It was a tough Wednesday at Colts’ camp. After suffering a torn Achilles tendon in practice last Sunday, it was determined that defensive end Samson Ebukam will likely miss the entire 2024 NFL season. The team had planned on Samson being one of its best defenders, after his totaling the most sacks with 9 ½ last year, and he was otherwise dominant up front. Coach Shane Steichen told reporters, in these words, “that’s a tough break for us. What a great competitor he is… he was continuing in the right direction, so a big blow there.” Expert observers say Ebukam’s absence may advance rookie Laiatu Latu’s move into the lineup for playing time. He was known as a strong pass rusher in his final 2 years at UCLA.
Not a great baseball night last evening for the Reds– The Chicago Cubs walked into the Ballpark last night and thoroughly dismantled Cincinnati, 13-4. Pitcher Nick Lodolo gave up 2 of those runs in the 2nd inning, 4 more in the 3rd, allowing a total of 8, in 5 2/3 innings of work. A few slightly “bright” sides were that the Reds scored in the 5th inning on a 3-run Jake Fraley homer, Will Benson doubled home their 4th score in the bottom of the 8th, and despite the embarrassingly bad loss, Cincy still won the series, 2 games to 1, Santiago Espinal extending his personal hitting streak to 11 games in a row, with 2 more base hits. The Reds are off today, but open a new home series welcoming the Giants Friday night, and we’ll have that one for you beginning tomorrow evening at 6:40, on the Sports Voice, 103.9, WRBI.
Alex Shackell of Carmel is swimming at the Olympics for the first time at the Paris games, and she’s qualified for the final in the women’s 200-meter butterfly. Alex finished 2nd in her semi, only 37 hundredths of a second behind Olympic record holder Yufei Zhang of China.
Her brother Aaron is also swimming in his first Olympics, and made the men’s final in the 400-meter freestyle. Also from Carmel is Drew Kibler, who swam in the men’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay and won silver.
30-year-old Canyon Barry, the son of ABA and NBA legend Rick Barry, will be carrying on the family business when he competes for the USA in 3-on-3 men’s basketball at the Olympics. He was born in Fort Wayne, and shoots free throws underhand, like his dad did, because the motion uses fewer muscles and joints. And when not hooping it up, Barry’s a scientist for a technology company that creates systems for national security.