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NIU could be a test case for the future

The world of college athletics has been changing for the last several years, and for a time, it looked like the Mid-American Conference was safe from realignment. That changed when Northern Illinois decided to join the Mountain West as a football-only member in the beginning of January. With the rest of their sports looking for a new home, they went back to stay regional. On Thursday, the Huskies opted to move their basketball and other programs to the Horizon League. And with it, one of the more interesting cases for the future of college athletics presented itself. Various media ...

Nothing beats bobber fishing

Something about bobber fishing has hooked me since childhood. It is there, very real and so enticing, but I can’t exactly tell you why it is so appealing. Perhaps it is the cadence of the float as it rides the ripples. Maybe it is the sudden dunk of the quill bobber. Or perhaps it is the weight at the end of the line when I set the hook after the bobber dives under the surface. Hanging live bait under a float is an ancient technique, almost as old as fishing itself, but even with 21st century technology available to me and you, we still love the basic simplicity of waiting ...

There’s no shame in asking the experts

Cyclones are swirling everywhere these days, but instead of running for cover, many people are leaping headfirst into the maelstroms. Name a topic and we make it controversial. Sports? For sure. Politics? Absolutely. The economy? Oh, boy. Seems to me more and more people are willing to fight to the death arguing whether the chicken or the egg came first. And fishing? Yes, even fishing can ignite fire and brimstone. Cabin fever reaches its peak around this time every winter, and even with spring just a few weeks away, the promise of open water, sunshine and warm breezes is not enough ...

Valentine’s, Daytona mean fishing is right around the corner

With Valentine’s Day in the rearview mirror and the Daytona 500 taking the green flag tomorrow, Northeast Ohio anglers are setting their sights on melting ice and springtime fishing. Our annual transition from the dead of winter to the promise of spring brings hope and optimism to anglers suffering from cabin fever. Dreams of big crappies, spunky walleyes and hungry largemouth bass fuel our final sprint to the day the thaw opens the boat ramps at Mosquito, Pymatuning, Berlin, Milton, West Branch and Shenango. With the thaw, however, also comes worries that winter has ravaged our ...

HINER: To the NFL, just buy a massage table

If Roger Goodell had a nickel for everytime a Pro Bowler faced sexual harassment allegations from masseuses, he’d have two nickels. It’s not much, but it’s odd that it’s happened twice. On Thursday, Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker was the center of another massage-related scandal for the NFL. This time, several alleged victims accused Tucker of inappropriate behavior during sessions over the last few years. This isn’t the place to get into the details. The Associated Press put something together on Thursday after The Baltimore Banner broke the story that ...

WOLLITZ: Fishing can be a lot like surfing the internet

People often tell me that fishing is a mystery to them because they have no clue where to start or what to look for. Fishing, I explain, is just another slice of life, plucked from the loaf of activities that define the human experience. That it happens on the water is part of what distinguishes fishing from, say, going to an amusement park, a ballgame or a book club meeting, but the reality is that fishing is more like the other slices in the loaf of life than most people realize. Consider our current relationship with the place we call the internet (not sure whether the ‘net ...