Racial attacks: Hockey player responds: When Joel Ward helped send the Washington Capitols to the second round of the playoffs, he was rewarded by a barrage of racist Tweets. In response, he said today, "I'm doing OK. I just want the team to win. That's the main focus for me. You can't let somebody make a few comments and take away from what we just accomplished, and it was a big victory. I'm just more upset about the fact that it took away a lot of accolades for guys like Braden Holtby, who played all those games and worked so hard. And now, the fact that people want to turn it into a couple comments a few fans made about myself is just terrible."
NBA sets the mark for minority coaches: Fourteen NBA head coaches are black, tying the 30-team league's own record for the most ever in a sport. "I'm glad that it has escalated to the point that it's at where so many have opportunities, but the NBA with David Stern have been unbelievable as far as minorities getting an opportunity to coach and go into front offices," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "I think the NBA is so much farther ahead than any other major sport."
Black filmmakers shine at Tribeca: At this year's festival, several films centered on a variety of black experiences received awards, Ebony reports. Last night at Tribeca All Access, filmmaker Yoruba Richen won the Creative Promise Award for her stand-out documentary The New Black, a bold exploration of the histories of the African-American and LGBT civil rights movements.
Oprah hands over cash to homeless man: According to the New York Post's spies, the down-on-his-luck chap asked the media mogul for a bowl of soup, but she ended up doing him one better. "Please, can we get him some money, get him a meal?" asked Oprah. As Scarpetta staff brought him a "feast," one of Oprah's dinner companions handed over a bunch of cash.
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