Celebrated Chicago Bears player Gale Sayers, born May 30, 1943, joins Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., for the Rainbow Commission for Fairness in Athletics, a sports summit on racism and sexism, at Operation Push on July, 29, 1993. The Bears drafted Sayers, a fan favorite, in 1964.
Photo by Tom Cruze/Chicago Sun-Times.
As published in the Chicago Daily News, sister publication of the Chicago Sun-Times:
In 1964, the Chicago Bears needed a big win in the NFL draft. A boring 3-7 season left many fans feeling dejected, yet impossibly hopeful about what the upcoming draft might bring because the Bears had three first-round picks and some excellent prospects to choose from.
Photos courtesy of USA Today
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished the 2020 seas as the best team in football and start the 2021 season the same way
1. Tampa Bay. A glittering cast of mercenaries was recruited a year ago to win a Super Bowl for the Buccaneers – Tom Brady, Leonard Fournette, Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown.They did – and now the gang is back with an eye on repeating as champion. In fact, all 22 starters return from a team that mowed down Washington, New Orleans, Green Bay and Kansas City in the post-season en route to the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy. Brady is the edge the Bucs have over everyone else. No quarterback in NFL history has won more championships and only one (Otto Graham) won a greater percentage of his games than Brady’s 76.9. Brady has thrown a record 581 TD passes and has the NFL’s best collection of receivers at his disposal in Tampa in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Brown and Gronkowski. Coach Bruce Arians has given him yet another quality wea
DETROIT Looks can be deceiving.
At first glance, a casual sports fan wouldn’t be hard-pressed to think Calvin Johnson is an active football player.
But for Johnson, 35, those days are completely over.
“I’m too far gone,” Johnson told ESPN, with a laugh. “I want to enjoy my snowboarding and growing great product.”
Megatron still maintains his fit 6-foot-5 frame, which helped him “Moss” too many defenders to name as a member of the Detroit Lions, but now those gray hairs are slowly creeping in.
Along with being a husband and raising three sons, the retired wideout is a businessman, and the product the soon-to-be first-ballot Hall of Famer is referring to is cannabis. Johnson launched Primitiv, his new Michigan-based cannabis brand, this past week with his former Lions teammate Rob Sims. He even made a rare appearance for a meet-and-greet at Jars’ River Rouge dispensary Thursday.
Listen to Beth Howard s commentary
I grew up in Iowa in the 70s and spent my summers at Camp Abe Lincoln, a YMCA camp on the Mississippi River, just south of the Quad Cities. “The YMCA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to put Christian values into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.”
This mission was incorporated into every camp activity. As we sat around the nightly campfire, the counselors told stories of peace and love, and led us in songs like “Kumbaya” and “Michael Row the Boat Ashore.” When we rode and groomed horses, we learned about respect and care for animals. Archery and riflery were a means to teach focus and hand-eye coordination, with an emphasis on safety and non-violence. And when we did crafts, braiding lanyards and weaving colorful yarn around popsicle sticks to create a “God’s Eye,” counselors artfully worked in messages of morality.
Peyton Manning (18) photo courtesy of USA Today
The Talk of Fame Network researched the greatest players selected at each of the first 259 draft slots.
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence became the 86th player selected first overall in an NFL draft this month.
Only 13 of those selections went on to have Hall of Fame careers. So who was the best of the best – the greatest first overall pick ever? Terry Bradshaw with his four Super Bowl rings? Troy Aikman with his three rings? Bruce Smith with his NFL-record 200 career sacks? Earl Campbell with his three NFL rushing titles?
It’s none of the above. It’s the only player in NFL history to win five NFL MVP awards. It’s a player who went to a record 14 Pro Bowls. It’s Peyton Manning, who will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame this summer.