Sports
Dick Butkus, Fearsome Hall Of Fame Chicago Bears Linebacker, Dies At 80
Chicago — had a photograph of Dick Butkus sneering behind his facemask adorned the cover of the 1970 NFL preview issue of Sports Illustrated, which featured the headline “The Most Feared Man in the Game.” Opponents severely injured by his bone-rattling blows could attest that this was not an exaggeration.
The Chicago Bears announced the passing of Butkus, a middle linebacker who set the standard for the position in the modern era with his speed and ferocity. His age was eighty.
The team’s statement to Butkus’ family confirmed that he passed away while dozing off at his Malibu, California, home.
Butkus was named to the first team of the Pro Bowl five times and participated in eight of his nine seasons before his retirement at 31 due to a knee injury. In 1979, his first year of eligibility, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the prototypical Monster of the Midway. He continues to be regarded as one of the league’s finest defensive players.
“Dick Butkus was a fierce and ardent rival who contributed to the linebacker position’s reputation as one of the greatest in NFL history.” “The Chicago Bears and the position will forever be associated with Dick’s name as the model linebacker due to his intuition, toughness, and athleticism,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “In addition, we recall Dick as a steadfast advocate for former players and players of all skill levels.”
A moment of silence was observed before Thursday night’s Bears game against the Washington Commanders in remembrance of Butkus.
Butkus enjoyed a lengthy second career as a sports broadcaster, an actor in films and television series, and a sought-after pitchman for products varying from antifreeze to beer, capitalizing on his reputation as the most formidable individual in the room. Regardless of whether the script required comedy or drama, Butkus portrayed himself, frequently concealing a gentler side behind his stern exterior.
“I would never go out to hurt anybody deliberately,” Butkus responded humorously when questioned about his reputation on the pitch. “Unless it was significant, such as a league game or something.”
Butkus was the only professional athlete who dedicated his entire career to his hometown. At Chicago Vocational High, he excelled as a linebacker, fullback, and kicker before proceeding to the University of Illinois. Born as the youngest of eight children on December 9, 1942, he was raised on the city’s South Side as a supporter of the Chicago Cardinals, the Bears’ crosstown rivals.
However, following his selection by the Bears and Denver Broncos (a then-member of the defunct American Football League) in the first round of the 1965 NFL Draught, Butkus opted to remain in Chicago and play for NFL founder and coach George Halas. In the same year, the Bears added Gale Sayers, a future Hall of Fame running back, to their roster via an additional first-round selection.
“He was Chicago’s son,” Halas’ grandson and Bears chairman, George McCaskey, said in a statement. “He embodied the qualities George Halas sought in a player—tenacity, intelligence, instincts, zeal, and leadership—and what our great city is about. He refused to tolerate anything less than his or his teammates’ best performance.
Dick Butkus, Fearsome Hall Of Fame Chicago Bears Linebacker, Dies At 80
Butkus assumed the position of middle linebacker from Bill George, who is regarded as the NFL’s first great innovator. In 1954, George abandoned his three-point stance in the center of the defensive line and began each play from several paces away. This allowed him to observe the play’s unfolding and quickly reach the ball.
However, Butkus brought speed, agility, and a scorched-earth attitude that his predecessors could only have envisioned. In his first year, he intercepted five passes, recovered six fumbles, and was unofficially credited with forcing six more. He also made his first of eight consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. However, his reputation as a disruptor extended far beyond his ability to seize football possession.
Butkus would strike runners from above, envelop them, and propel them to the ground as if they were cloth dolls. He was once referred to by Playboy magazine as “the meanest, angriest, toughest, dirtiest” NFL player and an “animal, a savage, subhuman.” That type of description needs to be set better with Butkus. However, they were difficult to dispute.
Several opponents asserted that Butkus bit them or poked them in the face during pileups, and he admitted that even during warmups, “I would manufacture things to make me mad.” At the old Tigers Stadium, the Detroit Lions utilized an I-formation against the Chicago Bears. However, Butkus rendered the center, quarterback, fullback, and halfback ineffective.
He only sometimes ended his journey there. On multiple occasions, Butkus collided with ball carriers well beyond the sidelines. He pursued them on multiple occasions onto the running tracks surrounding the field and even the spectators.
“Just hitting people wasn’t good enough,” said Ed O’Bradovich, a teammate. “He enjoyed degrading others.”
With a record of 48-74-4, the Bears suffered far more losses than victories during his tenure, despite their endeavors. As a result of tendon issues that arose in high school, Butkus sustained a severe knee injury in the 1970s and underwent preventive surgery before the subsequent season. He contemplated undergoing a second operation following his nine-game absence during the 1973 season.
A surgeon asked, “how a man in your shape can play football, or why you would even want to,” prompting Butkus to declare his retirement in May 1974.
Subsequently, Butkus filed a lawsuit against the Bears for $1.6 million, alleging that he was deprived of adequate medical care and was entitled to the remaining four years of his contract salary. A $600,000 settlement was reached for the litigation, but Butkus and Halas communicated only five years ago.
Sayers and Butkus both failed to qualify for the postseason. Butkus and Sayers had long since departed when the Bears re-entered the postseason in 1977, having won the championship in 1963.
The Bears regained their preeminent position in 1985 by winning their sole Super Bowl. Since then, however, they have only returned to the championship game once. Butkus was unable to comprehend which reason.
“There is no reason why we cannot or should not be in the running at all times,” he stated in June 2019 at the Bears’ 100th anniversary celebration. “I understand that you are concerned about draught selections or other matters that arise when you consistently complete tasks first.” How do you account for the fact that New England has been there for so long? That is incorrect. The Bears ought to be the victor.
Following his departure from football, Butkus gained immediate notoriety. In the fifteen years that followed, he appeared in a dozen feature films, including “Brian’s Song” in 1971, as well as the sitcoms “My Two Dads” and “Hang Time.” In addition, he rejoined the Bears in 1985 as a radio analyst and became Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder’s replacement on the pregame program “The NFL Today” on CBS in 1988.
In recognition of Butkus, the Pro Football Hall of Fame lowered its flags to half-staff.
Through the Butkus Foundation, he assisted in establishing a program to promote early screenings for cardiac disease at a hospital in Southern California. He advocated for a campaign to persuade high school athletes to avoid performance-enhancing drugs and to train and consume well.
The foundation administers the Butkus Award, created in 1985 to recognize the greatest linebacker in college football. In 2008, it was extended to include high school and professional athletes.
McCaskey stated, “Dick had a gruff demeanour, which may have deterred some individuals from approaching him, but he actually had a soft touch.”
In recognition of Butkus, the Pro Football Hall of Fame lowered its flags to half-staff.
“Playing in an era when middle linebacker became one of the game’s glamour positions — and several of Dick’s contemporaries also would end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — his name most often was cited first as the epitome of what it took to excel at the highest level,” Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said while delivering a statement.
Butkus is survived by his children, Ricky, Matt, and Nikki, as well as his wife, Helen. Luke Butkus, a nephew, has served as a college and NFL coach, including tenure with the Chicago Bears.
SOURCE – (AP)
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics promises to be unlike any other.
In a novelty for the Games, the show will be held on Paris’ famed River Seine rather than in a stadium.
Here is everything you need know about the ceremony…
What to expect from the spectacular opening ceremony.
The eye-catching celebration will take place over a 6km stretch of the Seine. It will start at Austerlitz Bridge and culminate among the gardens, fountains, and palaces in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero.
Almost 100 boats will carry over 10,000 athletes and dignitaries as they cruise past Paris’ prominent monuments such as Notre Dame Cathedral and Pont Neuf.
The boats will transport the parade’s participants as well as the artistic portion of the celebration, which will highlight Paris and France’s history and culture.
The performers’ identities, however, have been kept a mystery.
Thousands of people are still expected to line the river and streets, with millions more watching on television all over the world.
“I’d like to show France in all its diversity,” said Thomas Jolly, the French actor and theatre director appointed as the ceremony’s creative director, a post previously played by Danny Boyle in London 2012.
“Illustrate the richness and plurality shaped by its history, which has been influenced and inspired by the diverse cultures that have passed through it, while itself serving as a source of inspiration.”
The ceremony will also involve the ceremonial opening of the Games, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.
Many of the finer elements have been maintained as a surprise.
What is the date and time of the opening ceremony?
The ceremony will commence at 19:30 local time (18:30 BST) on Friday, July 26.
It is scheduled to take little under four hours, with the last parts taking place as the sun sets over the French city.
Fortunately, the Paris weather forecast for Friday evening is positive.
In what sequence will the nations be introduced?
In accordance with tradition, Greece will be the first nation introduced during the ceremony.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, an NBA star, is one of their flagbearers for the games.
Greece will be followed by the Refugee Olympic Team, with hosts France being the last to be unveiled.
Because of their countries’ involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, Russian and Belarussian athletes participating as individuals will not participate.
How to follow the opening ceremony on BBC.
The opening ceremony will begin live at 17:45 BST on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app.
BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds will provide radio coverage beginning at 19:00 BST.
There will also be live text coverage on the BBC Sport website and app, bringing you all the action from Paris.
Source: BBC
Sports
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
PARIS — Coco Gauff, a tennis player, will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the United States Olympic team at Friday’s opening ceremony.
Coco, the reigning US Open winner, is ready to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games, becoming the first tennis player to carry the American flag. Team USA athletes selected her and James.
“I believe the Olympics are the priority. It’s equal to the Grand Slams. I wouldn’t put it above or below because I’d never played before. “This is my first time,” Gauff explained earlier this year. “I always want to do well and get a medal.”
Coco Gauff | AP News Image
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
Coco and James, the 39-year-old NBA’s all-time top scorer, engage in sports outside the traditional Olympic realm and receive media attention year-round rather than every four years.
Coco, 20, joined the American team for the Tokyo Olympics as a youngster three years ago but had to withdraw because she tested positive for COVID-19 just before flying to Japan.
Coco, who now lives in Florida, has won Grand Slam titles in both singles and doubles. She earned her first major triumph in New York in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the singles final of the U.S. Open, and then won her first Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open in June with Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova.
The Paris Olympics will be played on the same clay courts at Roland Garros used for the French Open. The bracket draw will take place on Thursday, and play will begin on Saturday.
Coco is seeded second in singles, matching her current WTA ranking behind Poland’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek, and will be one of the medal favorites.
Coco Gauff | AP news Image
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
She and her normal doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, are seeded first in the women’s doubles. Gauff may also compete in mixed doubles; however, those pairs have yet to be determined.
“I’m not putting too much pressure on it, because I want to fully enjoy the experience,” Gauff said of her Olympic debut. “Hopefully I can have the experience multiple times in my lifetime, (but) I’ll treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
SOURCE | AP
When LeBron James was chosen for his first Olympics in 2004, he was unsure what the opening ceremony entailed.
This time, he’ll be a star of the show.
His fellow American Olympians chose James to be the male flagbearer for the United States at the opening ceremony of the Paris Games on Friday night. He is the third basketball player — and the first men’s player — to carry the United States flag at the start of an Olympics, following Dawn Staley in 2004 and Sue Bird in 2021.
“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together,” James told reporters. “As a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything to not only me, but to my family, all the kids in my community, my teammates, other Olympians, and so many more people throughout the country with huge dreams. Sports have the capacity to unite us all, and I’m honored to be a part of this historic occasion.”
The 39-year-old James learned of the distinction Monday in London, just hours before the United States men’s team was supposed to play its final pre-Olympics exhibition game against World Cup champion Germany.
“We understand how much of an honor it is to be in that position and I think Bron’s entire career, on and off the court, speaks for itself as him being worthy of that honor,” Curry said on the video announcing his nomination.
“He has represented what it means to be excellent both on and off the court in his commitment to service and to uplifting the community in all ways that he knows how has been a lifelong passion,” Curry pointed out. “And the work speaks for itself.”
LeBron James Selected As Team USA Male Flagbearer For Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
The female U.S. flagbearer is anticipated to be revealed on Tuesday. In 2020, the International Olympic Committee announced that country delegations would have two flagbearers at the Olympics’ opening ceremony, one male and one female, to encourage gender equality. The United States is set to send around 600 competitors to the Paris Games, with approximately 53% women.
“Being chosen by your teammates to carry the flag is a tremendous honor—and a testament to LeBron’s passion for Team USA and dedication to his sport,” U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said.
James, a global icon, four-time NBA champion, and the league’s all-time leading scorer about to begin his record-tying 22nd NBA season, is set to compete in the Olympics for the fourth time, having previously won bronze in 2004, gold in Beijing in 2008, and gold again in London in 2012. He participated in the opening ceremony at his previous three Olympics.
This will be an unprecedented Olympic opening ceremony, with thousands of participants sailing along the River Seine at nightfall toward the Eiffel Tower. According to Olympic officials, the route is a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) one, with some 320,000 spectators expected to watch from the river bank and an estimated 1 billion more watching on televisions around the world.
LeBron James Selected As Team USA Male Flagbearer For Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
Not all Olympic athletes attend the opening ceremony; many miss it for logistical reasons, such as having to compete the next day. James and the four-time defending gold champion U.S. men shall begin Olympic competition on Sunday, when they face Serbia in Lille, France.
James and the American Olympians will have to wait longer than virtually any other nation for their voyage on the Seine. According to IOC protocol, Greece will lead the march, with NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo serving as one of its two flagbearers. The Refugee Olympic Team and over 200 more national delegations will follow. The United States is slated to be next-to-last in the procession because Los Angeles will host the next Summer Olympics in 2028.
As the host, France will be the last nation to participate in the opening ceremony procession. Its men’s basketball team, which includes reigning NBA rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama, begins Olympic competition on Saturday and is not scheduled to attend the opening ceremony.
SOURCE | AP
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