×
Laura Wolvaardt, Sune Luus shine for South Africa with record partnership South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus recorded the highest opening partnership by a Full Member nation in a women’s T20I match, during its clash against India in Johannesburg on Wednesday.Wolvaardt and Luus put together 183 runs as they helped South Africa overhaul a 193-run target with ease.The Proteas duo broke the record held by New Zealand’s Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, who had combined for 182 runs against South Africa in 2018.While Captain Wolvaardt led from the front with a blistering 115 off 53 balls, registering the joint third-fastest century in women’s T20Is, Luus struck 64 off 42.“We knew we had so much power in the dug out so we just had to get as much as we could. And then once we got out of the Powerplay, I just tried to win the game as quickly as I could,” said Wolvaardt after the game. Highest opening partnerships by a Full Member in women’s T20Is Laura Wolvaardt-Sune Luus (South Africa) – 183 vs India (April 22, 2026) Sophie Devine-Suzie Bates (New Zealand) – 182 vs South Africa (June 20, 2018) Shandre Fritz-Trisha Chetty (South Africa) – 170 vs The Netherlands (October 14, 2010) Dane van Niekerk-Lizelle Lee (South Africa) – 163* vs Pakistan (March 23, 2014) Amelia Kerr-Izzy Gaze (New Zealand) – 163 vs Zimbabwe (February 27, 2026) Published on Apr 23, 2026 #Laura #Wolvaardt #Sune #Luus #shine #South #Africa #record #partnership

Laura Wolvaardt, Sune Luus shine for South Africa with record partnership

South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus recorded the highest opening partnership by a Full Member nation in a women’s T20I match, during its clash against India in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

Wolvaardt and Luus put together 183 runs as they helped South Africa overhaul a 193-run target with ease.

The Proteas duo broke the record held by New Zealand’s Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, who had combined for 182 runs against South Africa in 2018.

While Captain Wolvaardt led from the front with a blistering 115 off 53 balls, registering the joint third-fastest century in women’s T20Is, Luus struck 64 off 42.

“We knew we had so much power in the dug out so we just had to get as much as we could. And then once we got out of the Powerplay, I just tried to win the game as quickly as I could,” said Wolvaardt after the game.

Highest opening partnerships by a Full Member in women’s T20Is

Laura Wolvaardt-Sune Luus (South Africa) – 183 vs India (April 22, 2026)

Sophie Devine-Suzie Bates (New Zealand) – 182 vs South Africa (June 20, 2018)

Shandre Fritz-Trisha Chetty (South Africa) – 170 vs The Netherlands (October 14, 2010)

Dane van Niekerk-Lizelle Lee (South Africa) – 163* vs Pakistan (March 23, 2014)

Amelia Kerr-Izzy Gaze (New Zealand) – 163 vs Zimbabwe (February 27, 2026)

Published on Apr 23, 2026

#Laura #Wolvaardt #Sune #Luus #shine #South #Africa #record #partnership

Sports news , , , , , ,

South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus recorded the highest opening partnership by a Full Member nation in a women’s T20I match, during its clash against India in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

Wolvaardt and Luus put together 183 runs as they helped South Africa overhaul a 193-run target with ease.

The Proteas duo broke the record held by New Zealand’s Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, who had combined for 182 runs against South Africa in 2018.

While Captain Wolvaardt led from the front with a blistering 115 off 53 balls, registering the joint third-fastest century in women’s T20Is, Luus struck 64 off 42.

“We knew we had so much power in the dug out so we just had to get as much as we could. And then once we got out of the Powerplay, I just tried to win the game as quickly as I could,” said Wolvaardt after the game.

Highest opening partnerships by a Full Member in women’s T20Is

Laura Wolvaardt-Sune Luus (South Africa) – 183 vs India (April 22, 2026)

Sophie Devine-Suzie Bates (New Zealand) – 182 vs South Africa (June 20, 2018)

Shandre Fritz-Trisha Chetty (South Africa) – 170 vs The Netherlands (October 14, 2010)

Dane van Niekerk-Lizelle Lee (South Africa) – 163* vs Pakistan (March 23, 2014)

Amelia Kerr-Izzy Gaze (New Zealand) – 163 vs Zimbabwe (February 27, 2026)

Published on Apr 23, 2026

Source link
#Laura #Wolvaardt #Sune #Luus #shine #South #Africa #record #partnership

Tag
Previous post

Deadspin | Ildemaro Vargas blasts 2 homers as Diamondbacks defeat White Sox <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28788843.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28788843.jpg" alt="MLB: Chicago White Sox at Arizona Diamondbacks" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 22, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) hits a three run home run against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Ildemaro Vargas hit two homers and drove in a career-high five runs and the Arizona Diamondbacks withstood Munetaka Murakami, who homered in a fifth straight game, to hold off the Chicago White Sox 11-7 in Phoenix on Wednesday.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>Murakami leads the American League with 10 homers, eight on the road, and he became the fastest player in White Sox history to reach 10, doing it in 24 games. He broke a tie with Shohei Ohtani to become the only Japanese-born player to homer in five straight games.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Murakami had three hits, and his 451-foot two-run homer off Ryan Thompson in the seventh brought the White Sox within 10-7, but the Diamondbacks added a run on Geraldo Perdomo’s second triple of the game in the last of the inning and Paul Sewald left two on in the ninth.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>Nolan Arenado had four hits, including a homer, scored three runs and drove in three for the Diamondbacks, who evened the series and broke a two-game losing streak in which they had given up 21 runs.</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>Corbin Carroll had three hits and scored twice and Perdomo had three hits and an RBI. Both reached four times.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-6"> <p>Arizona had a season-high 16 hits in support of Eduardo Rodriguez (2-0), who gave up four runs and six hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked three, leaving with an 8-4 lead.</p> </section> <section id="section-7"> <p>Colson Montgomery homered for the fourth consecutive game and Miguel Vargas homered for the third straight for the White Sox, who have 14 homers in their last four games.</p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>Montgomery homered in four straight games for the second time in his career. He did it from Aug. 22-26 last year.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>Ildemaro Vargas hit a three-run homer in a four-run second and added a two-run shot in the third to give Arizona a 6-3 lead. Arenado’s two-run homer in the sixth pushed the cushion to 10-5.</p> </section><section id="section-10"> <p>Ildemaro Vargas extended his season-opening hitting streak to a franchise-record 17 games, and his 20-game hitting streak dating to last season is the longest active streak in the majors.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>Anthony Kay (1-1) gave up eight runs and eight hits, including both Vargas homers, in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out one and walked four, and he balked in Carroll with the first run in Arizona’s two-run fourth to make it 8-4.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-12"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section> </div> #Deadspin #Ildemaro #Vargas #blasts #homers #Diamondbacks #defeat #White #Sox

Next post

The Iranian women Trump ‘saved’ from execution are simultaneously real and AI-manipulated<div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1">Only the night before, he had posted on Truth Social about the imminent executions of these women, quoting a screenshot that included a collage of eight glamorously backlit, soft-focus portraits. The photos of the women were immediately accused of being AI-generated. “Trump is begging Iranian leaders to not execute 8 AI-generated women. This is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen,” said one viral X post.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1">On top of that, almost immediately after Trump’s announcement, Mizan, an Iranian state news agency, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trump-says-eight-iranian-women-wont-be-executed-iran-disputes-entire-account-2026-04-22/">called the president a liar</a>. “Last night, Donald Trump, citing a completely false news story, called on Iran to overturn the death sentences of eight women.” Mizan said that some of the women had already been released and others were facing prison time but not execution, and furthermore said that Tehran had made no concessions — presumably, the status of the women has not changed.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1">The X account for the Iranian embassy in South Africa, perhaps the most relentless shitposter among Iran’s state-affiliated accounts, was quick to pile on by generating its own set of eight women:</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1">The collage that Trump posted is, at the very least, AI-modified, Mahsa Alimardani, the associate director of the Technology Threats & Opportunities program at WITNESS, told <em>The Verge</em>. But the women themselves are real. The woman in the top right corner of the collage is <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/woman-iran-sentenced-death-protests-rights-groups/">Bita Hemmati</a>, whose photograph appeared in several news stories in <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/15/world-news/iran-to-execute-the-first-woman-over-widespread-anti-regime-demonstrations/">various right-leaning news outlets last week</a>. Hemmati is confirmed to have received a <a href="https://www.en-hrana.org/tehran-revolutionary-court-sentences-four-protest-detainees-to-death/">death sentence</a> issued by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court for “operational action for the hostile government of the United States and hostile groups.”</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1">Alimardani named six of the women (Bita Hemmati, Mahboubeh Shabani, Venus Hossein-Nejad, Golnaz Naraghi, Diana Taherabadi, Ghazal Ghalandri), and said that the identities of the final two (said to be Panah Movahedi and Ensieh Nejati) were still unverified. The six verified women participated in protests against the government in January. Aside from Hemmati, none of the other women are reported to have received death sentences.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1">It’s not surprising that Trump has a careless disregard for the truth; it’s not surprising, either, for the Iranian regime to fudge the details to suit its own narrative, or to make light of real political prisoners in order to dunk on the United States.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1">The additional wrinkle is that the account mocking Trump for coming to the rescue of “8 AI-generated women” is the very same one that landed <a href="https://www.theverge.com/policy/913587/south-korea-lee-jae-myung-israel">South Korean president Lee Jae-myung</a> in hot water when he quoted a misleading labeled video posted by that account. Israeli officials have accused the account of being “well-known for spreading disinformation.” The case of the sketchy Lee Jae-myung quote-post is a story of mingled truth and misinformation, where the post got facts very wrong, but the video — of Israeli Defense Forces soldiers shoving a limp body off a rooftop in Gaza — was real, documenting an event that possibly implicates Israeli forces in a violation of international law.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _17nnmdya _1xwtict1">The case of the eight Iranian protesters also features that same mingling of fact and fiction into a fuzzy distortion that fuels an endless disputation of real human rights violations. Their lives have been reduced to glossy pixels and quote-dunks, the stuff of propaganda and parody. While known liars fight with each other on the internet about who these women are and what will happen to them, they — verifiably six of them, at least — remain real people who exist beyond the Iranian internet blackout.</p></div>#Iranian #women #Trump #saved #execution #simultaneously #real #AImanipulatedPolicy,Politics

Related Posts

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 #homePro 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

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">TNPL 2026 Live: All-round batting display propels Nellai Royal Kings to 206/8 Follow Sportstar for extensive coverage of the tenth edition of the TNPL, from live scores and match reports to exclusive analysis and features.TOSSTiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and chose to bowl first.PLAYING XIsNellai 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 BhaskerTiruppur 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 NatarajanPublished on Aug 09, 2026 #TNPL #Live #Allround #batting #display #propels #Nellai #Royal #Kings

Post Comment