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☆ N.F.L. Draft Picks 2023: All the Results From the First Round
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dallas CowboysMazi Smith, DT, Michigan27. Philadelphia EaglesNolan Smith, edge, Georgia31. Kansas City ChiefsFelix Anudike-Uzomah, edge, Kansas StateNotes: The Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick. The Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers traded away their first-round picks. When the second round begins on Friday, Pittsburgh will have the first pick, followed by Arizona, Detroit, Indianapolis and the Los Angeles Rams.

☆ Harry Belafonte, calypso star and civil rights champion, dies at 96
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Alex Johnson | Diana Dasrath | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Singer Harry Belafonte speaks during a press junket at The Bing Decision Maker Series with the Sing Your Song Cast and Filmmakers on January 22, 2011 in Park City, Utah. American singer Harry Belafonte performing in a recording studio, circa 1957. By the early 1960s, Belafonte had become a force in the civil rights movement. A crowd of over 10,000 civil rights marchers gathers in the Manhattan Garment Center as Harry Belafonte sings at spiritual at a civil rights rally. A capacity audience of civil rights advocates turned out to watch a glittering array of theater personalities perform.

☆ SpaceX Starship’s explosion is not the failure it appears to be, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Rocket launches are like opening a box of chocolates, only riskier — you never know what you’re going to get. When a rocket is set to leap off the launchpad, there’s a good chance of seeing a stunning liftoff or a spectacular failure. The lead-up to this week’s launch of SpaceX’s Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, was a dramatic roller coaster. The rocket blasted off from the launchpad in South Texas and roared 24.2 miles (39 kilometers) over the Gulf of Mexico. Now, researchers have a new theory about why the Vikings abruptly departed in the mid-15th century: rising sea levels.

☆ US prosecutors seek a 7-year sentence and $740 million in forfeiture for an ex-NFL investor in crypto scam case
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Zinya Salfiti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US prosecutors are seeking a seven-year jail sentence for an ex-NFL investor for his involvement in crypto-related bank fraud. Reginald Fowler, who owned 3% of the Minnesota Vikings, is on trial for helping crypto firms side-step money laundering rules. Now, along with the jail sentence, prosecutors are demanding Fowler give up $740 million, according to a Monday court document. Fowler allegedly opened Global Trading Solutions, a firm that worked with Crypto Capital that exchanged cash and crypto. Banks like Silvergate and Signature knowingly took exposure to the cryptocurrency industry; the banks Fowler lied to were also exposed to the volatility of the industry but were unaware of that fact," the court document said.

☆ Rising sea levels may have forced the Vikings out of a successful settlement
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Why they abandoned a successful settlement is a mystery that historians never have been able to fully explain. The idea that sea levels would have been rising as temperatures fell is a little counterintuitive, according to the researchers. However, Earth’s oceans aren’t like a bathtub, and the study noted that changes in sea level don’t affect all areas equally. The Greenland Ice Sheet readvanced during Viking occupation of the eastern settlement and peaked in the Little Ice Age. That advance caused sea level rise near the ice margins because of the sinking of Earth’s crust, according to the study.

☆ The history of the swastika: From a sign of luck and fortune to a symbol of evil
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The statue was discovered alongside a range of "phallic objects," suggesting the swastika was used as a good luck symbol to invite fertility. Swastika in EuropeWorshipers of the Norse religion used the swastika symbol as early as 401 AD. US art director Steven Heller, author of "Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption?" Co-opted by the NazisSome researchers believe that people of Aryan culture used the symbol as a sign of luck and prosperity. Sheetal Deo and her husband, Sanmeet Deo, hold a Hindu swastika symbol in their home in Syosset, N.Y., on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022.

U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni ruled that the NFL, the Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Houston Texans must face Flores' claims of systematic discrimination against Black coaches in the league. Caproni sent Flores' retaliation claim against the Dolphins to private arbitration, along with claims by two other coaches who joined Flores in the suit. Lawyers for the NFL and representatives of the other teams did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The NFL has denied claims of racial discrimination and said it is committed to diversity and equitable employment practices. The league has argued the case should be dismissed because the claims lacked merit, or be sent to arbitration pursuant to the coaches' employment contracts.

☆ Meet Sandra Douglass Morgan, the only Black female president in the NFL: ‘This job is much bigger than me’
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Growing up in Las Vegas, Sandra Douglass Morgan never dreamed about making history — she just wanted to make herself, and her parents, proud. But Douglass Morgan didn't need to eavesdrop to understand that she and her family would be treated unfairly because of the color of their skin. Douglass Morgan, now 44, made a promise to herself: No matter what she did, she would champion equity and respect. Months later — and after the abrupt departure of two presidents — Davis approached Douglass Morgan about the job. Douglass Morgan sought the counsel of friends and family, including her husband, Don Morgan, who played four years in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals.

☆ In Winter, Stockholm’s Charms Are Many—and the Tourist Crowds Gone
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Nina Sovich | Photographs Rozette For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WOODEN ferries bob in the surf, their Swedish pennants snapping in the breeze. Though Stockholm’s harbor is cold, the gusts off the Baltic are briny and sweet, lacking the salt and corrosive violence of Atlantic winds. Every window on the waterfront seems lit up to welcome travelers. I’d argue that this city, known for long summer nights that draw thousands of tourists, is most satisfying come winter. I have come outside to the water in the middle of the night hoping the cold can help solve my jet lag.

☆ A 2,000-year-old rune stone found in Norway could be the oldest ever, and give a glimpse into ancient writing systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Scandinavians likely developed Runic writing after first meeting ancient Romans, but it's not clear how old it is. It is covered in primitive runic writing, and archaeologists believe it dates back to between AD 1 and AD 250. However, one word, that can be made out clearly on the stone, could give the stone another meaning. That's when, inspired by Latin writing, early Scandinavians might have started developing their own alphabet, archaeologists say in the press release. By analyzing the stone, Zilmer thinks archeologists can learn more about the early development of runic writing and how they have evolved over time.

☆ Wow: Did the New York Giants Really Just Win a Playoff Game?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Jason Gay | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Decades from now, mystified scientists will gather to study the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, to try to figure out what they were all about—if they existed to compete in football, or merely to psychologically torment a population of loyal, long-suffering fans. Tests will be run; helmets will be carbon-dated; archaeologists and academics will scour the ruins of old Twin Cities stadia. Brainy lab coats will review those regular-season box scores and heartbreaking playoff collapses, the fact that a 13-4 team could be quite statistically terrible, and ask a simple, probing question:

The 2022-23 NFL season enters the playoffs with the Wild Card round on January 14 to 16. NFL Playoffs Wild Card scheduleGame Date and time Channel Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers January 14, 4:30 p.m. ET ESPN, ABC, ESPN+How to watch the NFL PlayoffsEvery game of the NFL Playoffs will be broadcast on national television, with matchups spread across CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, and ABC. ESPN games will also be available to stream on ESPN+, Sling TV Orange, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and FuboTV. The NFL Playoffs use a single elimination tournament to decide the season's champion.

☆ Six N.F.L. Players Show Football’s Grind on Their Feet and Hands
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Ken Belson | Joe Drape | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

Players Show Football’s Grind on Their Feet and HandsOver the course of the long and brutal N.F.L. season, players’ feet and hands take a beating on nearly every snap. But in practice a few days later, he was running drills and landed awkwardly, spraining an ankle and stretching the tendons in his right foot. The next week Jones caught six passes for 109 yards and three touchdowns as the Jaguars shocked the Dallas Cowboys, 40-34. “The therapist spends a lot of time on my hands and feet,” he said.

☆ NFL roundup: Eagles lock down No. 1 seed in NFC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

1 seed in the NFC with a 22-16 win over the visiting New York Giants on Sunday. Hurts led six scoring drives and the Eagles never trailed the Giants (9-7-1), who had already sewn up the No. 6 seed and opted to rest quarterback Daniel Jones, Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley and other starters. Smith finished the regular season with 4,282 yards passing, surpassing Russell Wilson's team record of 4,219 set in 2016. Baltimore's Anthony Brown was 19-of-44 passing for 286 yards and two interceptions in his first career NFL start.

☆ Bills ride emotional win into NFL postseason
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

With 19 teams still in the postseason hunt entering the final weekend, there was no shortage of gridiron suspense unfolding across the United States. At every stadium before kickoff there was an announcement acknowledging Hamlin and the first responders and medical caregivers. But the Bills that provided Hamlin with the best tribute of all, harnessing their emotions to secure a victory and the AFC second seed. "We just wanted to come out and play free, play loose, play for (Damar)," said Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who also threw three touchdown passes. Despite the loss, the Giants also qualify for the postseason, moving on to the wildcard, where they will face the Minnesota Vikings.

☆ Damar Hamlin has Fanatics’ most-purchased jersey among all athletes across all sports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Joe Sutton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who collapsed on the field during Monday’s football game and suffered cardiac arrest, has the most sought-after jersey on Fanatics. “Damar still has the most purchased jersey among all athletes across all sports on Fanatics since Monday night,” a spokesperson for Fanatics said. The sports merchandise and memorabilia company said it would donate all proceeds from jersey sales to Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation. “Fans are showing an incredible outpouring of love and support for Damar Hamlin in buying his jersey,” Fanatics co-chair Michael Rubin said in a tweet on January 3. The NFL said the Bills-Bengals game at which Hamlin collapsed would not be completed.

☆ Ancient DNA Paints a New Picture of the Viking Age
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Aylin Woodward | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Some DNA samples were obtained from human remains in the wreckage of a warship that sank off Sweden in 1676. Bones and teeth of ancient Scandinavians excavated from burials, a sunken warship and the sites of a violent massacre have helped an international group of scientists craft an unprecedented picture of the region’s storied Viking culture. The researchers looked at ancient DNA spanning 2,000 years of Scandinavian history from such remains to piece together a comprehensive look at the movement of peoples into the region during the Viking Age, more than a millennium ago. These genomes are among new means to understand and explore the Vikings’s history and legacy.

The massive audience makes it the most-watched “Monday Night Football” broadcast since the NFL moved the series to ESPN in 2006, surpassing the previous record of 21.8 million viewers for a Packers-Vikings game in 2009. Monday’s high-profile game, however, was suspended when Hamlin collapsed in the first quarter just moments after an open field tackle of Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. During game play, ESPN averaged 21.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings. That audience then grew to 23.9 million viewers between 9 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. when ESPN aired news coverage of Hamlin’s collapse. But I just didn’t want to be speculating.”Before Hamlin’s devastating injury, the game was expected to be among the most-viewed Monday Night Football games in ESPN’s history.

☆ Skip Bayless apologizes for tweet after Damar Hamlin’s collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

His co-host, former NFL player Shannon Sharpe, did not appear. During the incident, Bayless tweeted: “no doubt the NFL is considering postponing the rest of this game - but how? Former NFL player Jacob Hester told Bayless to “read the room, and have a heart.” Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson, former NFL player Darelle Revis and NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins, among many others, also criticized Bayless. I’m sorry if that was misunderstood but his health is all that matters,” Bayless tweeted. Bayless didn’t acknowledge the tweet at the beginning of Tuesday’s “Undisputed,” but appeared emotional about the incident.

☆ NFL roundup: 49ers clip Raiders in OT, win 9th straight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Jones completed 19 of 24 passes for 177 yards and had 11 carries for a team-high 91 rushing yards. Buccaneers 30, Panthers 24Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes to Mike Evans and orchestrated a fourth-quarter comeback as Tampa Bay clinched the NFC South by beating visiting Carolina. Jerick McKinnon caught two touchdown passes and Blake Bell also made a scoring grab for the Chiefs (13-3). Cooper caught touchdown passes of 46 and 33 yards and running back Nick Chubb had 104 yards on 14 carries. Seahawks 23, Jets 6Geno Smith threw two touchdown passes as Seattle remained in the playoff race with a win against visiting New York.

Authorities have identified a 19-year-old man fatally shot Friday inside a department store in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, as Johntae Raymon Hudson. Hudson also told KARE 11 that when she learned her brother was shot, she held out hope he would survive. Several members of the New York Giants, who faced off against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, were in the Mall of America when the shooting occurred. The mall told the station then that it was testing options “that may allow us to further enhance” security systems. Earlier this year, a man fired three shots in front of a store in the mall, KARE 11 reported.

☆ Super Bowl-winning NFL player Ronnie Hillman dies from rare form of cancer at 31
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Drew Weisholtz | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman, who helped the team win Super Bowl 50, died from a rare form of cancer, his family said Wednesday in a statement on Instagram. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother & father, Ronnie K Hillman Jr.,” the family said in the post. “Ronnie quietly and peacefully transitioned today in the company of his family and close friends. “As a family, we hope beyond hope, and we have faith that can move mountains,” the statement said in part. He played the first four seasons of his career with Denver, helping the team win the Super Bowl in the 2015 season.

☆ Messi, Mbappé, and a World Cup Masterpiece
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Jason Gay | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Alright, I did not think anything could top the Minnesota Vikings roaring back from 33-0 to stun the Indianapolis Colts Saturday in yet another absurdist “Minneapolis Miracle.” And yet…If you watched Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and France, I don’t need to explain.

☆ The Minneapolis Miracle II: Vikings Rally for the Biggest Comeback in NFL History
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Andrew Beaton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

There were many reasons to doubt the true strength of the Minnesota Vikings this season despite their 10-3 record entering this weekend. The Vikings had gotten by while eking past opponents in close games all year and had actually given up more points than they had scored. The team’s issues were on full display Saturday when Minnesota went down 33-0 to the lowly Indianapolis Colts. It looked like a fitting sequel to last weekend’s loss to the Detroit Lions.

☆ NFL roundup: Vikings pull off biggest NFL comeback, clinch division
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Dec 17, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings place kicker Greg Joseph (1) celebrates his game winning field goal against the Indianapolis Colts after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. With the win, the Minnesota Vikings clinched the NFC North. Minnesota trailed 33-0 at halftime before orchestrating the largest comeback victory in NFL history. Kirk Cousins was 34-of-54 passing for 460 yards and four touchdowns for Minnesota, with two interceptions. Matt Ryan was 19-of-33 passing for 182 yards and a touchdown in defeat for the Colts (4-9-1).

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