News & Neuigkeiten » to the ballpark and its surroundings b

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Tatyana McFadden came into the Rio Paralympics with a chance to win seven gold medals, from the 100 meters to the marathon, an unprecedented feat for a wheelchair racer.Depending on how she does this weekend, shell go back to the United States with anywhere between four and six medals, at least three of them gold.A disappointment? Nope. Not for an athlete who is probably Americas best known Paralympian.The 100 meters is one of the toughest races, especially being a marathoner, McFadden said after she closed hard but failed to catch Chinas Liu Wenjun on Sept. 9. The 100 is really, really hard, so I was really proud with a silver.The other tough moment came Thursday, when McFaddens 4 X 400-meter relay team lost to China and then got disqualified for a lane violation.The highlights came in between, as McFadden staged her own mini-gold rush.McFadden nabbed her first gold of the games in the 400 meters last Sunday, over a second ahead of the silver medalist, her teammate Cheri Madsen.From there, she continued her dominance with her teammates in the 1,500 and 5,000, with the United States sweeping the podium in both events.As part of an international sporting festival that is among the worlds biggest, yet gets little attention in the United States, McFadden has become an established name. With sponsorships from BMW USA, BP, Coca-Cola and Nike, McFadden is embracing her role.Im so thankful and so grateful for every opportunity that comes my way, she said. I work so hard at it and its an honor. I love everything about this sport.Her teammates dont begrudge her the attention.Tatyanas been awesome, she goes above and beyond to get interviews and to get newspapers and news stations to cover our races, said Chelsea McClammer, McFaddens training partner, who was part of the U.S. podium sweeps in the 1,500 and 5,000.Up next is the 800 on Saturday.The marathon, one of the Paralympics final events, is where McFadden has been most successful in her career. Since coming in ninth place in the event in the 2012 Paralympics, she has completed the marathon grand slam, winning Boston, London, Chicago and New York all in the same calendar year.She was the first person -- able-bodied or otherwise -- to do so. And she went on to do it three years in a row.Deborah McFadden has seen her daughters prominence grow immensely since London. After growing up in a generation where people with disabilities were almost hidden, Deborah finds it refreshing.Things are changing, but we havent had a hero or an icon like you have your baseball or football icons, Deborah said. I think shes changing perceptions not just in the games but in the world. She shows that it doesnt matter what you have or dont have, its a matter of what you do with your body. She represents that.Born with spina bifida, McFadden is paralyzed from the waist down and spent the first six years of her life in a Russian orphanage.She wasnt expected to live long, but that all changed when she was adopted by Deborah, who brought her back to the United States and raised her with her longtime partner, Bridget OShaughnessey, in Maryland.On Thursday, McFadden was awarded the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award, given to the male and female athletes who best exemplify the spirit of the Paralympic Games and the Paralympic values.McFadden doesnt shy away from documenting her life on social media, from her family, to her training. And with the Paralympics coming to a close on Sunday, shortly after the marathon medal ceremony, she is hopeful that the momentum created by the games will continue.I love telling my story and putting it on social media and having people just go `wow, McFadden said. And having coverage on TV is huge for us back in the States, so I think having it grow that way in popularity is huge for us and its a plus. Hopefully itll just keep growing, growing, growing.---Anna Pitingolo is a journalism student at Penn State University. Penn State and Georgia are partnering with The Associated Press to supplement coverage of the 2016 Paralympics.MLB Jerseys China .Y. -- Syracuse has turned up the defence at the right time all season, and when High Point threatened to pull off a monumental upset the second-ranked Orange did what they do best with their quick hands and savvy play. Cheap MLB Jerseys Nike 2020 .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. https://www.mlbjerseyschina.us/ . 31, the CFL club announced Monday. The team also has yet to decide on the future of Doug Berry, who began the season as a consultant to the head coach but took over the offensive co-ordinators duties in July. Clearance MLB Jerseys . Emery skated the length of the ice and fought an unwilling Holtby during the third period of the Flyers 7-0 loss Friday night in Philadelphia. He was given 29 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct. But Emery did not face even a disciplinary hearing with NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan because rules 46. Cheap MLB Jerseys From China . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers.CHICAGO -- It was a step back in time for Chicago Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist.Before a recent game, he hopped on his bike in his uniform, with his glove in hand and wearing black P.F. Flyers, and rode to Wrigley Field.I just wanted to get that feeling, he said. Its that feeling of youre riding to the sandlot like a kid. This place makes you feel like a kid.Zobrists ride a few weeks ago became an internet sensation after his singer-songwriter wife, Julianna, posted video and a picture of him on a bike ready to leave on her Instagram account . It also fit the life-is-fun theme preached by manager Joe Maddon that has included onesie-wearing plane rides and zoo animal visits for a team that has rolled into the postseason.Living near the workplace is one of the unique attractions of playing in a vibrant neighborhood like Wrigleyville. For the players and staff who take advantage, it means almost nonexistent commutes, more time with family and a chance to mingle with the surroundings in a way that might not be possible in other cities. For residents, well, you might have a Cub living next door.In a sense, it puts a different spin on the term friendly confines. Zobrist, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta all live in the neighborhood. So does president of baseball operations Theo Epstein. And general manager Jed Hoyer is just a few minutes drive away, in Lincoln Park.I think guys love that, Hoyer said. I think the neighborhood feel is great. The families like it. They can walk with their kids to the ballpark. The lifestyle stuff definitely sells a little bit.For Zobrist, it was a big selling point when he signed with the Cubs in the offseason. The native of central Illinois and his family live about a mile from Wrigley in a home with a miniature basketball court and play area outside for their three young children.Zobrist often takes his bike to the ballpark, though that ride in uniform was a first. But the biggest benefit is the extra time at home. When he played in other cities he had to leave around 2 p.m. for a night game. Now? Sometimes as late as 4.Its just a special thing, Zobrist said. Theyre never going to make another venue like this in professional sports where its basically in a neighborhood. And because of that, it has such a unique feel. I mean, its honestly baseball heaven on earth.For Lester, calling the neighborhood home was not the plan.He lived near Fenway Park for a few years when he played for the Red Sox before buying a house about a half hour away in Newton. When he signed with the Cubs before the 2015 season, he was seeking some separation from home and work so he looked in the ssuburbs.ddddddddddddBut he balked at the idea of sitting in traffic and eventually found a house about a mile from Wrigley. Sometimes his wife will walk to the ballpark, though he drives.I love being closer, Lester said. Its nice, especially when you get in from late road trips and youre two minutes from home.Hendricks and his fiancee enjoy hitting the shops and restaurants along the Southport corridor a few blocks from the ballpark. This time last year, he could walk the streets without any recognition. But thats starting to change thanks to a breakout season in which he -- like Lester -- is in the running for the NL Cy Young Award.Most of the time, its middle-aged people coming up wanting to shake your hand, maybe take a picture, said Hendricks, who lived downtown when he came up to the Cubs in 2014. Shake your hand and really just talk to you for a second -- how well the seasons going, how much theyre enjoying all this time. Thats something that you notice is a little different than other places you go, where you find many more autograph seekers.The neighborhood around Wrigley Field has experienced its share of ups and downs ever since Charles Weeghmans Chicago Whales of the Federal League moved to the ballpark in 1914. It became known as Wrigleyville in the 1980s when real estate agents renamed the area to capitalize on the Cubs popularity, and it is undergoing another transformation thanks to a multiyear renovation to the ballpark and its surroundings by the Ricketts family.Video boards, new bleacher sections and a state-of-the-art home clubhouse have already been added. An office building is being constructed outside the ballpark and a hotel is going up across the street.For all the bars and restaurants and construction and game-day crowds, there still are plenty of quiet tree-lined streets nearby for a small-town feel in a bustling metropolis.Its something longtime Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster noticed when he joined the team in 2004 and moved into the neighborhood. He could walk home after a game, see people playing cornhole in their yard and stop to have a beer with them.Theres something really special about being a Chicago Cub and to be in the neighborhood and see the passion behind all the people, from bar owners to a coffee shop to whatever it is -- they really support their team and love their team, said Dempster, who works in the front office. And theres a mutual feeling. I felt the same way about the people in the neighborhood, the businesses. The environment was great. ' ' '