Deadspin | Tigers’ confidence renewed entering home series with Royals Apr 6, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle (7) fields a ground ball against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images The Detroit Tigers enjoyed a confidence-building weekend at home. They’ll try to keep the good vibes going when they host Central Division rival Kansas City in a three-game series that begins on Tuesday. The Tigers had lost five straight before the Miami Marlins headed north to Michigan for a three-game series. Detroit swept the series by a combined score of 16-3. “Collectively, you know, the sum of our parts is pretty good,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Just because you lose a game or two doesn’t mean it defines you. … I trust this team and I believe in this team. It doesn’t shock or surprise me. And I hope it doesn’t shock or surprise anybody who follows us.” Most of their runs came via the long ball. Javier Baez hit a solo shot in the series opener. Riley Greene smashed his first home of the season, a three-run shot, on Saturday. Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle and Kerry Carpenter went deep in Sunday’s 8-2 victory. It was the first career homer for rookie phenom McGonigle, who had three hits in the series finale to raise his average to .322. “It meant everything,” McGonigle said of the homer. “Especially doing it in front of this city. I love this place already and I’m looking forward to a long future here. I can’t believe I was able to do that in front of them.” McGonigle forced his way onto the team with a stellar spring. Hinch has moved the 21-year-old shortstop to the top of the lineup. “This is just who he is,” Hinch said. “I like that he’s settling into playing every day at this level. Things will normalize for him as the attention settles down.” Left-hander Framber Valdez (1-1, 4.76 ERA) will start the series opener for Detroit. Valdez gave up just one run in his first two outings, but he was lit up for eight runs and 10 hits in five innings at Minnesota in an 8-6 loss on Wednesday. Valdez is 2-3 with a 3.29 ERA in nine career outings against Kansas City. He’ll be opposed by Cole Ragans (0-3, 5.91), the first left-hander to start against the Tigers this season. Ragans was removed in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday after taking a Jose Ramirez liner off his left hand. He avoided a serious injury, as he was diagnosed with a left thumb contusion. Ragans said he felt he could have stayed in the contest. “One of those things where it’s probably the right thing to do,” Ragans said. “But I think all of us as competitors, we want to play every chance we get. Obviously aggravating for me, just because I felt so good prior to that, and then something like that happens.” Ragans is 3-2 with a 3.64 ERA in six career outings against Detroit. Kansas City split a four-game series at home against the Chicago White Sox. The Royals lost the series finale on Sunday, 6-5. They had scored just seven runs in their previous five games. The offense has yet to find a spark. They’ll head to Detroit with a .221 team batting average. Sluggers Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez are both hitting .153. “I think just with both of them, they’re expanding a little bit more than what they normally do,” manager Matt Quatraro said. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Tigers #confidence #renewed #entering #home #series #Royals

Deadspin | Tigers’ confidence renewed entering home series with Royals
Apr 6, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle (7) fields a ground ball against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers enjoyed a confidence-building weekend at home. They’ll try to keep the good vibes going when they host Central Division rival Kansas City in a three-game series that begins on Tuesday.

The Tigers had lost five straight before the Miami Marlins headed north to Michigan for a three-game series. Detroit swept the series by a combined score of 16-3.

“Collectively, you know, the sum of our parts is pretty good,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Just because you lose a game or two doesn’t mean it defines you. … I trust this team and I believe in this team. It doesn’t shock or surprise me. And I hope it doesn’t shock or surprise anybody who follows us.”

Most of their runs came via the long ball. Javier Baez hit a solo shot in the series opener. Riley Greene smashed his first home of the season, a three-run shot, on Saturday.

Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle and Kerry Carpenter went deep in Sunday’s 8-2 victory. It was the first career homer for rookie phenom McGonigle, who had three hits in the series finale to raise his average to .322.

“It meant everything,” McGonigle said of the homer. “Especially doing it in front of this city. I love this place already and I’m looking forward to a long future here. I can’t believe I was able to do that in front of them.”

McGonigle forced his way onto the team with a stellar spring. Hinch has moved the 21-year-old shortstop to the top of the lineup.

“This is just who he is,” Hinch said. “I like that he’s settling into playing every day at this level. Things will normalize for him as the attention settles down.”

Left-hander Framber Valdez (1-1, 4.76 ERA) will start the series opener for Detroit. Valdez gave up just one run in his first two outings, but he was lit up for eight runs and 10 hits in five innings at Minnesota in an 8-6 loss on Wednesday.

Valdez is 2-3 with a 3.29 ERA in nine career outings against Kansas City. He’ll be opposed by Cole Ragans (0-3, 5.91), the first left-hander to start against the Tigers this season.

Ragans was removed in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday after taking a Jose Ramirez liner off his left hand. He avoided a serious injury, as he was diagnosed with a left thumb contusion.

Ragans said he felt he could have stayed in the contest.

“One of those things where it’s probably the right thing to do,” Ragans said. “But I think all of us as competitors, we want to play every chance we get. Obviously aggravating for me, just because I felt so good prior to that, and then something like that happens.”

Ragans is 3-2 with a 3.64 ERA in six career outings against Detroit.

Kansas City split a four-game series at home against the Chicago White Sox. The Royals lost the series finale on Sunday, 6-5. They had scored just seven runs in their previous five games.

The offense has yet to find a spark. They’ll head to Detroit with a .221 team batting average.

Sluggers Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez are both hitting .153.

“I think just with both of them, they’re expanding a little bit more than what they normally do,” manager Matt Quatraro said.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Tigers #confidence #renewed #entering #home #series #Royals

Sports news April 13, 2026

Apr 6, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle (7) fields a ground ball against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers enjoyed a confidence-building weekend at home. They’ll try to keep the good vibes going when they host Central Division rival Kansas City in a three-game series that begins on Tuesday.

The Tigers had lost five straight before the Miami Marlins headed north to Michigan for a three-game series. Detroit swept the series by a combined score of 16-3.

“Collectively, you know, the sum of our parts is pretty good,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Just because you lose a game or two doesn’t mean it defines you. … I trust this team and I believe in this team. It doesn’t shock or surprise me. And I hope it doesn’t shock or surprise anybody who follows us.”

Most of their runs came via the long ball. Javier Baez hit a solo shot in the series opener. Riley Greene smashed his first home of the season, a three-run shot, on Saturday.

Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle and Kerry Carpenter went deep in Sunday’s 8-2 victory. It was the first career homer for rookie phenom McGonigle, who had three hits in the series finale to raise his average to .322.

“It meant everything,” McGonigle said of the homer. “Especially doing it in front of this city. I love this place already and I’m looking forward to a long future here. I can’t believe I was able to do that in front of them.”

McGonigle forced his way onto the team with a stellar spring. Hinch has moved the 21-year-old shortstop to the top of the lineup.

“This is just who he is,” Hinch said. “I like that he’s settling into playing every day at this level. Things will normalize for him as the attention settles down.”

Left-hander Framber Valdez (1-1, 4.76 ERA) will start the series opener for Detroit. Valdez gave up just one run in his first two outings, but he was lit up for eight runs and 10 hits in five innings at Minnesota in an 8-6 loss on Wednesday.

Valdez is 2-3 with a 3.29 ERA in nine career outings against Kansas City. He’ll be opposed by Cole Ragans (0-3, 5.91), the first left-hander to start against the Tigers this season.

Ragans was removed in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday after taking a Jose Ramirez liner off his left hand. He avoided a serious injury, as he was diagnosed with a left thumb contusion.

Ragans said he felt he could have stayed in the contest.

“One of those things where it’s probably the right thing to do,” Ragans said. “But I think all of us as competitors, we want to play every chance we get. Obviously aggravating for me, just because I felt so good prior to that, and then something like that happens.”

Ragans is 3-2 with a 3.64 ERA in six career outings against Detroit.

Kansas City split a four-game series at home against the Chicago White Sox. The Royals lost the series finale on Sunday, 6-5. They had scored just seven runs in their previous five games.

The offense has yet to find a spark. They’ll head to Detroit with a .221 team batting average.

Sluggers Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez are both hitting .153.

“I think just with both of them, they’re expanding a little bit more than what they normally do,” manager Matt Quatraro said.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Tigers #confidence #renewed #entering #home #series #Royals

Japan and Pakistan agree to cooperate on Middle East issues<div> Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Pakistani counterpart, Shehbaz Sharif, agreed Monday to work together to ease tensions in the Middle East at an early date.In their 15-minute telephone conversation, held after the United States and Iran failed to reach a peace deal in negotiations mediated by Pakistan, Takaichi stressed that “restoring the stabilization of the Strait of Hormuz …is urgently needed.”Sharif responded that his country seeks to continue working with Japan toward an early de-escalation of the situation and to ensure the safety of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.Takaichi expressed appreciation and support for Sharif and other Pakistani officials’ efforts to mediate U.S.-Iranian talks, and said that “a final agreement should be reached promptly through dialogue.”The Japanese prime minister explained that she has been in contact with the leaders of both the United States and Iran, and that she intends to continue diplomatic efforts.Also on Monday, Takaichi held telephone talks with Vietnamese President To Lam and reaffirmed their countries’ cooperation in bolstering the energy resilience of the entire Asian region.“Vietnam has the world’s sixth-largest rare earth reserves, and cooperation is extremely important for economic security,” Takaichi told reporters.The two Asian leaders also discussed the situation in the South China Sea, where China is ramping up coercive activities, North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programs, and the abduction of Japanese nationals by Pyongyang decades ago. </div>#Japan #Pakistan #agree #cooperate #Middle #East #issuespakistan, sanae takaichi, middle east, PAKISTAN-JAPAN RELATIONS, IRAN

#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">