Browsing: Sports

Let’s get this out of the way: The lake can be cold. You snap on a pair of water shoes on a warm summer day and step gingerly into the clear Lake Superior waters of Madeline Island’s Big Bay. Edging ever deeper, though, is a process. You inhale sharply with every step, advancing to your waist, your chest, your shoulders — and finally, full submersion. But once your body adjusts to the shock, the feeling is completely invigorating. Curative. As summer vacation returns with a vengeance, the Midwest’s best beaches will provide a no-frills escape this year. These aren’t the Gulf Stream waters, and this certainly isn’t the Caribbean. But from the Great Lakes to the 10,000 Lakes, the best beaches of the “North Coast” are collectively like our Caribbean. So don’t let the coastal elites tell you that the Midwest has no beaches. They have no idea. Here, we share 12 of our favorites. By Simon Peter Groebner and Kerri Westenberg, Star Tribune Jun 28, 2021

Less than four months after the Bears finished an 8-8 season with a dispiriting playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints, the selection of Justin Fields created a rejuvenating buzz at Halas Hall. General manager Ryan Pace gave up four draft picks, including 2021 and 2022 first-rounders, to move up to obtain a quarterback he believes has the talent, accuracy, athleticism, work ethic and experience to succeed.

Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial Class pose during the induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Canton, Ohio. Donnie Shell, left to right, Cliff Harris, Isaac Bruce, Troy Polamalu, Bill Cowher, Harold Carmichael, Jimbo Covert, Steve Hutchinson, Steve Atwater, Edgerrin James, Jimmy Johnson. Paul Tagliabue is not pictured. (Ron Schwane/AP)

“In these last few days I was thinking about what I would say today, but to be honest I couldn’t come up with anything. I was blocked, like I still am right now,” Messi said. “I was convinced that we would remain with the club, which is our home.”

Former Florida State University football coach Bobby Bowden stands with a pile of footballs he was signing for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes dinner at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens in 2014.. (Richard Graulich/Palm Beach Post/TNS)

“There was no fear,” Santos said. “The thing was I just accepted it. Obviously, I wanted to keep playing. But it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I’m afraid that my career’s over after today.’ It wasn’t that. It was just like, I want another opportunity.”

After the U.S. won match point, the entire team ran onto court in celebration. Bartlett native Kelsey Robinson jumped into Bartsch-Hackley’s arms and screamed with excitement. Head coach Karch Kiraly, a three-time gold medalist in volleyball, hugged his coaching staff, which includes offensive coordinator Erin Virtue, a St. Charles native and former U. of I. star.

While Bird has said she is moving on and Taurasi has been noncommittal about her plans, the future is bright for the U.S. behind Griner, Breanna Stewart and the six newcomers on this year’s team. That included A’ja Wilson, who will be counted on to keep the streak going three years from now at the 2024 Paris Games. Wilson, who celebrated her 25th birthday Sunday, made her presence felt in her Olympic debut, scoring 19 points in the gold medal game.

Jimbo Covert, right, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial Class, poses with his presenter Matt Suhey during the induction ceremony on Saturday in Canton, Ohio. Covert, a left tackle, anchored the great Chicago Bears lines of the 1980s. (Ron Schwane / AP)

Franklin, 28, is equally engaging off the field. She is a smart and funny athlete who can talk about social justice issues, the financial aspects of the sporting world — she has a degree in economics from Michigan State — and her passion for Chicago’s many cupcake shops. Franklin writes a powerful blog that details, among other things, the obstacles of being a professional athlete and a Black woman in the United States.