The NABJ Sports Task Force welcomes members and friends to attend an exciting line-up of professional development programs targeted to sports journalism at the 32nd NABJ Convention and Career Fair.

The Sports Task Force events will begin on Thursday, August 9 with the Mentor Breakfast and conclude on Saturday, August 11 with its business meeting.

The task force has worked hard over the past year to continue the momentum gained from last years strong programming in Indianapolis, said Sports Task Force Chairman Gregory Lee. This year we will give members a mix of recent professional trends as well as issues that affect us in the newsroom on a daily basis.

The Mentor Breakfast sponsored by ESPN, which begins at 7:30 a.m., is expected to feature ESPN's and Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Stephen A. Smith as its guest speaker.

During the breakfast the task force will honor the late Larry Whiteside, who died in June. Whiteside was a pioneering founder of this task force as was the creator of the Black List, a census of black sports journalists around the nation.

On Thursday afternoon, the Sports Task Force workshops commence with the session, Keeping It real: How Sports columnists balance professional lives and cultural identity. An expert panel of sports columnists will discuss the challenges of being a sports columnist of color.

In the Friday workshop, Is Boxing Down For the Count participants will examine why does everyone believe boxing is dead. Panelists include legendary promoters Don King and Bob Arum and five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. The workshop is sponsored by Top Rank, Inc.

On Saturday morning, the task force concludes its programming with a session entitled, Blogs to Broadband: How New Media is Changing Sports Journalism. This workshop will explore how the world of New Media is changing the game of sports journalism and propelling the industry into a new frontier.

On Saturday afternoon, the Sports Task Force sponsored by FOX will host a plenary session called, Intentional Foul: Why NBA players are often targeted where participants why NBA players are often pegged as the most troubled and scrutinized athletes. Participants include ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith and NBA player Julius Hodge.

In addition to the plenary sessions, the Sports Task Force will also host other convention activities, including its second annual jam sponsored by Russell Simmons Argyleculture at the world-famous rumjungle nightclub at the Mandalay Bay on Thursday evening from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Proceeds from the event will go towards the task force scholarship fund. Come join the sports journalism celebrities and special VIPs for a night of fun in Americas playground.

Also the group will honor sports legends at its Sam Lacy Sports Pioneer Awards sponsored by the NBA. Honorees include Don King, former NBA and UNLV star Greg Anthony, Sacramento Kings head coach Reggie Theus, boxing referee Richard Steele and UNLV womens basketball coach Regina Miller.

For those interested in outdoor activity, on Saturday the task force will host two events: the Scholarship 3-on-3 Hoops Tournament and Golf Tournament. Registration will be available on-site at the Sports Task Force booth.

The task force will also elect its new leadership for the 2007-2009 term at its annual business meeting. The group will also discuss initiatives directed at promoting diversity in Americas sports departments in the editing ranks as well as working with UNITY partners for the convention in 2008 in Chicago.