Author: James H. Williams

James H. Williams is a journalist and digital sports producer that works for the Southern California News Group. He served as the Editor-In-Chief of his college newspaper in Riverside, Calif.

Rose Bowl Game (2019)

  • Brutus Buckeye on the field during pregame football festivities at the Rose Bowl before Ohio State and Washington play in Pasadena, California on Jan. 1, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • A member of the Ohio State band on the field during pregame football festivities at the Rose Bowl before Ohio State and Washington play in Pasadena, California on Jan. 1, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • Ohio State receiver Paris Campbell talks with reporters during media day for the Rose Bowl Game. Ohio State and Washington played in Pasadena, California on Jan. 1, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • Former NBA player Rajon Rondo walks inside Rose Bowl Stadium before Ohio State and Washington played in Pasadena, California on Jan. 1, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • Brutus Buckeye on the field during pregame football festivities at the Rose Bowl before Ohio State and Washington play in Pasadena, California on Jan. 1, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • Harry The Husky on the field during pregame football festivities at the Rose Bowl before Ohio State and Washington play in Pasadena, California on Jan. 1, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • Members of the Washington Huskies football team runs out of the tunnel and on to the field ahead of the 2019 Rose Bowl Game against Ohio State in Pasadena, California on Jan. 1, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • Brutus Buckeye on the field during pregame football festivities at the Rose Bowl before Ohio State and Washington play in Pasadena, California on Jan. 1, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)

Features Photography

  • German Rodriguez poses for a photograph at the Liberal Arts 4 building on the campus of Long Beach State on March 12, 2019. Rodriguez’s favorite quote is the “Pursuit of Happiness” (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • A bike rider stops to watch a CSULB student, in professor Chris Huebner’s teamwork and group dynamics class, find his way around while wearing a blindfold April 30, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • A boy looks outside the window of the Wealth Barbershop in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. as owner ‘Vic the Barber’ cuts his hair Feb. 8, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • A man throws a frisbee to a friend on the Long Beach State campus March 7, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • Steven Garcia of the Tongva Tribe stops for a photograph at the Pow Wow in Long Beach, CA on March 9, 2019. Garcia’s outfit represents an Eagle. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • A Long Beach State volleyball fan heckles the Pepperdine volleyball team during the NCAA Tournament semifinal game in the Walter Pyramid at Long Beach State on May 2, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • Long Beach State graduate Alex Naveja broadcasts from the baseball game against University Michigan at Blair Field in Long Beach, CA. on March 5, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • A pair of students play the guitar behind a faculty office building at Cal State Long Beach on Jan. 24, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • Adam Nordwall, center, hold his baby at the Pow Wow in Long Beach, CA on March 9, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • A Long Beach State student closes his eyes as another student slaps a pie in his face during a pie throwing fundraiser on campus April 11, 2019. All proceeds for the pie throwing booth went to the campus’ food pantry. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • A woman displays the Star of David design she created for a Long Beach State student during the ‘The Clothesline Project’ by the College of Business Administration building April 11, 2019. Shirts were designed to represent the journey of sexual and domestic violence victims’ and survivors. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • Sam Ramos of Whittier rolls his kite at the Belmont Kite Beach in the rain on Monday, Feb. 4, 2019. Ramos said he has kitesurfed at Belmont Shore before. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • A Long Beach State student lays back on his motorcycle on campus. (Photo by James H. Williams)

Sports Photography

  • Long Beach State volleyball player Ethan Siegfried talks with teammates during a NCAA Tournament semifinal game in the Walter Pyramid at Long Beach State on May 2, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • A man throws a frisbee to a friend on the Long Beach State campus March 7, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • TC
    Tyler Clary holds his 2012 Summer Olympics Gold Medal at Riverside City College. (Photo taken by James H. Williams)
  • A Long Beach State volleyball fan heckles the Pepperdine volleyball team during the NCAA Tournament semifinal game in the Walter Pyramid at Long Beach State on May 2, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • A man rides his skateboard on the bottom floor of the Long Beach State parking structure on May 6, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • Long Beach State graduate Alex Naveja broadcasts from the baseball game against University Michigan at Blair Field in Long Beach, CA. on March 5, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • Riverside Notre Dame football players look on ahead of their game against Valley View in Moreno Valley, California. Valley View was debuting its new red turf on Oct. 11, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)

Inside the barbershop

  • A boy looks outside the window of the Wealth Barbershop in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. as owner ‘Vic the Barber’ cuts his hair Feb. 8, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • “Mano” the barber, left, places a warm towel over the face of a customer, right, at the Wealth Barbershop in Rancho Cucamonga on Feb. 8, 2019. (Photo By James H. Williams)
  • Vic, the Wealth Barbershop owner, grabs clippers out of his drawer in Rancho Cucamonga on Feb. 8, 2019. Vic opened the barbershop in 2017. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • “Q” the barber, front left, lines up the hairline of Vic, the Wealth Barbershop owner, front right, in Rancho Cucamonga Feb. 8, 2019. “Mano,” back right, lines up the neckline of a customer, back left. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • “Mano” the barber, right, shaves the face of a customer, left, at the Wealth Barbershop in Rancho Cucamonga on Feb. 8, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • “Q” the barber, second from the left, trims the beard of a customer, far left, at the Wealth Barbershop in Rancho Cucamonga Feb. 8, 2019. “Mano,” far right, lines up the neckline of another customer, second to the right. (Photo by James H. Williams)

Vic the barber opened the Wealth Barbershop in Rancho Cucamonga, California in 2017.

Pow Wow at CSULB

  • Adam Nordwall, center, hold his baby at the Pow Wow in Long Beach, CA on March 9, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • A woman folds a piece of Native American patterned fabric for a customer at the Pow Wow in Long Beach, CA on March 9, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • Steven Garcia of the Tongva Tribe stops for a photograph at the Pow Wow in Long Beach, CA on March 9, 2019. Garcia’s outfit represents an Eagle. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • A woman watches the Long Beach State Pow Wow activities as she waits in line to order food in Long Beach, CA while waiting on March 9, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • A boy begins to take off his head piece under a tent at the Long Beach State Pow Wow in Long Beach, CA on March 9, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)
  • An overview shot of the Long Beach State Pow Wow from the second floor of the Liberal Arts 4 building in Long Beach, CA on March 9, 2019. (Photo by James H. Williams)

Long Beach State host the annual Pow Wow event on March 9, 2019.

Summer shake-up: Coaching changes at Long Beach State

The summer has been a busy time for the Long Beach State athletic department. With four notable coaching hires over the last four months.

The first of the four hires started with Andy Fee coming in as the Athletic Director after he was officially announced to the position on April 20.

Fee spend the last seven years working for the UC Santa Barbara athletic department serving under titles such as the Deputy Athletics Director. He also worked at the University of San Diego.

The first coaching hire under Fee’s tenure was announced on May 10 when Jeff Cammon was tabbed as the women’s basketball coach.

He was brought in to replace Jody Wynn, who took the head coaching job at the University of Washington after eight seasons in Long Beach. Cammon is a familiar face to the women’s basketball program having served on Wynn’s coaching staff prior to taking on assistant coach jobs with Cal Berkley and Colorado.

The trend of familiar faces being brought back into the Beach family continued with the hiring of LBSU alumna Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer as the new women’s volleyball coach.

McKienzie-Fuerbringer has over 20 years of coaching experience and played a role during the 1993 season that brought a second national championship to the volleyball program.

She fills the coaching role that became open following the retirement of Brian Gimmillaro, who served as head coach of the program for 32 years.

Her husband Matt will join her staff as an associate head coach, according to a press release posted on the athletic department’s website when Joy’s hiring was announced.

The volleyball team will open the season at home in the Walter Pyramid against defending national champion Stanford on August 25.

The men’s golf team will have a new head coach in Michael Wilson, who comes to Long Beach State after three seasons as an assistant coach for the Washington Huskies.

Wilson was the 2003 Pac-10 Co-Freshman of the Year and was a memeber of the 2004 team that won the NCAA national championship. Prior to coaching, he played three seasons on the professional golf tour in Canada.

New venue to open for Inland Empire’s eSports community

The Inland Empire’s eSports community will finally have a place to call home with the grand opening of the “eSports Battleground” in Moreno Valley.

The Battleground is calling itself the Inland Empire’s first dedicated eSports venue and gaming community hub.

As featured on its website, logos for popular games such as Overwatch, NBA 2k, Madden, League of Legends and Call of Duty can be found and likely hint at the theme of possible events or tournaments the venue can showcase in the future.

For the venue’s grand opening on July 1, there will be an Injustice 2 tournament with a cash reward going out to first, second and third place winners. There is a $10 entry fee and a $10 venue fee.

Injustice 2 is a video game that pits superheroes and villans from the DC Universe like Batman, Superman, Harley Quinn and the Joker against each other.

What else will the event bring to the table for the grand opening? The event will feature a gaming chair giveaway, photo opportunities with the DeLorean and free tacos from World Famous Tacos.

 

Episode 1: LBSU baseball moves on and thoughts on the NBA Finals

https://bumpers.fm/_/embed/b4rjrgll8ia0012f71a0

The Long Beach State Dirtbags moves on to the Super Regionals against Cal State Fullerton baseball. James H. Williams shares his thoughts on the NBA Finals for 2017 and more

NBA 2K: Sign-ups for weekend tournament

Want to compete in the NBA 2k eLeague in the future?

Scouts for the NBA eSports teams are expected to have their eyes set on the ProAM  Tournament hosted by 2K Tournaments this weekend, June 9-11.

A tournament will be held for both the Playstation 4 and Xbox One consoles.

There is a $65 tournament entry fee but the prize pool is listed to be as much as $1,400 if the bracket features 32 teams for a console.

All games played on the final two days of the event will be streamed on the official 2K Tournament channel. Sign up here to enter.

EVENT SCHEDULE:

Friday:
2 Games Between 6pm-1am est. Scheduled by Famous & 2KT Staff
Saturday:
2 Games Between 6pm-1am est. Scheduled by Famous & 2KT Staff
Sunday:
Championship Match Scheduled by Famous & 2KT Staff

(All events scheduled by Famous Enough and the 2KT Staff)

 

Have something you want to share regarding eSports? Reach out to me on Twitter at @JHWreporter

Covering eSports and the NBA 2k eLeague?

I have had the urge to pick up something new and provide coverage for it. Among the ideas that have come to mind is eSports.

The latest niche in sports, believe it or not. 

With the fans of video games filling up venues to watch gamers compete in leagues and tournaments on games such as Call of Duty, Overwatch and League of Legends.

Speaking of leagues, the one I am most interested in covering would be the NBA 2K eLeague.

The league that was announced in February is the first to be operated by one of the four major pro sports leagues in North America.

While there might be questions left unanswered, having the NBA to back the eLeague will give it a good chance of becoming the new big thing in eSports.

The 2k league will have 17 of the NBA’s 30 teams represented in 2018 for the inaugural season including the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The teams are reportedly paying close to $750,000 for a three-year commitment to take part in the new venture, according to ESPN’s Darren Rovell.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and the Minnesota Timberwolves are among the 13 teams not participating in the first season.

Since I started following gamers and personalities on Twitter, it has become clear the announcement of the new league has motivated the community with the goal of becoming drafted by an organization.

While the league is still getting off the ground, gamers have taken it upon themselves to prepare and showcase their abilities by teaming up with friends, streaming gameplay and competing in tournaments hosted by MPBA2KT.

The only question remaining is whether you would like to see coverage of the NBA 2k eLeague and other eSports. Let me know. I would like to hear from you.