FIFA president Gianni Infantino had to be aware there would be opposition to the organizations bid to sell off minority stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors. He still might not have been expecting what happened, though.Three days after word broke of FIFAs plan, all six of the continental confederations had weighed in on the plan, as have a number of notable observers. Three confederations were hard against the idea. The other three didnt exactly voice support either.The outrage was strong enough that FIFA announced Friday it was no longer proceeding with the plan, saying it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place.Lets go through what some of what was said.UEFANo organization came out firing like UEFA, which includes five of the past six World Cup winners among its members and carries the largest weight when it comes to the sports finances.The Europeans not only criticized the idea, they quickly announced a unanimous vote to boycott all FIFA competitions until the plan is permanently tabled. From their statement:This model has no place in world football. Footballs future cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximise financial return. Nor can the interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players and supporters become subordinate to investor returns. Football cannot mortgage its future for financial gain.Europes position is clear. We will never lend this model our legitimacy. No one has the moral authority to sell what they merely hold in trust for the next generation.ConcacafThe North American confederation also expressed major reservations around the idea, and also questioned the process as presented by FIFA.Infantino had set a Sept. 19 deadline for its member associations to make a decision on the plan, giving each country less than eight weeks to deliberate over what would have been the largest financial move in modern soccer history. To be fair, several countries clearly needed a lot less time than thatDuring the meeting, the membership expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies. In addition, the need for private equity investment to fund new and existing FIFA Forward programs following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history was questioned.The discussion reinforced the need for greater transparency and proper governance.CONMEBOLCONMEBOL, representing South America, also pulls considerable weight. However, the organization diverged from UEFA and Concacaf with a statement that basically said nothing beyond that it cares about soccer and had requested additional information from FIFA before discussing the idea with its membership.A partial machine translation of the Spanish-language statement:CONMEBOL will continue to act with prudence, responsibility and a spirit of collaboration, contributing to the strengthening of world football exclusively through institutional channels and the principles of good governance.CONMEBOL calls for unity within the entire football family and to always put football above any other interest.AFCThe Asian Football Confederation, which will be hosting the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, said it stands with UEFA and Concacaf against the proposal and said the situation warranted institutional reform.The AFC stands in solidarity with UEFA and CONCACAF in expressing serious concerns over FIFAs proposal to introduce private investment into FIFA's flagship competitions and the decision-making process around FFE. The fact that the situation has reached the point where the real possibility of a FIFA World Cup boycott has entered public discourse should concern everyone who cares about the future of our game. Football should never have been placed in such a position.CAFLike CONMEBOL, the African confederation declined to voice any support or opposition to Infantinos plan. Instead, CAF president Patrice Motsepe promised to host a meeting of the CAF executive committee to evaluate the poroposal. CAF is committed to continue consulting and working together with its Member Associations, FIFA, other Football Confederations and stakeholders in support of increasing financial and other resources for the development and growth of football in Africa and worldwide.OFCThe Oceanic Football Confederation closely resembled the CAFs. They have seen the proposal. They will convene a meeting. They will talk about it.OFC remains committed to engaging constructively with its Member Associations, FIFA, fellow Confederations and other football stakeholders throughout the consultation process and in support of the continued development of football across Oceania and globally.Sepp BlatterInfantinos predecessor as FIFA president made pretty clear that this is not something that would have happened under his watch, and even threw in an Infantino hashtag.The FIFA is not a private equity fund. It is an association with statutes, regulations, and a fiduciary responsibility to protect the global game. If you sell football's crown jewels to private investors, you also sell part of the game especially its soul. Money matters, but it must never become everything. #FIFA#Football#GianniInfantinoCarlos CordeiroThere wasnt even unanimous support inside the walls of FIFA, as senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro resigned and fully distanced himself in a scathing statement earlier Friday:"As a Senior Advisor to the FIFA President, a former banker, and a lifelong football fan, I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup."Let me be clear: I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally. It is a bad deal for FIFA's Member Associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game."FIFAIn a Solomon Grundy-esque progression, FIFA announced its plan on Tuesday, issued a clarification statement on Thursday and killed the plan on Friday. Now we see how far the repercussions go for Infantino, who staked his legacy on this plan going through and could now face opposition for re-election in 2027.

Gianni Infantino rules out selling stakes in the World CupIts canceled! Gianni Infantino has reportedly canceled his plans to sell stakes in the World Cup, Sky Sports reports."It has become clear that the project has created divisions of such a nature that, regardless of the level of support, it no longer serves the objective originally set out," the FIFA president said in remarks cited by the same source."Looking ahead, my intention is to bring together all stakeholders in the coming days and weeks, in the spirit of a shared interest in our sport and with the aim of continuing to promote football around the world, particularly in those countries that most need our support."To recap, Infantino intended to launch a subsidiary worth $20 billion and sell more than 20% of the new FIFA Forward Enterprise, thereby raising $4.2 billion.In response to the initiative, UEFA issued a categorical "no" and warned that if it went ahead, the confederation and its member countries would not take part in any competition organized by FIFA.Concacaf and the AFC joined UEFA, while Conmebol requested more information on the matter from world footballs governing body.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in here.

Bader was already on the IL with plantar fasciitis when he was further injured

FIFA is scrapping its plan to sell a minority stake of its organization, the federation announced in a statement on Friday, July 31."Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place," the statement, which is attributed to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, said. "Our purpose has always been and will always be to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed."FIFA made the proposal public on Tuesday, July 28, tossing around the idea that it would sell a minority stake of its ownership to private investors in a smaller segment called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). It was hoping to raise $4.2 billion based on a $20 billion valuation.The idea was for FFE to control much of FIFA's most lucrative enterprises for its tournaments, including the World Cup.Concacaf released a statement expressing its displeasureat the notion andUEFA said it would boycott all FIFA tournamentsuntil the idea of the sale was squashed. "The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product," UEFA said in a statement. "It is one of footballs greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale."Each World Cup costs billions of dollars andthe men's tournament this summer was the largest yetwith a field of 48 teams playing 104 matches in 16 cities across three countries. The women's competition kicks off next summer with the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.FIFA's Friday statement that it was terminating the project gave more background on what the FFE was meant to do."The FIFA Forward Enterprise project was intended to provide a basis for further strengthening our FIFA Member Associations and our sport worldwide," the statement said, "especially in those countries where support is most needed. And more so, as we said from the outset, to do this only if a majority of the FIFA Member Associations were in support and always subject to a consultation process with them, the FIFA Council, the Confederations and wider stakeholders. ..."Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support."Contributing: Seth VertelneyThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FIFA scraps highly-criticized proposal to sell minority stake

The Big Ten and SEC may be on the brink of striking a deal with federal lawmakers over legislation to regulate the college sports industry.Days of negotiations between U.S. senators and conference executives over the Protect College Sports Act reached a crescendo on Friday, as league executives hurriedly scheduled meetings with their respective presidents and chancellors in a stunning 11th-hour move.The Big Ten held a call with its presidents and chancellors where executives aremoving toward supporting the legislation, sources tell Yahoo Sports. A vote was imminent.The SEC held a call Friday morning to review the latest revisions and is expected to hold an evening call to possibly vote to lend their support, too.The scramble comes a day after the conferences missed, for a second time in as many days, a deadline set by lawmakers to determine their position on a revised bill and follows aggressive involvement from the White House. U.S. president Donald Trump engaged with stakeholders through intermediaries on Thursday evening, stating his intent to publicly condemn Big Ten and SEC leaders for opposing the bill, presumably through a social media account followed by millions.Thursday night and Fridays negotiations between lawmakers and the power leagues, plus Notre Dame resulted in the addition of language to the bill intended to strengthen a provision that prohibits schools from circumventing the athlete revenue-share cap. The language, shared with Yahoo Sports, requires school-affiliated sponsors and apparel brands to enter into an attestation process to certify that their NIL agreements are kosher, not directed by the school and that the compensation doesnt originate from the school. Similar language is in the bill already related to NIL deals from multimedia rights partners, like Learfield and Playfly.The goal is to establish a more strict cap by including into the cap all affiliated NIL deals, aside from those authentic deals that are ratified through the attestation process. This is a key point for university presidents and conference commissioners in all four power leagues, especially considering that the legislation raises the player cap from $21.3 million to $48.8 million.The SEC and Big Tens support is central to the bills passage.There remains a path for the bill to reach the Senate floor for a vote next week before lawmakers leave for a month-long recess. Majority Leader John Thune likely needs to file Monday for whats called cloture, a formal procedural step that starts the process for a floor vote later in the week.Many predict that the bipartisan legislation has enough support to easily surpass the 60-vote threshold necessary in the Senate if the leagues throw their weight behind the measure. While the bill would still need to pass the House of Representatives, Senate ratification would stand as one of the most historic moves in college sports history and a victorious moment for the NCAAs seven-year lobbying effort for a congressional bill.The key components of the bill would grant the NCAA and conferences a limited antitrust exception to re-implement the one-time transfer exception, standardize a five-year eligibility policy, ban professional athletes from returning to college, establish an agent registry and minimum fee (5%) and, as noted above, create a more strict athlete revenue-share cap.The revenue-share cap, for weeks now, has been at the center of the negotiations between conference officials and co-authors of the bill itself, Sens. Ted Cruz, Maria Cantwell and Eric Schmitt, and their staffs.NCAA president Charlie Baker (left) has voiced strong support for the Protect College Sports Act, co-authored by Sen. Ted Cruz (right) and two other senators. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty ImagesOpposed to collective bargaining and employment, college sports leaders are working to establish a harder cap like the NFL as opposed to the current state of affairs, where schools are exceeding the $21.3 million cap, in some cases, by triple that figure, by redirecting sponsorship and apparel cash from the athletic department to their roster. According to the bill, all athlete deals with university-contracted businesses (associated entities), such as multimedia rights partners, corporate sponsors and apparel brands, would be included in a schools revenue-share payments and count against the cap.However, the legislation keeps open a lane for authentic deals by creating the attestation process.The cap itself is on the move.In revisions obtained by Yahoo Sports on Thursday, the legislation now creates a $22.5 million retention pool for schools to use on retaining athletes in addition to the $21.3 million original cap, plus $5 million to be spent only on women and non-revenue sports. Thats a $48.8 million cap, putting the figure more in line with the current market.But a question still lingers: Will schools skirt the certification process and still exceed the cap with disguised third-party deals?While the cap circumvention provision remains the top issue, there are others, such as a new, mysterious third section of the bill added just this week. Title III, called the "Ignite HBCUs Sports and Media Act, is a competitive federal grant program to assist historically black colleges and universities, though details of the act are unclear.In general, the bill is the opposite of the narrow version that college leaders wanted. It is incredibly specific, touching on several concepts, including conference expansion and coaching movement. The legislation caps power conference membership at 19 schools and requires those programs moving from one power league to another to operate as an independent for five years.The expansion provision may impact decisions from schools that are in position to move from the ACC to the SEC or Big Ten. Officials at Clemson, Miami, Florida State, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and others have expressed, some privately and other publicly in meetings, their opposition to the concept.The legislation also prohibits coaches from leaving their team before a season ends, something that lawmakers refer to as the Lane Kiffin Rule.As for dissension over the bill, the senators and their staff members believe theyve made major concessions to appease the SEC and Big Ten, a staff member said this week in a statement.However, conference executives want more language prohibiting cap circumvention.Senators themselves pushed back against the notion that the cap circumvention provision isnt strong enough. In fact, Cruz claimed that commissioners want to bar third-party companies associated with schools from striking any and all NIL deals with athletes, even kosher endorsement contracts. He contends language in the latest bill creates the hardest cap possible beyond violating a persons NIL rights.The cap is a hard cap. Full stop. That loophole is closed, Cruz wrote in a post on X.Later in the day, a Senate staff member sent a memo to conference commissioners outlining the ways that the bill closes the loophole, writing that the NCAA and College Sports Commission has clear authority to establish and enforce rules ensuring that associated entity compensation is counted against the cap.The two leagues stand mostly alone.Most other NCAA Division I conferences supported the act, including the NCAA itself, whose president, Charlie Baker, released a statement on Thursday imploring college leaders to support the bill now.Timing of a vote may be an issue.Next weeks Senate agenda is busy. Even if Thune believes the bill has the votes to file cloture on Monday evening, a plethora of issues clog floor time, including a spending bill, budget resolution, Russia sanctions and administrative nominations.Without reaching the floor next week, the legislation faces long odds once the Senate returns in September as the mid-term election cycle cranks up.In fact, a Senate staff member quipped to Yahoo Sports on Thursday that if the SEC and Big Ten did not support the bill and wish to punt to September, that the leagues will have to find new senators. It is an indication that Cruz, Cantwell and Schmitt are on their last gasp with the legislation.

The NCAA recently approved a new eligibility rule that, in theory, simplifies things for players and programs. Every player that enters college sports gets five full years to participate, doing away with things like redshirts, medical waivers, etc. However, that rule did not apply to the players who just completed their fourth years, such as former Kentucky Wildcat Denzel Aberdeen.Kentucky still has one roster spot available, and a judge in Colorado may have just given the Cats an extra avenue to fill it. Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court of Colorado issued an injunction that declared all athletes that just finished their fourth year eligible for a fifth season.The ruling gives Kentucky a number of options to fill their last roster spot. There are some bigger names, like AJ Storr that will become free agents, as well as some role players who could fit a need that coach Mark Pope sees.It's a big win for a lot of players who will certainly find homes in the NCAA ranks somewhere. It could also be a win for Pope and the Wildcats. He has said they're open to adding another player if the fit is right, and he just got a whole new list of guys who could be that fit. We will continue to monitor the situation. This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Judge opens up more options for final Kentucky roster spot

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter is buying the growing optimism surrounding the New Orleans Saints. Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show Friday that he believes the Saints are on their way back after watching the energy around the organization improve throughout the offseason. More importantly, he thinks New Orleans might have found its long-term answer at quarterback in Tyler Shough.I think there have been great vibes around that team all through the offseason, Schefter said. I think theyre on the way back.Shough helped turn the Saints' season around after seizing the starting job last year. His performance down the stretch gave the team confidence that it had finally found the QB capable of leading the franchise into its next era. Schefter came away with that same impression.I think anybody that watched Tyler Shough last year recognized right away that he looks like a big hit for them, Schefter added. He looks like they got it exactly right. When you watch that guy play in the second half last year, he looked like hes going to be a big-time quarterback to me.Finding the right QB can quickly change expectations for an entire organization. Schefter says Shough's emergence gives the Saints a legitimate chance to compete for the NFC South title and return to the postseason. The Saints have not reached the postseason since the 2020 season, when they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional round. But as Schefter noted, their drought could end this year.I think the Saints absolutely can win that division. I expect them to make a playoff run this year, and I think theyll be a dangerous team. Especially if you look at their schedule, its not overly daunting. They hit on that pick it looks like. Well still see. It is early. When you watched him play last year, he looked like he belonged. And if thats the case, then theyre going to be a good team for years to come, Schefter said.Shough, who started nine games as a rookie in 2025, still has plenty to prove. He completed 67.6% of his passes for 2,384 yards and 10 touchdowns, but Schefter says the early returns suggest New Orleans finally has its quarterback.This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: ESPN insider picks Saints as 'a dangerous team' in 2026

DETROIT, MI - JULY 25: Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (52) pitches during a regular season Major League Baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Detroit Tigers on July 25, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe Kansas City Royals hit the Mile High city, after two disappointing walk-off losses in the Twin Cities. Two improbable losses cost the Royals a road sweep. As they wrap up their longest road trip of the season, they look to do it in winning fashion against the Colorado Rockies. All-Star Michael Wacha takes the ball in tonights game. In his last outing, Wacha went 7 innings, allowing 6 hits, 2 runs, walking 2 and striking out 3 against the Tigers. Sparse run support has cost Wacha a lot of wins this season, in fact, his last win was June 22nd in Tampa Bay, in a 2-1 Royals win. Here are the 46-64 Royals lineup behind Wacha tonightIn Denver for the final leg of the road trip. pic.twitter.com/l3SSCfyG6P Kansas City Royals (@Royals) July 31, 2026The Colorado Rockies come into this game at 42-67, they are tied for the worse record in baseball, with the Angels. However, they are 24-29 at home this season. Right hander Tomoyuki Sugano starts for Colorado tonight. Sugano is having a good first season in Denver, posting a 4.69 ERA and 10-4 record. The 36-year-old Japanese born pitcher is a trade candidate as well. In his last outing, Sugano went 5.1 innings, allowing 6 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, striking out 5, against the Brewers. Here are the Rockies starting lineup behind Sugano. Happy Friday!Repost for your chance to win a Rockies City Connect jersey pic.twitter.com/4oYCPzo4JD Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 31, 2026Its been a rather solid road trip so far for the Royals, can they start hot in the Mile High City tonight? First pitch is set for 7:40 p.m. CT. The game can be watched on Royals.TV.

Jul. 31GRAND FORKS Six Valley Senior Living residents have taken on a new role, cheering for the Grand Forks Spitfires softball team through its inaugural season this summer at UND's Albrecht Field and loving every minute of it.The "Sparks" cheerleading squad has been outfitted with Spitfire caps, shirts and pom-poms. Earlier this summer, they learned a cheer routine with the team's promotional staff.Nobody in the group has done anything like this before.For Claire Julson, 92, cheerleading for the Spitfires "is something to do," she said. She most enjoys "coming out and seeing the game, seeing the people."Julson, who was born in Grafton and raised in Grand Forks, wouldn't call herself a sports fan, she said, but she does like hockey and football."And I am getting to like this sport," she said from the sidelines at a recent game against Mankato's Habaneros.What San Juanita Ramirez, 80, likes most about being a Sparks cheerleader is "the players," she said. She's especially fond of and likes watching No. 8, shortstop Sofia Meer."She's nice," said Ramirez, who came here from Laredo, Texas, to be near her daughter.Earlier this season, four players visited Valley Senior Living on Columbia, where they shared laughter, stories and conversations with the women who volunteered to be cheerleaders and "host grandmas," said Sally Grosgebauer, VSL director of marketing.The players learned about the residents' lives while building friendships that have made the partnership even more special, Grosgebauer said.Addie Ferguson, a Spitfires catcher, said getting to know the cheerleading ladies is evidence of the team engaging with the community."It's been full of good energy and super fun," Ferguson said. "I think being able to give back is something that the team is super passionate about."During the visit, the players spoke with all the ladies about their positions and where they are from. Ferguson is from California and recently graduated with a degree in communication studies from Towson University in Maryland.Each resident was paired with a specific player, Grosgebauer said. Ferguson has been teamed with Susan Aasand.At the ballpark recently, Aasand, 72, held a large color cutout of Ferguson's face on a stick."I just enjoy the game itself," she said. As a lifelong Grand Forks resident, during high school, she enjoyed watching the Red River Roughriders basketball team play.Cheerleading the Spitfires "is good," she said. "A lot of fun. I enjoy it."Joni Cepak, 68, said she's happy that she can perform as a cheerleader in front of an audience."The fans cheer us," said Cepak, originally from Lakota.At the edge of the ball field recently, Cepak said, "It's nice out here," just before clapping and shouting, "Yes! Go, Mattie," rooting for Mattison Kwarta, a pitcher and power hitter from San Diego State University.Community partnershipRoberto Lemus, the team's general manager, said the idea of engaging residents in senior living facilities as cheerleaders is not new to the Northwoods League it's been a feature in the Bismarck and Minot, too.The Sparks have cheered at five games this summer. The Spitfires' regular season began in early June and ends on Saturday, Aug. 1."One, it's a fan favorite and, two, it's just something that's really meaningful for both the cheerleaders and the people who are involved in making it happen," said Lemus, a former staff member with the Bismarck Larks. "With us, our big thing is just being a part of the community and having an impact on people's lives. We knew we had to do this promotion in Grand Forks as well."As the Spitfires looked for "great community partners and great ways to get involved in the community while at the same time keeping our mission and our values in line and right away, you think about a senior living home, especially Valley Senior Living and everything that they do."Cheering for the team is "an opportunity for residents to come out to the game and be outside again," Lemus said. They can be "doing something fun and maybe reliving some of the best years of their life. So giving them the opportunity to do something like that, we feel like it's really valuable and we knew we had to make it happen here in Grand Forks as well."Along with cheering from the sidelines, the Sparks sit in wheelchairs during the game for safety and quick relocation, if necessary such as in sudden rain.Once per game, they go on the field between innings and perform a small dance routine with the team's promotional staff, Lemus said."Watching our players connect with residents at Valley Senior Living and seeing the joy the Sparks bring to our fans has been incredible," he said in a VSL online post. "They've become a true part of our team, and the support they've received from the community has exceeded anything we could have imagined."Sparks' performances "have become a highlight of the game-day experience," according to the VSL post, "while their relationships with players and fans continue to demonstrate the positive impact sports can have in bringing generations together."'Absolutely wonderful'Upon learning of the opportunity to form a cheerleading squad, Nannette Hoeger, a VSL life enrichment director, said she talked with, and got buy-in from, her staff and then sought out "(residents) we thought would enjoy it."At the games, the Spitfires staff has been "absolutely wonderful," Hoeger said. "They've waited on us hand and foot 'do you need water?' They bring us food."Connecting residents with activities outside the home improves the residents' quality of life."I'm a firm believer that it's important for them to stay active out in the community," she said, adding, "We do a lot of volunteer-type things in the community."Cheering the Spitfires has been wonderful for the residents, Grosgebauer said. "It's an opportunity to be connected to the community, to get out and enjoy sunshine and the summertime weather. ... They have become fan favorites, proving that enthusiasm and community spirit have no age limit."

Jul. 31GRAND FORKS The Grand Forks baseball community suffered an unexpected loss Friday morning.Longtime Grand Forks Royals head coach Nick Chine died of a heart attack at age 57.A moment of silence was held for Chine before Friday's North Dakota Class AA Legion tournament game between Fargo Post 2 and Fargo Post 400 at Jack Williams Stadium in Fargo, N.D.Chine was in the Royals' dugout during Thursday's tournament game."First and foremost, he cared and loved his family deeply," Royals assistant coach Mark Varriano said. "That was the most important thing to him by far. As far as the baseball program and teaching the game, he could do that just as well as anyone else could."He did a lot of things behind the scenes that no one knew about. He never sought attention for the things he did. He cared, and he cared really deeply about the kids, the players he had past and present. He did a lot of really good things for Grand Forks baseball."Chine was an assistant coach with the Royals for 18 years before he was named head coach in 2012.Former Royals head coach Brent Polum and Chine grew close while coaching the American Legion program. After Polum stepped down, Gabe Dahl was elevated to head coach for six seasons while Chine remained an assistant."(Chine) stabilized (the program)," Polum said. "When we first got here, I wouldn't say it was the top of the American Legion list, as far as known for baseball. We started to turn the corner, and then when I backed away, he kept it steady and kept it going. ... He cared about it. He'd cook burgers out there. He would work the concession stand. His family would take money. He gave a lot of his life and dedication to the program, and I would say took it to new heights."Chine, a teacher at Red River, was also an assistant for the Roughriders baseball team. Varriano, the Riders' head coach, taught alongside Chine for more than 20 years. Like Polum, he formed a bond with Chine while coaching.Chine grew up in a military family before he settled in Grand Forks. Varriano and Polum both described a man whose somewhat stony exterior veiled a loyal, caring individual."He comes from a military family, so he has kind of a stonewall thing up front," Polum said. "But as soon as you got to know him, he was a teddy bear. He'd do anything for anybody. Just a great human being. Loved his family. We grew up as men together, or as he would always say, we cut our teeth together. Coming in right out of college and then growing up as human beings, into families. ... I lost a brother today. I loved the man."Varriano said: "It does take a while to break down that rough exterior. But once you got inside and got to know him, he was as soft as they come. It just took a little bit to get there and to get to know that part of him. But once again, he would take the shirt off his back anytime, any day, it didn't matter. If you need something done, he found a way to get it done."Chine's impact reached generations of players. When news of his death spread Friday, Varriano and Polum were flooded with texts and messages from former players."He had a way of speaking," Varriano said. "He had a way of being able to communicate first, through the game, and then all of the side talks all the time. He had a chance to do that in class, too, because he had a lot of players in class. You get to know kids a different way, because you have a different relationship when you coach and teach them at the same time. It's the side conversations where you really build relationships. If you can know someone personally, and if the kids know that you have their back and their best interest in mind, most of them will run through a brick wall for you."