Jackson Free Press

Testing on the City of Jackson's water collected from water towers show lead limits that are below the threshold for concern, which city officials say suggests that lead-level problems repeated previously are a problem with the pipes in local homes, not with the distribution system.

It’s official. For the first time since 1970, a Super Bowl rematch will start the new NFL season in week one on Thursday night, Sept. 8, as the Carolina Panthers go to Denver to face the Broncos.

That’s the first game of the season, but it loses a ton of luster with Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning walking into the sunset. That leaves Mark “Butt Fumble” Sanchez and Trevor Siemian as Denver’s only quarterbacks at the moment. Siemian who? He is out of Northwestern University, I had to look him up, as well.

Carolina should be a modest favorite in this game. Cam Newton will get another chance at a defense that harassed and victimized him in the Super Bowl.

While the first game of the season might be lacking in some respects, it's time to turn our attention to the New Orleans Saints schedule. Depending on how things play out, the Saints have the potential to reach the playoffs.

New Orleans has the fourth hardest schedule, which ESPN Stats and Info shows. The reason for the strength of schedule is the Saints face the AFC and NFC West divisions, which have been two of the best in the league the last few years.

Here is a week-by-week breakdown.

New Orleans gets the Oakland Raiders at home to start the season. The noon kickoff should be a bit of an advantage, with the Raiders playing at 10 a.m. PST. Oakland has gotten better but is still building around a young core of players.

Week two has New Orleans traveling to New York City or in reality in New Jersey to face the New York Giants. The Saints will not know what they are going to get with the recent up-and-down play from Giants quarterback Eli Manning. This game could be a stepping-stone to the playoffs for the winner.

New Orleans should be fired up for its week three matchup. The game is at home against the hated Atlanta Falcons. It is on Monday Night Football and on the 10-year anniversary of the reopening of the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. Expect the dome to set a record for loudest crowd ever.

The Saints travel west in week four as they go to San Diego to take on the Chargers. Last season, the wheels fell off for San Diego as it went 4-12, but the team does have a franchise quarterback in Philip Rivers, so a quick bounce-back is possible. But will the Chargers stay focused with talk of moving out of San Diego each week?

New Orleans is on a bye during the fifth week of the season. It is early, but it's a chance to get healthy before some big games coming up.

Week six starts the make-or-break part of the Saints' schedule. New Orleans gets the defending NFC Champions Carolina Panthers at home. If the Saints are going to win the division, they will have to get past the …

Records, news, trades, playoffs and retirements have fueled the sports world for nearly the last 24 hours. It seems that if you look away for a single second, or go to bed before midnight like I did last night, you missed something happening in sports.

Things got started in the NHL as the playoffs got underway last night with three games. Tampa Bay outlasted Detroit 3-2 to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Pittsburgh used a hat trick from Patric Hornqvist to beat the New York Rangers 5-2. Finally, the St. Louis Blues needed overtime to get past the Chicago Blackhawks in their 1-0 win.

The NHL Playoffs were nice, but the final night of the NBA regular season had a legend in his final game and a chase for a record. In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant played in his final game at home as a Laker. In Oakland, the Golden State Warriors went for win 73 to break the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls record of 72 wins in the regular season.

In his final game, Kobe didn’t disappoint as he put on a show for the home fans. The Laker great went for 60 points in his final game.

Bryant became the oldest player to score 50 or more points in an NBA game. There is one catch to Kobe’s big night, though: It took him 50 shots to get 60 points.

He had 22 made shots out of 50 attempts, six made three-point shots off of 21 attempts and 10 of 12 free throws made on the night. Just two other Lakers attempted double-digit shots.

Sure, Kobe got 50, but he got there pretty ugly. But the only thing people will remember is that Bryant got 60 in his final game—not the way he got the points.

On a side note, the Staples Center, where the Lakers play their home games, along with the Clippers, sold $1.2 million worth of merchandise in one day. That breaks the record for most merchandise sold in a single day in any arena in the world. The previous record belonged to O2 Arena in London when Led Zeppelin sold $1 million worth of merchandise in their first full-length concert in 30 years.

While Kobe remembered that there wasn’t a shot he didn’t like in his NBA career, the Warriors were trying get their 73 wins. Golden State cruised to a 20-point lead at halftime over the Memphis Grizzlies, and Stephen Curry had hit 399 three-point shots at that point in the season.

Curry wasted no time getting his 400th three-point shot of the season shortly after halftime. He finished the regular season with an NBA record 402 three-point shots.

The Warriors' star also became the third player in NBA history to shoot more than 90 percent from the free throw line, 50 percent from the field and 45 percent from the three-point range. The only other …

This afternoon Gov. Phil Bryant signed SB 2161 into law. The bill amends the Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013 to allow students who live in C, D and F districts to cross district lines to enroll in charter schools.

Currently, the only two charter schools in the state are open in the city of Jackson. Jackson Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Sharolyn Miller said today at a public hearing on public education funding held by the Black Legislative Caucus in conjunction with House and Senate Democrats that charter schools billed JPS's local tax contributions $565,000 for the 221 JPS students enrolled this school year.

“The law requires that for every child who goes to a charter school who lives in Jackson, we have to send a certain amount of dollars to fund charter schools," she said at the hearing this morning.

Sierra Mannie is an education reporting fellow for the Jackson Free Press and the Hechinger Report. Email her at [email protected].

In just three weeks, the dreams of 253 college football stars will come true. They'll will be lucky enough to hear their name called during the 2016 NFL Draft.

The NFL released the names of the 25 prospects that will be in attendance at Roosevelt University’s Auditorium Theatre in Chicago for the draft April 28-30. Ohio State University ties the 2012 University of Alabama record for the college with the most invites, but plenty of prospects from our state will be there, as well.

Highlighting the list is University of Mississippi offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, who is projected to go in the top few picks. Tunsil could be the No. 1 overall pick if the Tennessee Titans don’t choose cornerback Jalen Ramsey out of Florida State University.

Tunsil has all the skill you want in a left tackle to protect your quarterback for the next decade in the league. He won’t last long, and,I believe he will be gone in the first five picks of the draft.

Rebels fans might not have to wait long to hear the next UM player off the board. Wide receiver Laquon Treadwell is expected to be off the board quickly. He might be picked as high as sixth by the Baltimore Ravens, but he shouldn’t last any longer than the 15th pick of the Los Angeles Rams.

Treadwell is considered to be one of the two top receiver picks. If he isn’t the first receiver off the board, it will more than likely be Will Fuller out of the University of Notre Dame.

While much has been made about his lack of speed, the fact that he doesn’t have sprinter speed didn’t stop Treadwell from coming back from a broken leg, which he suffered last year, to be one of the most productive receivers in the nation. He has a big body; he knows how to use it to shield defenders, and he has strong hands. He competes for the ball, and when it is in the air, he goes and gets it.

The final Rebel to get an invite is defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche. A ton of speculation surrounds Nkemdiche as he heads into the draft.

There are questions about off the field issues, disappearing at times during games, his conditioning and so forth. What is not in question, though, is when he plays at his peak, he is a top five pick.

Will a team take him on his potential over his production or will his red flags force him to slide down the draft board? It seems highly unlikely that Nkemdiche will slide out of the first round, but stranger things have happened in the draft.

One lone Bulldog out of Mississippi State University will be in attendance for the draft. Defensive tackle Chris Jones will represent MSU, and where he could land is a mystery.

Seven other defensive line prospects were invited to the draft besides Jones such as …

You know it’s spring when college basketball comes to an end and the long NHL and NBA season moves into the playoffs.

Of course, baseball means springtime, as “The Boys of Summer” officially get their start. But the season is important for another insanely popular sport: football.

Every high school and college team will spend some time out on the practice field to prepare for next season.

Most college football teams will end spring practice with a football game. While being just a glorified scrimmage, spring games have become big at the FBS level, with the major conferences getting theirs on television.

Some colleges will fill up their stadiums for a game like they were playing a regular opponent on a fall Saturday. Stadiums will be filled with 50,000 to 100,000 folks just getting a sense of what next year’s team might be like on the field.

Colleges have also figured out how to maximize this event. Several schools will host other sports at home on the weekend of the spring game to get fans who are there to check out sports that they might otherwise have attended during the season such as baseball or softball.

The idea is win-win for everyone. Fans get a football fix. Football gets fans excited to buy season tickets. Other sports get exposure that they might not have otherwise gotten.

Jackson State University has a full Saturday planned when the school puts on its annual Blue and White game. The Blue and White Tigerfest 2016 is this Saturday, April 16, at Walter Payton Drive on the university’s main campus.

The Tigers will host a spring game at 12:30 p.m. at the JSU practice field behind the Walter Payton Center, but more events will happen before the game. Tigerfest officially starts with the arrival of the Mass Marching Band at 10 a.m. and a meet-and-greet with the Tigers coaches and players starts at the same time.

In addition to the game, Tigerfest will also have area high-school bands performing, and JSU cheerleaders, Prancing J-Settes and a kids zone (which costs $5). Entertainment includes Karma and the Love Notez Concert, a Greek Step Show, Ole School JD and Dance, and Thee I Love Student Live Concert and DJ. Most of the entertainment will be on stages in front of the tennis courts.

JSU baseball will also take on main rival Alcorn State University in a double-header that begins at 1 p.m. at Braddy Field.

General admission is free for children 10-years-old and under and JSU students with a university ID. General admission is $10 dollars for everyone else. Blankets and lawn chairs are allowed.

Tailgating is allowed for $25 and $50 for RVs and vendors. Gates open at 8 a.m. For more information, call 601-362-0866.

JSU Tiger Fund and the JSU Division of Athletics will present Tigerfest.

Organizers today cancelled the 37th Annual Mississippi Picnic in Central Park, saying it would not happen this year due to passage of House Bill 1523. The picnic was planned for Saturday, June 11, Noon to 5:00 pm in Central Park at 5th Avenue and 72nd Street. The theme of the 2016 picnic was to be “Nothing but the Blues,” as a tribute to B. B. King.

The New York Mississippi Society organizes the picnic, which has been a huge promotional and networking opportunity that draws together Mississippi natives living in New York City and tourism and other business officials who travel there for the picnic.

A woman who answered the phone at the number posted on the website promoting the picnic earlier today said that an update would be posted on the website soon.

Mississippi Development Authority spokesman Jeff Rent said today, via email, that the State and MDA were not consulted in advance of the decision, which came from the organizers based in New York. "The New York Mississippi Society has made the decision to cancel the Mississippi Picnic in Central Park. We are disappointed in not only their decision, but also their lack of discussion with Mississippi partners before cancelling the event," Rent wrote.

Two years ago, famed Oxford chef and restaurateur John Currence and Ole Miss students brought a pro-LGBT message to Central Park after Gov. Bryant signed the earlier, but less odious religious-freedom act.

A petition had urged New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and others to stop the picnic in Central park after the passage of House Bill 1523.

The website states:

Faster than a New York minute, we can tell you one thing, Mississippi should not be proud, nor does it deserve to celebrate their State in this park if they don't share New York’s values of diversity, inclusion and mutual respect.

The official website for the picnic lists their mission as "To preserve the culture and heritage of the state of Mississippi." The "heritage" of Mississippi has no business being on full display in the cathedral of parks in New York City. Mississippi has routinely been on the wrong side of history and once again in 2016, the state passes legislation that puts members of the LGBTQ community at risk. At an event of this nature, Mississippi wants to claim the literary great in native son Tennessee Williams, a gay man, who if alive today could now be legally denied a meal in an Oxford restaurant because the owner didn't approve of his sexual orientation.

The front page of the website promoting the picnic changed dramatically in the last half hour, from the top image here to the bottom one:

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2016/apr/12/25355/

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2016/apr/12/25356/

UPDATE: The Copiah County Courier has a copy of a press statement from the picnic organizers posted. Here is is verbatim:

Annual New York - Mississippi Picnic Cancelled Event was scheduled for June 11 in Central Park

We, the founders …

Mississippi State traveled to Gainesville, Fla. to square off against one of the top teams in the SEC. In a series between two highly ranked teams, the Bulldogs seemed to face an uphill climb, as the University of Florida hadn’t lost at home this season and were on a 28-home game winning streak.

Florida struck down MSU in the first game 8-2 on Friday night, April 8, pushing the team's winning streak to 29 straight home wins. The Bulldogs bounced back Saturday for a 10-4 win, breaking that streak.

That left a rubber game to win the series on Sunday and the first time all season the Bulldogs needed to win the final game so they could win an SEC series this season. MSU battled its way to a 2-1 win to take the series from the Gators, who in some polls were ranked No. 1 in the country.

The series win for the Diamond Dogs was the first at Florida since 2007. MSU improved to 23-9-1 on overall and 8-4 in SEC play.

By defeating Florida, the Bulldogs have now won four straight SEC series at the beginning of conference play. MSU started the week with a 14-0 win over the University of Tennessee at Martin.

In conference play, MSU leads Texas A&M University (7-5) by a game in the SEC West standings as the Aggies come to Starkville for Super Bulldog Weekend. MSU leads Louisiana State University (6-6), the University of Alabama (6-6) and the University of Mississippi (6-6) by two games.

Overall in the SEC, MSU is tied with Florida and the University of Kentucky at 8-4 in conference play. The University of South Carolina has the best record in the conference at 10-2 and doesn’t play the Bulldogs this season.

The national polls noticed the Bulldogs' series win over the weekend.

Mississippi State moved up two spots from No. 10 to No. 8 in the USA Today Baseball Top 25 Coaches Poll.

Perfectgame.org moved them up from No. 8 to No. 3 in its poll.

Baseball America and D1Baseball.com pushed MSU from No. 5 all the way to No. 2 in their new polls.

While the new rankings are great for the Bulldogs, players, coaches and fans need to remember that baseball is a marathon and not a sprint. MSU still has some big games and series left this season.

For starters, the Bulldogs play Texas A&M this weekend and then go to LSU the next weekend. MSU meets UM at Trustmark Park for the Governor's Cup on April 26.

The Bulldogs hit the road to battle Alabama after meeting the Rebels in the middle of the week. MSU finishes the SEC part of the schedule with a home series against the University of Missouri, a road series against Auburn University and at home against the University of Arkansas.

While it is tempting to look …

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has dismissed the Google lawsuit against Attorney General Jim Hood.

The 5th Circuit struck down a lower court's injunction that prevented Attorney General Jim Hood from enforcing the administrative subpoena or bringing any civil or criminal action against Google “for making accessible third-party content to internet users.” The 5th Circuit said that Google's case against Hood should be remanded to the lower court and dismissed as well as the preliminary injunction removed.

The Court did not rule on the merits of Hood's subpoena, which sought "sought information on Google’s platforms, advertising practices, and knowledge of and efforts to police 'dangerous' or 'illegal' content such as prescription or illicit drug sales, drug abuse, credit card leaks, fraudulent identification documents, human trafficking, and copyright infringement."

AG Hood will hold a press conference today at 1:30 p.m. to discuss the lawsuit.

The JXN Trailblazers is a group dedicated to encouraging and promoting the building a multi-use trail from the Farmers' Market in downtown Jackson to the Lefleur's museum district centered at Lakeland Drive just east of I-55.

The NCAA finally released penalties on the University of Southern Mississippi men’s basketball program and former coaches, including Donnie Tyndall, who are receiving the most severe penalties with the program.

Tyndall, who was given a 10-year show-cause penalty, earned the worst one. The show-cause penalty for him runs from April 8, 2016, to April 7, 2026. A show-cause penalty means the punishment for Tyndall follows him to any other NCAA school that hires him, unless the school hiring him can "show-cause” (prove a good reason) why it shouldn’t be penalized for hiring Tyndall.

Dave Bliss, former Baylor University men’s basketball coach, is the only other coach to be hit with a 10-year show-cause penalty. Here is why Bliss was hit with his punishment.

The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions based the punishment on the fact that Tyndall acted unethically and failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance when he directed his staff to engage in academic misconduct. Tyndall was also accused of fabricating paperwork to justify payments to student-athletes.

The report from the NCAA says that Tyndall got members of his coaching staff to complete fake coursework for prospective players so they would be eligible to play as soon as they got on campus.

“The activity began within six weeks of the former head coach starting at the university, involved the majority of the former coach’s staff and involved approximately half of the prospects the university recruited during a two-year period,” the NCAA said in the report. “The former head coach directed two graduate assistants and a former assistant coach to travel to two-year colleges to complete coursework for prospects.”

Tyndall was also accused of paying players as well.

“One former high school coach mailed the money directly to the former head coach, who would then deliver the money to the student-athlete for university bills,” the report stated. It also said: “The former head coach also facilitated cash and prepaid credit card payments to two prospects from former coaches.”

While at USM from 2012 to 2014, Tyndall led the Golden Eagles to a 56-17 record and led the team to two NIT berths. While Tyndall was at Morehead State University in New York, the program was placed on two years probation due to activities by a booster.

Tyndall left USM for the University of Tennessee before the accusations of violations came out but was fired after the Volunteers administration found out the scope of his misdeeds. Currently Tyndall is an associate athletic director at NAIA school Tennessee Wesleyan College.

Direct from the NCAA report here is the penalties and corrective actions imposed by the panel which include:

A three-year probation period to run consecutive to the present probation period. The three-year period will begin on Jan. 30, 2017, and run through Jan. 29, 2020.

A two-year postseason ban for the men’s basketball team. The school will be credited for the self-imposed postseason bans during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 …

Rep. Joel Bomgar started the very successful company that still bears his name, although he no longer owns it. The CEO of Bomgar has now come out against House Bill 1523—a bill that the Republican representative supported. Here is Matt Dircks' full statement, verbatim:

Bomgar Corporation was founded in Mississippi 13 years ago, and we are extremely proud of the unwavering commitment to living Bomgar’s core values from our employees who work in our Ridgeland, Mississippi, office as well as our offices around the globe. That’s why I feel it’s important to state that Mississippi’s ‘religious freedom’ legislation, House Bill 1523, is inconsistent with the values and principles that are at the core of Bomgar’s culture.

At Bomgar, we strongly believe every individual has dignity and worth and the right to be treated equally. As Bomgar’s CEO, I’m personally disappointed in any legislation that does not provide equal treatment and rights for all, regardless of color, sex, race, religion, and sexual orientation. Bomgar embraces diversity, and the principles of equality and integrity are at the heart of everything we seek to accomplish and stand for as a company.

Bomgar opposes discrimination, and we respect, support, and welcome all current and future Bomgar employees and customers.

Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, asking her to review the House Bill 1523, file a lawsuit against Mississippi and declare the bill unconstitutional, which Gov. Bryant signed into law on Tuesday. Below is the press release and the letter reproduced in full.

“Today, I sent a letter to United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking her to examine Mississippi House Bill No. 1523, the so-called “religious freedom” act, and file suit against the State of Mississippi for the overreaching, unconstitutional, and blatantly discriminatory piece of legislation.”

“The discriminatory bill that the governor signed into law yesterday places a dark cloud over the State of Mississippi and will harm the state in business, industry, academics and reputation. I implore the Attorney General and the Department of Justice to act swiftly on my request and work to make sure justice and equality prevail.”

Letter text below:

April 6, 2016

The Honorable Loretta E. Lynch Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530-0001

Dear Attorney General Lynch:

On April 5, 2016, Governor Phil Bryant of the State of Mississippi signed into law the so-called “Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act.” This law purports to protect Mississippians from discrimination by government officials for practicing/observing their religious beliefs. A cursory review of MS House Bill No. 1523, reveals that this bill does no such thing: instead, it gives employers, business owners, and any other person or entity in Mississippi the explicit right to discriminate against anyone with a lifestyle they disagree with in the name of religion. Simply put, this is government-sanctioned discrimination.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prevents discrimination by government agencies that receive federal funds. Here, an entire state has sanctioned discrimination against an entire LGBT population in MS. Moreover, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination against an individual because they are associated with a person of a particular race, color, religion, sex or national origin. There are countless other laws and regulations on the books that prevent discrimination in one way or another. MS House Bill No. 1523 clearly violates all of those laws. Therefore, I strongly urge DOJ to institute a lawsuit to declare MS House Bill No. 1523 unconstitutional and in violation of the United States Constitution and the previously identified and other civil rights statutes, regulations and executive orders.

A copy of MS House Bill 1523 is enclosed. Again, I strongly urge DOJ, as soon as possible, to file a law suit and take any other appropriate action against the State of Mississippi to strike down this discriminatory law. If you have any questions, please contact Trey Baker, Counsel in my Washington, D.C., office at 202-225-5876 or at [email protected]. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Bennie G. Thompson Member of Congress

It's April 7, the first Thursday in April, which means Fondren's First Thursday is tonight.

Among the local vendors who will come out tonight and celebrate (including Jackson Free Press), other events are planned as well. The event begins at 3 p.m. today. At 7 p.m., teams can race down Duling Avenue in the Duling Dash. The teams, which are composed of two to three people wearing their wackiest clothes, have to compete in racing segments that include a shopping-cart push, toilet ride (you read that right) and a crab crawl. The winning team will receive, T-shirts, gift cards and other swag. Entry for the race is free. For teams who didn't get a chance to sign up before FFT, they will have a chance between 5 and 6:30 p.m.

The sixth annual Walk Against Traffick Jackson is also tonight. Those who want to participate can sign up at walkagainsttraffick.org or at FFT itself. The event's proceeds will support The Hard Place Community's work against child sex trafficking. The event is from 5 to 9 p.m. The starting point is in front of Fondren Corner (2906 N. State St.). Participants will walk around Fondren, and the event will consist of about 10 miles. Groups are encourage to have six to 10 walkers with an individual fundraising goal of $100. People can make the donations themselves, or they can ask sponsors to support them for $1 per mile for 10 miles.

The Hustlers will play at Duling Hall from 5 to 8 p.m., and the Patterson Blaylock Photography Gallery will have live music from 5 to 8 p.m., as well as art from Laurin Stennis. The JXN Escape Room will bring a mini escape room to the Pix/Capri Theater from 6 p.m. until.

FFT will also have free DIY T-shirt printing, an outdoor pop-up art gallery, crowd-participation art, a Sneaky Beans dance party, a grand opening of technology start-up incubator Mantle, a Fondren Plaza music festival, a Mississippi Museum of Art pop-up event, a Kidzone, Duling Market, free outdoor yoga, craft beer, cornhole, dogs, food trucks, restaurant specials and other things.

For more information, visit the Fondren's First Thursday Facebook page.

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2016/apr/07/25289/

One thing that has changed over the last few years is the way we watch television. The days of must-see TV are becoming a thing of the past.

There are more ways than ever to watch the shows we love, though a few programs, such as “Game of Thrones” or “The Walking Dead,” still command a large viewership when they first air.

Now, with DVR, on-demand, streaming and other TV watching options, we have changed our viewing habits. One area where live TV still has going for it these days are sports.

Sure, you can re-watch or record a game, but you also have to worry about someone spoiling the score in person or on social media. The same can be said for most TV shows, but after knowing who won, it really makes it hard to watch a game. This is especially true if the team you were going to root for is the one who came up short on the scoreboard.

It is no secret that one of the top-rated TV programs is “Sunday Night Football” on NBC. Live sports has been a key factor that has kept a majority of people from “cutting the cord” from cable.

That has started to change as more people are still giving up cable and sports, due to the price or changes in viewing habits. The lure of live sports isn’t enough to keep people on cable packages.

Also helping cut the cord is Sling, which offers live streaming of ESPN, among other channels, for $20 a month. There is an add-on package for sports for $5 dollars a month.

As more cities get fiber-optic services, the drop in cable might be even more extreme. It could also force sports to cater more to streaming audiences who have gotten rid of their cable.

The NFL may be the first major sports entity to look to the future with its new deal with Twitter. Bloomberg first reported on the $10-million deal, which will allow Twitter to stream all 10 Thursday night NFL games.

The arrangement may be a win-win for the NFL and Twitter.

Twitter has struggled to attract and keep new users as their stock price has fallen, and the NFL gets a chance to try out streaming games while still offering the same programming on CBS, NBC and NFL Network.

The games will also be streamed on Twitter for free, which could be a way for the NFL to reach those cord-cutters and younger audiences that watch TV differently from their parents. This deal gives the NFL a way to test the streaming market before the company’s broadcast-rights agreement comes to an end in 2021.

Twitter won the right to the Thursday night games over streaming companies such as Amazon, Verizon Communications and Yahoo, which are better known for streaming shows and events than Twitter.

That $10-million bargain that Twitter signed is also important considering that Yahoo paid …

The Human Rights Commission has releases a statement that includes an open letter to Governor Phil Bryant, Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves and Speaker Philip Gunn, calling on them to repeal HB 1523.

Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber issues a statement this evening in the wake of the passage of HB 1523 and city council action.

Several organizations have issued statements responding to Gov. Phil Bryant signing House Bill 1523 into law. Mississippi law professors from both the University of Mississippi and Mississippi College law schools and legal scholars issued this memo, saying the bill violates the First Amendment.

Vermont, New York, Seattle and Washington D.C. have issued travel bans to the state as a result of the bill being signed. Attorney General Jim Hood issued a statement warning that House Bill 1523 will not protect state officials from federal lawsuits if they violate federal statutes.

Attorney General Jim Hood “Any lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of House Bill 1523 will have to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. We would caution government officials and others that House Bill 1523 does not override federal law or constitutional rights. If a person or government official violates a federal statute or constitutional provision, House Bill 1523 will not protect that official from a federal lawsuit or from potential personal liability under federal law.”

Rep. Jeramey Anderson, D-Moss Point

Rep. Anderson released a statement on Twitter regarding HB 1523 which was signed into law by Governor Phil Bryant today:

“In high school, I was educated about Jim Crow laws and practices, I never once thought, I would be a part of a state legislature that would create such discriminatory and unethical practices based on Christian beliefs or religious practices, the same Christian beliefs that encourage you to love your neighbor and not to pass judgment. We use religion as a shield to discriminate. The work this state has invested to progress past our dark past was challenged today when the Governor signed this discriminatory bill. Not only is this a setback to our State’s economy but it is also a setback for our young bright and talented Mississippi children who call Mississippi their home. First an underfunded public education system, crumbling infrastructure and now a discriminatory bill into law. Mississippi has to rise above and not continue to make national news for all the negative impacts on Mississippians. I firmly believe that an inequality for one is an inequality for all. I will continue to fight to ensure equality for all.”

The Democratic National Committee Verbatim Statement on HB1523 below:

Upon news that Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant has signed the discriminatory House Bill 1523 into law, DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz issued the following statement:

“It’s embarrassing, shameful, and truly perplexing that the Republicans still don’t get it. LGBT Americans are entitled to equal protection under the law, just as everyone else. No exceptions. No allowances for discrimination. That we’re even still debating this in 2016 boggles the mind.

“‘Right to Discriminate’ measures signed into law by Republican governors are proof that the Republican Party’s leaders are stuck in the dark ages when it comes to equality and that they've been on a divisive path toward destruction since long before Donald Trump ran for president. In fact, the Republican National Committee has …

Right now, the most dominant team in sports is the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team. The Huskies are on a 74-game winning streak, and with a win tonight in the national championship game, they will claim their fourth straight title.

A fourth consecutive championship would be a record in women’s basketball and would only trail the University of California, Los Angeles men’s seven titles from 1967 to 1973. Those great John Wooden-led Bruins teams won 10 titles in 12 seasons overall.

The Huskies’ dominance doesn’t sit well with some people. Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe thinks Connecticut’s program is bad for women’s basketball.

Shaughnessy tweeted: “UConn Women beat Miss St 98-38 in NCAA Tourney. Hate to punish them for being great, but they are killing women’s game. Watch? No Thanks.”

The Boston Globe scribe doesn’t want to punish the Huskies for being great but then goes on to say he doesn’t want to watch said greatness? How is that not punishing UConn for being great?

Did UCLA men’s basketball dominance kill the men’s game? Did Pennsylvania State University women’s volleyball team, who won four straight titles from 2007 to 2010, kill women’s volleyball?

Did Penn State men’s wrestling winning five of the last six national titles ruin men’s wrestling? Did the Green Bay Packers ruin professional football by winning three straight titles, including the first two Super Bowls?

Has the New York Yankees’ dominance of baseball killed the sport following their five of six title wins from 1936 to 1943, their five titles from 1949 to 1953, or their four of five titles from 1996 to 2000?

The Boston Celtics didn’t ruin the NBA when they won eight championships in a row from 1959 to 1966. Even the WNBA is still standing after the Houston Comets captured four straight titles from 1997 to 2000.

Every sport at some time or another has seen a single team dominate the sport. Other teams had winning streaks and championship streaks like UConn .

They Huskies aren’t different from any of those. UConn might be winning by a larger margin, but in the end, winning is winning.

If it is boring or “killing” a sport to see the same team win over and over again, then at some point, everyone should have stopped watching sports. But we still watch.

Fans hold UCLA’s streak of titles in high esteem now, and when history looks back at the Huskies, their streak will be equally revered. There are only so many times in your life when you get to see greatness, and it should be enjoyed, not put down.

If Syracuse University defeats UConn tonight, the Orange should be celebrated as champions, and the Huskies should be celebrated for what they accomplished, as well. But it won’t end the sport if the Huskies win.

Connecticut’s level is what every team should strive to reach in men’s and women’s sports. The very idea that greatness …

The responses to Gov. Phil Bryant's signing of HB 1523 today are coming fast and furious, but this one by U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson really stands out. Here it is, verbatim:

“Last week, the Mississippi Legislature agreed on a version of House Bill No. 1523, the so-called “Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act” and, today, Governor Phil Bryant – in an act that could have long lasting negative impacts on the state – chose not to resist the forces in this state that paint Mississippi as backwards, insensitive and discriminatory but instead sided with those forces and signed the bill into law. The bill will allow circuit clerks to deny marriage licenses, prevent certain individuals from having access to adoption, stop citizens from having access to medical treatment and will go as far as to regulate clothing choices for kids in school, and generally, provide for government-regulated discrimination.”

“The effect of signing this bill could be far-reaching and gravely damaging to our state. Industries that are considering bringing jobs to our state and talented individuals considering bringing their skills to our state could decide to turn their backs on Mississippi just as the Governor and State Legislature have turned their backs on our own citizens and neighbors. Much needed federal funding for things like transportation, infrastructure, and agriculture might be jeopardized now that this ill-advised and, indeed, discriminatory bill has been signed into law in Mississippi.”

“We have seen these types of ‘religious freedom’ bills in other states and we have seen the negative impact that they have had on industry and tourism in those states. I am deeply concerned that the same negative economic impacts will now befall Mississippi. For example, the NCAA has already placed the state of Mississippi under a postseason ban because the state still flies a flag bearing the emblem of the confederacy. Now, the state has upped the ante and adopted a bill that has the potential of legalizing discrimination. Who knows what penalties and consequences this law will bring from the NCAA and any of a number of other governing bodies with interests in the state?”

“Today, by signing this discriminatory bill, Governor Phil Bryant turned the clock back to a time when discrimination was codified through Jim Crow laws and poll taxes instead of looking forward to a more inclusive and tolerant future. This is no religious freedom bill but rather a bill that gives freedom to those who discriminate.”

See jfp.ms/lgbt for ongoing coverage of HB 1523 and the fight for LGBT rights in Mississippi.