Mark Gray hosts The SportsGroove Radio Program on NewsTalk 1450 WOL-AM & www.wolam.com Monday - Friday from 7-10 pm. Learn more about the show at www.myspace.com/thesportsgroove

Gray Matters
Homecoming On Different Sides of The Parkway
By Mark F. Gray

Update Final: Morgan St. 36, Howard 33, OT

Separated by roughly 40 miles and light years in perception, Howard University and Morgan State will renew one of the more heated rivalries in HBCU football Saturday afternoon on homecoming in Baltimore.  During my radio show – The SportsGroove on Newstalk 1450 WOL Tuesday night - Howard alum and Wizards beat writer for the Washington Times John Mitchell - termed it best as the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s. 

If the rivalry were to be defined purely on football history alone, the Bison are clearly a three touchdown underdog.  There are four Bears in the Pro Football Hall of Fame – Roosevelt Brown, Len Ford, Leroy Kelly, and Willie Lanier.  Howard has none.
However, in that what have you done for me lately department, when it comes to active players currently in the NFL Howard now leads with: Antoine Bethea (Indianapolis Colts), Ron Bartel (St. Louis Rams), Marques Douglas (San Francisco 49’ers), and Tracy White (Green Bay Packers).  Morgan only has only one Visanthe Shiancoe with the Minnesota Vikings.

This year’s game is a contrast in styles.  Morgan’s Chad Simpson – no relation to O.J. although runs like him – is fifth in the nation in rushing averaging over 163 yards per game having already rushed for over 1,000 yards in six games.  Howard’s Brian Johnson is the top rated passer in the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference which is nothing new at the HBCU version of quarterback U.

It should be a classic game! But this is homecoming and with all due respect to the coaches and players who make the ultimate sacrifice its more than just the game.   Homecoming is about renewing acquaintances and remembering the past.  It is about remembering when life was simple and innocent and when it seemed you could take over the world.

The homecoming weekends at Howard and Morgan are polar opposite. At Howard you’ll see celebrities, radio stations, music video programs, and one year there were scenes for a Spike Lee movie being shot.

It’s sexy.  It’s chic.   It’s the place to be. But it doesn’t feel like homecoming.  It’s more of an event. Morgan’s homecoming is like going home.   Who needs celebrities when its your homecoming its all about your folks?  This is about family and during the reunion who needs stars and folks who want to be seen with them.

Besides if they shot a movie at Morgan it would probably be an episode of The Wire.  I don’t want Stringer Bell or Prop Joe on the yard anyway.

However, truth be told.  I’ll be at Howard next Saturday.