Sports

“Thug Rose”: Lithuanian America’s Ultimate Fighter. A Film Review

Sandy Baksys. Just as we might expect of a biopic about a female champion in the sport of “ultimate” fighting, the new documentary, “Thug Rose: Mixed Martial Artist,” by veteran Lithuanian-American filmmaker Marius Markevičius, can be described as the ultimate sports psychology film. Whereas Markevičius’ Lithuanian basketball documentary, “The Other …

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Lithuania Robbed of the Quarterfinals at the 2019 FIBA World Cup

By Neal Maloney. On September 7 of this year, at Nanjing Youth Olympic Park Gymnasium, in the second group stage of the FIBA (International Federation of Basketball) World Cup, the score of the Lithuania-France game was 76:74 in favor of France with 31 seconds left. The next thirty seconds were …

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Karolis Požėla Proper Gentleman and Champion of the Mat

Požėla as a young soldier and wrestler.

by Thomas Latour. Karolis Požėla died in Chicago, Illinois in 1954. More than 3,000 people attended his funeral. In the 1930s and 40s, Požėla, better known in the wrestling world as Karl Pojello, was a name recognized around the world and familiar to every Lithuanian in Chicago. He was born …

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Making Waves in Lithuania

By LEO ALGMINAS. Soon after Lithuania regained its independence in 1991, I traveled there to see for myself what the country of my birth looked like after nearly a half century of Communism. As a self- employed consultant to a particular segment of manufacturing, I also scouted for ...

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Winning the Silver and the Respect : Team LT, Eurobasket 2015

by Neal Maloney. This year Lithuania gave another strong showing at the Eurobasket, bringing home national pride with a silver medal for the second time in a row. At the last Eurobasket in 2013, Lithuania also took the silver medal. The team this year was a little different than it …

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Frank Lubin – in his own words

Interview (1988) by George Hodak. 75 years ago, Lithuania hosted the European Basketball championships in Kaunas and won. Part of this success can be attributed to Frank Lubin (Pranas Lubinas), one of the greatest basketball players the us produced in the days before professional basketball. he started his big-time career …

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Go for the Gold!

BY RAMUNĖ ZDANAVIČIŪTĖ IT HAS BEEN WELL OVER 80years since Albina Osipavičiū-tė won two gold medals at the when the United States bettered the world record.And so our gifted East Coast girl brought back two golds, which touched the hearts (and wallets) of many local Worcester residents who raised an …

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Another View: How Students of Diverse Ethnic Backgrounds See Lithuanian Culture

  After the Chair for Lithuanian Studies was endowed in the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 1984, UIC launched a new course under the title “Lithuanian Culture.” Prof. Violeta Kelertas taught the course until 1994. Then I was hired to teach it. During two decades over 700 students …

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Four for Four in ‘04?: the Lithuanian National Basketball Team Makes Its Fourth Olympics Appearance This August in Athens, and Expectations Have Never Been Higher. We Introduce the Powerful Squad Which Could Garner Our Fourth Straight Medal

by Tom Gregg (Grigonis) The Lithuanian national basketball team makes its fourth Olympics appearance this August in Athens, and expectations have never been higher. We introduce the powerful squad which could garner our fourth straight medal. RINGE SPORTS LIKE SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING can come or go, but the showcase event of …

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The Wisterts Alone: Three Lithuanian American Brothers Each Played Football Well Enough to Be Inducted Into the College Football Hall of Fame. That’s a Unique Accomplishment, and Maybe the Heart of Our Story. But Even Taking a Wider View, the Saga of the Eight Member Wistert Family Is Extraordinary.

by Tom Gregg (Grigonis) Three Lithuanian American brothers each played football well enough to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. That’s a unique accomplishment, and maybe the heart of our story. But even taking a wider view, the saga of the eight member Wistert family is extraordinary. …

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