Latest news with #Dinos
Korea Herald
6 days ago
- Sport
- Korea Herald
KBO club's CEO threatens to relocate after feuding with city
The head of the South Korean baseball club NC Dinos on Friday threatened to move the team after feuding with its current home city over stadium management in light of a deadly incident there. At a press conference at Changwon NC Park in the southeastern city of Changwon, Dinos CEO Lee Jin-man said his club had been "treated unreasonably" by the municipal government and it put the Dinos' survival in danger, despite the team's best effort to "put down roots in the local community." Friday marked the Dinos' return to their home stadium for the first time since March 29, when an aluminum panel fell from above a concession stand and killed an unsuspecting fan. The tragedy prompted extensive safety inspections and maintenance work at the stadium, while forcing the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club to spend over a month and a half on the road. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Changwon was criticized for shunning responsibility even though it owns the stadium. Later on, baseball fans hammered the city for dragging its feet when the Dinos were trying to determine a return date following the end of inspections. The Dinos settled on Ulsan, northeast of Changwon, as their temporary home and played six games there earlier this month. Only after the Dinos announced Ulsan as the alternate home did Changwon scramble to prepare Changwon NC Park for the Dinos' return. The city pressured the Dinos by claiming that their absence would hurt the local economy. Against this backdrop, Lee touched upon the extent of discord between the Dinos and their city. "The incident allowed us to reflect on our surroundings and the time we've spent here," Lee said. "We will explore a partnership built on mutual trust. Despite a myriad of challenges, we have been trying to put down roots in the local community, but I don't think our work has been recognized. If anything, we have been treated unreasonably. I believe the status quo isn't the answer here." Lee said the Dinos won't relocate right away and going to a new city next season "will be difficult." "We will need to discuss this with Changwon but I won't give you a timeline here," Lee said. "We will explore every possibility but I won't name any particular city at this point. I just hope that the ball club won't be swayed by external factors and outside interest, and that we will be able to focus solely on baseball while fans enjoy the game in a safe environment." Lee said the Dinos have lost about 4 billion won (US$2.9 million) for having missed so many home games already, while being on the road for so long affected the team's performance on the field. "We have told Changwon in specific terms that there are things the city has to do in order for us to keep playing baseball here," Lee added. "And our request covers financial losses. We're awaiting the city's response but we will also look into our potential new home at the same time." Lee insisted he will prioritize the Dinos and their fans when making the decision on the team's future. "It may appear as though the team and the city aren't seeing eye to eye, but we will not make an emotional decision," the CEO said. "We will try to reach a reasonable conclusion. If Changwon offers specific and prompt solutions and practical options, then we will absolutely be open to discussions." In response to Lee's remarks, Changwon said it will seek to "strengthen communication and cooperation" with the Dinos. "A professional baseball club is an important local asset that can grow together with our residents," the city said in a statement. "We will strengthen communication and cooperation with the team to ensure the Dinos' players will play baseball in a better environment." Park Keun-chan, secretary general of the KBO, said the league office has also pressed Changwon to support the local ball club. According to Lee, the KBO had previously told the Dinos that they would have "a realistic option" to relocate if they chose to. "Teams in foreign leagues relocate for all kinds of reasons. And they do so despite some inconveniences because relocation has positive effects," Lee said. "There are many instances that we can learn from, and we will be in talks with the KBO over a wide range of issues." Across the KBO, clubs pay their respective city governments annual fees for playing at local stadiums. The Dinos are said to have shelled out 33 billion won for a 25-year lease up front when Changwon NC Park opened in 2019. Lee said he will see if the Dinos can be refunded should they choose to relocate in the near future. "The money that we've already paid will not influence our decision-making process," Lee said. "If we can improve the value of the team by moving to another city, then we will regard our lease as a sunk cost." (Yonhap)
Calgary Herald
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Olympian, University of Calgary star Dawn Richardson Wilson returns to national bobsleigh program
Article content Dawn Richardson Wilson is back in bobsleigh. Article content The multi-sport athlete from Edmonton has confirmed she will make another run at earning a spot to represent Canada at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano/Cortina, Italy. Article content 'I'm excited to return to bobsleigh for the chance to re-engage with the sport now with a renewed purpose, deeper focus and a stronger sense of identity,' said the 25-year-old. 'The intensity of the ice, the team's unity at the start line, and the precision required to compete at the highest level are irreplaceable experiences. I have truly missed the rush, challenge, and camaraderie of wearing the maple leaf. Representing Canada is an incredible honour and I am doing so now with a fresh perspective, maturity, and gratitude so it means more to me than ever before.' Article content Article content Richardson Wilson stepped away from the icy track after making her Olympic debut at Beijing 2022 to complete her education at the University of Calgary where she also represented the Dinos in track and field. Over the last four years, she set new school records, achieved personal bests and challenged herself across various events from 60m to 300m to hurdles. Outside of sport, she worked as a correctional officer at the Calgary Remand Centre. Article content Article content 'This time away has truly been a gift. It has provided me with the space to slow down, recover physically, and allow myself to reflect on why I pursued this path in the first place – and that work is far from done,' said Richardson Wilson. Article content 'Spending time in track and field was about returning to the basics and honestly addressing the areas where I needed improvement. In bobsleigh, the start is crucial; those first few seconds can make or break a run. I realized I needed to become more explosive, quicker off the line, and sharper in my sprint mechanics. Track training allowed me to isolate and focus on these elements without the distraction of the sled. It helped me rebuild a solid athletic foundation, concentrating on speed, power, and proper movement. Although it wasn't easy, the process has been both humbling and rewarding, and I can already feel the difference in how I move and push.' Article content Article content The multi-sport athlete competed for Canada at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, but her journey into bobsleigh began after having a conversation with her mentor and high school basketball coach, Dean Walls. He drew her attention to an open recruitment camp for bobsleigh that was taking place in Edmonton. Richardson Wilson rose to the challenge. She began training with her strength and conditioning coach and impressed during her first camp. Small in size and stature, big in heart, work ethic and natural talent, Richardson Wilson made an immediate impression on national bobsleigh program coaches. Article content
Calgary Herald
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Calgary Dinos basketball star Nate Petrone named Canada West Male Athlete of the Year
Article content Following one of the greatest seasons in Calgary Dinos men's basketball history, Nate Petrone added another accolade on Thursday as he was named the 2025 Canada West Male Athlete of the Year. Article content Article content Petrone's award marks the 18th time a University of Calgary student-athlete has been named the top athlete in Canada West, and the first since 2022. Calgary's 18 nominees marks the second-most from a single university in U SPORTS, second only to McGill (23). Article content Article content All 17 Canada West member institutions vote to select the conference's athletes of the year, with nominees being the respective schools' athletes of the year. Fellow basketball standout Gage Grassick of Saskatchewan was named the Canada West Female Athlete of the Year. Article content Article content Petrone and Grassick will now move forward as the Canada West nominees for the prestigious Louis and Doug Mitchell U SPORTS Athletes of the Year Awards, which honour the nation's top male and female student-athletes. U SPORTS will announce this year's winners June 2. Article content There was no more dominant offensive force in U SPORTS men's basketball this season than Petrone, who delivered a year for the ages while leading the Dinos to their eighth Canada West championship. The hometown star led U SPORTS in total points and topped Canada West with 24.2 points per game, all while shooting a remarkable 56.8 percent from the field — an exceptional feat for a guard. Article content Petrone elevated his play even further in the playoffs. In the Canada West semifinals, he posted 23 points and nine rebounds to help the Dinos take down three-time defending champion Victoria. He followed that with a historic 38-point outburst on 15-of-21 shooting in the conference final against UBC, propelling Calgary to the title. Article content Article content His accolades reflect his standout season. Petrone was named Canada West Player of the Year and earned the U SPORTS Mike Moser Memorial Trophy as the nation's top men's basketball player.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mavericks vs Raptors Preview, Injury Report, and Game Thread: Dinosaurs!
The Dallas Mavericks (38-42) host the Toronto Raptors (30-50) in a Friday night game for what is the final home game of the 2024-25 regular season. Dallas has lost three in a row and now cannot finish the season with a winning record. Wednesday they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in an emotional home game. The Raptors have won two in a row, beating the Hornets and Nets. Let's see what else you need to know for this game: WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Toronto Raptors WHAT: Playing some Dinos in the final home game of the season WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas WHEN: 7:30 pm CST HOW: KFAA, MavsTV, and Playback with Kirk and David The injury report for the Mavericks has a lot going on, but most players are active. Kyrie Irving and O-Max are out. Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum, Jaden Hardy, and Klay Thompson are all questionable. I'd expect two of them to play but which two is hard to say. Anthony Davis is probable. For the Raptors, RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl are all out with various injuries or rest, like true cowards. Advertisement Go play some basketball guys. Go read the various things on Mavs Moneyball dot com, if you missed any of the posts from the last few weeks. We're having fun at the Mavs expense. As you can tell below, you can join me and some other Mavs Moneyball guys in a room on Playback (embedded below) during the game (though I may not be able to start it until halftime). Also, consider joining Josh and I on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start after the game. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let's go Mavs! mavsmoneyball More from
Korea Herald
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Korea Herald
KBO club's home games relocated in aftermath of stadium tragedy
The NC Dinos will play an upcoming series of home games at an opponent's stadium amid ongoing safety checks at their own ballpark in light of a fan's death. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Friday that the three-game set between the Dinos and the Lotte Giants, scheduled to run April 11-13 at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, will instead be played at the Giants' home, Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, just east of Changwon. The Dinos will still be the home team and bat last in those three games. Earlier this week, the Dinos had suspended sales of tickets for that series, as it was awaiting a decision by the league office on the status of those three games. The KBO canceled a three-game series between the Dinos and the SSG Landers from Tuesday to Thursday this week after a fan died Monday from a head injury she'd sustained two days earlier at Changwon NC Park. A piece of aluminum panel fell off a window of the Dinos' office above a concession stand and hit the roof of the snack bar before landing on the late fan and her younger sister, who suffered a broken collarbone. The KBO initially planned to have the Dinos-Landers series played without fans before scrapping all three games. The league canceled all the other games scheduled for Tuesday and designated Tuesday-Thursday as a leaguewide mourning period. Teams that returned to action Wednesday played their next two games without their usual cheering squads and players wore black ribbons on their jerseys in honor of the deceased fan. The Dinos and the city of Changwon conducted emergency safety inspections Tuesday. Separately, the Dinos began their own checks of stadium facilities Wednesday. The ball club, the municipal government and the city-run Changwon Infrastructure Corp. formed a joint task force Thursday to handle the aftermath of the tragic incident and to devise preventive measures. The ongoing safety inspections by the new task force could take up to two weeks. "The safety of our spectators takes precedence over everything else," Dinos CEO Lee Jin-man said. "In light of the recent incident, we are working with the city of Changwon to ensure a safer environment for our fans." The Dinos will resume their season Friday in a three-game series against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. Even though the official mourning period ended Thursday, both the Heroes and the Dinos have agreed to play their series without cheerleading squads, out of respect for the victim. Dinos manager Lee Ho-joon offered his condolences to the late fan and her family in his pregame chat with reporters. "We are all shocked and devastated with this tragic loss," Lee said. "As you can see, we're going to be playing with a heavy heart." Lee's players went through a subdued pregame practice. Captain Park Min-woo said he has asked his teammates to tone down their celebrations of big plays. "I told the guys not to cross the line and do unnecessary things," Park said. "We're all saddened, but it's our job as professional athletes to play hard and make sure our mood doesn't affect our performance on the field." After the weekend, the Dinos will play three more road games, from next Tuesday to Thursday, against the KT Wiz in Suwon, some 30 kilometers south of Seoul. Following the Giants series, the Dinos are scheduled to play three more games at home against the Doosan Bears from April 15 to 17. If the KBO doesn't postpone those games, the Dinos may once again be forced to play them at their opponents' stadium or at a neutral venue. (Yonhap)
