With the 2015 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest on the horizon, here is a look back at the most memorable photos and videos from the competition over the years.
Reuters / USA Today Sports
Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
Thứ Hai, 9 tháng 2, 2015
‘Merica
During the first half of Team USA's friendly match against Panama, Michael Bradley scored this absolutely beauty directly from a corner kick.
Here's the full play, from start to finish.
U.S. Soccer / youtube.com
The former basketball coach for the University of North Carolina has died aged 83.
Coach Dean Smith in 1997.
Getty Images/Doug Pensinger
Dean Smith, the man who coached the University of North Carolina's men's basketball team from 1961 to 1997, died late Saturday at the age of 83 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, his family said.
Smith, who steered the U.N.C. Tar Heels to national championships in 1982 and 1993, also coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in the Montreal 1976 Olympics.
"Coach Dean Smith passed away peacefully the evening of February 7 at his home in Chapel Hill, and surrounded by his wife and five children," the Smith family told U.N.C. in a statement. "We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers, and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as arrangements are made available to the public. Thank you."
Smith retired after 36 seasons at the university as the most successful coach in college basketball history.
He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.
Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images
Last night, America lost not just a coaching legend but a gentleman and a citizen. When he retired, Dean Smith had won more games than any other college basketball coach in history. He went to 11 Final Fours, won two national titles, and reared a generation of players who went on to even better things elsewhere, including a young man named Michael Jordan—and all of us from Chicago are thankful for that.
But more importantly, Coach Smith showed us something that I've seen again and again on the court – that basketball can tell us a lot more about who you are than a jumpshot alone ever could. He graduated more than 96 percent of his players and taught his teams to point to the teammate who passed them the ball after a basket. He pushed forward the Civil Rights movement, recruiting the first black scholarship athlete to North Carolina and helping to integrate a restaurant and a neighborhood in Chapel Hill. And in his final years, Coach Smith showed us how to fight an illness with courage and dignity. For all of that, I couldn't have been prouder to honor Coach Smith with Medal of Freedom in 2013.
Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to his wife Linnea, to his family, and to his fans all across North Carolina and the country.
Thứ Sáu, 6 tháng 2, 2015
The family of Joseph Chernach alleges that youth tackle football is responsible for his suicide and is seeking $5 million in damages.
Debra Pyka and Joseph Chernach
Courtesy of Debbie Pyka
In June of 2012, 25-year-old Joseph Chernach killed himself as a result of depression caused by chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease that's been heavily linked to playing football. Chernach played football from 5th grade until he graduated high school, but did not continue with the game at a college or professional level.
Today, Gordon Johnson, an attorney on behalf of the Chernach family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the largest youth football league in the country: Pop Warner. Filed in Wisconsin, the suit also names Chernach's mother, Debra Pyka, as a defendant.
Johnson has practiced brain injury law since the early 90s, long before the issue of concussions and brain damage in football reached the mainstream cultural consciousness.
The lawsuit alleges that Pop Warner is at fault due to its "ultrahazardous" nature, which Johnson supports with research on the effects of youth football. The lawsuit says:
No later than 1997, it was a known risk that children playing tackle football with helmets could suffer brain damage and other injuries. In 1997, Pop Warner knew or should have known that tackle football was dangerous for children and exposed children to head injuries, including Dementia Pugilistica.
The suit also claims that Pop Warner is responsible for Chernach's death because they have acted in ways that are negligent of the safety of children. Johnson points to poorly trained coaches and inferior equipment as examples of this.
The lawsuit claims that because Pop Warner failed to alert families to the dangers of youth tackle football and consistently does not take steps to protect its players, the Chernach's family is entitled to $5 million in damages.
In a statement to BuzzFeed News, Gordon Johnson said he believes children should not be exposed to the dangers of youth football, but if parents do choose to allow their children to play the game, there should be greater care taken to protect the most vulnerable amongst us.
In December, Debra Pyka and her surviving children spoke extensively with BuzzFeed News about the events leading up to and after Joseph's suicide.
Read the lawsuit here:
Thứ Năm, 5 tháng 2, 2015
Odin Lloyd’s mother agreed to remain calm despite testifying about her murdered son.
NBC News
Ursula Ward, mother of victim Odin Lloyd, took the stand on the fourth day of the Aaron Hernandez's first-degree murder trial.
Before beginning her testimony, lawyers discussed how to handle showing sensitive evidence to Ward. Because the jury was not yet present, the lawyers were not required to speak amongst themselves.
After Ward was sworn in, Judge E. Susan Garsh asked her to remain calm and not cry while testifying. Judge Garsh acknowledged that this was a tall order for the mother of a murder victim, but her tone remained stern in an attempt to convey how important it was to the testimony. Ward agreed: "Yes, your honor."
Ward was shown a photo of Lloyd taken by medical examiners after his death. Prior to her testimony, Hernandez's defense attorney objected to use of that specific photo to identify him.
Hernandez's team said that the prosecution was attempting to elicit an emotional response in order to influence the jury, but the prosecutors maintained that Ward could maintain composure when shown the photo. The defense called it a "cruel and unnecessary" act by the prosecution, but Judge Garsh decided it was appropriate. the judge said, however, that if Ward became emotional at any time on the stand — but particularly when shown photos of her deceased son — attorneys would go to sidebar.
Ward remained calm and composed while on the stand, during which she testified that she had not met Aaron Hernandez. Prosecutors will use her testimony to disprove the defense's argument that Hernandez and Lloyd were close companions.
Before Ward took the stand, Lloyd's girlfriend, Shaneah Jenkins, concluded her testimony. Her sister Shayanna, Aaron Hernandez's fiancée, was in attendance for the first time during her testimony that spanned three days. Shaneah testified that Hernandez and Lloyd liked to smoke marijuana together, but maintained that she was unaware of any close relationship between the two.
LINK: Here’s What You Need To Know About The Aaron Hernandez Trial
LINK: Aaron Hernandez’s Lawyer: Former Patriot Didn’t Kill Odin Lloyd Because He Had No Motive
This is why fans love him.
Two days after suffering a heartbreaking loss in the Super Bowl...
Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson visited the Seattle Children's hospital.
Which is something he does nearly every Tuesday.
And along with knowing each of the patient's names...
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