Animals can be strange. Strange animal activities range from zoo animals escaping their enclosures to wild critters messing with trail cameras. Sometimes, you’ll even see stories about a moose or coyote chasing skiers. With all of these weird stories in the world, it can be hard for a cute critter to stand out. But one talented ostrich from Ohio’s Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens has beat the odds with an eye-catching dance.
Footage from earlier this month shows one of the zoo’s ostriches twirling around in its habitat and delighting onlookers. As the zoo said on February 10, this large flightless bird gracefully performed some spectacular spins, dancing “like no one’s watching.” Watch this talented ostrich for yourself in the video below.
One of the coolest parts about the Pro Football Hall of Fame is how new inductees are informed of their honor. There are a few methods in which to do so, but the one that has grabbed most people’s attention in recent years is the knock on the door behind which the new Hall of Famer is. It used to be the door of a hotel room, but it now is the door of the new inductee’s home.
Former Notre Dame defensive tackle [autotag]Bryant Young[/autotag], a 2022 Hall of Fame inductee, recently was given the privilege of knocking on the door of Patrick Willis, a rookie during Young’s final season with the San Francisco 49ers. Here’s the big moment, and you might want to grab some tissues before you watch:
Finding out he had become a Hall of Famer brought Patrick Willis to tears.
Those are the tears of a man whose years of hard work and sacrifice have paid off. Sure, a Super Bowl win is nice, but only 378 individuals are permanent residents of Canton, Ohio. When you earn that honor, nothing feels better other than getting married and becoming a parent.
Congratulations to Patrick and all the other members of the Class of 2024.
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[autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] grew up in Dayton, Ohio. That means the NBA geographically closest to him was the Indiana Pacers. Now as an adult, he is the coach of Notre Dame inside the Pacers’ home state. Even though it still is a good drive between South Bend and Indianapolis, Freeman probably feels a stronger connection to his favorite team than ever.
To that end, Freeman was a special guest of the Pacers before their 131-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors. You name it, he did it. He talked to the Pacers before the game, hung with their mascot, took part in a pregame ritual and even took a photo with Stephen Curry, who surely was inspired to enough by Freeman to drop 42 points, including 11 3-pointers.
You probably are bored by everything that’s being written about this and want to actually see some of it. Fortunately, social media has all of that covered:
She competed in two LPGA Tour events last year, the Dana Open and the Kroger Queen City Classic.
Mia Hammond, a New Albany sophomore and last season’s Ohio Division I girls golf individual state champion, has signed with a sports management company for name, image and likeness representation — a move that forfeits her high school eligibility.
Columbus-based Sterling Sports Management announced the partnership Tuesday morning, and Hammond’s father and coach, Tom, confirmed her decision to The Dispatch. Mia Hammond has not signed any NIL deals but there are “irons in the fire,” Tom Hammond said.
“It’s more about representation and guidance (through the NIL process) than anything else,” Tom Hammond said. “We’ve had a lot of companies reach out to represent Mia and we don’t want to do anything wrong to jeopardize her college eligibility.”
Thirty-three states and Washington, D.C., currently permit NIL for high school athletes, but Ohio is not among them. An Ohio High School Athletic Association referendum to allow NIL, as the state does for college athletes, failed by a 68-32% margin in May 2022 in a vote of member schools.
OHSAA bylaw 4-10-2 states that “an athlete forfeits amateur status, and thus interscholastic athletic eligibility, if any of the following standards of amateurism are violated … (including) entering into an agreement with a sports or marketing agent.”
Mia Hammond gets ready to tee off on the 11th hole during the second round of the 2023 Kroger Queen City Championship at Kenwood Country Club in Madeira, Ohio. (Photo: Liz Dufour/The Enquirer)
Hammond competed in two LPGA Tour events last year, the Dana Open in Sylvania and the Kroger Queen City Classic in Cincinnati. She made the cut in her LPGA debut in Sylvania, tying for 26th place, but fell short in Cincinnati, and participated in the World Junior Girls Championship in October in Ontario.
“We started talking about (leaving high school golf) last summer,” Tom Hammond said. “We didn’t see her popularity taking off this quickly.”
Mia Hammond has led New Albany to district championships each of the past two seasons, extending the team’s streak to six. She shot rounds of 67 and 69 at state last fall for a two-day score of 136 that set the Division I tournament record, and the Eagles tied Rocky River Magnificat for second place behind Dublin Jerome.
Hammond tied for fourth at state as a freshman.
“The high school season takes a toll as far as the time commitment and the number of tournaments they play,” Tom Hammond said. “It’s a lot of time between (amateur) tournaments and high schools, and typically (the high school season) is when she would take a break from tournaments. And it’s not about having nothing left to prove in high school, although she’d have loved to have won a championship with her team.”
Christopher J. Alexander, who gained notoriety after killing the buck during archery season, is facing poaching allegations.
An Ohio hunter who gained notoriety after killing a potential record white-tailed deer last month during archery season is at the center of a poaching investigation.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday confirmed that its Division of Wildlife is investigating allegations that Christopher J. Alexander, 28, of Wilmington, failed to obtain written permission from the owner of the private land on which the deer was harvested.
“While the investigation continues, Ohio wildlife officers have seized the antlers, cape, and hunting equipment associated with the alleged unlawful taking of the deer,” the DNR stated in a news release.
According to Outdoor Life, hunters on social-media forums had expressed suspicion that the deer might have been harvested illegally at night, since published photos showing Alexander posing with the buck were taken after dark.
Alexander’s explanation, according to Outdoor Life, was that the deer was harvested during legal hours but the photos were taken later, after a friend’s girlfriend arrived with a camera.
The DNR did not mention allegations of after-hours hunting.
The agency stated, simply, that the investigation was launched “after information was provided alleging that Alexander failed to obtain the lawfully required written permission prior to hunting on private property.”
Outdoor Life, citing an expert, reported that the buck warranted a “green score” of 206 7 / 8 inches.
“With that preliminary score,” the publication continued, “the buck would have the potential to be the number one typical whitetail taken in the state of Ohio, and the number three typical whitetail taken in North America.”
Alexander faces a significant fine, at the least, if he’s found guilty of illegally harvesting the buck.
–Generic white-tailed deer image courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
On Sunday, August 27, swimmers can join Ohio-based nonprofit Adventure Crew for a fundraising event on the Ohio River. Proceeds from the 2023 Bill Keating, Jr. Great Ohio River Swim will help Adventure Crew connect city teens to nature and each other through outdoor adventures.
Interested in joining this open-water swim across the Ohio River? Pre-registration is open until Saturday, August 26, at noon. Participants will start their swim at Serpentine Wall in downtown Cincinnati. From there, swimmers will make their way to the Kentucky side of the river before tracing the same route back. During the approximately 900-meter race, the river will be closed to motorized traffic. Onsite safety paddlers will help provide support when needed.
Photos via Adventure Crew
“The Great Ohio River Swim has become a ‘bucket list’ event for many local swimmers,” Miriam Wise, Adventure Crew’s director of support and engagement, said. “We’re excited to host both competitive and recreational swimmers in support of Adventure Crew’s Swim Training Program, which provides city teens with access to swim lessons, water safety instruction and lifeguard certification.”
Swimmers seeking an extra challenge can apply for one of the few “Double Dipper” spots. Double Dipper will go for a 2.5-mile swim down the Ohio shoreline before joining participants in the 900-meter course. These swimmers will commit to raising at least $200 for Adventure Crew.
The fundraiser gets its name from Bill Keating Jr., one of the first swimmers to sign up for the first swim in 2007. While Keating passed away from brain cancer in 2017, his family remains involved with the Great Ohio River Swim.
“I’m thrilled to continue being part of this event and to honor my dad’s legacy,” Caroline Keating, Bill Keating Jr.’s daughter and Adventure Crew board member, said. “Adventure Crew broadens access to swim instruction and provides city teens with a critical life-saving skill, thanks in part to the proceeds from this fun morning on the river.”
Pre-register for the event online here. On-site registration will open at 7 a.m. on the day of the swim. In the event of unsafe water conditions, the swim will be rescheduled for Sunday, September 10.
Schools officials and the Massillon police investigated an incident alleged to have taken place at practice on June 26.
Massillon Washington (Ohio) head football coach Nate Moore has returned to his position after being put on administrative leave during an investigation into an alleged hazing incident at practice.
Schools officials and the Massillon police investigated an incident allegedly occurring at practice on June 26.
According to the police report, multiple players took part in a “game” that involved pinning other student-athletes to the ground and attempting to strip their clothes off while the victims attempted to break free, according to a report by Alec Sapolin and Julia Bingel from Cleveland 19.
Their report also includes the following statement by Massillon City Schools Superintendent Paul Salvino.
“While Coach Moore was on paid administrative leave our administrative team was able to review all aspects of the situation. At the conclusion of this review we are extremely confident in his ability to lead our athletic programs as well as our football team. We are excited to get back to business as Coach Moore returned to work on July 25, 2023. Once again, we have the utmost confidence in Coach Moore’s leadership moving forward.”
The Stark County Prosecutor’s office says they are still reviewing the case.
Joe Jacoby moves one step closer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Every year, there are snubs for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Almost every NFL team will tell you they have players who should be enshrined in Canton, whether it is true or not.
For fans of the Washington NFL franchise, there are multiple players who have arguments for entry into the Hall of Fame. The most glaring is offensive tackle Joe Jacoby.
This week, Jacoby got one step closer to entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame as he entered the next stage of consideration for the Hall’s 2024 class. Jacoby was one of 31 senior candidates selected for Hall of Fame consideration earlier this month, and that list was trimmed to 12 players Thursday.
The committee will next meet in August, where they will select up to three senior candidates. The seniors will then be a part of the 2024 Hall of Fame class if they receive at least 80% of the votes in January.
Jacoby was undrafted out of Louisville in 1981 by Hall of Fame general manager Bobby Beathard and Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs. Jacoby became a starter at left tackle during his rookie and was an original member of the famed “Hogs.”
He would go on to play 13 NFL seasons — all with Washington — playing in four Super Bowls, with three championships. Jacoby was a three-time first-team All-Pro, a four-time Pro Bowler and a member of the 1980s All-Decade Team. He started 148 games for the Redskins, appearing in 170 games over the course of his career.
The Hall of Fame process has been disappointing for Jacoby and his longtime supporters. Hopefully, this is the year they do the right thing and make him a part of the class of 2024.
Here are the 10 best players in the state of Ohio, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Schools from California, Florida and Texas tend to get most of the attention when it comes to the nation’s top high school football prospects. Several other highly-competitive states produce great talent every year, though. Georgia has to be on that list, as does Ohio. Today, let’s take a look at some of the top Ohio-based recruits going into the 2023 season, according to our colleagues at the Cincinnati Enquirer.
High school football is meant to be played on Friday nights.
High school football is meant to be played on Friday nights, but a lot of games take place on Saturdays – especially in the playoffs. That won’t be the case in the state of Ohio going forward, though.
Responding to requests by its coaches, the Ohio High School Athletic Association has banned playoff games on Saturdays. Instead, all postseason games through the state semifinals will take place on Fridays, per Jeff Gilbert at the Dayton Daily News.
“All playoff games through the state semifinals will be played on Friday nights… For several seasons the playoffs followed the Friday-Saturday model in the regional semifinals, regional finals and state semifinals. That schedule had Divisions I, II, III and V playing on Fridays and Divisions IV, VI and VIII playing on Saturdays…”
(Colerain quarterback Zacchaeus Jennings (7) hands off to running back Dashawn Hopper (10) in the second quarter of the first OHSAA DIV I Playoff game between the Mason High School Comets and the Colerain High School Cardinals at Atrium Stadium in Mason, Ohio, on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022.)
The first Friday night for teams in Ohio this year is August 18. The season runs through October 21.
