Deadspin | Capitals meet Blue Jackets in fight to retain chance of playoff berth Apr 12, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) smiles while waving off a handshake line by the Pittsburgh Penguins after their game at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Alex Ovechkin may be playing his final National Hockey League game when the Washington Capitals visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. Or he may not be. Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, is nearing the end of his 21st NHL season and is in the final season of a five-year contract. The 40-year-old left wing, who has scored 929 regular-season goals, has announced he will not make a decision regarding his future until this summer. There was no ceremony of any kind during Washington’s final home game, a much-needed 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. Fans chanted “one more year” and the Penguins stayed on the ice after the game for a ceremonial handshake, but a smiling Ovechkin waved them off after Washington won its third straight game. “The fans always support me, support the organization, team, boys,” Ovechkin said. “It was loud. It was the energy (that) we need. You can see how the boys played.” Ovechkin’s current season could continue. Washington (42-30-9, 93 points) and Columbus (40-29-12, 92 points) began Monday within striking distance of the Philadelphia Flyers (41-27-12, 94 points) for third place in the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers, with a win over visiting Carolina on Monday, could lock up the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and make Tuesday’s game irrelevant as far as the postseason is concerned. After a disastrous six-game losing streak that knocked them down the standings and closer to elimination from playoff contention, Columbus has split its last four games, the latest being a 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Sunday. Mason Marchment and Adam Fantilli scored, and Jet Greaves made 19 saves for the Blue Jackets. “We’re all very, very disappointed in how it went tonight,” Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness said Sunday. “The guys are heartbroken, we’re heartbroken, and now we’ve lost total control of what’s going to happen.” Columbus tied the score 2-2 early in the third period, but Boston scored the go-ahead goal midway through the period. “I think we had to maybe up our urgency a little bit,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski said. “I thought in the third we had a lot of grade-A chances to either take the lead or tie it back up. We missed on a few of them.” In Washington on Sunday, Connor McMichael scored twice and had an assist and Ovechkin had an assist for the Capitals, who have won seven of nine. Logan Thompson made 24 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and second in three starts. “I know our guys,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “And I know that there was no way we were gonna throw the towel in and just cruise in and hopefully play .500 hockey and ride it out. … I knew we would not pack it in, and we were gonna fight to win hockey games.” Thompson is 5-1-0 with a 1.90 goals-against average and .942 save percentage against Columbus. Greaves, expected to start for the sixth straight game, is 2-2-1 with a 1.80 GAA and a .943 save percentage versus Washington. Washington leads the season series 3-0-0. The teams have not met since Dec. 7 when Thompson made 39 saves in a 2-0 Washington home win. The Capitals won 5-1 on Nov. 24 behind two goals from Jakob Chychrun and 5-1 on Oct. 24 when Ovechkin scored his 899th goal and added an assist. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Capitals #meet #Blue #Jackets #fight #retain #chance #playoff #berth

Deadspin | Capitals meet Blue Jackets in fight to retain chance of playoff berth
Apr 12, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) smiles while waving off a handshake line by the Pittsburgh Penguins after their game at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Alex Ovechkin may be playing his final National Hockey League game when the Washington Capitals visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

Or he may not be.

Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, is nearing the end of his 21st NHL season and is in the final season of a five-year contract. The 40-year-old left wing, who has scored 929 regular-season goals, has announced he will not make a decision regarding his future until this summer.

There was no ceremony of any kind during Washington’s final home game, a much-needed 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. Fans chanted “one more year” and the Penguins stayed on the ice after the game for a ceremonial handshake, but a smiling Ovechkin waved them off after Washington won its third straight game.

“The fans always support me, support the organization, team, boys,” Ovechkin said. “It was loud. It was the energy (that) we need. You can see how the boys played.”

Ovechkin’s current season could continue. Washington (42-30-9, 93 points) and Columbus (40-29-12, 92 points) began Monday within striking distance of the Philadelphia Flyers (41-27-12, 94 points) for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

The Flyers, with a win over visiting Carolina on Monday, could lock up the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and make Tuesday’s game irrelevant as far as the postseason is concerned.

After a disastrous six-game losing streak that knocked them down the standings and closer to elimination from playoff contention, Columbus has split its last four games, the latest being a 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Sunday.

Mason Marchment and Adam Fantilli scored, and Jet Greaves made 19 saves for the Blue Jackets.

“We’re all very, very disappointed in how it went tonight,” Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness said Sunday. “The guys are heartbroken, we’re heartbroken, and now we’ve lost total control of what’s going to happen.”

Columbus tied the score 2-2 early in the third period, but Boston scored the go-ahead goal midway through the period.

“I think we had to maybe up our urgency a little bit,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski said. “I thought in the third we had a lot of grade-A chances to either take the lead or tie it back up. We missed on a few of them.”

In Washington on Sunday, Connor McMichael scored twice and had an assist and Ovechkin had an assist for the Capitals, who have won seven of nine. Logan Thompson made 24 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and second in three starts.

“I know our guys,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “And I know that there was no way we were gonna throw the towel in and just cruise in and hopefully play .500 hockey and ride it out. … I knew we would not pack it in, and we were gonna fight to win hockey games.”

Thompson is 5-1-0 with a 1.90 goals-against average and .942 save percentage against Columbus. Greaves, expected to start for the sixth straight game, is 2-2-1 with a 1.80 GAA and a .943 save percentage versus Washington.

Washington leads the season series 3-0-0. The teams have not met since Dec. 7 when Thompson made 39 saves in a 2-0 Washington home win. The Capitals won 5-1 on Nov. 24 behind two goals from Jakob Chychrun and 5-1 on Oct. 24 when Ovechkin scored his 899th goal and added an assist.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Capitals #meet #Blue #Jackets #fight #retain #chance #playoff #berth

Sports news April 14, 2026

Apr 12, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) smiles while waving off a handshake line by the Pittsburgh Penguins after their game at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Alex Ovechkin may be playing his final National Hockey League game when the Washington Capitals visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

Or he may not be.

Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, is nearing the end of his 21st NHL season and is in the final season of a five-year contract. The 40-year-old left wing, who has scored 929 regular-season goals, has announced he will not make a decision regarding his future until this summer.

There was no ceremony of any kind during Washington’s final home game, a much-needed 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. Fans chanted “one more year” and the Penguins stayed on the ice after the game for a ceremonial handshake, but a smiling Ovechkin waved them off after Washington won its third straight game.

“The fans always support me, support the organization, team, boys,” Ovechkin said. “It was loud. It was the energy (that) we need. You can see how the boys played.”

Ovechkin’s current season could continue. Washington (42-30-9, 93 points) and Columbus (40-29-12, 92 points) began Monday within striking distance of the Philadelphia Flyers (41-27-12, 94 points) for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

The Flyers, with a win over visiting Carolina on Monday, could lock up the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and make Tuesday’s game irrelevant as far as the postseason is concerned.

After a disastrous six-game losing streak that knocked them down the standings and closer to elimination from playoff contention, Columbus has split its last four games, the latest being a 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Sunday.

Mason Marchment and Adam Fantilli scored, and Jet Greaves made 19 saves for the Blue Jackets.

“We’re all very, very disappointed in how it went tonight,” Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness said Sunday. “The guys are heartbroken, we’re heartbroken, and now we’ve lost total control of what’s going to happen.”

Columbus tied the score 2-2 early in the third period, but Boston scored the go-ahead goal midway through the period.

“I think we had to maybe up our urgency a little bit,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski said. “I thought in the third we had a lot of grade-A chances to either take the lead or tie it back up. We missed on a few of them.”

In Washington on Sunday, Connor McMichael scored twice and had an assist and Ovechkin had an assist for the Capitals, who have won seven of nine. Logan Thompson made 24 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and second in three starts.

“I know our guys,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “And I know that there was no way we were gonna throw the towel in and just cruise in and hopefully play .500 hockey and ride it out. … I knew we would not pack it in, and we were gonna fight to win hockey games.”

Thompson is 5-1-0 with a 1.90 goals-against average and .942 save percentage against Columbus. Greaves, expected to start for the sixth straight game, is 2-2-1 with a 1.80 GAA and a .943 save percentage versus Washington.

Washington leads the season series 3-0-0. The teams have not met since Dec. 7 when Thompson made 39 saves in a 2-0 Washington home win. The Capitals won 5-1 on Nov. 24 behind two goals from Jakob Chychrun and 5-1 on Oct. 24 when Ovechkin scored his 899th goal and added an assist.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Capitals #meet #Blue #Jackets #fight #retain #chance #playoff #berth

Indore News: NEET के 23 हजार छात्रों की किस्मत का फैसला 3 मई को, 57 केंद्रों पर पुलिस का पहरा

#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">