Football is the closest thing in America to a gladiator sport — it’s no surprise that superstars fall apart every year between injuries, stress and personal issues. As we know it now, football will never be a completely safe game, and some top-tier players will have their careers cut short. Sometimes, though, an unstoppable force…
This Week in Sports History: Ali takes first heavyweight belt from Sonny Liston
Muhammed Ali’s achievements in boxing are nearly impossible to replicate and are always interesting to go back to — this will be the second time I’ve covered an Ali fight this year. Something about Ali’s legacy, between his inventive fighting style, laundry list of title wins and personal achievements outside the ring, is alluring, even…
This Week in Sports History: Revisiting Jordan’s upbringing on his birthday
There is no more recognizable name in basketball, and possibly any sport, than Michael Jordan’s. His legacy, even after the likes of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, is something that remains hard to replicate. Jordan’s career likely kicked off the advent of global sponsorship and corporate deals, as his image became synonymous with…
Last Week In Sports: Kamaru Usman defends title a third time
Repeated title defense is extremely difficult in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC); it requires the ability to change your fighting style and defend against the toughest fighters in the world, most of them talented in unique ways. Kamaru Usman proved his ability to do so last weekend, defending his welterweight title against Gilbert Burns in…
This Week in Sports History: 1924 Canadian hockey team brings home olympic gold
In 1924, the Winter Olympic Games were held in Chamonix, France. Significant for Olympics history, this year’s contests would do away withy the Bergvall System — a knockout method that involved the losing teams beaten by the first-place country to compete amongst themselves for the silver medal, and those defeated by the second-place…
Junior Kelsi Bryant re-elected as LUCC President
LUCC President, junior Kelsi Bryant has begun planning for her upcoming term in office. Photo by Pei Robins. After another round of elections, the Lawrence University Community Council (LUCC) has a new president; junior Kelsi Bryant was selected over her opponent, Judicial Board member junior Jessica Toncler. As an incumbent to the position, this was…
This Week in Sports History: Super Bowl XXIX
Victory in sports is never guaranteed, much less in a high-risk, high-intensity game like American football. No sport is as war-like and, just as in a real battle, the outcome can never be predicted. In the same way, though, the superiority of one all but guarantees a defeat for the other. Super Bowl XXIX, on…
This Week in Sports History: MLK’s legacy magnifies race relations in the NBA
This week saw Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day come and go on Jan. 19, but the impact of his legacy, and especially his assassination, proved that racial ideology (and conflict) affected every facet of life even then. The NBA, being one of the first mostly-Black American leagues, was undoubtedly the most outspoken about the…
This Week in Sports History: The birth of Cubs’ legend Sammy Sosa
Chicago Cubs’ legend Sammy Sosa. Photo by Jerry Coli This column seeks to profile important events in the history of sports. As baseball fans are painfully aware, the Chicago Cubs do not have too many seasons in their long history to be proud of. Their World Series win in 2016 was their first since 1907…
This Week in Sports History: John Madden wins hundredth game as head coach
This column seeks to profile important events in the history of sports. Considered one of the greatest head coaches of all time (and an even better announcer), John Madden’s legendary status is not unwarranted. As the head coach of the then Oakland Raiders, Madden picked up 103 wins with the team in nine years and…