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USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Randy Johnson got pranked by his daughter with a hilarious TikTok meme
Longtime MLB star pitcher Randy Johnson is widely considered one of the best players in baseball history to ever play his position. Johnson, also known as the Big Unit because he stands at 6-foot-10, was a 10-time All-Star and 5-time Cy Young Award winner. He was named World Series MVP in 2001 and made the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. He has more strikeouts recorded than any other pitcher in MLB history except for Nolan Ryan. But that was not enough to make him immune to a TikTok trend while recently sharing a meal with his daughter, former University of Oregon volleyball star Willow Johnson. More: Randy Johnson was the most intimidating pitcher of his generation Willow, now a professional volleyball player, asked her father if he ever wished he was athletic. The question obviously confused Johnson, who was also a basketball star in high school. The former ace pitcher, who is now a photographer, took off his glasses and leaned in close as he thought about how to answer this impossible riddle. "Well, I was athletic enough to do what I needed to do in my life ... It doesn't matter now. I was just athletic enough ... Do you hear what I'm saying? I was just athletic enough to fulfill the position that I played in my sport professionally at a high level ... I'm pretty athletic. I'm a Hall of Fame baseball player and I was pretty good at what I did ... There were years that I was the best in my sport at what I did." Good for Johnson for handling this answer as diplomatically as he did because it must have felt incredibly frustrating in that moment.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Dan Lanning kicks off Oregon Ducks 2025 season at Big Ten Media Day
After a long offseason, Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning has finally stepped out of the shadows and into the public eye once again. Big Ten Media Days kicked off earlier this week in Las Vegas, and the DUcks took the stage on Wednesday, led by Lanning and flanked by Bryce Boettcher, Matayo Uiagalelei, and Kenyon Sadiq. After a successful 2024 campaign where Oregon won the Big Ten Championship in their first season as league members, the Ducks have high expectations to uphold the standard in 2025. However, they've got a lot to prove with an almost entirely new starting lineup, and only a select few starters returning from last year. There will be a lot of questions about how his team can step up this season, and which guys will prove to be the biggest difference-makers that Lanning has to answer over the coming weeks and months. On Wednesday, though, Lanning took some preliminary questions and talked about the current state of the program. Here are some of the top quotes from that press conference on Wednesday: Opening Statement Lanning: "Good afternoon. It's a pleasure to be here with you guys today. We certainly wanted to let you know that we appreciate the job you do here. I know sitting around in this room all day can be a challenge, especially in Vegas. You guys seem to be handling it well, though I don't see too many closed eyes. Really thrilled to be representing the University of Oregon. It's a dream come true for me. You know, going into my fourth season, to get that opportunity and wake up forever grateful for that chance. Want to continue to thank the leadership that we have at the University of Oregon, and President Schultz, Rob Mullins, they do an unbelievable job in our program. Also thrilled with the leadership we have here in the Big 10. Tony Petitti and his staff do an unbelievable job representing us, getting to do this and the conference that we get to do it in against the caliber of teams that we get to play against, is a real thrill for our team, something that we really pride ourselves in, and are thrilled that we get that. That opportunity coming in a year ago, it was uncharted waters for us. It was, 'Okay, what's the Big Ten going to be like?' And it's been super fulfilling. You know, getting the opportunity to win the Big 10 in our first year, play some unbelievable teams has created a really special experience." Kenyon Sadiq Lanning: Along with me today, I have some unbelievable players. We could have brought several guys from our team, really proud of where our team's at right now, but want to take some time to acknowledge those guys that came along with me. Kenyon Sadiq, our tight end, has had an unbelievable offseason. He's been an integral part to our team. He's done a lot of special things. And I think many of you realize that he's a really special talent, you know, but beyond that, he got the opportunity this offseason to travel to Africa and help build courts for kids. He's taken a real interest in real estate, which I'm excited about for him. And on top of that, he runs 23 miles per hour, and can vertical jump 41 inches. So that's pretty good too, especially when it comes to football. Unbelievable player. Excited to see him jump into a leadership role on our team. I think several of you got to see what he can do in the Big 10 Championship this past year. Will be an integral part of our team. Matayo Uiagalelei Lanning: This year, we also got to bring Matayo Uiagalelei. One thing I'm really excited about for Matayo is that he's been a guy who's been himself since the day he stepped on campus. He's unique. You know, our guys were joking with him about how he dressed on the airplane yesterday. He looks super comfortable. Had his hair in this cool thing and a neat backpack. I think he's wearing a coat that he got at a thrift store today, and he looks fantastic. But he's been uniquely him, and beyond being uniquely him, he's been a terror for quarterbacks this past season as a sack leader in our conference; he's done an unbelievable job. He's worked really hard this offseason, gained 10 pounds of muscle, and his voice has grown this offseason as well. All the guys that you see that came with us today are not guys of many words; they like to show with action. And Matayo certainly is a guy who does that. Bryce Boettcher Lanning: "Also had the opportunity to bring Bryce Boettcher here, you know, returning after an all-conference year as a linebacker for us. You know, Bryce is one of those unique guys who also had the opportunity to win a Golden Glove in baseball at the University of Oregon. Was two sport athlete, has been a lifeblood of this program. He's a heartbeat in a lot of ways. He's the guy that's excited for practice. When he steps on the field, it means something to him. He's prideful to wear the Oregon O, it means a lot. He grew up wanting to be a part of this program, and we were thrilled to get him back. You know, this season, obviously, had the opportunity, after being drafted by the Astros, to go play baseball, but wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to play for us a little bit more. He's put on some great weight this offseason. He's done an unbelievable job. Double Down Lanning: "Since we're in Vegas, you know, it seems like the right time to say our theme for this team is 'double down.' We have done an unbelievable job of building this team over time. You look at our success season to season, and as this team has grown, the process works. You know, we're close, and we've been able to accomplish a lot, so that's really what's going to feed our program this off-season, and will feed us into fall camp is believing in the process that we have. We got great buy-in from our players. It is a cast of new characters. You're going to see new people on the field, which is exciting. I'm very excited about this team." Leadership Lanning: "You know, going to the off-season, we felt like we had to take an opportunity to really develop leadership. We did that through a leadership retreat. We've done that through focusing on our DNA traits that have always been a big piece of our program, and continue to see our team grow in that area. You know, whether it's connection, whether it's growth, when you see our team play, you're going to see a team that plays with toughness. You know, I know a year ago, we got asked the question, 'Are we tough enough to be in the Big 10?' I think that we were able to answer those questions on the field last year." Off-Season Gains Lanning: "I do want to take the time to recognize the efforts of some of our support staff. You know, back in Oregon, you know, our strength staff, Coach Love and his crew, our nutrition staff with Brenna, sports performance with Ben McKay, these guys have done an unbelievable job this summer of putting our team in position to be better. Our players have worked really hard. They put on over 1300 pounds this offseason. Our overall peak power numbers have gone up over 21%, our freshmen, you know, the average gain from our freshmen is over 17 pounds. So there are some exciting things that you can look for wins in the off-season. Those are some great wins for our team. Just as proud as I am of what we've done, you know, training in the off-season, I'm really proud of what we've been able to do off the field. You know, over 600 hours of community service in the last six months. Again, we partnered with Sleep in Heavenly Peace and built over 150 beds for kids in the community who don't have beds. We're able to support 300 Foster and at-risk youth this off season, as well as many other contributions to our community and outside, and for our player,s you know, to develop that education off the field, our player personnel staff has done an unbelievable job." Staff Retention Lanning: "Heading into year four, I feel like we've got a really strong foundation. Kind of said that about our team. Our guys have embraced the work, the experience on our staff, you know, I continue to be impressed with the staff that we have going into year three. Now with the same offensive and defensive coordinator, we've got several of our staff members back, even though they've been given opportunities to be in other places, they've chosen to be here. And that's a credit to the success of our team, but that's also a piece of the success of our team, which is the continuity that we've been able to have, and we're grateful to Rob and our support here to be able to make that happen. Also really excited about some of the future stars we have on our team. There's guys that are unbelievable players, but they're also going to be, you know, unbelievable humans, and that's something that we're excited about. You know, several of our coaches are going to make outstanding head coaches in the future. You know, I want to make sure that I always get the opportunity to say that, because these guys do a great job. They make it work. They make my job easier and certainly makes a lot of fun for us." New Challenges Lanning: "We do have a brand new team and brand new challenges, and what happened last year has nothing to do with the future. So building that, starting from scratch, getting the opportunity to head back to the kitchen, figure out what we're going to be able to throw in from a recipe and create a great meal, is something we're super excited about. I have confidence in this group more than anything, because I've seen the work, right? Not everybody always gets to see the work. We've been a little bit under the radar this offseason, but these guys have worked extremely hard. They put their best foot forward, and that's part of what makes this so much fun for me." Player Retention Lanning: I'm really excited about the retention that we've had with our team. Look at Oregon, the players that we've been able to recruit have done well. Have been able to use the portal to be a real success for us, but we've done an unbelievable job of keeping our players, and not losing them to somewhere else." Family Fun Lanning: "I really enjoyed the last couple of weeks getting to spend time with my family. As I said before, there is no balance in this profession. You are all in, and we've been all in, but these last couple of weeks, I've been all in on being a dad. It's been unbelievable. Caton's 15 now, Miles is 14. Titan is 12. We've had flag football this summer, a couple summer camps, a couple trips on the lake. They're getting harder to throw off the tube, but we've had an unbelievable experience. It's been fun hanging out with my wife and the boys this summer, but we were excited to get to run." Tampering Question: There have been more instances of schools getting sued for tampering in the transfer portal, do you think there needs to be more of a crackdown on this? Lanning: "Yeah." Question: Can you expand on that? Lanning: "I just like, play the game the way it's supposed to be played, right? But there have to be consequences for actions, and if there aren't consequences, then there's going to continue to be issues like that." Rose Bowl Motivation Question: You said last year has no weight on the future, but how much motivation do you find in the way the season ended in the Rose Bowl? Lanning: "Yeah, for me as a coach, I've always, I think every coach probably feels this way, but we always remember the losses over the wins. I think there's a lot you can learn from that, which doesn't take away from what we were able to accomplish, but we lost to a great team. You know, Coach Day did an unbelievable job last year of having his team in a position to have success there. And there's some things that I feel like I could have done better there. At the end, I don't think we played our best football. That being said, we, you know, we did go undefeated in conference. We won the Big 10 Championship in our first year. So like I said, double down, learn. You know, focus on our process. What do we have to continue to improve? There's always learning lessons, but it doesn't necessarily impact the future." Quarterbacks Learning Question: How have your QBs been able to learn from the likes of Dillon Gabriel and Bo Nix? Lanning: "Yeah. I mean, all of our quarterbacks have. Austin, Dante, Luke, we've been really fortunate the last few years. And I've said this to a few that we've had a great mentor in that room. We've had guys who have had unbelievable experiences, right? That were these guys were able to watch and see. And I think probably what impresses me most with Dante is not wanting to be in a microwave society, not wanting to just get it fast because there's an opportunity in front, but to have the slow-cooked meal, right? To have the opportunity to sit back and mature and learn, learn from experiences that you don't necessarily have to be on the field to feel and that's that same goes for Austin, that same as goes for Luke and the other guys in our program, like those guys have learned from great quarterbacks that have done it at a really, really high level. For him to have that opportunity, show maturity, and develop in his leadership, I think it's going to create great opportunities for our team." Kenyon Sadiq Shouldering Load Question: How have you seen Kenyon Sadiq step up and shoulder a bigger load this offseason? Lanning: "I actually told Kenyon on the way down that, you know, yesterday was the first time I played it. But I played with my youngest son, Titan. We played the NCAA College Football, and Sadiq went off, right? He balled out. So I need to make sure I bring that up to our quarterbacks. Throw it to Kenyon, you know, because he's been unbelievable this offseason. Like I said, if you just see him work, it's not a secret. I feel like he would tell you that those are some of the traits that he learned from the guy—learned from the guys that were ahead of him, whether that's Terrance Ferguson or Pat Herbert. But yeah, there is a chemistry being developed, and that's part of what fall camps about, right? Our quarterbacks getting on the same page is our tight ends, is our wideouts, as our backs, and just, you know, creating that rhythm. Our guys have worked really hard this summer, but Kenyon is going to be, it's going to be hard for people to deal with. You know, he's a special player. I think he can be the best tight end in the nation. And you know, when you have a great rhythm with your quarterbacks, being able to get the ball to him, that's going to be a special weapon for us. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Tom's Guide
23-07-2025
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Forget the sauna — soaking in a hot tub could be better for your health, says new study
Sauna sessions aren't just for elite athletes anymore. Thanks in part to the rise of cold and heat therapy, saunas have become a staple at boutique recovery studios and even backyard setups. I tried the trend myself with a dip in the cold Atlantic Ocean followed by a sauna, and felt it boosted my exercise recovery. But new research from the University of Oregon suggests that the humble hot tub might actually be doing more heavy lifting than we realized. The researchers found that hot tubs may deliver more powerful boosts to blood flow, immune response, and overall cardiovascular health than either traditional or infrared saunas. In the study, soaking in hot water was shown to raise core body temperature more effectively than sitting in dry or infrared heat, triggering stronger physiological responses across the board. Jessica Atencio, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in the lab of Christopher Minson at the University of Oregon, explained the findings: 'We saw that hot water immersion was the most impactful in increasing core body temperature, which is the main stimulus for these subsequent responses. Increasing body temperature causes an increase in blood flow, and just the force of blood moving across your vessels is beneficial for your vascular health.' The study, published in the American Journal of Physiology, monitored everything from heart rate to immune cell levels in 20 healthy young adults after each type of heat therapy. Only hot tubs triggered a measurable immune response. Could a steamy bath do the trick? Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. According to the study, the key is how effectively your body heats up and stays hot. The more submerged you are, the better. While a full-body soak in a hot bath might not offer the same consistent temperature or immersion as a hot tub, it's still a step in the right direction. That said, don't throw out your best running shoes. The researchers point out that while heat therapy has benefits, especially for people who can't or won't exercise, it works best alongside regular movement. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Boston Globe
21-07-2025
- Climate
- Boston Globe
Flash flooding peaks every summer, but with a record 3,000-plus warnings, 2025 is starkly different. Here's why.
And New England wasn't spared. Our region experienced bouts of flooding rain this month, with just south of Boston flooding to the point where Advertisement 'We are in the heart of flash flood season,' said Alex Lamers, forecast operations branch chief for NOAA. 'The peak tends to be from mid-June through July.' During 'flash flood season,' a third of flash flood alerts for a year typically occur over 55 days, from June 10 to Aug. 3, based on records from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. However, this year's stretch from July 1 through 18 has been particularly eyebrow-raising, with around 900 flash flood warnings issued nationwide. With the US monthly average of around 800, we're on pace to double that amount and set a new record for July. The broader picture is worse. Since January 2025, over 3,100 flash flood warnings have been issued nationwide — the highest year-to-date total since tracking began for alerts in 1986, spanning nearly 40 years. Advertisement 'The overall pattern has favored more flash flooding than usual,' said Lamers. 'And if intense rain happens in a very vulnerable area, the impacts from flash flooding can be magnified.' Take a look at where the most flash floods have occurred since the beginning of July and how they stack up against the norm: Why is it flooding so much? July is the most active month of the year when it comes to flash flood warnings, typically because we're reaching the height of summer and there is a tremendous amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. As climate change continues to warm the atmosphere, triggering more extreme weather, flash flooding is occurring much more frequently. The warmer atmosphere can hold more water, and so far this summer, the average temperature across the country is nearly 3 degrees above the average and headed toward a top 3 finish for hottest summers on record. This moisture can spread far and wide with the jet stream at its weakest and northernmost point, meaning there aren't usually prominent dry systems around to provide relief from the excessive humidity as it spreads north. Remember, the jet stream acts as a fence, typically holding cooler, drier air to the north side. The jet stream drifts to the north during the summer, allowing for moisture to build across most of the Lower 48. University of Oregon With a weak jet stream comes weaker winds, meaning the overall weather pattern slows. You've heard me mention stalled or slow fronts over the past few weeks, increasing rain chances across the region in the daily forecasts. So let's take a look at a simple weather equation: More moisture plus weak wind equals slow-moving storms. This means heavy rain can persist over an area for a longer period, naturally saturating soil and overwhelming drainage systems as well as river and creek banks. The remnants of Advertisement Where Chantal's core moved across in North Carolina, it was a dump of rain. Isolated areas saw shy of a foot of rain. However, you didn't have to go all that far away to see rainfall totals drastically drop off. — NWS Eastern Region (@NWSEastern) The same scenario unfolded over Texas, but with Scattered to widespread rain with pockets of heavier rain continues across the I-35 corridor and portions of the Coastal Plains. Flash flood emergencies and flash flood warnings remain in effect, and dangerous floodwaters continue to flow downstream from today's rains, — NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) The heavy rain event just south of Boston earlier this month saw backbuilding storms in which copious amounts of moisture interacting with a stalled front allowed for 'training' storms to continue regenerating over and over across Southeastern Massachusetts. Some areas saw over 6 inches of rain. Independence Avenue in Quincy experienced flash flooding on July 10, 2025. David L Ryan/ Globe Staff — Ken Mahan (@WeathermanMahan) Other areas, like New Mexico, saw heavy rain persist from a broad southerly flow of moisture over a sensitive terrain of burn scars, peaks, and valleys, which led to flash flooding that cost lives. Flash flood emergency versus flash flood warning A flash flood emergency is reserved for extreme weather situations that pose a severe threat to human life and the potential for catastrophic damage. They are rarely used and warrant that immediate action must be taken or loss is inevitable. Flash flood warnings are issued when flooding is just about to occur and action is needed, either by heading to higher ground or following emergency protocols. So far this month, 15 flash flood emergencies have been issued in the US. Most have centered around the extreme flooding I mentioned above, which is set to be a record for the month, and we still have a couple of weeks to go. Advertisement The record number of flash flood emergencies issued for a year was 92, set just a year ago in 2024. We're on track to tie that unfortunate record this year. Hopefully, things slow down, but as history suggests, it most likely won't. The uneasy part is that we still have the peak of summer humidity in front of us, spanning from July 15 through mid-August. We just might be looking back at a record summer of flooding rain and billion-dollar weather disasters. Worker Keith O'Sullivan moves equipment as he pumps out flood water from CCS and Sons construction on the ground-level floor on Quincy Avenue in Braintree on July 10. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff A chair sits on the edge of a collapsed river bank in Plainfield, Vt., which was badly hit by a flash flood the night before, July 11, 2024. Dmitry Belyakov/Associated Press for our that will arrive straight into your inbox bright and early each weekday morning. Ken Mahan can be reached at
Irish Independent
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Anika Thompson and Eimear Maher in the medals for Ireland at Euro U-23 Athletics Championships
It means Ireland secured five medals in total at the championships, having won a total of 10 medals across its 14 previous editions. Spain's Maria Forero took 5,000m gold in convincing fashion in 15:43.44, with Germany's Vanessa Mikitenko next in 15:51.97, Thompson holding on gamely to win the battle for bronze, well clear of France's Julia David-Smith (16:00.62). 'I'm really happy,' said Thompson, who had won 10,000m gold on Friday. 'I love having a race where I give it my all and to be honest, that was one of the hardest I've run. Something that hurt me [after the 10K] was my lack of sleep, that's been really messed up, but I tried to control the things I could. 'Whether I win or lose, the greatest thing is that I'm healthy and anytime I get to hit the track healthy, I have a big smile on my face. I just have such pure joy for the sport. I love it. My goal today was to get double gold but I ended up with the bronze, and I'm pleased.' On Friday, the University of Oregon student had turned in a superb performance to win the 10,000m, breaking her own Irish U-23 record to clock 32:31.47. Thompson was raised in Oregon but qualifies to represent Ireland through her Cork grandparents, competing for Leevale AC in national events. Maher produced the run of her life to edge bronze in the women's 1500m, with gold going to Turkey's Dilek Kocak in 4:08.79 and silver to France's Adele Gay in 4:08.89, with Maher battling hard to hit the line in 4:09.54, three tenths of a second ahead of Britain's Mena Scatchard. 'I'm lost for words,' said the 21-year-old, who runs for Dundrum South Dublin. 'This was a big one. I'm absolutely delighted. I knew I was in the best shape of my life and I had to keep the cool and do what I did. I was vomiting before the heats, I was so nervous, but when the heats happened I was like, 'This isn't that big a deal. I worked for this, I want this.'' On Friday, Nicola Tuthill claimed silver in the hammer – the first ever medal for Ireland at this grade in a field event. The 21-year-old Cork athlete launched her leading throw of 70.90m in the fourth round, but had to settle for second behind Germany's Aileen Kuhn, who threw a PB of 72.53m. Nick Griggs won silver in the men's 5,000m final on Saturday, the 20-year-old Tyrone athlete clocking 13:45.80 behind Dutch star Niels Laros. Elsewhere, Rhasidat Adeleke clocked a season's best of 22.52 (-0.6m/s) to finish fourth over 200m at the London Diamond League, while Sarah Healy continued her fine form with a third-place finish in the mile in 4:16.25 and the Irish women's 4x100m quartet of Sarah Leahy, Lauren Roy, Ciara Neville and Sarah Lavin broke the national record with 43.73. Learn more 'I was just trying to stay in contention the whole time, trying to focus on getting out and not get left behind in the blocks, which I kind of did,' said Adeleke. 'I was working my way back, but I'll take it.' It was a step forward in what has been, for Adeleke, a mediocre season to date, the best of her three outings over 400m last month being the 50.42 she ran in Oslo, well down on her national record of 49.07. But her eyes remain fixed on the World Championships in September. 'Just making sure I can stay healthy and stay motivated and disciplined and just continue on the road to Tokyo,' she said of her goal for the coming weeks. 'It is about a month and a half away so just trying to make sure our eyes are focused on that, even though there's so many other things going on.' Mark English consolidated his recent good form with another fast clocking over 800m, the Donegal athlete finishing seventh in 1:44.07, a race won by Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi in 1:42.00. Elsewhere, Ryan Creech (Leevale AC) and Megan Ryan (Dundrum South Dublin) claimed the senior titles at the national 10-mile championships in the Phoenix Park, with Creech clocking 49:54 and Ryan 57:57.
