Coach Boeheim gets his 800th win

Jim Boeheim got his 800^th win as the Syracuse University men’s basketball team defeated Albany 75-43, according to syracuse.com. Boeheim was honored after the game, in the Carrier Dome, with a framed “800” jersey, and a video honoring his career was played.

The 65-year-old Boeheim is now the 8^th coach to reach 800 wins in NCAA men’s basketball history.  He is 3^rd on the active coaches list behind Mike Krzyzewski of Duke and Jim Calhoun of UConn.

The game was played as a part of the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament. Arinze Onukau lead all scores with 14 points and Wes Johnson added 12 for the Orange.

My Take: This is a monumental milestone for Coach Boeheim and Syracuse University. This partnership has accounted for 800 wins over the last 31 seasons for the entire Syracuse community to witness. It is a true indicator of how successful Boeheim and his program have been.

Supreme court refuses to block DC Sniper’s execution.

The Supreme Court voted not to block the execution of the man responsible for Washington D.C. sniper deaths, cnn.com reports. 48-year-old John Allen Muhammad is scheduled for execution by lethal injection at 9 p.m. tonight.

Muhammad was the mastermind behind the Washington D.C. sniper shooting that killed 10 people, during October of 2002. Muhammad has continued to plead his innocence throughout the trial process.

Muhammad’s last appeal would be in the hands of Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who has said he would not grant it.

My Take: This man captivated America for three weeks as he terrorized the Washington D.C. area. This man caused so much pain to so many people and now his request has been denied. Over six years after the crisis, Muhammad will finally pay the price for his actions.

Paterson urges lawmakers to pass gay marriage bill

Gov. Paterson advised lawmakers last night to legalize gay marriage in New York State, syracuse.com reports. 

In a rare mid year address, Paterson gave hope to gay rights advocates while urging lawmakers to pass the bill. Paterson said the issue speaks to the “very foundation of our democracy.”

This all comes a week after gay rights were banned for a citizen’s vote in the state of Maine.

My Take: This is the first good news that gay rights advocates have heard in a while. Maine followed other states in rejecting gay marriage laws and this is a change of news. After hearing about defeats, it must be important for their cause to hear of someone campaigning for them.