Local News

As opposition to Mayor Michelle Wu's plan to renovate White Stadium for knowledgeable women's soccer team continues, construction employees were on site Tuesday to start demolishing the stadium.

Neighbors of White Stadium in Franklin Park were informed in an email from the town last week that demolition of the Forties stadium, currently utilized by Boston Public School students, would begin the week of Jan. 19 would begin. Workers will remove hazardous materials from the stands and prepare the location and take away trees, the e-mail said.

The demolition phase is predicted to last two months, the town said, primarily between 7 a.m. and three p.m. through the week, with some activity on weekends. Overall, the renovation project is predicted to proceed this winter.

Depending on development PlansThe city will demolish the east stand, which has fire damage, the athletics areas and utilities. The proposal calls for retaining the curved shell frontispiece while demolishing the West Stand's concrete bleacher seats, stadium foundation, and concrete floors and columns.

Wu worked with BOS Nation FC, the NWSL women's soccer team, to renovate the dilapidated stadium, announcing a 10-year public-private lease last month. The team, which is covering half of the renovation costs, expects to begin its season in March next 12 months.

The city says Following the renovation, more BPS students will find a way to make use of White Stadium than can currently use the facilities, while some soccer games that overlap with NWSL games will probably be relocated.

However, controversy arose over the renovation plan, which was approved by a Supreme Court judge last 12 months. Councilmen Erin Murphy and Ed Flynn have each publicly criticized the renovation after it was revealed in December that the town's estimated $50 million contribution would reach at the very least $91 million.

A day after demolition begins, the Boston City Council will hold a hearing of the Government Accountability, Transparency and Accessibility Committee to debate “growing concerns” concerning the renovation, it says Meeting regulationssupported by the vast majority of city councilors on January eighth.

In a press release, Murphy described the demolition as “reckless rush“Not only does this silence the voices of residents, but it also undermines the City Council’s authority and role to provide oversight, ensure fiscal responsibility and advocate for the people of Boston.”

The Franklin Park Defenders, the group that has filed an ongoing lawsuit to stop the project, which incorporates the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, said the demolition, which begins this week, would remove 145 trees.

“For months, members of the communities surrounding Franklin Park have wanted to provide BPS student-athletes with the modern athletic facilities at White Stadium that they have long deserved,” Karen Mauney-Brodek, president of Emerald Necklace, said in a press release, “without displacing the soccer program, paving two tennis courts and acres of public parkland, cutting down 145 trees and enduring the many other downsides of building a massive 11,000-seat professional sports stadium all in one public stadium park.”

Wu's administration only learned of Wednesday's meeting last week, a city spokesman said.

“Last month, the city signed and published a detailed lease agreement that legally establishes financial, community use and open space protections that were carefully negotiated and shaped by community feedback in more than 60 public meetings over nearly 18 months,” said the speaker said. “Throughout this public process and throughout the extensive permitting process reviewed by six different boards and commissions, the timeline was clear that demolition would begin soon after a lease was signed.”

By Jourdan Rodrigue, Alex Andrejev and Rebecca Tauber

Monday's wild-card playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings will likely be moved from SoFi Stadium to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, after multiple wildfires devastated the Los Angeles County area this week, the NFL announced announced on Thursday. The game stays scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.

The NFC's No. 4 Rams were previously scheduled to host the sport against the No. 5 Vikings at their venue in Inglewood, California, however the league pivoted to its contingency plan after deadly fires hit tens of hundreds of acres of land around Los Angeles Angeles burned down. The fire department's latest estimates indicate residents have been displaced on account of evacuation orders and greater than 5,000 structures have been destroyed. Officials told multiple media outlets on Wednesday that at the very least five people died within the fires.

“The decision was made in consultation with officials, participating clubs and the NFLPA,” the NFL said said on Thursday.

The Arizona Cardinals will open their facilities to the team for practice, walk-throughs and pregame meetings on Monday, in line with a Rams spokesman. The Rams will travel to Arizona in a while Friday.

Tickets for the sport at State Farm Stadium will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. PT for Rams season ticket holders and at noon PT for most of the people, the NFL said.

The Rams originally began practice as scheduled on Thursday afternoon. But during this exercise, winds picked up and recent smoke appeared on the mountain horizon as news of the brand new Kenneth Fire in West Hills broke. The team has canceled players' post-practice workouts, locker room visits and media availability so players can check on their relations and go home.

Other Los Angeles sports teams, including the Chargers, adjusted their schedules on account of the impact of the fires. The Chargers, who play the Texans in a wild-card playoff game in Houston on Saturday, modified their practice schedule on Wednesday to limit the period of time players spend outdoors on the sphere on account of potentially unhealthy air quality.

AirNOW, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's air quality reporting index, considers AQI levels of 101 to 150 to be “unhealthy for sensitive groups” and recommends that outdoor activities be shorter and fewer intense once the extent exceeds 100. Long or intense outdoor activities must be avoided above 150, in line with AirNOW, and all people should avoid any outdoor physical activity above 200.

The devastating devastation brought on by the wildfires that began earlier this week had already resulted within the cancellation of a Los Angeles Kings home game scheduled for Wednesday night against the Calgary Flames, the Los Angeles Lakers home game scheduled for Thursday night against the Charlotte Hornets and a women's Basketball game between Pepperdine University and Portland on Thursday was postponed. ESPN also had to alter its programming on Wednesday because a production facility in Los Angeles was closed.

Among the hundreds of buildings destroyed in the hearth is the childhood home of Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who told reporters that his 90-year-old mother needed to be evacuated and is currently protected.

“It's surreal and devastating,” Kerr said Thursday, later adding: “It's hard to imagine how Pacific Palisades will be rebuilt and how it will become a thriving community again. It’s just shocking.”

Steve Kerr confirms his childhood home in Pacific Palisades burned down in the hearth. He said he was there two weeks ago for dinner together with his mother (who made it out unscathed). Here he speaks intimately in regards to the devastation of the hearth and the lost memories. pic.twitter.com/mvJuBwPo9g

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 9, 2025

Carlos Vela, who played for Los Angeles FC, lost his home in the hearth, his wife announced on her Instagram Story. Angel City defender Ali Riley also posted on X that her family had lost their home.

This was our home. How is that this real? It can't be real. #PalisadesFire pic.twitter.com/0ddg3nP1YI

– Ali Riley (@RileyThree) January 9, 2025

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard missed a game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday because his family needed to evacuate due to fires.

Meanwhile, the historic Rose Bowl Stadium, positioned near the Eaton Fire, is inside range of evacuation orders issued.

The status of other events scheduled in Los Angeles stays unclear, including a game between the LA Clippers and Hornets on Saturday and the Genesis Invitational, a PGA Tour stop scheduled for Feb. 10-16 at Riviera Country Club within the Pacific is palisades.

Required reading

University sports

Another legendary college football rivalry takes place at Gillette Stadium. The home of the Patriots will host the Navy-Notre Dame game on October 31, 2026, marking the primary time within the history of the 99-game series that it’s going to be played in New England.

“We are thrilled to host the 2026 Navy-Notre Dame game and welcome these two historic programs and their passionate fan bases to Gillette Stadium for the first time in this storied, century-long rivalry,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a press release Explanation. “We are honored that the Navy has chosen Gillette Stadium and our region to host the 99th edition of this historic game.”

In 2023, Gillette Stadium hosted the 124th Army-Navy game, which the Cadets won 17-11. Chet Gladchuk, the previous Boston College athletic director who now holds the identical role at Navy, said that given the “extraordinary efforts of the Kraft Group, the New England Patriots and the…” it was a logical decision to carry the Navy game and moving Notre Dame to Gillette “the entire New England area” in hosting last yr’s Army-Navy game.

“The Boston area is a great place to visit in the fall and I have no doubt that both Navy and Notre Dame fans will fill Gillette Stadium,” Gladchuk said.

The history of the Navy-Notre Dame game dates back to 1927. The series was the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in college football, played for 93 consecutive years from 1927 to 2019 before the 2020 game was canceled by COVID-19. The two teams recently met for the 97th game on October 26 at MetLife Stadium, which Notre Dame won 51-14.

“Massachusetts is the perfect host for the 2026 Navy-Notre Dame Game,” said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. “This is where our nation and our military traditions began, and Gillette Stadium has a long track record of successfully hosting major events, from the Army-Navy game to the upcoming FIFA World Cup.”

Notre Dame leads the series 83-13-1 and has won seven straight against the Midshipmen. Navy last defeated the Fighting Irish in 2016, 28-27 in Jacksonville, Florida. In addition to Dublin in 2023, Notre Dame and Navy have met across the United States, including Notre Dame Stadium (38 games), Baltimore (23), Cleveland (11), Philadelphia (nine), New Jersey (eight), Maryland (twice), San Diego, Orlando and Jacksonville.

Further details, including ticket sales information, shall be announced at a later date.

Soak within the seventh inning

Ohtani's old team

Extra innings

The faithful are also foodies, so yearly Levi's Stadium and its hospitality partner Levy go to great lengths to offer delicious culinary experiences for loyal Niner fans.

New vendors for the 2024-25 season, which begins with the upcoming Monday Night Football game against the New York Jets, include two family-owned restaurants with long Bay Area histories and an all-halal Middle Eastern menu. Fans also can look ahead to a brand new craft beer from an area chef-brewery partnership; a creative latest menu from the stadium's executive chef Alvin Kabiling; and later within the season, a brand new pizza based on one in every of quarterback Brock Purdy's favorite dishes.

In introducing the brand new lineup, Nick Wolfe, vp of hospitality and retail for the 49ers and Levi's Stadium, said he was excited concerning the opportunity to “reinvent and reimagine” the fan experience each season — and showcase local partners in the method.

Here's a range. Keep checking back as we'll be adding more returning favorites and details as chefs finalize their menus:

NEW PROVIDERS THIS SEASON

Toto's Pizzeria: This San Bruno and Belmont classic, which has been around since 1932, will make its debut on the stadium. Several generations of the Spadarella family will bake and serve single-serving Neapolitan pizzas with pepperoni and cheese, in addition to cannoli (created from an old family recipe, in fact).

Berkeley by IB: This family-run business has been feeding Berkeley students and football fans since 1991. In their first foray into the South, co-owners Fuad Baba and Michael Dughman—the latest generation to run the business—serve up IB's Original Cheesesteak and their popular Honey Garlic Wings.

Kebab cart: Husband and wife Ghezal and Yasir Wesa, owners of this cable car-style food truck and catering business, present an all-halal menu of Afghan fusion street food, including falafel, wraps and hummus plates. The Contra Costa County-based couple founded the San Francisco-based business in 2013.

Crumbs: It was because of Wolfe's wife that these large, decadent cookies were added to the stadium menu. Crumbl will offer five flavors on a rotating basis – and no less than one in every of them shall be chocolate.

RECURRING FAVORITES

Tony G’s Slice House: Tony Gemignani, the Bay Area's world pizza master, discovered QB Purdy's love of cheeseburgers and decided to create a brand new pizza with that theme. The beef pizza is topped with white cheddar cheese, mozzarella, peppers and applewood smoked bacon, and finished with green onions, peppadews, Romano cheese, oregano and a drizzle of barbecue sauce and garlic oil. (The Purdy Pie won't debut on Monday Night Football, but perhaps at the subsequent home game.)

Chef Rodney Baca’s shop: This San Jose chef shall be making his signature pastrami sandwiches with house-cured meats, coleslaw with maple aioli, pineapple molasses mustard and house-made pickles, together with the East Side Burger, inspired by his wife Maddie's San Jose heritage. It's topped with candied bacon, red relish, jalapenos and cheese. New from Baca is an IPA, Apricot Summer Orchard, a collaboration with Hapa's Brewing.

Starbird: These folks began the local fried chicken trend in Sunnyvale in 2014 after which expanded it throughout the Bay Area. This season, they're serving crispy chicken fillets with two house-made sauces and seasoned fries, each cooked in non-GMO rice bran oil

Originally published: September 6, 2024 at 16:20

New England Revolution

For fans of the Revolution, who’ve been waiting hopefully for years for the possible construction of their very own football stadium within the Boston area, the wait appears to be removed from over.

As a part of a 23-hour marathon to conclude the official session of the Massachusetts Legislature – which lasted until Thursday, 9:57 a.m.nearly 10 hours after the official deadline of midnight on July 31 – state lawmakers were unable to achieve agreement on a wide range of issues, including passage of a sweeping economic development bill.

Included in the large bill was a special section that might have removed the special “Designated Port Area” from a 43-acre parcel of land at 173 Alford St. in Everett, the positioning of a defunct power plant (currently owned by Wynn Resorts). If the DPA had been removed, it will have cleared the best way for the Kraft Group soccer team to maneuver forward with the possible construction of a 25,000-seat stadium along the waterfront.

Although the bill was included in a Senate version of the bill (which passed in July), the House of Representatives balked at it, and the next Mediation Committee did not reconcile the 2 versions before the tip of the formal session.

The Economic Development Act was removed from the one law that remained dead within the water by legislators who disagreed about Range of topics in a lengthy final effort of the session.

But with the rejection of the Economic Development Act, the revolution's latest stadium project is on shaky ground.

Technically, the stadium language might be resubmitted as a standalone bill (which it originally was initially of the 12 months). But after the formal meeting has been concluded, all that is required is the opposition of 1 only legislator to dam the whole law (in accordance with the principles of the informal meeting).

Since there was apparently opposition to the planned stadium from Boston – with representatives from TD Garden and Fenway Park in opposition to a different potential local concert venue – the road to adoption via an off-the-cuff meeting is prone to be rocky.

Nevertheless, the creator of the unique bill for Everett Stadium in 2024 just isn’t giving up.

State Senator Sal DiDomenico (whose district includes Everett) made a temporary comment after the official meeting concluded on Thursday.

“I am committed to continuing to try to find a way to move forward on this issue, and over the next few days we will be reviewing that process and that path,” Senator DiDomenico said. in accordance with Chris Lisinski of the State House News Service“I'm not giving up. I'm committed and believe that this is the right thing for my community and my region.”

SANTA CLARA – Colombia coach Néstor Lorenzo urged his team to remain focused and energized in every physical and emotional moment against mighty Brazil – through two scorching halves and nearly one other 10 minutes of stoppage time.

“We all wanted to have our best moments in this game and I think we took another step forward,” said Lorenzo. “With Brazil, you can't be careless for a second.”

Daniel Muñoz scored the equalizer in first-half stoppage time and Colombia topped their Copa America first round group with a 1-1 draw against Brazil on Tuesday night, extending their unbeaten streak to 26 games.

Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas saved Brazil's last probability within the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time when Andreas Pereira shot wide.

Colombia will play Panama within the quarterfinals on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona, while Brazil faces a seemingly tougher match against Uruguay later that evening in Las Vegas.

“It's a feeling of satisfaction to have played against such a strong opponent,” said Lorenzo. “Now we have to think about Panama.”

Los Cafeteros, who finished with seven points to Brazil's five, had two consecutive probabilities to attain within the 84th minute but were unable to capitalise.

Brazil took the lead within the twelfth minute when Raphinha fired a left-footed free kick into the highest right corner of the online, just over the outstretched hand of Vargas.

The Brazilian winger jumped and pumped his fist because the experienced Seleção struck first at Levi's Stadium, home of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers.

The players placed on an entertaining show within the Group D final, with Brazilian Bruno Guimarães describing Colombia as “a thorn in our side” ahead of Tuesday’s match.

The game, which was expected to be exciting and stuffed with fouls, greater than lived as much as expectations. There were five yellow cards and a sea of ​​the identical color jerseys representing each countries filled the seats – no less than when the fans finally got in. Some scanning machines got extremely popular and slowed down entry.

The match was attended by 70,971 spectators, and the 24 group stage matches were attended by 1,115,400 spectators, a mean of 46,475.

A heat warning was issued for the Bay Area, and the temperature at kickoff was 98 degrees—although about half of the sphere was in shade on one sideline.

The midfielder, who turns 33 on July 12, has provided three assists for Los Cafeteros on this tournament.

“It was like a final. It was a super exciting game,” he said. “It's so exciting to play against star players. That's the beauty of the whole thing. … We still have a lot of work to do and on Saturday we have to go out there and play very focused.”

Brazil, a team used to winning the championship at this tournament, faces a tougher road with out a win against Colombia.

The Seleção have won nine Copa titles and finished second within the 2021 tournament.

Colombia had already booked their place within the quarter-finals and are on a 26-match unbeaten streak – including a 5-1 win over the USA in a pre-tournament friendly – while Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw by the Americans in one other warm-up match 4 days later.

Colombia beat Brazil 2-1 in South American qualifying last 12 months. It was the primary meeting since three encounters in 2021, when Brazil beat Colombia 2-1 within the Copa America.

___

Three years ago, Shana Ferguson stood poolside on the U.S. Olympic Qualifiers in Omaha, Nebraska, thrilled to see greater than 12,000 swimming fans watching, but she dared to dream greater.

So, much greater.

“What would that look like in a football stadium?” Ferguson wondered aloud.

Three years later, after countless meetings on topics akin to electrical, plumbing and wastewater engineering, the amazement has finally given method to reality. Ferguson, USA Swimming's business director, and her team of suppliers are only days away from opening an important swimming event on American soil this four-year cycle, in front of what is predicted to be the biggest audience ever to attend a swimming event.

The upcoming U.S. Olympic Qualifiers will likely be held June 15-23 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. This will likely be the primary time the Olympic qualifying tournament has been held in a football stadium. Organizers hope to attract nearly 30,000 spectators on the primary night of the finals, breaking the previous world record.

It will likely be a spectacle – to place it mildly.

“This is the first time anything like this has been attempted in the world,” said Mark Dodd, president of Dodd Technologies, which essentially served as the overall contractor for USA Swimming on the event. “A lot of people are going to come here and look at what we built. We're going to be the model.”

Ferguson added: “We have to make sure we provide these athletes with an incredible experience that will be the highlight of their careers for many of them. We have a responsibility to provide them with a really insanely cool environment.”

It all began, not surprisingly, with the pool itself, which has been under construction for the past three weeks. Construction began on May 12 and was accomplished this week. Nearly 1.7 million gallons of water were brought in from the nearby White River. The water is then stored in tanks that allow for constant circulation, purification and chlorination before flowing out and in of the three pools which were built.

“If you watch it on TV, it will look like an in-ground pool, as if the pool is at ground level,” Ferguson said. “But we're putting an above-ground pool on top of the concrete and building a patio around it. The pool with the patio will actually touch the first 10 rows of seats.”

Raising the pool deck and the perceived floor level for fans will create enough depth for the three pools required. One is the 50-metre long, three-metre deep competition pool – the usual depth for elite swimmers – where all eyes will likely be trained over the nine nights; the opposite two are warm-up pools separated from the competition pool by a curtain on the 50-yard line.

Myrtha Pools, an organization that focuses on organising and tearing down large temporary pools, built the competition pool and two warm-up pools. Spear Corp. in nearby Roachdale, Indiana, handled all of the plumbing, pumps and filtration. Dodd's team is specifically accountable for the decks, scoreboard, signage and all other equipment needed to make the event successful.

“Our biggest challenge was really figuring out what a traditional spectator sport is in a small pool hall and scaling it to work in a space of this size,” Dodd said.

In short, USA Swimming is attempting to sustain with increasing demand. This event continues to grow seemingly every Olympic cycle — and outgrows its venues. The last trials were held in Indianapolis in 2000, with the event held on the 4,700-seat Indiana University Natatorium. Then in 2004, the trials were held outdoors in Long Beach, California, and from 2008 to 2021, they moved to a basketball arena in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. (Myrtha Pools also built the Long Beach pool and the 4 Omaha pools.) In 2016, nearly 200,000 fans attended 15 sold-out sessions. The venue can accommodate about 13,000 swimmers.

Lucas Oil Stadium has much more seating. Its swimming configuration allows for a capability of around 30,000 spectators with regular stadium seats facing the competition pool, in addition to around 20 rows of movable seats placed in front of the middle field curtain to form a totally enclosed oval for fans. Organizers have planned theme nights (including Father's Day and Juneteenth celebrations that can happen in the course of the event). They are also working with the NBA's Indiana Pacers and WNBA's Fever to draw latest fans who may not yet know much about swimming.

While there will definitely be seats removed from the water's surface, Dodd said visibility will likely be quite good for the greater than 25,000 spectators.

“I don't necessarily know if it's going to be weird or strange, but it's going to be different,” said University of Virginia coach Todd DeSorbo, who will function head coach of the U.S. women's team in Paris. “The more people, the better. And I think the kids will get carried away by the energy of the crowd.”

These evening events, where fans will watch the highest two finishers punch their tickets to Paris, will likely be unforgettable, organizers say. A 50-foot-high video board will stand behind the athletes as they’re announced and enter the pool deck before each final. Ferguson compared it to the players' introduction on Monday Night Football; Dodd said there will likely be the same level of lighting and production to WWE. There will even be a center-hung scoreboard (just like basketball stadiums) since the scoring and timing should be centered above the pool, relatively than where football stadiums have video boards across the edge.

Perhaps one of the best advantage of the football stadium is the installation of the warm-up pool. In Omaha, the warm-up pools were positioned within the convention center as a result of an absence of space in the world. In Indianapolis, they’re separated from the competition pool by only a curtain.

“The thing I'm most excited about is finally having space,” says Bob Bowman, head coach on the University of Texas, who coached Michael Phelps during his profession and can again take quite a few Olympic hopefuls to the trials. “In Omaha, it was so crowded that I just stopped going to the main pool and watching the races because I couldn't get there fast enough to help people warm up and cool down. So I just watched it on the big screen in the warm-up pool.

“It will be great for the participants.”

In what Ferguson calls the “back-of-house athlete experience,” there will be relaxation areas, massages, therapy dogs, nutritional assistance, mental health experts and even a video game room.

“Numerous it’s nerves, hopes and dreams,” Ferguson said. “We have to make certain that even in an enormous stadium, we give the athletes and coaches a way of intimacy where they’ll find peace and solitude and focus, so it's not nearly big lights, Hollywood and excitement.”

In short, it's not just about adding a swimming pool to a football stadium and figuring out where and how to drain the water. It's about repurposing a venue that needs to serve a myriad of purposes for multiple stakeholders at the same time.

And in a week he will be put to the ultimate test – just like the best American swimmers.

The athlete