Hometown Broadcasting Sports Wednesday 6/10/20
10 June 2020 Sports
The starting lineup for Wednesday’s Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway (7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) has been set. Ryan Blaney will start from the pole position, with Aric Almirola joining him on the front row to lead the field to green for the 500-lap, 263-mile race. The lineup for the race was determined by a random draw, with results airing on FS1’s “Race Hub.”
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This NFL offseason has been different for every team with virtual meetings and no minicamp or OTA’s. But Packers offensive lineman David Bakhtiari says it’s actually been refressing for him, both physically and mentally.
“For me personally, it’s just been nice to stay on my own regimen.”
Heading into year two of coach Matt LaFleur’s offensive system, Bakhtiari is excited to see the jump the offense can make.
“The more I understood it, the more I comprehended it, the more I was able to understand what job responsibilities were, I was able to be more effective in the system.”
Bakhtiari is entering the final year of his second contract this season after signing a four-year extension in 2016. The 28-year old left tackle is entering his 8th year with the Packers and says he has no interest in retiring anytime soon.
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Wisconsin campgrounds closed since March due to the coronavirus pandemic reopen starting Wednesday, but it won’t be business as usual. Campers will have to make reservations ahead of time, won’t be able to purchase firewood on site and all buildings, observation towers, playgrounds, concessions and rentals will be closed. But bathrooms will be open as will the trails, boat launches, beaches and outdoor recreation areas. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole says if parks reach capacity, just as has been done since they reopened, they may be closed temporarily until crowding eases.
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The Major League Baseball Players Association has made a proposal to MLB for a season of 89 games, with a full prorated share of salary and expanded playoffs, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN on Tuesday. It would bring the sides closer to a potential deal because it is 25 games fewer than the union’s most recent proposal of 114 games at full pro rata, sources told ESPN. But an MLB source familiar with the negotiations told ESPN’s Karl Ravech that the proposal is a nonstarter. MLB on Monday proposed a 76-game season that would cover up to 75% of players’ prorated salaries. This newest MLBPA proposal would have the season start on July 10 and end on Oct. 11, a source told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. It also would expand the postseason to 16 teams (eight in each league) for 2020 and 2021.
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Roger Federer will be out of competitive tennis until the start of the 2021 season because of a setback in his recovery from surgery on his right knee.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion on Wednesday posted a statement to Twitter to confirm he’ll be out of action for the rest of 2020.
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After 10 years, former USC Trojans running back Reggie Bush’s disassociation from the university is expected to soon come to an end, sources told ESPN.
The timing comes as a result of an NCAA Committee on Infractions rule, adopted in 2017, that limits any mandated disassociation between an individual and a school to 10 years. Bush’s disassociation — which came as part of sweeping sanctions that included a two-year postseason ban, 14 vacated victories (including the 2004 BCS national championship) and the loss of 30 scholarships — began on June 10, 2010. Once the 10-year period is over, according to COI procedures, the NCAA will no longer “monitor or enforce” the disassociation and will give schools the freedom to decide how to proceed, whether that’s to extend the disassociation or end it.
Nothing is official between Bush and USC, but the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner is in the process of finalizing an agreement that would allow him to be reinstated with the school, a source said. A USC spokesperson could not confirm Bush’s looming reinstatement when contacted by ESPN.
The sanctions came in the wake of a four-year extra-benefits investigation that determined that Bush and family members, while he was a student-athlete, accepted cash, travel expenses and a home in the San Diego area where Bush’s parents lived rent-free for more than a year and with which they were provided $10,000 to furnish. Bush returned his Heisman Trophy. During the past 10 years, Bush has not been welcome on USC’s campus and has not been involved with the Trojans’ program in any capacity. His name, stats and accomplishments did appear throughout USC’s most recent media guide; however, asterisks were attached to his name to note that his participation was vacated because of an NCAA penalty.
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