CONCORD, N.C. — Once in a while, you find a gem where it is least expected.

We found such a jewel on Twitter in the form of the photo that accompanies this column.

Snapped during the NTT IndyCar Series weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, the image was posted by A.J. Foyt Racing with simple dialogue — Living Legends.

“Those are my guys,” I said upon seeing the photo of Johnny Rutherford, Rick Mears, A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti.

A simple photo generated a wide range of emotions. First, there was the joy of simply seeing them all together. Then, we realized how fortunate the motorsports world, and Indy car racing in particular, is that they are all still here.

Not only did they make it through racing’s most dangerous era, they’ve survived to live long and fulfilling lives.

But as Chris Economaki would have said, “They’re not spring chickens anymore.”

Foyt is 84. Rutherford (81) and Andretti (79) are close behind. At 67, Mears is the kid of this bunch.

When I first became interested in racing, they were the stars of the sport. I cheered for some of them louder than others.

When writing skills paved the way for me to work in motorsports, I was fortunate to meet all of them at one point or another. Through the years, the cheers were replaced by admiration for “my guys.”

But without a doubt, it was their contributions on the race track that first captured my attention.

One of the very first races I attended was a USAC championship dirt car event at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, which was won by Foyt. And, as the Kerchner family attended the Indianapolis 500 and Indy car races at Michigan Int’l Speedway for most of my youth, Foyt was the family favorite.

It seems we gravitated to the four-time Indy 500 winner as much for his passionate personality as his success on the track.

Rutherford won the first Indianapolis 500 I attended in 1980 aboard Jim Hall’s beautiful “Yellow Submarine.” It was Rutherford’s third Indy win and our favorite memory from the race came after the checkered flag when Rutherford picked up Tim Richmond, whose ride was disabled on the final lap, and “chauffeured” him back to the pit lane.

Rutherford’s “Lone Star J.R.” nickname and laidback personality were as appealing as the class he showed off the track.

Mears knew how to win and he did it in such an unassuming way that few were ever upset when the longtime Team Penske driver visited victory lane. With a combination of speed, skill and patience, Mears won four Indianapolis 500s. I was there for three of them.

The irony of Foyt and Andretti sitting together in this photograph was not lost. Bitter rivals during their racing days, their competitive fire often spilled over to the fans. If you were an A.J. guy, you weren’t a Mario man; and vice versa.

Thus, growing up I rarely cheered for Andretti. But age brought appreciation for what he accomplished and numerous meetings, including a day he spent at the SPEED SPORT office in New Jersey during the early 1990s, won me over. Through the years, the 1969 Indy winner and 1978 Formula One world champion has become racing’s greatest spokesperson.

Together the racing accomplishments of these four men are incredible, unfathomable in many ways. They won 12 Indianapolis 500s, two Daytona 500s, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a world driving title and 15 Indy car championships.

But despite all of the success racing around the globe, none of the four lost the down-to-earth nature with which they approach life. While they often seemed larger to life to fans — me included — they always remained simply Johnny, A.J., Rick and Mario.

These are “my guys!”

Three-time Stanley Cup winner Matt Cullen announced Wednesday that he is retiring after 21 seasons in the league.

The 42-year-old won his first Cup with Carolina in 2006 and then captured back-to-back titles with Pittsburgh in 2016 and '17.

In an essay on NHL.com, Cullen wrote that his career almost came to a close before his last two titles.

Matt Cullen: his story, his words.https://t.co/rsL9o4yk1j pic.twitter.com/985mgUtqpk

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 10, 2019

"The phone didn't ring on July 1, 2015, the annual start to NHL free agency," he said. "I had just finished two great years in Nashville, but my future was still unclear. I still wanted to play even at 38 years old, but I was pretty sure that it was the end."

Then he got a call from Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford.

"I just pinch myself and think about how close it was to not happening," Cullen said. "Those were probably the best years of my whole career and life with the Penguins. Going through all that with the boys and Bridget and that group of players, the whole organization, everything was perfect. It was beyond anything I could have ever imagined."

Cullen said that he has been "in a constant state of almost-retirement for the last few years" and that he knew this past season would be his last.

He spent three of his past four seasons in Pittsburgh, with the 2017-18 season back home in Minnesota.

"It was an emotional time, but I knew it was coming. It just felt right and I was really at peace with everything when it was over.

"I felt like it was only right to retire in Pittsburgh with everything that the organization had given me and done for me," he said. "I'm so happy I came back and finished my last year in Pittsburgh. I wouldn't trade that last year for anything."

A second-round pick of Anaheim in 1996, Cullen played for the Ducks, Hurricanes, Panthers, Wild, Penguins, Panthers, Predators, Rangers and Senators.

He finishes with 266 goals and 465 assists.

Real Madrid's presentation of new €50 million defender Eder Militao was cut short when the 21-year-old Brazil international complained of feeling dizzy and had to be helped away to recover.

The midday event at a sweltering Bernabeu was proceeding as expected, with the former Porto player having spoken of his joy at arriving at the "biggest club in the world" and promising to "give everything on the pitch" for his new team.

Video | Militão started feeling dizzy and had to end the press conference. pic.twitter.com/RZrIbxVNYo

— Real Madrid Info (@RMadridInfo) July 10, 2019

Then just as a reporter was beginning a question about the future of his international teammate Neymar, Militao began to loosen his tie and took a deep drink of water before saying: "I feel dizzy, I feel dizzy, it's so emotional. I can't do anything more."

Madrid's press officer immediately ended the news conference, and the player was quickly helped away from the room.

Divock Origi has become the latest Liverpool player to commit his future to the club by signing a new deal at Anfield.

The 24-year-old, who scored the second goal in the Champions League final as Liverpool won their sixth European Cup, agreed fresh terms on Wednesday.

- When does the transfer window close?

As reported by ESPN FC, the European champions were confident the striker would extend his stay on Merseyside beyond the 12 months he had remaining on a deal from July 2014.

Talks over an improved contract began last season, progressed during the summer and accelerated this week.

His decision was never going to be financially driven, with the player valuing minutes over money. He rejected the chance to depart Liverpool last summer and in January in order to fight his way back into the manager's plans.

That decision was vindicated as the Belgium international contributed five of the club's most important goals in 2018-19 -- two in the Champions League semifinal win against Barcelona, Premier League against Everton and Newcastle in addition to his strike against Spurs -- despite limited game time.

Origi reported back to Melwood for preseason training on Monday and signalled his desire to play a further part in helping Liverpool win silverware.

He joins Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson, Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson who have all renewed their contracts with the club over the past year.

Virgil van Dijk has informed Liverpool he would be happy to sign an extension, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joel Matip and James Milner are among those expected to be next in line to agree new deals.

Jurgen Klopp and sporting director Michael Edwards have prioritised a policy of retaining players rather than making blockbuster moves this summer, confident that their no-waste approach allows them to strike if another "transformer" -- the word used at Melwood to describe Van Dijk and Alisson -- is within reach in future.

Liverpool's business in the window is forecasted to be minimal and largely centred around squad depth. They have edged out Europe's elite in their bid to sign Fulham's record-breaking midfielder Harvey Elliott, who became the youngest-ever Premier League player in May.

Liverpool have also added highly rated Dutch defender Sepp van den Berg,17, to their ranks.

NEW YORK -- Adoring fans lined New York City's Canyon of Heroes on Wednesday to praise the World Cup-winning U.S. women's national soccer team as athletic leaders on the field -- and as advocates for pay equity off it.

Construction workers sounded air horns above crowds chanting "USA! USA!" as the hourlong ticker-tape parade moved up a stretch of lower Broadway that has long hosted such celebrations for world leaders, veterans and hometown sports stars.

Co-captain Megan Rapinoe and her teammates shared a float with Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Soccer Federation president Carlos Cordeiro. Rapinoe struck her now-famous victory pose, took a swig of champagne and handed the bottle to a fan. Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher held the World Cup trophy aloft.

Aly Hoover, 12, of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, stood along the route with a poster of the face of Alex Morgan, another team star. "I just want to be like them," she said.

Garret Prather brought his newborn son "to celebrate how the American women made us proud on and off the field."

The team sealed its second consecutive tournament win by beating the Netherlands 2-0 on Sunday. It will get $4 million for winning the World Cup from FIFA, the international soccer governing body. The men's French team got $38 million for winning last year.

The U.S. women's team has sued the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender and pay discrimination. The women will get bonuses from the USSF about five times less than the men would have earned for winning the World Cup. The case is currently in mediation.

Kate Lane, who watched the parade, called the pay gap "massive" for the soccer players and "across the board" for most women.

"Especially in male-dominated professions," said Lane, of Limerick, Ireland. "Women put just as much commitment into their work as their male counterparts."

She is hopeful the younger generation is soaking up the message from the women's team, noting a girl about 7 years old wearing an "Equal Pay" T-shirt.

Earlier Wednesday, team members joined New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, as he signed a law expanding gender pay equality in the state. He said women's soccer players should be paid the same as male players.

#BREAKING: I just signed new pay equity legislation at the #USWNTParade.

The women's soccer team plays the same game that the men's soccer players play - only better. If anything, the men should get paid less.

Thank you @USWNT for helping lead this movement for change! pic.twitter.com/qHy2aYs2Tl

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 10, 2019

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, introduced a bill Tuesday that would bar federal funding for the men's 2026 World Cup until the U.S. Soccer Federation provides equal pay to the women's and men's teams.

At a City Hall rally after the parade, de Blasio, also a Democrat, honored the team with symbolic keys to the city, saying it "brought us together" and "showed us so much to make us hopeful."

At the rally, Rapinoe noted the diversity of the team: "We have pink hair and purple hair, we have tattoos and dreadlocks, we have white girls and black girls and everything in between. Straight girls and gay girls."

The parade is named for the strands of ticker tape that used to be showered down from nearby office buildings. The tape has since been replaced with paper confetti, already drifting down from office buildings before Wednesday's parade started.

The Department of Sanitation said it will have 350 workers assigned to parade cleanup with trucks, backpack blowers and brooms at their disposal.

- Senator: No equal pay, no public '26 WC funds

The team had already started celebrating its record fourth Women's World Cup title. After touching down at Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday, players shared a toast and sang "We Are the Champions."

Team members appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" in Times Square on Tuesday to show off their trophy and answer questions from cheering kids.

Rapinoe, the outspoken star who won the awards for the tournament's best player and top scorer, also appeared on CNN and MSNBC later Tuesday.

Rapinoe told CNN's Anderson Cooper that President Donald Trump's slogan "Make America Great Again" is "harking back to an era that wasn't great for everyone. It might've been great for a few people."

Rapinoe told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow that Trump had yet to invite the women's soccer team to the White House.

Trump had tweeted that he would invite the team, win or lose. Rapinoe has said she wouldn't be going to the White House. The team has accepted an invitation to visit Congress.

The conclusion of the Gold Cup brought about mixed emotions for the U.S. men's national team. There was disappointment at the 1-0 final defeat to archrival Mexico, especially given the fact that the tournament hosts squandered several wide-open scoring chances.

By the end of the game, El Tri's talent advantage carried the day, but in the context of the entire competition, there was a modicum of satisfaction that a foundation had been laid. Relationships have begun to be established and there is a greater understanding of the methods of manager Gregg Berhalter.

Look long enough at the foundation and one can dream of what is possible. But the potential pitfalls can be seen as well.

- Gold Cup final: Mexico offer U.S. a harsh lesson
- U.S. ratings: Bradley, Morris too slow
- Carlisle/Marshall: Do the U.S., Mexico still care about Gold Cup?
- Freddy Adu exclusive: "I'm not ready to give it up"

There is a tendency to think that the work Berhalter will do over the coming months should determine the relative success or failure of the U.S. men. That's true to a degree but it isn't just in Chicago that the U.S. team's fortunes will be decided; places like Bremen, London, Gelsenkirchen and Leipzig will be active too. The same is true in MLS cities like Dallas, New York, Washington, D.C., and San Jose.

In fact, the upcoming club season in Europe and the ongoing campaign in MLS are arguably the most important in U.S. national team history. If players like Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Josh Sargent and, yes, even Christian Pulisic can continue to take on bigger roles with their clubs, then Berhalter's task becomes easier. If not, he's basically being asked to build a house without the requisite tools.

Progress can't fall entirely on those players, either. The U.S. remains a team short of quality depth, and others will need to emerge.

As is often the case for the U.S., the defensive side of the ball is ahead of the attack in terms of progress. In fact, the goalkeeper and back four look to be progressing nicely. Zack Steffen has performed well enough to command the No. 1 jersey. The U.S. is also accumulating some depth along the back line, especially at center-back with the likes of Aaron Long, Walker Zimmerman and Matt Miazga. It's worth remembering too that John Brooks remains in the mix. There are also options at right-back with Reggie Cannon and Nick Lima to go along with DeAndre Yedlin, who like Brooks missed the Gold Cup through injury.

Left-back remains a problem area. Tim Ream has filled in admirably but there's no denying that he is a center-back by trade and is an imperfect fit for the role, especially given his limitations going forward. One can only hope that U20 left back Chris Gloster or Antonee Robinson can progress enough and give Berhalter confidence that they're part of the present and not perpetually a part of the future.

Further upfield, the questions surrounding this U.S. team become more complicated. The single biggest issue going forward is where Berhalter plans on playing Tyler Adams. The best part about the emergence of Lima and Cannon is that it may yet make Berhalter more willing to shelve the idea of playing Adams as a right-back.

There's a perception that Berhalter is wedded to the idea of playing Adams in that hybrid right-back/central midfield role. But during a pre-tournament interview with ESPN FC, Berhalter hinted at being flexible on the subject, saying he thought Adams' skill set was "more central than wide" and that his best position is "something we have to analyze."

Adams might not have the passing range of a Michael Bradley or a Wil Trapp, but he seems born to play the role of midfield destroyer given his range, work rate, tackling and ability on the ball. A central partnership involving Adams and McKennie looks potent down the line provided that the Schalke man can find a greater degree of consistency, especially in terms of how well he takes care of the ball. Paxton Pomykal's continued development with FC Dallas will bear watching, as will Derby County's Duane Holmes.

As for the continued involvement of Bradley, 31, his passing remains his strength even as it eroded in the second half against Mexico. Defensively he's become more of a question mark, as his legs aren't what they used to be. His positioning is savvy, but his tendency at times to go into "hero mode" highlighted the lack of cohesion he had at times with McKennie, hence the calls for Adams to assume his role in front of the back line.

The wing positions are in flux as well. Paul Arriola remains a tireless worker on the left flank and that has value, but the U.S. needs a more creativity from the opposite flank. Jordan Morris struggled mightily in the final, while Tyler Boyd was mysteriously absent. The competition for that position remains open, with Tim Weah in the mix as well.

As for the forward position, Jozy Altidore showed his value during the Gold Cup, though Berhalter's faith in the forward seems tenuous, as he appeared to ration the Toronto striker's minutes. For now, he looks to be the de facto starter, but much will depend on the development of Sargent. The Werder Bremen man faded during the latter portion of the club season, unable to displace Claudio Pizarro, 40, as the first forward off the bench. He'll need to bulldoze his way into the Bremen side in order to achieve a similar breakthrough at the international level.

For now, establishing greater depth is a massive priority for Berhalter, and there are multiple avenues to further that process along. Next on the horizon is a CONCACAF Nations League group with Cuba and Canada, their games scheduled for October and November. It seems like the kind of competition that won't necessarily see Berhalter bring in all of his first-choice roster, though testing out the depths of the player pool isn't a bad thing.

Perhaps more critical to the USMNT's progress toward the 2022 World Cup is the development of the Olympic roster under manager Jason Kreis. It's a competition often met with disdain by European clubs, who are loath to release their players, but it still provides international experience for up-and-coming performers. The 2010 World Cup roster was graced with six players who appeared at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. (The injured Charlie Davies would have made seven.)

Maximizing each of these competitions should give Berhalter more material with which to work and help ensure that the work done over the past month remains valuable down the road.

Derbyshire 108 and 377 (Lace 132*, Palladino 58, Barnard 4-48) beat Worcestershire 113 and 290 (Ferguson 127, Cox 62, Rampaul 4-64) by 82 runs

Derbyshire secured their third Championship victory of the campaign to strengthen their promotion challenge despite a splendid century from Worcestershire batsman Callum Ferguson at Kidderminster.

The visitors bounced back in style after being bowled out for 108 on the opening day to claim 19 points and triumph by 82 runs.

Ferguson hit his maiden Championship hundred as Worcestershire showed plenty of resilience in recovering from the depths of 48 for 5 mid-way through the third day.

Ravi Rampaul finished with four wickets but Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Tony Palladino gave him staunch support with three victims apiece.

Worcestershire have now gone six games without a win since defeating Leicestershire and Durham in their opening two fixtures. They have paid the price for their batting frailties, with the exception of Ferguson, in the top order, where there has been a lack of consistency.

Worcestershire resumed on 156 for 5 with Ferguson unbeaten on 71 and Cox 44 not out with the second new ball due in 13 overs.

Runs flowed at a fast pace against the opening attack of Hudson-Prentice and Anuj Dal. Ferguson collected successive boundaries via a cut and a back-foot square drive at Hudson-Prentice's expense.

But, after playing so well, he had a slice of good fortune on his side as he raced towards three figures. Ferguson edged Fynn-Prentice and Dal for boundaries and a single off the former took him to his century off 205 balls with 17 fours.

Cox went to his half-century in the next over from Dal from 140 deliveries with eight boundaries.

The 150 partnership came up in 49 overs before the new ball was taken immediately at 206 for 5 off 80 overs.

Rampaul made the breakthrough for Derbyshire in his first over of the day. Cox, on 62, tried to get his bat out of the way of a sharpish Rampaul delivery but only succeeded in deflecting it onto his stumps.

Ferguson was joined by Brett D'Oliveira, a century maker in last week's game at Cardiff, and he cut Rampaul for four after the West Indies paceman changed ends.

Worcestershire reached 245 for 6 by lunch with Ferguson unbeaten on 126 but he added only one more after the resumption. Hudson-Prentice ended his fine knock by trapping him lbw. Ferguson's six-hour innings contained 20 boundaries and came off 267 balls.

D'Oliveira made an accomplished 30 before he was lbw to Palladino and the innings was quickly cleaned up thereafter. Dillon Pennington fell lbw to Rampaul for a duck and Joe Leach holed out to mid on off Palladino.

Mark Wood has signed a three-year deal with Durham that will keep him at the county until the end of the 2022 season.

Wood, 29, currently holds a white-ball central contract with England, and is more than likely to sign another after an impressive World Cup, meaning his appearances for the county could be limited.

He is England's second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with 16 wickets at 23.06, and despite entering the tournament with question marks over his fitness, was picked in 8 out of a possible 9 group games.

After playing age-group cricket for Northumberland, Wood joined the Durham academy as an 18-year-old, and has been at the county ever since.

He first broke into the first team during the 2011 summer, and played an important, if unheralded role in the 2013 Championship win, taking 27 wickets in his 8 games.

Wood's Durham appearances have been limited in recent years due to injury and international selection - he made his Test debut in 2015 and has been a regular in England's white-ball squads - but was the star of T20 Finals Day in 2016, returning 5-50 in eight hostile overs across the day as Durham were pipped by Northamptonshire in the final.

Wood said he was "buzzing" to sign on for a further three years.

"It is an exciting time for Durham at the moment, with the change in coaches and the new identity, so to be able to bowl more overs and take wickets for this team is something I am excited to carry on doing," he said.

"Whenever I step foot out onto the pitch at the Riverside, I just get a great feeling. It was extra special playing for England against New Zealand last week on home soil, so to know I have at least another three more years of playing here definitely makes me smile."

Eoin Morgan has called comments from Kevin Pietersen "not good for a team environment".

Pietersen suggested that Morgan "looked scared" of Mitchell Starc's bowling during England's group match defeat against Australia. Writing on Twitter at the time, Pietersen said he had "not seen a captain show such weakness for a while" and that it was "a horror sign" for England.

But, on the eve of England's first World Cup semi-final in 27 years, Morgan compared his former team-mate's words to those of Geoffrey Boycott in saying that they "don't take the best interest of the team or the player" into account and suggested the current England dressing room did not pay much attention to comments of the sort.

"When Kevin Pietersen comes out with a comment, it's very similar to comments I address from Geoffrey Boycott," Morgan told the BBC. "They are not ones that are considered good for a team environment and don't take the best interests of the team or the player at heart. Guys are trying their heart out to do well for their country, trying to learn, trying to get better."

Morgan did acknowledge, however, that he had struggled to deal with the short ball in the past. He was memorably forced to retire hurt having been struck by a Starc bouncer in an ODI in Manchester in 2015 - he later said his helmet "probably saved my life" - while he also accepted that it wasn't necessarily Pietersen's role to be constructive. In making such comments, Morgan said, the former players were merely doing "their job".

"Possibly four years ago I was challenged in that area," Morgan said. "Since then I've been challenged in different areas and, over the past two years, I've managed to counter that.

"And you have critics being critics. But they need to do that; that's their job. So let them be."