How Super Bowl XXII forever changed one family

The return of team sports is on the horizon (hopefully), and in anticipation we've been thinking about what it is about sports that made us fall in love with them in the first place. What got our staff members hooked: 

• For Eddie Timanus, sports' simple sounds serve as his soundtrack. 
• For Steve Berkowitz, nothing could keep him from getting up early to devour the sports section of the newspaper as a kid. 
• For Mike Jones, it was Doug Williams leading the Washington Redskins to glory in Super Bowl XXII -- a moment that forever impacted his family. 

We've heard from many of you (here are more of our awesome stories)  – and we want to hear your story! Email usatodaysports@usatoday.com if you'd like to share what made you fall in love with sports. 

And now, the stories you have to read from last week: 

• ‘We’ve got to do something’: NFL QBs are drastically shifting their tone on social justice after George Floyd’s death.
• It was an emotional NASCAR race on Monday at Talladega after a noose was found Sunday in the garage area of Bubba Wallace, the Cup Series' only Black driver. The FBI is now involved to find the culprit. At the race, every driver pushed Wallace to the front of the grid in a moment of solidarity before the event -- and Wallace said after the race, in which he finished 14th, that 'all in all we won today.'
• Change the name: It's time for Ole Miss to drop the "Rebels" nickname, Dan Wolken writes. Jarrett Bell says the NFL's Washington Redskins should do the same.
• Know his name: "Rudy didn't do a damn thing compared to Jack Trice." Despite Iowa State's stadium being named after him, too few know his story.  
• High School Sports Awards: Wrestler Dathan Wickson Jr. received the Courage Award for overcoming "obstacles most people can’t imagine."  
• Netflix: Upcoming documentary, "Athlete A," will detail IndyStar's reporting of Larry Nassar scandal. 
• Why now? Roger Goodell's support for Colin Kaepernick is a trendy matter of convenience, our Jarrett Bell writes.   
• EPL returns: The English Premier League got back in action and did so in powerful fashion. Players wore kits with "Black Lives Matter" nameplates and took a knee for several seconds at the beginning of their matches. 
• Action Jackson: Reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson is pumped to be on the Madden '21 cover.
• Mike Gundy: The Oklahoma State coach apologized and stated "Black lives matter to me" after he created a firestorm for wearing an OAN Network shirt. Later in the week, FS1 show "Undisputed," co-host Shannon Sharpe recounted a conversation he had with former Broncos teammate Alfred Williams about a 1989 college game in which Gundy – then the Oklahoma State quarterback – allegedly directed a racial slur toward Williams and several of his University of Colorado teammates.  
• Arthur Ashe Courage Award: Kevin Love was the recipient of the ESPY Award given each year to a person whose contributions transcend sports for his work addressing mental health and wellness.  
• Saturday safety: Just like the football teams they share the stage with, there’s a big question hanging over marching bands this fall: How do you do perform safely? 
• 'A miracle is what it was': Veteran football coach Rick Rice discusses son's recovery from a horrific automobile crash. 
• To play or not to play: Would resuming or halting the NBA season help the league's efforts to fight racial inequality?
• Life-saver: Fifty years ago, the Tigers' Willie Horton prevented an on-field tragedy, helping save Hall of Fame teammate Al Kaline. 

The other notable stories from the week:   

• The University of Virginia changed its logo to remove symbols related to slave labor.
• "Of course I belong to the Hall of Fame," Sammy Sosa said.  
• CNN hired a Saints safety to be a contributor on racism and social justice coverage. 
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  
• UNLV removed a Confederate-themed "rebel" statue in the wake of protests.  
• Florida is stopping the "Gator Bait" cheer due to phrase's "historic racist imagery." 
• Brooks Koepka is *not* a fan of golfers being mic'ed up.
• Ex-USMNT coach: It's "inappropriate" to play anthem before all sporting events.
• Albert Pujols fronts $180K for furloughed Angels employees in Dominican Republic.
• Bill Russell lent support to a second-grader's Black Lives Matter petition. 
• An Indiana high school senior lost his baseball season then saved a life.
• Longtime Lakers standout A.C. Green is helping in the fight against coronavirus.  
• How a Mississippi State coach got stronger through his son's fight with cancer. 
• The virtual ESPY Awards were held Sunday.    

YOUR INBOX WOULD APPROVE!

Want more content like this in your inbox? Sign up for Paste BN Sports' daily sports newsletter, where you'll get the biggest news and trending topics delivered each morning. And we also have an exclusive NFL newsletter (4th & Monday) to satisfy your inbox's appetite.                                     

SEE YOU ON SOCIAL

And for more great sports stories from across the Paste BN Network, check out sports.usatoday.com daily. And don't forget to follow Paste BN Sports on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.