Sports

CHICAGO — Joe Podlasek is a longtime Chicago Blackhawks fan, but he didn’t like them as much 15 or 20 years ago. Podlasek, who is Ojibwe and Polish, remembers being offended at the sight of fans at the United Center mimicking Native American dress and war chants while cheering on the home team.

Being locked in a hotel for two months, only allowed to leave for work, doesn’t sound like much fun at face value. That changes, though, depending on if you’re talking about a Holiday Inn (basic, no frills), a Sheraton (nicer accommodations, more options) or a luxury J.W.

In NASCAR, there is no question who “won” the pandemic hiatus: It was William Byron. When the Cup Series ceased running in March as part of the effort to contain the coronavirus, the racers moved their competition from the real world to the virtual one.

Fishing Report for July 8 Northeast Birch: July 5. Elevation above normal, water 80s and murky.

With the dearth of athletic events to watch on television these days I can’t believe that I missed one of the contests that I have come to look forward to each year. The annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest took place July 4 and, alas, I was not glued to my television.

The NFL’s owners may be required to pay players their 2020 salaries whether they play games this season or not. That could provide extra incentive for owners to want football this fall, but it also may give the NFL Players’ Association major leverage in negotiations on what football during the coronavirus pandemic would look like _ if they are able to play the games at all.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Black national anthem was born more than a century ago, but the popular hymn within the African American community called “Lift Every Voice and Sing” has resurrected a beacon of hope during nationwide protests.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kevin Harvick turned up the pressure on Denny Hamlin late in the Brickyard 400.

TOKYO (AP) — As the president of the Tokyo Olympics, Yoshiro Mori knows that experts will have to come up with defenses against COVID-19 for the the postponed games to open a year from now.