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More news - Recent news Lifelong friends Martin Schwartz and Matthew Mandel enjoy a rare sports moment as Miami teams compete for championships. Martin Schwartz and Matthew Mandel are living a dream come true. The longtime friends and South Florida residents hit it big with the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers both reaching the finals, competing for NBA and NHL titles at the same time. Schwartz and Mandel, who have shared season tickets for both teams for years, have seen their fair share of ups and downs. They’ve endured tough seasons, like the Heat’s 15-win campaign in 2007-08, and watched away fans dominate the stands. They celebrated the Heat’s championship successes in 2012 and 2013, led by Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, and enjoyed the Panthers’ occasional playoff appearances. Ho...

Related media - News 24 hours INDIANAPOLIS — Athletes often speak in generalities as a defense mechanism. Rather than delve into a potentially controversial topic, or even address the issue, they provide non-answers, using clichés and pre-planned talking points to keep a safe distance. Part of me would like to believe that this is what Caitlin Clark did. Thursday morning when I asked her if she was bothered by fans using her name as a weapon in the culture wars dividing the country. The Indiana Fever's star guard hasn't closed the door on the topic; she refused to even open it. “No,” he declared. "I don't see it. I don't see it. That's not where my focus is. My focus is here and on basketball. That's where it needs to be, that's where it's been, and I'm just trying to get better e...

Related media - News 24 hours Imagine a baseball season without the iconic crack of an ash bat. This could become a reality thanks to the emerald ash borer, a tiny beetle that causes massive destruction of ash trees across North America. For decades, ash has reigned supreme in baseball bats. From legendary players like Babe Ruth to modern sluggers like Mark McGwire, ash has been the go-to material for its feel and performance. Companies like Hillerich & Bradsby, makers of the Louisville Slugger, produced hundreds of thousands of ash bats each year. However, the emerald ash borer has changed the game. This invasive insect, the size of a grain of rice, attacks ash trees by laying its eggs under the bark. The larvae then feed on the tree's vital nutrients, eventually killing it. S...

Related media - Latest news Mike Duggan and his hockey buddies were strapping on their gear one recent morning when their banter turned, as it often does, to the topic of joint replacement surgeries. Duggan, 74, the proud owner of an artificial hip, marveled at the sheer number of titanium body parts in the locker room. He nodded toward Mitch Boriskin, who was putting on a pair of skates along the opposite wall. “I don't think there's an original part to you,” Duggan said. Boriskin, 70, smiled. “Two fake knees, a spinal cord stimulator, 25 surgeries,” he began, as if he were reciting a sheet of music. “And a lobotomy,” Duggan chimed in, as laughter rippled through the room. All that titanium, at least, was being put to good use. Their team, Oregon Old Growth, had joined dozens of ...

More news - Recent news Rocky Wirtz, who after taking over from his father as principal owner of the Chicago Blackhawks, won three Stanley Cup championships in the 2010s — a stellar run that lost its luster several years later after a sexual assault investigation by one of the teams of the minor league. players by a coach – died Tuesday in Evanston, Illinois. He was 70 years old. His death, in hospital, was confirmed by John Steinmiller, team spokesman. Under Mr. Wirtz's father, William, the Blackhawks, one of the National Hockey League's six original franchises, had become a downtrodden, money-losing franchise. The team hadn't won the Stanley Cup since 1961. Attendance at the United Center was among the worst in the league. And home games weren't televised. “I would say, 'Dad, w...

Related media - Recent news He also took several trips to Europe, discovering a passion for exploring his father's ancestral land in the Basque Country in northern Spain. And he drove a camper van around Australia and Indonesia. But the boat was his greatest pleasure. “I want my life to be simple and there's nothing simpler than being on a sailboat,” she said. “You treat the boat well and it treats you well. That's all. Before the pandemic, the Roaming Rose docked in Turks and Caicos. Due to travel restrictions, she was stuck there for almost two years. When he was allowed to return to the boat in 2022, she took her girlfriend, Jayden Davila, with her for a three-month sail around the Caribbean. They docked in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the...