sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew

California’s Lidia Haddadian, known as the “Diamond Chef” in Food Sport, has finally claimed her World Food Champion title after defeating nine other talented category champions in a culinary gauntlet that occurred in Indianapolis, Indiana. The two-time category champion, who originally claimed her titles at the World Food Championships in 2018 and 2019, went home to Pasadena with her name engraved on the event’s golden platter and the $100,000 grand prize. But in 2019, when WFC replaced the Chicken category with Recipe, Lidia decided to take on a new challenge and ended up snagging a perfect 100 score, winning the World Recipe title, and taking home more than $10,000 in winnings leading her to the Final Table: In August, the 10 Category Champs faced-off in the $100,000 challenge that determined a new World Food Champion at The Final Table: Indianapolis.

Several members of the Players Coalition, a group of athletes dedicated to criminal justice reform and racial equality through lobbying and legislation, have pushed for the restoration of voters’ rights to convicted felons who have completed all terms of their sentences, including probation and restitution, but excludes those who are convicted of murder or sex crimes. Two weeks ago, Boldin penned a column in the Orlando Sentinel that was co-authored with former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy, former NFL running back Warrick Dunn, and former NBA player Grant Hill. There were other Players Coalition efforts on Election Day, including Adalius Thomas, Takeo Spikes and Alge Crumpler bringing pizza and water to people in line at the polls in Georgia. The fissures between the original leaders of the movement, Kaepernick and Eric Reid, and those who worked with the backing of the NFL to usher legislative change, have emerged in plain sight over the past few weeks as disagreements have become public.

Thousands of Louisianans are getting their right to vote returned to them, and New Orleans Saints players Demario Davis and Ben Watson are getting credit for helping push the years-long effort over the finish line. Governor John Bel Edwards signed it into law on May 31 in front of dozens of people, many of whom had spent years working to make HB 265 a reality. HB 265 changes that, and will restore voting rights to those who have been out of prison for five years but remain on probation or parole. There are currently 70,000 ex-felons on probation or parole in Louisiana, which until recently was the prison capital of the world, incarcerating more residents per capita than any state in the union (Oklahoma has now taken that terrible title).

The future of that cooling period – and whether anthem legislation will ever be enforced by an NFL team – will have a revelation of sorts this week at the league’s fall owners meetings in New York. All the while, this week’s meetings in New York lurked in the background of that decision, with team owners knowing the annual fall summit would be a prime opportunity to revive the anthem rule if they saw fit. But it’s notable that there has been little fervor over the few players who continue to engage in social justice protests, including Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett and Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid – both of whom have the stated support of their team owners in their efforts. This year such anxiety is significantly tempered, with the meetings expected to focus more on typical business affairs: Competition committee updates; health and safety initiatives; broadcasting rights; international games and even a social progress report of sorts about the league’s work with the Players Coalition.