster it was.

Let's examine the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Reid Roundup style ... Congratulations to the SLU Billikens for a gutsy four-game run that ended with a scintillating come-from-behind win over St. Bonaventure to win the Atlantic 10  title and a ticket to the tournament ... Hey Earl Austin …

Don Garber, Major League Soccer commissioner, visited St. Louis Monday to meet with prospective expansion team owners Jim Kavanaugh, World Wide Technology CEO and Carolyn Kindle Betz and members of Enterprise Holdings’ Taylor family.

You ever hear a name and think, “I’ve heard of that person before, but I can’t remember from where?”

The late Don Newcombe made his first visit to Danville, Illinois in 1983.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was purposely sent into the NFL wilderness by spiteful owners. His crime was kneeling during the national anthem.

It’s a big week for Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, who will make two appearances during the NBA All-Star Weekend, Feb. 15-17 in Charlotte.

Politics can make strange bedfellows, but the NCAA has managed to team a pair of the nation’s fiercest rivals. The tandem could lead a challenge against the NCAA that permanently alters its future.

Missouri was up 14 points with a bit more than two minutes left against LSU last Saturday and its largest crowd of the season was cheering on the host Tigers.

If I were a professional football, baseball or hockey player and could choose the city I performed in, St. Louis would not be at the top of the list. San Francisco would be first. Chicago would probably be second.

Most St. Louisans had no idea who Richard Chaifetz is until he helped privately finance the arena on the St. Louis University campus with a generous $12 million donation. It now holds his name.

Wasn’t the NFL dead about a year ago?

And then there were two – black NFL head coaches

Yep, 2019 is upon us. Here are a few wishes for some folks and some franchises.

The college bowl season got off to a rousing start last Saturday when North Carolina A&T held off a gallant Alcorn State squad to win the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl 24-22 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

To: Wiley “Chip” Price

In just more than six months, the area’s high school sports scene has provided some truly ugly moments.

The Washington Wizards would either get their act together last week or face major changes. You read that here last week. Home losses to the awful Cleveland Cavaliers and talented Portland Trailblazers – plus guard John Wall, cursing at coach Scott Brooks during a practice – have led to sour…

Fifty years ago, Americans John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised black glove covered fists in the air on the medal podium as the anthem played during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

Players and parents from Parkway North have accused MICDS players with directing racial slurs at black players throughout a state football playoff game last Saturday.

The black NFL coaching fraternity is now down to five with the firing of Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson.

It was a bad week for college basketball.

All systems seem to be a “go” with the Taylor family and World Wide Technology CEO Jim Kavanaugh backing a plan to construct a soccer stadium in the city of St. Louis and lure an expansion Major League Soccer franchise.

Major League Baseball’s best player in 2018 is black.

Remember the game show “To Tell the Truth?”

St. Louis NBA fans would love to see an Eastern Conference Finals showdown between the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards.

Gabby Douglas captured the world’s heart when she became the first African-American woman to win an Olympic Gold medal in the All-Around Individual gymnastic event at the London Summer Olympics in 2012.

Nike is celebrating the 30th year of its “Just Do It” slogan with a series of TV and print ads. One features Colin Kaepernick’s face with the words, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”