ATLANTA -- The kickoff to the monthlong bowl season is more than just another game. T.J. Oshie Jersey .For that matter, its goes far beyond the two teams taking the field at noon Saturday.This is a chance to honor the legacy of all those historically black colleges and universities that played such a vital role in the growth of college football, giving African-Americans a place to play when they didnt have anywhere else to turn.Call this a well-deserved celebration, which is why there is no more aptly named postseason game than the Celebration Bowl.We wouldnt be able to do what were doing today, said John Grant, executive director of the game that will be played at the Georgia Dome, if not for what they did yesterday.Indeed, in the days of Jim Crow, HBCUs were a lifeline for African-Americans in the South.Unless they had the means and opportunity to continue their athletic careers far from home, outside the reach of segregation, blacks were limited to schools such as Grambling State and North Carolina Central, which will meet in this years Celebration Bowl.Grambling, in particular, built a powerhouse program under longtime coach Eddie Robinson, sending countless players to the NFL after they were denied the opportunity to attend whites-only universities such as Alabama and Clemson, which are part of this years College Football Playoff.Of course, those schools now rely heavily on Africa-American athletes. Much like the Negro Leagues in baseball, HBCU athletic programs were hit hard by the collapse of the color line.The best high school prospects are understandably drawn to the schools that offer the biggest stadiums, the best resources and training facilities, the opportunity to play on national television almost every Saturday, the clearest path to the NFL.Yet, its worth noting that the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the league that North Carolina Central won to claim its spot in the Celebration Bowl opposite Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Grambling State, had three players go in the NFL draft this past spring.Grant wants to ensure the legacy of the HBCUs is preserved, while also highlighting all the important things theyre still doing today -- on and off the field.A game that will be nationally televised by ABC, as well as broadcast around the world on the Armed Forces Network, is a huge step in that direction.There are good players attending and participating at these universities, Grant said. The relevance of these programs is still very strong and viable. Its our intention to showcase that to the nation.As if to show how much this game means to the MEAC and the SWAC, those conferences passed up a chance to send their champions to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Instead, theyll play for whats billed as the HBCU national championship, and its hard to argue with the logic.A year ago, the inaugural Celebration Bowl attracted more than 35,000 fans to the Georgia Dome, as well as a television audience of some 14.6 million viewers, according to Grant.An athlete chooses a school to go to because he wants to be seen, he said. Now, we have two conferences that have exactly the same platform on national television as every other bowl team. Now, coaches can go out and recruit with the same type of tool that the other schools have, the tool of visibility.But this isnt about putting Grambling on a level playing field with Alabama. Thats never going to happen. The Celebration Bowl is focused on an even bigger goal -- ensuring the viability of HBCUs in a time of ever-shrinking government funding and declining enrollments.Grant said the teams that played in last years game, North Carolina A&T and Alcorn State, both received a boost in applications and admissions for the current school year.Having a viable athletic program that brings visibility to a school is one of the best student recruiting tools you can have, he said.Heres hoping the Celebration Bowl succeeds where two others have failed. The Pelican Bowl matched the MEAC and SWAC champions in the 1970s, but low attendance doomed that game. The Heritage Bowl came along in the 1990s, but it failed to survive largely because teams could choose to take part instead in the I-AA playoffs, which would leave a leagues second- or even third-best team for the bowl game.The players seem to realize whats at stake.This game is really important for the history of HBCUs, said Darius Spruill, a senior defensive tackle at North Carolina Central. Most people in the world arent really focused on HBCUs as much as they should be. I feel like this game brings much-needed exposure to the HBCU football history.Grant is focused just as much on the future.He wants this to be a game that stretches beyond the African-American community. He refers to HBCUs as some of the most diverse campuses in the country, with growing numbers of white and Hispanic students. For instance, North Carolina Centrals enrollment of 8,155 students is 12 percent white and nearly 2 percent Hispanic.Historically black colleges and universities contribute to the fabric of our nation, Grant said. These institutions are critical in ensuring this country is producing quality individuals and access to higher education for everyone, access that is not just at the highest levels.Now thats something worth celebrating.---Paul Newberry is a sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry(at)ap.org or at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .---AP Sports Writer Charles Odum contributed to this report.---For more AP college football coverage: www.collegefootball.ap.org Dale Hunter Jersey . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Alex Chiasson Jersey . Having already announced that the race will start May 9 with three stages in Northern Ireland and Ireland and finish in Trieste on June 1, the rest of the route was unveiled Monday. http://www.capitalsauthority.com/authent...apitals-jersey/ .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Arnold Palmer was one of the best golfers of all time, but he was also one of the best marketers ever.In his lifetime, he earned almost $7 million on the golf course. Off it? He made at least 50 times that.Without Palmer -- and his agent Mark McCormack -- Michael Jordan, who often gets credit for being the father of modern-day sports marketing, never would have been Michael Jordan.Corporate America was ready to turn MJ into what he became because, 30 years earlier, Palmer already was doing it.It was because Palmer was so good -- his smile in print, his convincing tone in commercials -- that companies continued to align with athletes.The ultimate testament to Palmer being the best? When his deals were up, competitors would pay more. A deal with Qantas airlines turned into a new one for United. A deal with Holiday Inn morphed into a bigger deal with upscale Westin. A tractor deal with Bolens wasnt renewed because Ford Motor Co. paid him more to endorse its cars and didnt want him competing with its tractor division.In 1967, Palmers appearance fee was $7,500 and his deal with Coca-Cola was $15,000.Palmer deftly navigated the world of appearances and endorsements so well that as his rates went up -- and were pushed by McCormack, who founded the agency IMG -- the guys who followed him had a greater starting point. Just like on the golf course.Today, when athletes turn pro, they or their agents trademark thheir names. Cheap Capitals Jerseys. Palmer trademarked his name, and that famous umbrella logo, in 1968.His versatility landed him endorsements with companies in almost every sector. He endorsed Heinz ketchup on a steak, L&M filter cigarettes, Allstate insurance, Pennzoil motor oil, cardigans, dinner jackets and even Japanese robes.That confidence didnt exactly exist when Palmer signed a deal in 1959 with Wilson requiring that should he give up golf he would have to return the clubs Wilson gave him.Palmer didnt just pave the way and yield to todays stars. He never stopped marketing.In the past 16 years, the value of his name was reaffirmed, as he was able to capitalize on the iced tea/lemonade combination that bears his name.Palmers name had been attached to the concoction since the late 1960s, but through a partnership with Innovative Flavors and Arizona Beverage Co., he capitalized on the drink.In 2010, it hit $100 million in annual sales. In 2015, it hit $200 million, single-handedly eclipsing sales of the diet version of behemoth Snapple.In the coming hours and days, it will be impossible for many to downplay Palmers contribution on the golf course. 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