WEEKEND WORDS
In a year facing the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have today already $7.1 million due to the kindness & generosity of many coaches / TV friends / corporate people / athletes / entertainers / fans. I simply say THANK YOU to ALL that donated.”
ESPN college basketball legend Dick Vitale in a text to USA TODAY Thursday on the record amount of money that has been raised for fighting pediatric cancer through the V Foundation. His 15th annual gala is Friday and -- live and on tape -- will honor Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians, Gonzaga basketball coach Mark Few and ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith. According to the Herald-Tribune in Sarasota, Florida, Vitale will broadcast from his Florida home. To contribute go to dickvitale.com.
I’m just a little peanut in a big ocean and there are a lot of other people that have a lot bigger problems than not going to Packers games.”
Packers fan Craig Cluberton of Richmond, Virginia on the end of his streak of attending 192 consecutive home games dating to 1996. The team’s home opener will be played without fans.
It’s about expressing yourself. I wouldn’t say it’s going to be about expressing one idea. That’s where we are as a country right now. Individuals have different thoughts, different perceptions and different feelings than their neighbor. So for you to force your opinion and your perceptions on somebody I think isn’t very important right now. If I had it my way, that’s exactly what we’d do: Express ourselves individually but love and support one another collectively.”
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who has never taken a knee during the national anthem, saying if the decision were his, he would give his teammates free rein to address the anthem as they please.
Free the Big Ten, let’s go, let’s play some football.”
Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh Wednesday during his media availability. Harbaugh’s brother Jim coaches Michigan. The Big Ten and the Pac 12 are the only two of the power five football conferences to shut down this fall.