Deadspin | Ducks, Wild meet as both teams tweak playoff roster mix Apr 13, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Theo Lindstein (41) defends against Minnesota Wild center Michael McCarron (47) in the third period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images It would be hard to blame the Anaheim Ducks if they come out a little sluggish Tuesday. They might have been too excited to sleep the previous night. Anaheim (42-32-6, 90 points) clinched its first playoff berth in eight years during an off day Monday, thanks to the San Jose Sharks’ win over the Nashville Predators. But before heading to the postseason, the Ducks have two more games left in the regular season, starting with Tuesday’s tilt against the Minnesota Wild (45-24-12, 102 points) in Saint Paul, Minn. Like Anaheim, Minnesota knows it is playoff bound. The Wild are locked into the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference’s Central Division, and they will face the No. 2 seed Dallas Stars. Tuesday marks the regular-season finale for the Wild, and the outcome will have zero effect on their playoff series starting in Dallas. At least, that is true in terms of the win-loss outcome. Players’ individual performances in Tuesday’s game could mean a lot in the finale and help coach John Hynes determine who will skate and which lines they will be part of during the playoff opener. “There’s a lot at stake for some guys,” Hynes said. Veteran forward Michael McCarron said he and his teammates needed to play with urgency. “We’re trying to build something in our locker room to go win a Stanley Cup, and we’ve got to bring it every single night,” McCarron said. “We’ve got to find the cohesion in our group to go on a long run, and it starts with these games, especially down the stretch.” Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville also may use his team’s last couple games of the regular season as an opportunity for players to make final arguments for why they belong on the ice in the postseason instead of watching the game as healthy scratches. One player Quenneville does not need to analyze further is forward Cutter Gauthier, who turned 22 years old in January and has scored 40 goals this season. Gauthier said it meant a lot to reach 40 goals but he had other objectives in mind. “It’s a huge milestone and something I’m very proud of,” Gauthier said. “I couldn’t have done it without all my linemates and teammates. It was fun to get that, but that’s not why I’m playing hockey. I’m playing hockey to win games and eventually win a Stanley Cup.” The Wild could start either Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt in net. Gustavsson is 28-15-6 with a 2.69 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage, and Wallstedt is 17-9-6 with a 2.63 GAA and a .915 save percentage. Gustavsson is 6-1-0 with a 1.87 GAA and a .935 save percentage in eight career games against Anaheim. Wallstedt has a shutout victory in his only career game against the Ducks. Anaheim’s options in net include Lukas Dostal and Ville Husso. Dostal is 30-19-4 with a 3.10 GAA and an .889 save percentage, and Husso is 9-8-2 with a 3.21 GAA and an .887 save percentage. In seven games against Minnesota, Dostal is 1-4-1 with a 3.33 GAA and a .907 save percentage. Husso is 6-0-0 with a 2.43 GAA and a .923 save percentage in six matchups. -Field Level Media #Deadspin #Ducks #Wild #meet #teams #tweak #playoff #roster #mix

Deadspin | Ducks, Wild meet as both teams tweak playoff roster mix
Apr 13, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Theo Lindstein (41) defends against Minnesota Wild center Michael McCarron (47) in the third period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

It would be hard to blame the Anaheim Ducks if they come out a little sluggish Tuesday.

They might have been too excited to sleep the previous night.

Anaheim (42-32-6, 90 points) clinched its first playoff berth in eight years during an off day Monday, thanks to the San Jose Sharks’ win over the Nashville Predators. But before heading to the postseason, the Ducks have two more games left in the regular season, starting with Tuesday’s tilt against the Minnesota Wild (45-24-12, 102 points) in Saint Paul, Minn.

Like Anaheim, Minnesota knows it is playoff bound. The Wild are locked into the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference’s Central Division, and they will face the No. 2 seed Dallas Stars.

Tuesday marks the regular-season finale for the Wild, and the outcome will have zero effect on their playoff series starting in Dallas.

At least, that is true in terms of the win-loss outcome. Players’ individual performances in Tuesday’s game could mean a lot in the finale and help coach John Hynes determine who will skate and which lines they will be part of during the playoff opener.

“There’s a lot at stake for some guys,” Hynes said.

Veteran forward Michael McCarron said he and his teammates needed to play with urgency.

“We’re trying to build something in our locker room to go win a Stanley Cup, and we’ve got to bring it every single night,” McCarron said. “We’ve got to find the cohesion in our group to go on a long run, and it starts with these games, especially down the stretch.”

Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville also may use his team’s last couple games of the regular season as an opportunity for players to make final arguments for why they belong on the ice in the postseason instead of watching the game as healthy scratches.

One player Quenneville does not need to analyze further is forward Cutter Gauthier, who turned 22 years old in January and has scored 40 goals this season. Gauthier said it meant a lot to reach 40 goals but he had other objectives in mind.

“It’s a huge milestone and something I’m very proud of,” Gauthier said. “I couldn’t have done it without all my linemates and teammates. It was fun to get that, but that’s not why I’m playing hockey. I’m playing hockey to win games and eventually win a Stanley Cup.”

The Wild could start either Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt in net. Gustavsson is 28-15-6 with a 2.69 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage, and Wallstedt is 17-9-6 with a 2.63 GAA and a .915 save percentage.

Gustavsson is 6-1-0 with a 1.87 GAA and a .935 save percentage in eight career games against Anaheim. Wallstedt has a shutout victory in his only career game against the Ducks.

Anaheim’s options in net include Lukas Dostal and Ville Husso. Dostal is 30-19-4 with a 3.10 GAA and an .889 save percentage, and Husso is 9-8-2 with a 3.21 GAA and an .887 save percentage.

In seven games against Minnesota, Dostal is 1-4-1 with a 3.33 GAA and a .907 save percentage. Husso is 6-0-0 with a 2.43 GAA and a .923 save percentage in six matchups.

-Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Ducks #Wild #meet #teams #tweak #playoff #roster #mix

Sports news April 14, 2026

Apr 13, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Theo Lindstein (41) defends against Minnesota Wild center Michael McCarron (47) in the third period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

It would be hard to blame the Anaheim Ducks if they come out a little sluggish Tuesday.

They might have been too excited to sleep the previous night.

Anaheim (42-32-6, 90 points) clinched its first playoff berth in eight years during an off day Monday, thanks to the San Jose Sharks’ win over the Nashville Predators. But before heading to the postseason, the Ducks have two more games left in the regular season, starting with Tuesday’s tilt against the Minnesota Wild (45-24-12, 102 points) in Saint Paul, Minn.

Like Anaheim, Minnesota knows it is playoff bound. The Wild are locked into the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference’s Central Division, and they will face the No. 2 seed Dallas Stars.

Tuesday marks the regular-season finale for the Wild, and the outcome will have zero effect on their playoff series starting in Dallas.

At least, that is true in terms of the win-loss outcome. Players’ individual performances in Tuesday’s game could mean a lot in the finale and help coach John Hynes determine who will skate and which lines they will be part of during the playoff opener.

“There’s a lot at stake for some guys,” Hynes said.

Veteran forward Michael McCarron said he and his teammates needed to play with urgency.

“We’re trying to build something in our locker room to go win a Stanley Cup, and we’ve got to bring it every single night,” McCarron said. “We’ve got to find the cohesion in our group to go on a long run, and it starts with these games, especially down the stretch.”

Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville also may use his team’s last couple games of the regular season as an opportunity for players to make final arguments for why they belong on the ice in the postseason instead of watching the game as healthy scratches.

One player Quenneville does not need to analyze further is forward Cutter Gauthier, who turned 22 years old in January and has scored 40 goals this season. Gauthier said it meant a lot to reach 40 goals but he had other objectives in mind.

“It’s a huge milestone and something I’m very proud of,” Gauthier said. “I couldn’t have done it without all my linemates and teammates. It was fun to get that, but that’s not why I’m playing hockey. I’m playing hockey to win games and eventually win a Stanley Cup.”

The Wild could start either Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt in net. Gustavsson is 28-15-6 with a 2.69 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage, and Wallstedt is 17-9-6 with a 2.63 GAA and a .915 save percentage.

Gustavsson is 6-1-0 with a 1.87 GAA and a .935 save percentage in eight career games against Anaheim. Wallstedt has a shutout victory in his only career game against the Ducks.

Anaheim’s options in net include Lukas Dostal and Ville Husso. Dostal is 30-19-4 with a 3.10 GAA and an .889 save percentage, and Husso is 9-8-2 with a 3.21 GAA and an .887 save percentage.

In seven games against Minnesota, Dostal is 1-4-1 with a 3.33 GAA and a .907 save percentage. Husso is 6-0-0 with a 2.43 GAA and a .923 save percentage in six matchups.

-Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Ducks #Wild #meet #teams #tweak #playoff #roster #mix

Matt Crocker quits as US football federation sporting director just 2 months before World Cup <div id="content-body-70862267" itemprop="articleBody">Matt Crocker quit as sporting director of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) on Tuesday, just two months ahead of the World Cup, to take a new job in Saudi Arabia.The USSF said Crocker was leaving to pursue an unidentified international football opportunity, and a person familiar with the decision, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Crocker’s new job was not announced, said he will work in Saudi Arabia. His hiring by Saudis was first reported by Fox.Crocker’s departure was a surprise, given the U.S. is co-host of the World Cup starting June 11 and the contract of men’s coach Mauricio Pochettino ends after the tournament. The USSF next month will open its 200-acre, 17-field training centre and office complex in Fayetteville, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb.Dan Helfrich, hired as the U.S. federation’s chief operating officer in November, “will provide executive oversight and support across the federation’s sporting operations,” the USSF said in a statement. Helfrich will work with assistant sporting director Oguchi Onyewu — a former national team defender — and Tracey Kevins, head of development for the women’s youth national team.Crocker, 51, was hired by the USSF in April 2023 after serving as Southampton’s director of football since February 2020.Crocker oversaw the decisions to rehire Gregg Berhalter as men’s coach in June 2023, to fire Berhalter in July 2024 after first-round elimination at the Copa America and to hire Pochettino that September.He also made the recommendation to hire Emma Hayes as women’s national team coach starting in the spring of 2024. Hayes led the women’s team to the Olympic gold medal.Published on Apr 14, 2026</div> #Matt #Crocker #quits #football #federation #sporting #director #months #World #Cup

#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">