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Loose Ball: Hoops Star Handles Mental Illness
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, tens of millions of people in the United States are affected by mental disorders, and only a fraction receive treatment. Iowa State forward Royce White is included in the first count, but more important, he’s in the second one, too. White, a 20-year-old who has been on…
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Loose Ball: Soccer Is No Answer for Iverson
The National Basketball Players Association has estimated that 60 percent of retired players go broke five years after their NBA paychecks dry up. So it’s not surprising to hear that a future Hall of Famer like Allen Iverson has fallen upon hard times, despite the fact that he earned more than $154 million in salary…
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Loose Ball: Jeremy Lin Is Lesson in Diversity
Perhaps it was inevitable that some folks would try too hard on the Jeremy Lin story, attempt to go beyond puns like Linsanity, Lincredible, Super Lintendo and so on. The New York Knicks guard has enthralled the nation — landing on the cover of not only Sports Illustrated but also Time — and he appears…
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Loose Ball: NFL Star Out of His League
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White is good at his job, which is running routes and catching footballs. He led the NFL in receptions with 115 in 2010, and finished second last season with 100 receptions. White is just the eighth player in league history to record five consecutive seasons with at least 80 catches…
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Loose Ball: Whitney Was Close to Sports World
Broadcaster Frank Gifford called it “the most electric moment in sports.” He was referring to Whitney Houston’s stirring performance of the national anthem at Super Bowl XXXV in 1991, just 10 days after the United States went to war in the Persian Gulf. It was arguably the greatest rendition of the Star Spangled Banner in…
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Loose Ball: Black Coach Heads Navy Lacrosse
The U.S. Naval Academy has played men’s lacrosse since 1908 and won 17 national championships — including eight in a row at one point. When the Midshipmen open their 104th season on Saturday, they’ll be led by Rick Sowell, who in June became the program’s eighth coach. If Sowell gets double takes, it’s something that’s…
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Loose Ball: Self-Pity Won't Work for LeBron
LeBron James has much to be thankful for. He’s being paid $110 million over six years (not including endorsements) to play a game he loves. He lives in a palatial mansion in Miami’s Biscayne Bay, one of the world’s most beautiful areas. He has two healthy, beautiful children and he’s engaged to their mother, his…
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Loose Ball: 'LinSanity' Strikes in New York
Jeremy Lin isn’t your average NBA point guard. He played college basketball at Harvard. But what makes Lin even rarer is his heritage (he self-identifies as Chinese-Taiwanese) and height (6 feet 3). The California native is the first Asian American to reach the NBA since 1947 and the first Asian player to make a splash…
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Loose Ball: Giants GM Earns 2nd Super Bowl
In Jerry Reese’s first season as the New York Giants general manager, the team advanced to Super Bowl XLII and defeated the New England Patriots. Now, four seasons later, the Giants have made it to Super Bowl XLVI, and they’ll face the same opponent Sunday. But much has changed for Reese. He suffered through the…
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Loose Ball: Soccer Marred by Violence Again
Violent flare-ups attached to sports occur every now and then in the United States. There was the brutal beating of a San Francisco Giants fan in April. Less than five months later, there were at least two shootings following an NFL exhibition game. A brawl that started in the stands ended a recent high school…
