Bubba Wallace becomes 1st Black driver to win NASCAR Cup Series since 1963
By David Close and Theresa Waldrop, CNN
Updated 9:34 AM ET, Tue October 5, 2021
Bubba Wallace on Monday became the second Black driver to win NASCAR's Cup Series race.
(CNN)Bubba Wallace made history Monday, becoming just the second Black
driver to win NASCAR's Cup Series race, the association's top series.
Wallace is the first Black person to win the Cup Series
since 1963, when NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Wendell Scott led the race.
"Talladega, we're winners," Wallace said in a video
posted on the
Twitter account of Alabama's Talladega Superspeedway, where the race took place. "What a perfect weekend, or weekday, I should say. I just knew something about it."
A former quarterback at Virginia Tech, Thomas has made the transition to the tight end position look seamless and Washington reward their star pass-catcher with a three-year, $24 million
extension with $10.3 million guaranteed, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reporter
Jan 24, 2021
Tom Brady, Tampa Bay will face defending champs Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl
Next month's Super Bowl will feature the defending champions and a team that hasn't been to the NFL title match in nearly two decades. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Green Bay Packers, 31-26,
to secure the NFC title, and the Kansas City Chiefs bested the Buffalo Bills, 38 to 24, to win the AFC. With the help of their new quarterback — former Patriot Tom Brady — the Buccaneers will be the
first team in NFL history to play a Super Bowl game in their home stadium on Feb. 7.
KYRIE IRVINGBUYS HOME FOR GEORGE FLOYD'S FAMILY... Says Stephen Jackson
1/18/2021 12:31 PM PT
BREAKING NEWS
Kyrie Irving came through with an incredible gesture
for George Floyd's family ... with Stephen Jackson revealing the NBA superstar recently bought
them a new home.
Jackson -- who personally knew Floyd and referred to him as his "twin" -- vowed to be a father figure for
George's 7-year-old daughter, Gianna, after George's death in May 2020.
But, the ex-NBAer says he's not alone in supporting Floyd's family ... joining Etan Thomas' "The Rematch" podcast to praise other huge names who have stepped up in support.
"I'm just continuing to do what I said I was going to do," Jackson said on the podcast. "I said I was
going to be my brother's keeper and take care of his daughter and make sure that her next days are her best days."
Andy Reid ends all debate — he's among best coaches ever
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Maybe now Andy Reid will stick to the plan on date
night.
The coach they call "Big Red" has finally won the Big One, which is what all the
obsession has been about in 21 years as an NFL head coach.
His wife, Tammy – whom he still calls his “girlfriend” even after 38 years of
marriage – has been cutting Andy slack for some time when he came home late for those Friday date nights.
“This year, it kept getting later and later and later,” Tammy told USA TODAY
Sports in the aftermath of Kansas City’s 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. “I’m just like, ‘You know what? Do it. You do whatever you need to do to
get us to this.’ And we got there.”
In life, there are many times when a person or event, just takes your breath away. In many cases, you eventually have a chance to catch your breath and
appreciate the moment. However, when a moment crushes you or takes over your emotions, you are left with the question, WHY.
Kobe Bryant, the superstar, iconic Los Angeles Laker, was just that type of person. He was a supremely talented basketball player who had a great ability to
force his will on his teammates, opponents and fans. Kobe would back down from no one on his pursuit to greatness on and off the basketball court. Kobe was such a force and so confident,
he even gave himself the nickname, the "Black Mamba".
Kobe Bryant unfortunately lost his life in a shocking helicopter crash on Sunday, January 26th. He was accompanied by his 13-year old daughter, Gianna as well
as seven other people. Kobe was on his way to coach his daughter's AAU team and tragically all aboard the helicopter were killed in flight to the arena, aptly named MAMBA ACADEMY.
Kobe Bean Bryant entered the lives of many fans as well as haters with his basketball prowess as a high school savant at Lower Merion High School in Lower Merion,
PA. The fantastic achievements of this schoolboy in the suburbs of Philadelphia, was not going unnoticed across the basketball landscape. Bryant was setting records and getting rave
reviews from his exploits as a trash-talking, finger-wagging, force of nature who could be seen on highlights that captured the attention of his peers and grown men.
Kobe was the son of Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, a former NBA player with a solid career who grew up on Philly. Kobe was more brash and flashy than his father and
actually spent much of his childhood in Italy, where his father finished his professional career.
Once, Kobe returned to American soil, he was new to many observers but it didn't take long for people to stop and ask, "Who is this"? Kobe began is remarkable career
as a freshman on the Lower Merion team. Bryant was so incredible he was attracting offers from the big name schools such as Duke, North Carolina, Michigan and Villanova just to name a
few. Bryant was named the Pennsylvania Player of the Year as a junior in high school. He took the school and his game to another level when he brought the Aces their first ever state
championship and a 31-3 record. He earned the Naismith High School Player of the Year, the Gatorade Men's Basketball Player of the Year and McDonald's All-American honors to highlight his many
awards. He finished his career with 2,883 points, the most in Southeastern Pennsylvania history. He surpassed the legendary Wilt Chamberlain and Lionel Simmons for that honor. The
next step was the NBA.
Kobe Bryant was not originally a Laker. He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets but a trade was made following the draft and Kobe Bryant made his was across the
country to the west coast. He was the first ever true guard drafted directly from high school to the pros. At 17, Bryant couldn't even sign a contract because by law he was still a
minor. His parents took care of the signature and the rest they say is history.
Kobe Bryant enjoyed an extraordinary career from 1996-2016. Over his 20 years, some of the greatest feats of basketball were accomplished and he was in the middle of
many great stories. His career spanned the end of Michael Jordan and reached into the current playing days of Lebron James. James had been christened as "The Chosen One", the next in line
to succeed as the heir apparent of Michael Jordan. However, it would be a great injustice to ignore how similar and how close Kobe Bryant reached the near impossible bar that was set by Michael
Jordan.
Bryant was a NBA champion five times. He lost only two championships series and he was the MVP in back to back NBA Finals in 2009 and 2010. He carried the
mantle of being the "greatest Laker" in an era where the Lakers had fallen on hard times following the Magic Johnson "Showtime" Era and the hard, lean years of watching the Chicago Bulls become the
greatest dynasty of the end of the 20th Century. Kobe's career was full of great storylines (the three-peat with Shaq and Phil Jackson, the 81-point game versus Toronto and the 4 All-Star MVPs)
just to name a few. A few more of his accomplishments are listed below:
*18x All-Star
*15x All-NBA
*5x NBA Champion
*2x Scoring Champ
*2x Finals MVP
*2007-08 NBA LEAGUE MVP
The NBA nor the world will be the same without the transformational personality that was Kobe Bean Bryant. His infectious smile, killer stare, awe-inspiring
play and genius mind will be hard to ever replace or duplicate. He had made the transition from win at all costs assassin to a doting father of four beautiful girls, a wonderful husband and a
fixture in business and sports in the stratosphere of Hollywood.
Kobe Bryant an icon, a legend and a Hall of Famer whose light will shine bright always!
The final two games of the World Series saw the hometown Astros looking to win just one more to capture their second title in three years. The underdog Nationals were
in the unenviable position of winning two games on enemy territory. It was not a favorable position but to win a title, you are asked to do difficult things.
Game 6: Houston
The Nationals got an early lead 1-0 in the first and great pitching from Stephen Strasburg who pitched into the ninth inning. The Astros countered with two runs in the bottom of the first and took
the lead into the sixth inning supporting starter Justin Verlander. Washington came alive with back to back homers to regain the advantage. As Houston could feel the pressure, the Nationals could do
no wrong and broke the game open with 4 runs in the last three innings. The 7-2 victory set up the ultimate winner-take-all in a deciding game 7.
Game 7: Houston
The ultimate decider in the best of seven series, game 7 is one of the most thrilling and popular phrases in all of the sports. It simply means this is it and someone
is going home empty-handed. The Astros and the Nationals had battled for over a week and it was to be decided in the last game.
For the first time ever, a Game 7 featured two Cy Young-winning pitchers with Zack Greinke facing Max Scherzer. Greinke was brilliant as he only allowed two hits into
the seventh inning. Scherzer was effective into the sixth inning but the Astros had a 2-0 lead before the late-night heroics started again.
As was a recurring theme, Washington seemed to save their best for last, the last third of the game that is. The Nationals did the big damage with three runs in the
seventh, solo homer by Anthony Rendon and an eventual game-winning two-run homer from Howie Kendrick. They would tack on three more runs in the final two frames. Their late fireworks were indicative
of a team that never gave up and came from behind to win elimination games in their quest for the World Series crown.
With the 6-2 win, the Nationals not only win their second title in franchise history but the first since 1924 when they were known as the Washington Generals. Even
more unbelievable was that no home team win a game in their own stadium, the visitors were a perfect 7-0. The first time in any of the professional sports that a team wins their respective
championship by winning all the road games in the championship series.
EMSPORTS.org 10/30/2019
2019 MLB WORLD SERIES: HOUSTON ASTROS vs WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The 2019 Fall Classic was a contrast of styles. In this year's World Series, the opponents represented a little old versus a little new. The little old,
actually, was little bit of the same. The Houston Astros, with the best record in all of baseball, won their second American League Pennant in three years and were hoping to claim their second
World Series Title. The little new, happened to be a team that had never been there before. This Washington Nationals' team had become the hottest team in the last two months of the
season. However, they were not even thought to be close to an average team let alone the National League Pennant winners. In fact, this franchise had changed cities and names on several
occasions.
This World Series had great pitching, timely hitting and two teams who were on a collision course to bring home the hardware and give one of these delirious fanbases
bragging rights for years to come.
Games 1 and 2: Houston
The first two games were matchups of some of the games best starting pitchers. The Astros hurlers were Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander. The Nationals
countered with Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer. Between these four pitchers, there were multiple strikeouts and multiple Cy Young Awards.
The pitching was solid but it was the grit and hitting of the Nationals with two-out R.B.I.s that set the tone and shocked the Astros. The Nationals came into
Houston and took the first two games on enemy soil. With a 2-0 series lead, the Nationals were heading back to the nation's captial with momentum and a chance to win the title back home.
The Astros had an uphill climb.
Games 3, 4 and 5:
As the Astros had to ponder what went wrong, the Nationals had to be thinking this was all we could dream of and more. The Astros still had some fight and a
team with the best record in MLB would not surely lie down for anyone.
As the old saying goes, it ain't over until it is over. The Astros came out facing a boisterous and rabid home field crowd for the Nationals. Houston was
not shook nor did they tremble. Instead, the Astros brought their bats and quieted the homestanding Nationals with excellent pitching and the power of the long ball.
In the three games at home, the Nationals were only able to three runs in the 27 innings of the three games. It seemed unthinkable that this Nationals' team who
scored 17 runs in games 1 and 2, would become so anemic. In contrast, the Astros found their stroke and scored 19 runs, mostly on the backs of six homers in those same games.
As the pendulum of momentum swings in the direction of the Astros, the series now enters the final stages. The Astros have a great chance of striking the
finishing blows on home turf in game 6, and if necessary, game 7. The Nationals, who had to come from behind in the NL Wild Card game against the Brewers, as well as an elimination game in the
Division Series, against the LA Dodgers, will look to do what they did in the first two games. If Washington can sweep the road games once again, they will bring home the highly coveted World
Series trophy, which they have not seen since 1924. If they fail, the Houston Astros will once again raise the banner and the crown as the best in 2019.
EMSPORTS.org 10/28/2019
ATLANTA (AP) -- Tiger Woods, in his Sunday red shirt, both arms raised in victory on the 18th green.
For so many years, the scene was familiar.
This time, it was surreal.
"I can't believe I pulled this off," Woods said Sunday during the trophy presentation at the Tour Championship, where he gave thousands of delirious fans at East Lake, and millions more around the
world, what they wanted to see, and what they thought they might never see again.
And at that moment, Woods was overcome with emotion and paused.
After two back surgeries six weeks apart, he couldn't lie down, sit or walk without pain. Golf was the least of his concerns, so much that he once said anything else he achieved would be
"gravy."
One year ago, while recovering from a fourth back surgery, he still had no idea if he could come back to the highest level of golf.
"Just to be able to compete and play again this year, that's a hell of a comeback," he said.
Woods delivered the perfect ending to his amazing return from back surgeries with a performance out of the past. He left the competition feeling hopeless as he built a five-shot lead early and
then hung on for a 1-over 71 and a two-shot victory over Billy Horschel.
It was the 80th victory of his PGA Tour, two short of the career record held by Sam Snead that is now very much in play. And it was his first victory in more than five years, dating to the 2013
Bridgestone Invitational.
And that brought a new version of Tigermania.
After he hit his second shot to the par-5 18th safely in a bunker in front of the green, the crowd came through the ropes and followed behind in a chaotic celebration. It was like that when he
walked from the left side of the 18th fairway at the 1997 Masters he won by 12. It was reminiscent of that walk up the 18th fairway later that summer at the Western Open in Chicago.
This was pure pandemonium. Fans chased after any inch of grass they could find to watch the ending.
"I didn't want to get run over," Woods said with a laugh.
This felt just as big as a major, maybe better considering where Woods had been.
Several players, from Zach Johnson to Rickie Fowler to Horschel, waited to greet him. It was Johnson who unveiled red shirts at the Ryder Cup two years ago in the team room that said, "Make Tiger
Great Again."
"They knew what I was struggling with," Woods said. "It was special to see them."
Woods played only one PGA Tour event over two seasons because of his back. Off the golf course, he had to overcome the embarrassment of a DUI arrest in the early morning of Memorial Day in 2017
when he was found asleep at the wheel, later found to have a concoction of pain medication in his system.
He was becoming a legend on in video highlights.
And then he brought it back to life this year, especially the last four days at East Lake. The players who have turns at No. 1 during his absence caught the full brunt of Woods in control. McIlroy
faded early. Justin Rose faded late.
All that was left was the 42-year-old Woods in that red shirt, blazing brighter than ever, and a smile he couldn't shake walking up the 18th to collect another trophy.
"The 80 mark is a big number," he said. "It's a pretty damned good feeling."
He finished at 11-under 269 and won $1.62 million, along with a $3 million bonus for finishing second in the FedEx Cup.
The only disappointment -- a minor one under the circumstances -- was realizing as he came down the 18th that Rose had made birdie to finish in a three-way tie for fourth, which gave him the FedEx
Cup and the $10 million bonus.
Without that birdie, Woods would have won his third FedEx Cup title after starting at No. 20 going into the Tour Championship.
"Congrats, Rosie," Woods told him. "World No. 1, hell of a season."
Actually, former world No. 1 for Rose. His four bogeys over the last 10 holes cost him the No. 1 ranking back to Dustin Johnson, who shot 67 and finished third.
But this wasn't about the FedEx Cup or even the world ranking.
This is Tiger's big day, and nothing was going to change it.
Woods had never lost when leading by three shots or more going into the final round. That was when he was regularly winning multiple times every season, compiling trophies at a rate never before
seen in golf.
Was anything different having gone more than five years without winning?
Rose had said it was a bit more unknown, and "there's a lot on it for him" as well as everyone else.
But this was still Woods' arena. The walk from the putting green snakes some 80 yards across the road and through a gallery, and everyone could hear him coming from the procession of cheering. And
within the opening hour, the Tour Championship had that inevitable feeling.
No one brings excitement like Woods, even when he plays so good and so smart that he eliminates any potential for drama.
The buzz was endless. A couple of teenagers climbed into a tree to see him made a 10-foot birdie on the first hole. When the putt dropped and cheers died, there was a wild sprint some 200 yards up
the hill as fans tried to get into position for the next shot. He tapped in for par, and another stampede ensued to line the third fairway.
On and on it went. No one wanted to miss a shot.
A year ago, there was no guarantee anyone would see much of Woods, much less Woods winning.
He's back again. This victory, his first since the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone in August 2013 -- 1,876 days, to be exact -- brought him to No. 13 in the world. Not bad for a 42-year-old
with four back surgeries who returned to competition in December at No. 1,199 in the world.
The next stop for Woods is to board a plane with the rest of his U.S. teammates for France and the Ryder Cup.
After that? Who knows.
Less means more
College baseball and the major league baseball should go to a seven inning game rather than
play 9 innings. The belief is it will make the game more exciting. A nine inning game last for three hours and also it will reduce the potential of major arm, shoulder and elbow injuries that is
commonplace in the game. 7/14/18
Ray Chen Selected No. 1 in Chinese Basketball Association
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty men’s basketball alum, Ray Chen, was selected No. 1 overall in the recent Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Draft.
“We are so proud of Ray and all the hard work he put into his craft,” head coach Ritchie McKay said.
“Although he may not have received the playing time he wanted here at Liberty, he was a great teammate and a better person. His skillset and work ethic will result in a successful career in the
CBA.”
In one season at Liberty as a graduate student, Chen played in all 35 games during the 2016-17 season.
Chen played his best during non-conference, scoring a season-high 14 points twice against UNCG and in Liberty’s season opener against Cairn. After training in Lynchburg after the season, Chen was
identified as the best prospect in preparation for the CBA Draft.
Chen is now the fifth player that McKay has coached at Liberty that has been able to play professionally
joining Seth Curry (Dallas Mavericks), Alex McLean (Overseas), Jesse Sanders (Overseas) and Anthony Smith (Overseas).
To stand out, Chen participated in the William Jones Cup in Taiwan where he was the tournament’s leading
scorer with 20.4 points per game. Prior to arriving at Liberty, Chen played at Belmont Abbey where he averaged 16 points and 3.5 assists per contest. At Belmont Abbey, Chen earned Conference
Carolinas third team all-conference honors, closing out his career with 1,084 points.
Brogdon Named NBA Rookie of the Year
Former UVA star becomes second UVA player to earn prestigious honor
June 26, 2017
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Former Virginia two-time All-American and current Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon was named the 2017 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, announced Monday (June 26) during the NBA Awards on
TNT.
Brogdon led rookies in assists (4.2 apg) and steals (1.12 spg) and ranked second in three-point field goal percentage (40.4) and free throw percentage (86.5). He was also third in field goal
percentage (45.7) and fourth in scoring (10.2 ppg). A second round pick (36th overall) in the 2016 NBA Draft, Brogdon became one of just five rookies in NBA history to shoot 40 percent or better from
3-point range while averaging at least 4.0 assists per game. He recorded the first rookie triple-double in Bucks' history, and the only one by a rookie during the 2016-17 season, when he scored 15
points with 12 assists and 11 rebounds at Chicago on Dec. 31.
Brogdon joins Ralph Sampson as Cavaliers who have been honored as the NBA Rookie of the Year. Sampson averaged 21 points and 11.1 rebounds en route to NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 1984.
Brogdon finished his career ranked ninth on UVA's all-time scoring list with 1,809 points. He also ranks first in free throw percentage (87.6%), second in games played (136), fifth in minutes
played (4,157), sixth in 3-point field goal percentage (36.5%), seventh in 3-pointers (185) and ninth in free throws (422).
Brogdon earned unanimous consensus first-team All-America and NABC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2016 after becoming the first player to be named ACC Player of the Year and Defensive
Player of the Year in the same season. The three-time All-ACC first-team performer earned consensus second-team All-America honors in 2015.
He helped Virginia to 111 wins, four NCAA tournaments, two ACC regular-season titles and one ACC Tournament championship during his career. Brogdon earned his bachelor's degree in history and his
master's degree in public policy from the Frank Batten School of Public Policy and Leadership. In addition, Brogdon was a Senior CLASS Award and Allstate NABC Good Works Team honoree, and John R.
Wooden Citizenship Cup finalist for his excellence in the classroom and community.
Virginia retired Brogdon's No. 15 jersey in a pre-game ceremony on Feb. 20, 2017.
Coach John Thompson III, the son of its legendary coach John Thompson enjoyed a long tenure as the head coach at his alma
mater. Georgetown is one of college basketball’s most prestigious jobs in the family by hiring the elder Thompson’s greatest star, Patrick Ewing, as the Hoyas’ new head coach, the university
announced Monday.
Ewing, a three-time all-American at center, led the Hoyas to three Final Fours and their only national title (1984) before being drafted first over all in 1985 by the Knicks. He played 15 of his
17 N.B.A. seasons in New York, leading the Knicks to the 1994 and 1999 N.B.A. finals, and also won two Olympic gold medals, including one as a member of the 1992 Dream Team.
A college national player of the year and 11-time N.B.A. All-Star, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
Georgetown did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Monday afternoon, but a post on the Hoyas’ official feed confirmed the hiring.
EMSPORTS.org 4/27/17
Brogdon shows good signs in NBA debut
Jason Kidd laughed when he was asked a question about rookie Malcolm Brogdon before Wednesday’s season opener.
Would Brogdon be playing significant minutes as the Milwaukee Bucks backup point guard?
“He’s going to get a lot of minutes, you look at him backing up Delly (Matthew Dellavedova),” Kidd said. “Malcolm will get plenty of time on the floor.”
Brogdon responded with eight points, five rebounds and five assists in 21 productive minutes in the Bucks’ 107-96 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
Even more impressive was the way he helped lead a fourth-quarter rally by Milwaukee. He was on the floor for 8 minutes in the final quarter and contributed four points, three rebounds and one
assist.
“It was OK, could have been better if we won,” Brogdon said of his NBA debut. “For me, it was good to get my feet wet.
“Hopefully, we can bounce back and win the next game.”
Brogdon dunked after a steal by Michael Beasley to bring the Bucks within 88-79 early in the fourth quarter. A few minutes later, the former University of Virginia star was looking at a wide-open
three-pointer that could have cut the Hornets’ lead to seven, but he missed the shot.
“Malcolm was great on the floor with Delly, and also running the show,” Kidd said. “That’s a positive for us.”
Brogdon took a turn defending Kemba Walker, an experienced point guard with quickness and the ability to hit the three-pointer.
And the 23-year-old from Atlanta had his chances to direct the Bucks offense.
“It’s about our mind-set going into the next game,” Brogdon said of facing the Brooklyn Nets at home on Saturday night. “We’ve got to start off the game and play hard.
“I think that’s just getting to the 50-50 balls, defensive rebounding as a group and running our offense hard. I think we have to do all of that.”
The Bucks had the day off Thursday. But they will be back on the practice floor Friday as they prepare for a stretch of three games in four days – Brooklyn followed by road games at Detroit on
Sunday and at New Orleans on Tuesday.
Hornets guard Nicolas Batum did a good job picking up Giannis Antetokounmpo and forcing the Bucks to use other ball-handling options in the opener.
“For us, being a young team, it’s being able to accept that pressure,” Kidd said. “We talked about it. We saw it in preseason.
“When you accept that pressure, it makes the game a lot easier. Especially when your strength is to drive the ball, and we just didn’t get to that (Wednesday).”
Notebook: Antetokoummpo scored 31 points against the Hornets while making a strong season debut. The only other 30-point games in his career came last season – a 33-point effort
at Cleveland on Nov. 19 and a career-best 34-point night vs. Chicago on April 3.
» The most points scored by a Bucks player in a home opener were the 39 by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar against the Baltimore Bullets in 1970, but those came in a double-overtime victory for Milwaukee. The
Bucks would sweep the Bullets in four games in the NBA Finals later that season for the only championship in franchise history. The other Bucks players to score 30 or more in a home opener were Terry
Cummings (34), Ray Allen (32), Glenn Robinson (32) and Marques Johnson (31).
College baseball and major league baseball should cut back 9 innings to 7 innings. Because the game play for
three hours that is to long. Also it will help cut back on injuries and player’s career will last longer. And make the game more sites exciting. 7/13/18