Deadspin | Tigers’ Tarik Skubal heating up heading into finale vs. Brewers Apr 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal reacts against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The weather is getting warmer, and so is two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Including the postseason, Skubal racked up double-digit strikeouts in 12 starts last season. The Detroit Tigers left-hander notched a season-high 10 strikeouts in Boston on Saturday during his last start, and he should have pristine weather conditions to employ his formidable arsenal against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday afternoon. Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-70s during the series finale in Detroit. Skubal hasn’t required big strikeout totals to be effective. He’s given up just one run in four of his five starts this season. Skubal (3-2, 2.08 ERA) limited the Red Sox to one run and four hits in six innings despite pitching in 45-degree weather. He cruised through the first four innings but got into jams in the fifth and sixth, which increased his pitch count and prevented him from going deeper into the game, which Detroit won 4-1. “He rarely misses like he did (Saturday) where he fell behind multiple batters in a row,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “I just thought he was in battle-mode. It looked like he was in control. He was missing bats and using his whole arsenal, and he won some big at-bats. That was the key for him. He stayed mentally into the game and didn’t get too frustrated with a few big misses.” A nasty change-up helped him increase his strikeout total. “The change-up performed better (Saturday),” Skubal said. “But I still think there is room for improvement. I need to be able to throw it in the zone and out of the zone when I need to. I need to execute pitches out of the zone early in counts to where those aren’t six- and seven-pitch at-bats and end them in three to four pitches.” Skubal, who has won his past two starts this season, has been dominant in two career outings against the Brewers, holding them to one run in 13 2/3 innings, with 19 strikeouts. Right-hander Brandon Sproat (0-1, 6.88 ERA) will be his mound opponent on Thursday. He’s coming off his best outing of the season, as he held Toronto to one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings a week ago in Milwaukee’s 2-1 victory. “I think the biggest thing was keep the rhythm up,” Sproat said. “Just get the ball and go. Don’t think about anything else. Just attack, attack, attack, and I think we did a really good job of that (Thursday).” Sproat, 25, still is looking for his first major league victory. He’s made eight appearances over the last two seasons, including six starts. Sproat, who has never faced the Tigers, got a mental boost in his last outing. “Just that I’m capable,” he said. “Capable of going out there and making good pitches, getting a ground ball when needed. Giving it my all. That was the big word (Thursday). (Manager Pat Murphy) told me, ‘You’re more than capable,’ and hearing that from him is definitely a boost in confidence.” The teams have split the first two games of the series. Detroit bounced back from a 12-4 drubbing on Tuesday with a 5-2 win on Wednesday. First baseman Spencer Torkelson, who hit 31 homers last season, broke through with his first long ball this season. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Tigers #Tarik #Skubal #heating #heading #finale #Brewers

Deadspin | Tigers’ Tarik Skubal heating up heading into finale vs. Brewers
Apr 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal reacts against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The weather is getting warmer, and so is two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.

Including the postseason, Skubal racked up double-digit strikeouts in 12 starts last season.

The Detroit Tigers left-hander notched a season-high 10 strikeouts in Boston on Saturday during his last start, and he should have pristine weather conditions to employ his formidable arsenal against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday afternoon.

Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-70s during the series finale in Detroit. Skubal hasn’t required big strikeout totals to be effective. He’s given up just one run in four of his five starts this season.

Skubal (3-2, 2.08 ERA) limited the Red Sox to one run and four hits in six innings despite pitching in 45-degree weather. He cruised through the first four innings but got into jams in the fifth and sixth, which increased his pitch count and prevented him from going deeper into the game, which Detroit won 4-1.

“He rarely misses like he did (Saturday) where he fell behind multiple batters in a row,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “I just thought he was in battle-mode. It looked like he was in control. He was missing bats and using his whole arsenal, and he won some big at-bats. That was the key for him. He stayed mentally into the game and didn’t get too frustrated with a few big misses.”

A nasty change-up helped him increase his strikeout total.

“The change-up performed better (Saturday),” Skubal said. “But I still think there is room for improvement. I need to be able to throw it in the zone and out of the zone when I need to. I need to execute pitches out of the zone early in counts to where those aren’t six- and seven-pitch at-bats and end them in three to four pitches.”

Skubal, who has won his past two starts this season, has been dominant in two career outings against the Brewers, holding them to one run in 13 2/3 innings, with 19 strikeouts.

Right-hander Brandon Sproat (0-1, 6.88 ERA) will be his mound opponent on Thursday. He’s coming off his best outing of the season, as he held Toronto to one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings a week ago in Milwaukee’s 2-1 victory.

“I think the biggest thing was keep the rhythm up,” Sproat said. “Just get the ball and go. Don’t think about anything else. Just attack, attack, attack, and I think we did a really good job of that (Thursday).”

Sproat, 25, still is looking for his first major league victory. He’s made eight appearances over the last two seasons, including six starts. Sproat, who has never faced the Tigers, got a mental boost in his last outing.

“Just that I’m capable,” he said. “Capable of going out there and making good pitches, getting a ground ball when needed. Giving it my all. That was the big word (Thursday). (Manager Pat Murphy) told me, ‘You’re more than capable,’ and hearing that from him is definitely a boost in confidence.”

The teams have split the first two games of the series. Detroit bounced back from a 12-4 drubbing on Tuesday with a 5-2 win on Wednesday. First baseman Spencer Torkelson, who hit 31 homers last season, broke through with his first long ball this season.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Tigers #Tarik #Skubal #heating #heading #finale #Brewers

Sports news April 23, 2026

Apr 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal reacts against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The weather is getting warmer, and so is two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.

Including the postseason, Skubal racked up double-digit strikeouts in 12 starts last season.

The Detroit Tigers left-hander notched a season-high 10 strikeouts in Boston on Saturday during his last start, and he should have pristine weather conditions to employ his formidable arsenal against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday afternoon.

Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-70s during the series finale in Detroit. Skubal hasn’t required big strikeout totals to be effective. He’s given up just one run in four of his five starts this season.

Skubal (3-2, 2.08 ERA) limited the Red Sox to one run and four hits in six innings despite pitching in 45-degree weather. He cruised through the first four innings but got into jams in the fifth and sixth, which increased his pitch count and prevented him from going deeper into the game, which Detroit won 4-1.

“He rarely misses like he did (Saturday) where he fell behind multiple batters in a row,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “I just thought he was in battle-mode. It looked like he was in control. He was missing bats and using his whole arsenal, and he won some big at-bats. That was the key for him. He stayed mentally into the game and didn’t get too frustrated with a few big misses.”

A nasty change-up helped him increase his strikeout total.

“The change-up performed better (Saturday),” Skubal said. “But I still think there is room for improvement. I need to be able to throw it in the zone and out of the zone when I need to. I need to execute pitches out of the zone early in counts to where those aren’t six- and seven-pitch at-bats and end them in three to four pitches.”

Skubal, who has won his past two starts this season, has been dominant in two career outings against the Brewers, holding them to one run in 13 2/3 innings, with 19 strikeouts.

Right-hander Brandon Sproat (0-1, 6.88 ERA) will be his mound opponent on Thursday. He’s coming off his best outing of the season, as he held Toronto to one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings a week ago in Milwaukee’s 2-1 victory.

“I think the biggest thing was keep the rhythm up,” Sproat said. “Just get the ball and go. Don’t think about anything else. Just attack, attack, attack, and I think we did a really good job of that (Thursday).”

Sproat, 25, still is looking for his first major league victory. He’s made eight appearances over the last two seasons, including six starts. Sproat, who has never faced the Tigers, got a mental boost in his last outing.

“Just that I’m capable,” he said. “Capable of going out there and making good pitches, getting a ground ball when needed. Giving it my all. That was the big word (Thursday). (Manager Pat Murphy) told me, ‘You’re more than capable,’ and hearing that from him is definitely a boost in confidence.”

The teams have split the first two games of the series. Detroit bounced back from a 12-4 drubbing on Tuesday with a 5-2 win on Wednesday. First baseman Spencer Torkelson, who hit 31 homers last season, broke through with his first long ball this season.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Tigers #Tarik #Skubal #heating #heading #finale #Brewers

Gennings Dunker will be one of your favorite NFL draft selections <div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">There are a number of players who are going to have their lives changed throughout the course of this weekend and the 2026 NFL Draft and as time goes on the fans of the teams who selected them will come to learn all about their new crop of players.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">There is a fanbase out there who is incredibly lucky as they are going to have Iowa’s Gennings Dunker on their team. Simply put, there is nobody like him in this year’s draft class.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Gennings took some time on the eve of the draft’s beginning to chat with SB Nation and noted that he cannot believe that this week is actually here. So much time, effort, energy, and sacrifice has gone into making Gennings an NFL player and soon enough he is going to have an NFL home.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Something else that Gennings has is a Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza by way of Casey’s. Gennings grew up visiting Casey’s regularly while growing up in Lena, Ill. and while at college in Iowa City, so this is a full-circle situation for him.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">When it comes to the NFL draft there are often players who have known all along that they were going to be a part of it and join the professional ranks of football. Some are destined for it at a young age.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Dunker is different in that respect. He said he is still floating just with knowing that he is going to make it to this level. He noted that he just assumed his life in football would be done after his time as a Hawkeye was complete.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Time will tell who ultimately gets to root for Gennings Dunker on Sundays a few months from now, but they would be best served to have a Casey’s Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza with Crispy Fries while they do so. That’s exactly what Gennings would want.</p></div> #Gennings #Dunker #favorite #NFL #draft #selections

#Deadspin #Larry #Fitzgerald #Arizona #gave #home">

mwasimuddin125 0

Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee Larry Fitzgerald and his son Devin Fitzgerald unveil his bust during the Class of 2026 enshrinement ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 8, 2026.

One day after being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, longtime Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald paid for a full-page ad in the Arizona Republic to thank everyone who made a Minnesota native feel welcome in the state he calls home.

After being selected by the Cardinals with the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, Fitzgerald spent all 17 years of his NFL career in Arizona. He caught 1,432 passes for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns while earning 11 trips to the Pro Bowl.

Fitzgerald ranks second to Jerry Rice on the NFL’s all-time lists for receptions and receiving yards. He stands sixth in touchdown catches, trailing Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Chris Carter and Marvin Harrison.

Here’s the message Fitzgerald penned for his Arizona Republic ad:

People have asked me countless times what it felt like to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The truth is, it was one of the greatest honors of my life.

But this really isn’t a Hall of Fame story.

It’s a thank-you letter.

I arrived in Arizona as a 20-year-old kid who didn’t know a single person. I had no idea this desert would become the place that would shape me into the man I am today.

The day I landed was the same day the nation learned Pat Tillman had lost his life. Pat is one of America’s great heroes.

I stepped off the plane into a state where its people were carrying real grief, and something inside me grew quiet. I started paying attention.

You learn quickly what loyalty looks like when it isn’t just a word.

For the next 17 seasons, I quietly measured myself against the standard Pat Tillman set. I’m still not sure I ever lived up to it.

Somewhere along the way, Arizona stopped being the place where I lived and became the place I was from.

It happened through a thousand ordinary moments until one day, I realized this was simply home. Not because I was a Hall of Famer. Not because I was a wide receiver. Just because the people of this state allowed me to be Larry.

You don’t fall in love with a place because of its stadiums. You fall in love on quiet mornings hiking Camelback Mountain.

On crisp fall afternoons walking a golf course. During summers in Flagstaff and standing among the red rocks of Sedona that remind you just how small you are in the best possible way.

When I stopped playing football, I walked away quietly. I’m known for my Irish goodbyes. Arizona even gave me that. Yet you kept showing up for me anyway, especially through the work of my foundation. Your support was never conditional. You never asked me to be anything other than myself, and somehow that was always enough.

Arizona gave a kid from Minneapolis something he didn’t even know he was searching for.

Belonging.

And that sense of belonging changed me.

After a while, you weren’t cheering for a wide receiver anymore, you were cheering for one of your own.

So this isn’t really a story about 17 years in a Cardinals uniform or a bronze bust in Canton.

It’s the story of a young man who was welcomed by a state that owed him nothing and gave him everything.

Thank you, Arizona.

Thank you for letting a kid from somewhere else become one of your own.

Thank you for embracing not just the player, but the man.

You gave me far more than a career. You gave me friendships that will last a lifetime. You gave me purpose beyond football.

You gave me a place where my children will always know they belong.

Most of all, you gave me a home.

With love and gratitude,

(signed)

Larry Fitzgerald

HOF 26

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Larry #Fitzgerald #Arizona #gave #home">Deadspin | Larry Fitzgerald thanks all of Arizona: ‘You gave me a home’

Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee Larry Fitzgerald and his son Devin Fitzgerald unveil his bust during the Class of 2026 enshrinement ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 8, 2026.

One day after being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, longtime Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald paid for a full-page ad in the Arizona Republic to thank everyone who made a Minnesota native feel welcome in the state he calls home.

After being selected by the Cardinals with the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, Fitzgerald spent all 17 years of his NFL career in Arizona. He caught 1,432 passes for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns while earning 11 trips to the Pro Bowl.

Fitzgerald ranks second to Jerry Rice on the NFL’s all-time lists for receptions and receiving yards. He stands sixth in touchdown catches, trailing Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Chris Carter and Marvin Harrison.

Here’s the message Fitzgerald penned for his Arizona Republic ad:

People have asked me countless times what it felt like to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The truth is, it was one of the greatest honors of my life.

But this really isn’t a Hall of Fame story.

It’s a thank-you letter.

I arrived in Arizona as a 20-year-old kid who didn’t know a single person. I had no idea this desert would become the place that would shape me into the man I am today.

The day I landed was the same day the nation learned Pat Tillman had lost his life. Pat is one of America’s great heroes.

I stepped off the plane into a state where its people were carrying real grief, and something inside me grew quiet. I started paying attention.

You learn quickly what loyalty looks like when it isn’t just a word.

For the next 17 seasons, I quietly measured myself against the standard Pat Tillman set. I’m still not sure I ever lived up to it.

Somewhere along the way, Arizona stopped being the place where I lived and became the place I was from.

It happened through a thousand ordinary moments until one day, I realized this was simply home. Not because I was a Hall of Famer. Not because I was a wide receiver. Just because the people of this state allowed me to be Larry.

You don’t fall in love with a place because of its stadiums. You fall in love on quiet mornings hiking Camelback Mountain.

On crisp fall afternoons walking a golf course. During summers in Flagstaff and standing among the red rocks of Sedona that remind you just how small you are in the best possible way.

When I stopped playing football, I walked away quietly. I’m known for my Irish goodbyes. Arizona even gave me that. Yet you kept showing up for me anyway, especially through the work of my foundation. Your support was never conditional. You never asked me to be anything other than myself, and somehow that was always enough.

Arizona gave a kid from Minneapolis something he didn’t even know he was searching for.

Belonging.

And that sense of belonging changed me.

After a while, you weren’t cheering for a wide receiver anymore, you were cheering for one of your own.

So this isn’t really a story about 17 years in a Cardinals uniform or a bronze bust in Canton.

It’s the story of a young man who was welcomed by a state that owed him nothing and gave him everything.

Thank you, Arizona.

Thank you for letting a kid from somewhere else become one of your own.

Thank you for embracing not just the player, but the man.

You gave me far more than a career. You gave me friendships that will last a lifetime. You gave me purpose beyond football.

You gave me a place where my children will always know they belong.

Most of all, you gave me a home.

With love and gratitude,

(signed)

Larry Fitzgerald

HOF 26

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Larry #Fitzgerald #Arizona #gave #home

When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.

The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.

The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.

That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.

On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.

Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.

But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.

I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.

One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.

Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.

In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.

There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.

I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.

Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it.

#Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making">

Larry Fitzgerald’s Hall of Fame induction is 25 years in the making When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it. #Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making

mwasimuddin125 0

When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.
The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.
The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.
That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.
On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.
Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.
But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.
I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.
One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.
Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.
In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.
There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.
I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.
Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it.

#Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making">Larry Fitzgerald’s Hall of Fame induction is 25 years in the making

When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.

The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.

On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.

But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.

I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.

Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.

In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.

I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.

Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it.

#Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making

Follow Sportstar for extensive coverage of the tenth edition of the TNPL, from live scores and match reports to exclusive analysis and features.

TOSS

Tiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and chose to bowl first.

PLAYING XIs

Nellai Royal Kings: Athish SR(w), D Santhosh Kumar, Ajitesh Guruswamy, U Mukilesh, Rithik Easwaran, Sonu Yadav(c), Muhammed Adnan Khan, Ramalingam Rohit, Emmanuel Cherian, NS Harish, Rocky Bhasker

Tiruppur Tamizhans: Tushar Raheja(w), Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore(c), M Mathivannan, S Mohan Prasath, R Silambarasan, Esakkimuthu A, T Natarajan

Published on Aug 09, 2026

#TNPL #Live #Allround #batting #display #propels #Nellai #Royal #Kings">