Connect with us

Sports

When the maidans disappear, where does the nation go to play? | More sports News

Published

on

When the maidans disappear, where does the nation go to play?
Palika Stadium in Kanpur in 2018.

Maidans might be one of the most democratic institutions our world has invented without ever intending to. A maidan does not care much about your surname, class, or whether you can afford a membership at a club. If you have a bat, you can play. If you don’t, you can stand at the boundary, and eventually be dragged into the game.That is not how all sporting spaces work. A sporting academy or private indoor sporting arena has some kind of exclusivity and membership fee. A maidan has a different logic. The rich and the poor can occupy the same patch of grass, even if they do not live the same lives outside it.Maidans are a public common. Public commons are places that belong to everyone and to no one at the same time.However, across the country, these maidans have been shrinking. They are being converted into sports complexes with entry fees, convention centres, marriage halls, parking lots and exhibition grounds. Some changes improve the facility. Others simply make it inaccessible for the common people.

The republic of Maidan

Fifteen or twenty years ago, if you walked through Arya Nagar, one of the busy neighbourhoods in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, you would have witnessed hundreds of people involved in sporting activities.Around the area known as Brijendra Swaroop Park were five big public maidans, each roughly 100-150 metres wide and almost 200 metres long. Children and adults, mostly men, played cricket and other sports, flew kites or stood around watching matches. On weekends, several games could take place at the same time.There was a sporting culture around the maidans. In 2026, most of that space has disappeared or has become inaccessible for normal people to play.What remains is either behind walls, occupied by newly constructed buildings, or reduced to small patches that are difficult to use for sport.Of the five maidans, one was walled and had a grass ground but remained open to the public. It was known as Palika Stadium.The ground was large enough to host two cricket matches at the same time — one on a matting wicket and another on a proper turf wicket. A cricket academy also operated there at a monthly fee that was affordable for players.The stadium was used for more than cricket. It had a basketball court and indoor space where chess and carrom tournaments were held. Schools in the neighbourhood also used it for their annual sports events.The ground next to Palika Stadium was converted into a park more than a decade ago and named Parashuram Vatika. It has proper walkways for people who come for morning and evening walks.That change was needed, and the park has become a space used regularly, particularly by old-aged people.The Palika Stadium ground itself, which stands on Kanpur Nagar Nigam land, has been divided into two parts.One half now houses an air-conditioned multi-purpose indoor sports complex with facilities including table tennis and swimming. Membership costs range from Rs 2,500 a month to more than Rs 75,000 a year.

The newly constructed indoor sports complex in Palika Stadium

The other half has a cricket ground and academy with floodlights. Kanpur Municipal Corporation built the facility under a public-private partnership, and a private enterprise now manages it.However, the cricket academy’s fee has increased several times since the new facility was built. More importantly, the stadium is no longer freely accessible to the public.People can use it only if they book the stadium for matches. The rental cost ranges from Rs 12,000 to Rs 85,000 per match.

From open maidans to marriage halls and exhibitions

The other three maidans opposite Palika Stadium tell a more tragic story.In front of Palika Stadium were three grounds, separated by roads. For almost a decade, one of them was used to store sewer pipes that were meant to be installed across the city. It became unavailable for sporting activities around 2010.That ground now houses the Kanpur Municipal Corporation’s “Mangal Bhavan Baarat Shaala”, a venue that offers space for marriages and other ceremonies for a fee.

Advertisement
Kanpur Municipal Corporation's "Mangal Bhavan Baarat Shaala"

Another ground has been largely enclosed by walls. It is used for expos and exhibitions during the year. Although the public can still access it, its condition is no longer suitable for most sporting activities.The only remaining area that can still be used for some sport is a roughly 50m x 50m patch next to the walled ground.

Area that's still suitable for sporting activities at Brijendra Swaroop Park

An area that once had several grounds, each hundreds of metres across and stretching for almost 200 metres, has been reduced to a small fraction of its former sporting space. Even that remaining space is not in good condition.

Who owns the maidan?

The disappearance of open sporting spaces is not limited to Kanpur. Around 20km away, in neighbouring Unnao district, the Ram Leela ground near Hiran Nagar was also once used for sports.Today, local transport operators and tempos are regularly parked on and around the ground, making it difficult to use the space for sporting activities.In Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation recently proposed converting Neville D’Souza Football Ground at Bandra Reclamation into an exhibition or convention centre. Hundreds of footballers, coaches, parents, students and citizens gathered last week to oppose the proposal. On Thursday, the Bombay High Court halted the BMC’s conversion plan, for now.“You tell us where the people will be playing football?” the Bombay High Court asked while stopping the BMC move.Mumbai has lost many of its maidans over the years. On Sunday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MLA Aaditya Thackeray alleged that the reservations for 17 maidans and other open spaces in Mumbai had been changed and converted for commercial or residential use.

Aaditya Thackeray interacts with young protesters opposing the change in the reservation of the Neville D'Souza Football Ground to a "Convention Centre", in Mumbai. (PTI Photo)

The pattern is similar in several cities.A ground that was once meant for sport becomes a parking area, a marriage venue, an exhibition centre or a site for public events. In some cases, the space technically remains open to the public but is occupied for weeks or months every year.

Making of a sporting nation: Without maidans?

Union budget 2026–27 allocated Rs 4,479.88 crore to the sports ministry. Earlier this month, the Union Cabinet approved a Rs 29,054 crore outlay for the Khelo India Scheme for the years 2026-2031 along with Rs 7,387 crore for the Assistance to National Sports Federations Scheme (ANSF). The central government has also set aside a Rs 565 crore component for states, which they will dip into to share the cost of future sports infrastructure development projects in the five-year plan.India needs more stadiums, indoor halls, swimming pools and courts. These facilities are important for training professional athletes and hosting competitions. They help produce players who can win medals and trophies.But a sporting nation cannot be built entirely through facilities that someone has to pay to enter.Maidans serve a different purpose and play a big part in creating the sporting culture. Maidans are often the place where these to-be professional athletes first kick the ball or pick up a bat. Maidans are the hub of amateur sports; people who do not wish to play sport at a professional level. They play sports just for the love of the game.Sporting culture grows in open spaces that belong to everyone, not just inside academies or big sporting arenas. The open public maidans make playing sports an accessible thing.When these maidans disappear, sport becomes something that increasingly needs money or access to a private facility.Speaking during the ‘Khelo India Dialogue’ on Thursday, called upon youngsters to choose “playgrounds over playstations.”“More important than screens are sports centres. More important than PlayStation is the playground. And this will happen only when the youth embrace this approach,” PM Modi said.As the country celebrates National Sports Day on Saturday, for youngsters to choose the playground over the PlayStation, there first needs to be a playground left to choose.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Sports

Giants-Ravens trade grades: New York aces trade by acquiring promising young DT at minimal cost

Published

on

With NFL cutdown day fast approaching, teams continue to make moves to finalize their 53-man rosters. The first notable move on Saturday was the Ravens trading defensive lineman C.J. Okoye to the Giants for a 2028 seventh-round pick, according to ESPN

Okoye was traded hours after recovering a fumble during Baltimore’s preseason win over the Commanders. During his first season in Baltimore, Okoye clearly made a good impression on John Harbaugh, who is embarking on his first season as Giants coach. 

A native of Nigeria, the 24-year-old Okoye was part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program. He broke into the NFL with the Chargers in 2023, and in his first preseason game, he sacked Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett in what was the first organized game of his professional life. Okoye was awarded the game ball afterward. 

Okoye spent two years on the Chargers’ practice squad before signing with Baltimore in 2025. He started the season on the practice squad but was promoted to the active roster in October. Okoye appeared in 13 games and registered 15 tackles and a pass breakup. 

Advertisement

Who won the trade? Let’s find out. 

Giants: A- 

The Giants get dinged a little bit because they probably could have acquired Okoye off waivers after he was released by the Ravens. That being said, the Giants deserve credit for being proactive in pursuing a player that Harbaugh clearly sees potential in. Instead of risking another team picking Okoye up on the waiver wire, the Giants made sure that Okoye would not hit the open market. 

Overall, though, this is a good move by the Giants for several reasons. They acquired a young, promising player at limited cost who gives the Giants valuable depth at an important position. The best-case scenario is Okoye developing into an impact player who can help solidify New York’s interior defensive line. If it doesn’t work out that way, the Giants didn’t spend much in the form of money or draft capital. 

Ravens: B 

The Ravens did their old coach a solid with this trade. Baltimore obviously wasn’t planning on Okoye being part of their 53-man roster, and instead of releasing him and getting nothing in return, they chose to get something in return while reuniting him with his former coach. It’s a rare trade situation where everyone wins. 

Baltimore didn’t receive a higher grade because they probably could have gotten a little more for Okoye, given the Giants’ clear interest in acquiring him. They also chose to part ways with a promising player, which could hurt them if they suffer injuries on the defensive line this season. 

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Yadong caps finish-filled UFC Shanghai with stunning KO vs. Nurmagomedov

Published

on

Another Fight Night has come and gone, and just like the last one, it didn’t disappoint.

Capping off the 13-fight card from Shanghai was China’s Song Yadong, who upset Umar Nurmagomedov in a matchup between ranked bantamweights contenders.

Yadong entered the night as the No. 6-ranked fighter at 135 pounds, but will surely climb the ladder after knocking out No. 2 Nurmagomedov just two minutes into Round 2 of the main event.

As the two fighters sized each other up in the middle of the octagon, Yadong feinted with a left hook and caught a ducking Nurmagomedov with a straight right that put an abrupt end to the fight and sent the local Chinese crowd into a roar.

Advertisement

The victory made it back-to-back stoppage wins for Yadong — bouncing back well from a loss to Sean O’Malley in January with a submission of Deiveson Figueiredo before knocking out Nurmagomedov — and earned him consecutive performance of the night bonuses.

The stunning finish improved the 28-year-old to 13-4-1 in the UFC, and handed Nurmagomedov just his second loss under the banner. The now 8-2-0 fighter began his UFC career a perfect 6-0-0 but has since lost two of his last four fights. The other defeat came via unanimous decision against former bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili in a title bout last year.

It was also the first time that Nurmagomedov had been knocked out since turning pro a decade ago, and the final of 10 early stoppages on the night, which included eight KO/TKOs and two submissions.

Just before Yadong’s big win, Denise Gomes pulled off an upset of her own in the co-main event against China’s Yan Xiaonan. The No. 9-ranked women’s strawweight secured a first-round TKO win over the division’s No. 4 thanks to a perfectly placed elbow.

Advertisement

It was Gomes’ fifth straight victory, which made it the longest active win streak in the division and tied Jessica Andrade for most knockouts in UFC women’s strawweight history (four). The Brazilian has not lost since 2024 and is now 7-2-0 in the UFC. Xiaonan is now trending in the opposite direction, with Saturday’s defeat making it back-to-back losses and three of her last four, to drop to 9-5-0 under the banner.

As for the rest of the card from the Oriental Sports Center, Liu Ce and Levi Rodrigues made sure to do their part in entertaining the crowd of 16,188. The pair of heavyweights earned fight of the night bonuses after immediately letting their fists fly following the opening bell — exchanges that ultimately ended with China’s Ce earning a first-round KO in his UFC debut and handing Rodrigues his first pro loss.

Bonuses for first-timers didn’t stop there, however, as another debutant in Bilal Hasan did enough to impress and earn some extra cash. The “IndoNinja” managed to secure a second-round KO against Nilson Rojas even after facing some early troubles in the fight. Hasan landed a roaring right that left no debate on who the winner would be, while improving his unbeaten pro MMA record to 10-0-0.

Kai Asakura, Francesco Nuzzi, Hector Santiago and Julia Polastri rounded out the fighters to record KO/TKO wins, while Andre Lima and Kevin Borjas secured the lone submission victories of the night.

Advertisement

All in all, it was a mixed bag of results for the eight Chinese fighters on home soil, with a combined showing of 3-5-0. The losses began as early as the opening bout of the card as Canada’s Cam Nelson — in his UFC debut — kicked off prelim action with a unanimous decision win over Ding Meng.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Bruno Fernandes reveals conversation with Harry Maguire after taking Man United captaincy

Published

on

Harry Maguire had the Manchester United captaincy taken from him and given to Bruno Fernandes before showing who he truly was in a difficult career moment

Harry Maguire showed Manchester United team-mate Bruno Fernandes his true class when handing over the club’s captaincy. The Portugal ace paid tribute to Maguire for handling the transition with class and making the change as straightforward as it could have been.

Maguire, who signed a new one-year contract extension on Friday, was relieved of the captaincy by then-manager Erik ten Hag in 2023 after a prolonged loss of form. Fernandes, 31, emerged as the obvious choice to succeed him, though the pair continue to share a dressing room at Old Trafford.

Advertisement

The United skipper has now shed light on the private exchange that took place between the two players in the wake of that decision. Rather than any awkwardness lingering, Maguire’s gracious response quickly put Fernandes at ease and set the tone for a respectful working relationship that endures to this day.

“To be honest, [when] I got asked if I wanted to be captain of the club, it was a bit awkward for me because obviously I hadn’t spoken to Harry about it,” Fernandes told LIFEJACKET. “But he already knew it before me, so I think the manager spoke with him before speaking with me.

“So he was very good, he came and talked to me about it and he said that if he had to lose the armband, it would go to someone like me. So that made me a little bit more relaxed about the situation, also because me and him had a very close relationship before because he was already captain, I was captain when he wasn’t there.

Advertisement

“So we knew this would keep the communication [about] things we needed to sort out in the dressing room, or whatever. And that hasn’t changed since then, because obviously I’ve got the armband but I’ve always made Harry aware [he’s] part of the captain’s armband, too, because I think he deserves that respect in terms of everything he’s done for the club and everything he’s done also for me since I came to the club.”

FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FB PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester United Facebook page

Fernandes admitted it was nevertheless hard for him to hide his pride at being chosen as skipper at Old Trafford. He recognised the lengthy succession of legendary United captains and what a significant moment it represented for him to enter that select circle.

Advertisement

In a perfect world, a captaincy transition would take place when one leader departs a club on a positive note having fulfilled his responsibilities impeccably. Yet in Maguire’s situation, it was viewed almost as a relegation within the United squad during a spell of poor form.

When questioned about how matters have altered for him as captain, Fernandes continued by saying the only genuine distinction is the amount of media obligations. The PFA Player of the Year was already familiar with handling media responsibilities but assumed an even heavier burden as captain.

Countdown to Kickoff: The Essential 26/27 Sky Sports Bundle

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image

£51

£35

Advertisement

Sky

Get the deal here

Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season, with more than 1,500 games from the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.

This introductory offer saves £384 compared to the standard price, with every package also providing 100 regular channels alongside free Netflix and discovery+ subscriptions.

On a more detailed level, though, he’s strived to ensure his relationships with other squad members remain broadly unchanged. More precisely, Fernandes wrapped up by noting he has consistently attempted to treat others the same as he offered a humble overview of his responsibilities.

Advertisement

“I haven’t changed the way I behave around people or the way I treat people,” he added. “Because I think the main thing always has to be respect between the people you work with, towards you and you towards them.

“And it doesn’t change by you being the captain. It doesn’t make you any bigger than anyone else, so it’s just an armband that gives you responsibility in certain moments that you have to make decisions on behalf of others. But that’s the only thing and you can’t step on top of anyone just because you’ve got the armband.”

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Tim Bradley says Teofimo Lopez must take one fight next: “It’s his time”

Published

on

Timothy Bradley has urged Teofimo Lopez to face one man after dethroning Rolando Romero for the WBA welterweight strap.

‘The Takeover’ became a three-division world champion last weekend, claiming a majority decision victory over ‘Rolly’ in his first outing at 147lbs.

While Romero was always dangerous, and even hurt his man in round five, it was Lopez who ultimately proved the busier and more skilful operator.

Advertisement

As a result, the 29-year-old is now eager to secure unification matches against either Devin Haney, Liam Paro or the winner of Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn, which takes place at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on September 12.

At the same time, though, Lopez could soon be ordered to face mandatory challenger Jack Catterall, who claimed his WBA ‘regular’ title with a unanimous decision victory over Shakhram Giyasov in May.

Before that, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza had ruled that the winner would earn his shot at the full welterweight belt within 180 days of their contest taking place.

And while, admittedly, a title defence by November 19 seems entirely unrealistic, Bradley has nonetheless expressed his desire for Lopez to face leading contender Catterall.

Advertisement

“Teo, you gotta face Jack Catterall next. Yeah, you gotta honour that [mandatory duty]. You just got the belt, right? You gotta defend that title against Jack Catterall.

“He’s been waiting patiently, and it’s his time and his opportunity.”

While Catterall does, indeed, appear to be in a strong position with the WBA, Lopez’ manager Keith Connolly is actively exploring a route for the American to swerve his mandatory duty and chase more lucrative opportunities.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Indian Cricket Team’s Home Matches Yet To Find New Title Sponsor. Here’s Why

Published

on

File photo of Indian cricket team© AFP




Advertisement

The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) wait for a new title sponsor for the Indian cricket team’s home matches is still on. The deadline for bid submission was August 13. Two weeks have passed since that deadline, but the BCCI is yet to find a suitable sponsor. The BCCI had released the invitation on July 20, with the last date for ITT document purchase being August 4. The BCCI kept August 5 as the last date to seek clarifications. The Board is in talks with potential sponsors, with Google Gemini emerging as one of the brands involved in discussions. Spinny and SBI Life are also reportedly in talks.

According to a report in Cricbuzz, quoting industry sources, “the board is engaged in talks with potential corporates. Google Gemini, the artificial intelligence and generative AI brand that has been associated with several sporting properties of late, is understood to be among the brands being discussed. Spinny and SBI Life are the other parties that are apparently being spoken to.”

BCCI’s current rights holder, IDFC First Bank, pays Rs 4.2 crore per match, but the increased base price of Rs 4.75 crore appears to be a stumbling block for a potential deal. The proposed agreement is for two years (ending March 31, 2028), down from the three-year deal that IDFC First Bank secured in 2023. The Indian board had confirmed in its ITT that it expects the holder to sponsor nearly 35 matches (10 Tests, 12 ODIs and 13 T20Is).

The report added that some brands, mainly tyre, paint and sports apparel companies, cannot bid to become title sponsors of Indian cricket in this cycle. This has been done to protect the rights of existing sponsors such as Apollo Tyres (the Indian team’s lead jersey sponsor), Adidas (the Indian team’s kit sponsor) and Asian Paints (BCCI’s Associate Partner).

Advertisement

The BCCI has also set strict financial criteria for each of the bidders. “The average turnover of each bidder for the last three years must be at least INR 100 crore (Indian Rupees One Hundred Crore only) as per the last three audited accounts. Or the average net worth of each bidder for the last three years must be at least INR 100 crore (Indian Rupees One Hundred Crore only) as per the last three audited accounts,” the report quoted a BCCI bid document as saying.


Featured Video Of The Day


“Winning World Cup Most Beautiful thing”: Golden Ball Winner Rodri

Topics mentioned in this article

Advertisement

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

McLaren Golf Series 1 irons restocked: Pre-order while you can!

Published

on

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Ligue 1: PSG survive scare to snatch a miraculous 2-2 draw at Lille – Sports

Published

on

A dramatic start to Matchday 2 in Ligue 1. Just like last week at Rennes, Paris Saint-Germain found themselves 2-0 down, only to produce another miraculous comeback. Vitinha sparked the revival before Marquinhos rescued a point for the Parisians in Lille.

Elsewhere in sports news, Manchester City ran riot in the Premier League. Powered by braces from Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland, the Citizens swept aside Crystal Palace 4-1 on Friday.

In Germany, Bayern Munich’s French contingent was on fire. Dayot Upamecano scored the first goal of the Bundesliga season, while Michael Olise, also on the scoresheet and named Man of the Match, inspired Bayern to a 5-1 win over Stuttgart.

In Serie A, AC Milan’s star signing Gonçalo Ramos made an instant impact. The former PSG striker broke the deadlock as the Rossoneri beat Venezia 2-0.

Advertisement

In the Saudi Pro League, Cristiano Ronaldo was on target too. The Portuguese forward scored his 978th career goal to hand Al-Nassr victory.

The Europa League and Conference League draws were held in Monaco on Friday. Lyon will face Bayer Leverkusen and Crystal Palace, among others. Marseille will also take on Leverkusen, as well as travelling to Celtic and Besiktas. Rennes will meet Juventus. In the Conference League, Monaco will travel to Brighton.

There’s also been plenty of movement in the transfer market, particularly at Aston Villa. Ollie Watkins has left, with Senegal international Nicolas Jackson arriving. PSG youngster Ibrahim Mbaye is also closing in on a move to Villa. Meanwhile, Marseille are looking to offload Leonardo Balerdi, who is reportedly heading for Roma.

And finally, in cycling, Andreas Leknessund produced a stunning ride on the Vuelta a España. The Norwegian won Stage 7, while Tadej Pogačar remains firmly in control of the race.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

How to Watch Memphis at UNLV: TV Channel, Streaming, Start Time

Published

on

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

College football is back on FOX, and Saturday night’s Week 0 spotlight belongs to Memphis at UNLV. The Tigers and Rebels meet for the first time at Allegiant Stadium, with kickoff set for 10 p.m. ET on FOX and live streaming available on FOX One.

Watch college football on FOX One

How to Watch Memphis at UNLV

What to Know About Memphis at UNLV

The late FOX window brings a fresh start for both teams. Memphis opens the Charles Huff era after adding 81 newcomers, including 61 transfers, while Dan Mullen begins Year 2 at UNLV after guiding the Rebels to a 10-4 record and a spot in the 2025 Mountain West Championship Game.

There is no history to lean on here. This is the first meeting between Memphis and UNLV, and both teams enter with quarterback questions still being sorted out. That puts extra weight on the proven playmakers around them.

Players To Watch

Memphis Tigers

Memphis rebuilt the roster for Charles Huff’s first season, but Dallan Hayden gives the offense one proven place to start. The redshirt senior brings 1,185 career rushing yards and eight touchdowns into the opener, valuable experience while the Tigers sort through their new pieces. His work Saturday can shape the entire game. If Hayden keeps Memphis ahead of the chains, he can take pressure off the quarterback rotation, quiet the crowd and keep UNLV’s offense on the sideline. A steady night from Hayden would give Memphis exactly the kind of foundation it needs in Huff’s debut.

Memphis Tigers

J’Mond Tapp followed Huff from Southern Miss after piling up 7.5 sacks and earning first-team All-Sun Belt honors in 2025. Now he gets the first chance to set the edge for a Memphis defense featuring plenty of new faces. The matchup puts him directly in the path of UNLV’s biggest strength: a rushing attack led by 1,000-yard back Jai’Den Thomas. If Tapp wins on early downs and makes the Rebels play from behind the sticks, he can simplify the night for the Tigers’ rebuilt defense. Memphis needs disruption up front, and Tapp is built to provide it.

UNLV Rebels

Jai’Den Thomas is the engine of the UNLV offense until somebody proves otherwise. He ran for 1,036 yards and 12 touchdowns last season while averaging 7.0 yards per carry, then added 39 catches for 237 yards and another score. That all-around production makes him a tough opening assignment for a Memphis defense assembled largely through the transfer portal. Thomas can punish a missed fit between the tackles or turn a short throw into a chunk play. If he gets rolling early, the Rebels can keep their quarterbacks in comfortable situations and make Memphis chase the game.

UNLV Rebels

Jake Pope gives UNLV an experienced organizer on the back end against a Memphis offense full of new personnel. The senior safety finished 2025 with 81 tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception and five pass breakups. His value Saturday goes beyond the box score. Pope has to identify formations, keep explosive plays in check and make sure the Rebels tackle cleanly in space. If he sees the Tigers’ plan quickly, UNLV can force Memphis to earn every yard instead of handing the new-look offense easy momentum in the first game of the Huff era.

College FootballCollege Football Related Stories

Can I Stream Memphis at UNLV on FOX One?

Yes. FOX One streams Memphis at UNLV live. Coverage begins Saturday at 10 p.m. ET.

Follow the full college football schedule for game times, TV information and updates throughout the season.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

“I’ve heard it personally” – WWE legend reveals major wrestling stars used the N-word for years

Published

on

WWE legend D-Von Dudley has said that many major wrestling stars used the N-word for years. The decorated tag team star has spoken in the past about racism in the pro wrestling business.

Recently, on the Duke Loves Rasslin podcast, it was brought up how AEW star MJF has used the N-word in the past in his X posts. D-Von said he wasn’t aware of this but mentioned that the slur is used more commonly in the wrestling business than people believe.

He said Hulk Hogan was rightly criticized for his racist comments over a decade ago but said he isn’t the only one who has used such words.

Advertisement

“I didn’t know that either about the N-word. I didn’t know about that. Everybody got on Hogan for saying what he said and, you know, ‘He’s a racist,’ and things like that. Yes, it was wrong. But believe me when I say it: He’s not the only one. Neither one of them are the only ones who use that word on a regular basis or have said things that were inappropriate when it came to other races of people,” he said.

The WWE Hall of Famer then dropped a bombshell, saying that he has personally heard many prominent figures in pro wrestling use the word.

“There are a lot of people in the wrestling business who have said things, and I’ve heard it personally. I’m not exposing or anything, but there are a lot more people—people who are very prominent figures in professional wrestling today—who have said that. And said it back in the ’80s and ’90s and even the millennium. They’ve said it, and they used it frequently because they didn’t think they were going to get caught,” he added.

youtube-cover

D-Von Dudley accused Jim Ross of racism in WWE

Last year, speaking on Maven’s podcast, D-Von Dudley talked about facing racism in WWE from a well-known name.

Then, in an appearance on Duke Loves Rasslin, he revealed that he was referring to legendary commentator Jim Ross.

JR responded to these accusations, saying he was shocked to hear this and said that it doesn’t merit a response from him.

Advertisement

If you use quotes from this article, please credit Duke Loves Rasslin podcast and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.