Larry Lage, Author at Valley News

Annika Malacinski, left, and Alexa Brabec take part in a roller ski training session for the 2022 U.S. Olympic team for Nordic combined and ski jumping teams at Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid, N.Y., Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021. Even before the U.S. teams were set for Beijing Games, 20-year-old Annika Malacinski knew she had no shot at competing in China because she is a woman. Nordic combined, which combines ski jumping and cross-country skiing, is the only...

Nordic combined remains men-only for the time being

by Larry Lage AP Sports WriterJanuary 26, 2022

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Like her brother, Annika Malacinski dreams of going to the Olympics in Nordic combined.As wintry weather settled in at the Olympic Jumping Complex and Mount Van Hoevenberg last fall, she and Niklas trained together in this tiny…

In this Aug. 16, 2019, photo, Ann Arbor Pioneer High School football players run a drill at the school in Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan has joined New Jersey in an attempt to make high school football safer, limiting the amount of time players make full-speed contact that sends them tumbling to the ground. (AP Photo/Larry Lage)

Survey: Most states limit contact

by Larry Lage AP Sports WriterAugust 30, 2019

FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2019, file photo, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) makes a catch in front of Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore (23) during the first half of an NFL divisional football playoff game in Kansas City, Mo. Two-time All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce was spectacular in catches (103), yards receiving (1,336) and touchdowns (10) last season. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga, File)

Tight ends evolve as pass-catchers

by Larry Lage AP Sports WriterAugust 28, 2019

Jimmie Johnson, center, talks with Clint Bowyer, left, during practice for a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

With NASCAR Cup playoffs near, drivers get intense

by Larry Lage AP Sports WriterAugust 10, 2019

Gary Woodland signs autographs after competing in the Pro-Am for the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tournament, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Detroit. (Mike Mulholland/Ann Arbor News via AP)

Woodland adjusts to sudden fame

by Larry Lage AP Sports WriterJune 26, 2019

FILE - In this June 15, 2016, file photo, hockey legend Ted Lindsay arrives at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament for the funeral of Gordie Howe, in Detroit. Detroit Red Wings great and Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay died Monday, March 4, 2019, at his home in Michigan. He was 93. His death was confirmed Monday by son-in-law Lew LaPaugh, president of the Ted Lindsay Foundation, which raises money for autism research. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, Pool, File)

‘Terrible Ted’ Lindsay, Detroit Red Wings great and union pioneer, dies at 93

by Larry Lage AP Sports Writers, and Noah Trister AP Sports WritersMarch 4, 2019

In a photo from, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, in Plymouth, Mich., USA Hockey forward Kelly Panneck (12) is seen during practice. Pannek is on pace to graduate from the University of Minnesota in the spring with a finance degree. With two internships in wealth management also on her resume, she is a prime candidate to get hired in the business world. Pannek, though, plans to put her off-ice-career on hold because the 2018 Olympic hockey player can afford to thanks to a landmark deal USA Hockey agreed to with elite women in the sport less last year. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Holdout Paying Dividends for U.S. Women

by Larry Lage AP Hockey WriterDecember 25, 2018

Detroit Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah stops Chicago Bears quarterback Chase Daniel (4) during the second half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Chase Daniel Fills in, Leads Surging Bears Over Lions

by Larry Lage The Associated PressNovember 22, 2018

Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia, left, meets with New England Patriots team owner Robert Kraft before an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

Detroit Dices Toothless Patriots

by Larry Lage AP Sports WriterSeptember 24, 2018

FILE - In this Nov. 3, 2013, file photo, then-New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, left, listens to head coach Bill Belichick in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, in Foxborough, Mass. Belichick has a chance to knock off another branch from his coaching tree. The five-time Super Bowl winning coach has had his staff trimmed by NFL teams many times over the years. The Detroit Lions are the latest to lure one of Belichick’s assistants away, hiring Matt Patricia soon after the last Super Bowl. If the reunion goes as expected, it will follow a trend and teacher will school student from the opposite sideline Sunday night in Detroit.(AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Alumni Reunion: Belichick Meets Another Ex-Assistant

by Larry Lage AP Sports WriterSeptember 23, 2018