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This week on Beyond the Fairway, Doug Smith and Will Lowery are joined by Sadena Parks who reflects on her time on the LPGA Tour, why her purpose changed, what it was like to be a Black female golfer and be a part of the LGBT community, and how she is trying to bring more diversity to the game.

Also Doug and Will reflect on how they felt when they heard the news about Tiger Woods, Annika Sorrenstam's return and they give out their Shanks of the Week.

Check out these videos of their interview with Parks:

Utd made 'clear' progress under Ole - Woodward

Published in Soccer
Thursday, 04 March 2021 13:38

Ed Woodward says the progress Manchester United have made under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer "is clear."

United have slipped off the pace in the Premier League and sit 14 points behind leaders Manchester City after Wednesday's 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace.

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But speaking as the club released their latest financial results on Thursday -- which included revenue down 7% year-on-year to £281.8 million and profit down seven percent to £33.6m -- Woodward gave further backing to the Norwegian.

"As we approach a full year since our last game with fans at Old Trafford, we reflect on an extraordinarily challenging 12 months for football and society as a whole," said Woodward.

"The rapid rollout of vaccines in the UK and beyond gives us confidence that we are now on a path towards normality, including the return of fans to stadia.

"While the disruption to our operations remains significant, we are pleased by the tremendous resilience the club has demonstrated through the pandemic, underpinned by the dedication of our people and the strength of our commercial business.

"We have been reminded of the importance of football as a source of community, entertainment and pride to fans around the world, even as we have sorely missed them at Old Trafford.

"The progress made by Ole and the players this season is clear and our thriving academy and women's team are also adding to the optimism we feel about the future on and off the pitch."

GM says Broncos want Von Miller back in 2021

Published in Breaking News
Thursday, 04 March 2021 13:47

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With a decision about Von Miller's future looming, Denver Broncos general manager George Paton said Thursday that the team wants the linebacker back for 2021 but is waiting to hear more on potential legal issues Miller may have and did not rule out a discussion about a pay cut for him to return.

"We're still working through it with Von, his agent, and in regards to the legal process, we're just going to let the legal process play out," Paton said. "But obviously it's a serious situation, but we want to let it play out before we comment on that."

Miller, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and the Super Bowl 50 MVP, has an option clause in his contract that if the Broncos pick it up would guarantee $7 million of Miller's $17.5 million base salary and engage the final year of a six-year, $114.5 million deal he signed in 2016.

The Broncos, as well as Miller, are still waiting on a decision from the district attorney in the 18th Judicial District in suburban Denver to determine whether Miller will be charged in the wake of an investigation by the Parker, Colorado, police department. Neither the police nor the district attorney's office has released details of what specific charges Miller could face.

Miller has not responded to requests for comment. If charges are filed, Miller could face the prospect of league discipline as well.

Asked whether Miller's return could also hinge on a salary cut, Paton said:

"We want to bring Von back; we're still working through that, I don't want to get into everything, but we want to bring him back. Obviously the legal process, what he's going through, it's a serious situation, obviously, and I don't know all the details, but we respect what's going on. We do want Von back."

Miller missed all of the 2020 season after an ankle injury just days before the season opener. At the time, coach Vic Fangio said he had expected Miller to have "a hell of a year."

Miller's eight sacks in 2019 were his lowest total since 2013, when he finished with five sacks after serving a six-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy and then suffering a torn ACL in December of that year.

Miller leads all active players who were on NFL rosters last season with 106 sacks.

Miller is the longest-tenured Broncos player and was John Elway's first draft pick as the team's top football executive. Elway stepped away from the general manager's role earlier this year before Paton was hired in January.

Other topics Paton and Fangio addressed Thursday:

"[I] did a deep dive with Drew ... very talented, was inconsistent at times, has a lot to work on, but I've spoken with Drew ... he really wants to be great," Paton said. "We're always going to bring in competition at every position, quarterback as well, but I like the track Drew's on ... He does have all the traits you look for in a quarterback."

  • On the potential of pursuing another quarterback in a trade or signing a veteran in free agency, Paton added:

"We're going to be aggressive, we're going to be in every deal, doesn't mean we're going to make that deal, but we're going to look into everything, whether it's a quarterback or a defensive lineman, anything to help our football team, we're going to pursue it."

Paton also said that he would not publicly discuss any quarterback on another team's roster, such as Deshaun Watson, and that the Broncos would consider using the No. 9 pick in the draft on a quarterback "if it's the best player on the board, we're going to take him."

  • On re-signing safety Justin Simmons, who played on the franchise player tag last season and is poised to be an unrestricted free agent, Paton said: "Justin is one of our core guys, and our goal since I got here was to sign him to a long-term deal. We've had good discussions with his agent. I don't know if we'll get a deal done or not, but that's our goal. He's the type of guy we'd want to extend."

  • The return of right tackle Ja'Wuan James, who opted out this past season over concerns with COVID-19.

Both Paton and Fangio said that they had spoken with James and that James was set to return to Denver area in the coming weeks to train.

  • Other Broncos free agents.

Paton said the Broncos would tender three of their most prominent restricted free agents -- running back Phillip Lindsay, wide receiver Tim Patrick and linebacker Alexander Johnson.

Paton added that he was already trying to re-sign defensive end Shelby Harris, who will be an unrestricted free agent, and that he has talked to safety Kareem Jackson's representatives. Jackson has an option year in his contract for 2021 that the Broncos have to decide to exercise by the start of the new league year.

"We've got to work through some things; we'd like Kareem back," Paton said. " ... We'll see if we can do that."

Jays GM 'not aware' of allegations vs. Callaway

Published in Baseball
Thursday, 04 March 2021 13:30

Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Thursday he was "absolutely not aware" of any sexual harassment allegations against Mickey Callaway during their time together with the Cleveland Indians organization.

Atkins, who was the Indians executive who oversaw Callaway's hiring by Cleveland in 2010, said the team failed by not creating an environment for such allegations to be properly addressed.

"There is no chance that we would have overlooked that if we had had any signs of that type of behavior," Atkins said.

Callaway was most recently the Los Angeles Angels' pitching coach but he has been suspended while Major League Baseball investigates allegations of inappropriate behavior toward several women who work in sports media. Callaway has also previously served as manager of the New York Mets.

Atkins called the situation "disheartening and sad" and apologized to those affected.

"As a leader, it's our responsibility to ensure that our staff feels safe, supported," Atkins said. "I deeply apologize to anyone who ever faced harassment or didn't feel comfortable to come forward. I see that as a failure on my part that there weren't the proper channels for someone to feel safe to come forward. As a leader in that organization, that's heartbreaking for me."

Atkins said he has not been contacted by MLB regarding the investigation but said he would be willing to cooperate if asked.

The Athletic reported last month that several women gave detailed accounts of multiple instances of aggressive, inappropriate acts by Callaway over five years while he was employed by three teams.

On Tuesday, another report by The Athletic said several former Cleveland employees had come forward in the past month to say the team's front office was aware of Callaway's conduct. Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said this week that Cleveland is cooperating with the MLB investigation.

Atkins said Cleveland's vetting process in hiring Callaway, and others, "was clearly not good enough."

"I know there were hires that I made myself that the process was not good enough and not thorough enough," said Atkins, who was the director of player development in Cleveland when Callaway was hired.

Atkins left Cleveland to become the Blue Jays general manager in October 2015.

Most big-name athletes progressed through Thursday’s heats and qualifying rounds but there were mixed results for the British team

After being starved of championship athletics for so long, the first session of the European Indoor Championships got underway in Toruń on Thursday night. With no finals or spectators it was a slightly sterile affair. But who cares? A major track and field event with medals at stake is back on television and this opening session acted as an ideal prelude to busier sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

You can always bank on Gianmarco Tamberi to liven up the action, though. The Italian was almost unrecognisable in Toruń to begin with as his usual dark hair and trademark half beard were replaced by a clean shaven face and blonde hair.

The 28-year-old is also defending his European indoor high jump title and on Thursday was one of three athletes who cleared 2.21m at their first attempt to lead the qualifiers.

Maksim Nedasekau of Belarus and Mateusz Przybylko of Germany were the others, whereas Britain’s Joel Khan went out after failing at the height. Khan had earlier cleared 2.16m but struggled to improve.

“I needed more jumps and I wanted to jump more,” said Tamberi. “The track here is not so bouncy like in some other places but I like it very much. It is a good surface.

“It is hard to predict what happens in the final but I will do my best. I am not a half-shaved man anymore. I wanted to be like Legolas so I dyed my hair like this. I did it one week ago just for this championships.”

There was a great start for Britain in the first track race of the championship as Amy-Eloise Markovc won the first heat of the 3000m in 8:56.26. “Anything can happen in the final and I will do my best to fight for a medal,” she said.

Maruša Mismas-Zrimsek of Slovenia took the second 3000m heat win in 8:52.22 as Brits Amelia Quirk and Verity Ockenden finished close behind but Mismas-Zrimsek was later harshly disqualified for stepping inside the track briefly leaving Ockenden and Quirk as the one-two in the race and the fastest two qualifiers overall.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen qualified comfortably in the men’s 1500m but brother Filip, a former European outdoor champion, went out after finishing fourth in his heat.

With only the top two progressing in each of the four heats, it was a competitive affair and the heat winners were Jesus Gomez and Ignacio Fontes of Spain, Britain’s Neil Gourley (ahead of Jakob Ingebrigtsen) and Marcin Lewandowski – the host nation favourite and reigning champion bringing the cardboard cut-out crowd to its feet in the final track event of the session.

“These championships are not one of our main goals this year, but it’s good to break out of a period of hard training with a fun championships like these,” said Ingebrigtsen. “I’m in good shape and Marcin [Lewandowski] is getting older. He’s nearly twice as old as me!

“But I remember what happened in Glasgow two years ago [silver behind Lewandowski], so I’m expecting a good fight in the final. Today I was just trying to save as much energy as possible.”

Gourley’s GB team-mate Piers Copeland also qualified but Archie Davis was sixth in his heat despite a season’s best of 3:41.40 in his heat.

Thobias Montler of Sweden led the men’s long jump qualifiers with 8.18m as British hope Jacob Fincham-Dukes qualified in eighth with 7.74m. “The track is very fast,” said Montler, “I like fast tracks and we have to take advantage of it.”

Fincham-Dukes, meanwhile, said: “It was too close for comfort but I’m glad I am through and I can improve on the mishaps from today.”

Christina Schwanitz, the former European indoor and world outdoor champion from Germany, produced the best women’s shot put throw in qualifying with 18.86m.

There was disappointing news for British shot putters Sophie McKinna and Amelia Strickler, though, as they failed to make the final. McKinna threw 17.95m and Strickler 17.12m as they wound up 9th and 13th respectively.

McKinna said: “I am very frustrated with that. I am in much better shape than that as my results have shown. I need to get rid of a little niggle and make sure I am fit for the outdoor season.

“It was a difficult evening for me. But I have a lot of positives from the indoor season although not ending in the way I wanted. My mind was there but body wasn’t quite.”

Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones will sort out his future after the Six Nations.

The lock's current contract with the Welsh Rugby Union and Ospreys finishes at the end of the 2020-21 season.

Ospreys head coach Toby Booth insisted discussions would be held after Wales' final scheduled tournament match against France in Paris on 20 March.

"It's something we're delighted to entertain with Al, he wants to get the Six Nations out of the way," said Booth.

"I'm sure those conversations are being had centrally with Wales, and we're inputting into that but we'll see where those conversations go after the Six Nations."

Ireland captain Johnny Sexton, 35, is the same age as Jones and has this week agreed a one-year contract extension with the Irish Rugby Football Union which will take him to the end of the 2021-22 season.

World record cap holder Jones remains an integral figure for Wales having played 146 times for his country and nine Tests for the British and Irish Lions.

His last deal was announced in July 2019 and contracted him to Ospreys and the WRU until June 2021.

Jones is also the record appearance holder for Ospreys and last appeared for the region in October 2020 against Ulster.

After suffering a knee injury in the Autumn Nations Cup against Italy in December 2020, Jones returned for the opening Six Nations match against Ireland in February 2021.

"Al's a quality player, there's very few players can come back off a medium-term injury ahead of time and do well at international level," added Booth.

"He's a quality individual, we're very proud to see him perform well for Wales and he's desperate to play some more for the Ospreys as well so it's a win-win for everybody."

Jones is in line to go on a fourth Lions tour against South Africa this summer and could become the tour captain for the first time.

Booth believes Jones' leadership credentials continue to flourish after the lock has already guided Wales to a Triple Crown this year with ambitions of another Grand Slam.

"Last week's game [against England] was an example, in the pressurised environment of international rugby, the Lions or wherever it may be, you want people that can deliver at different levels," said Booth.

"From a leadership point of view, a leading by example point of view, a performance point of view, Alun Wyn Jones is someone who delivers on all those fronts consistently and has done consistently for a long time.

"Coaches like certainty. How many people can do that?

"Probably three to five that can put their hat in the ring for that and he's on that list. Whether he's picked or not, he has characteristics you'd expect a leader of the Lions to have."

Adam Hastings will miss Scotland's Six Nations game against Italy and two Glasgow Warriors fixtures after his red card against Leinster in the Pro14.

The fly-half was charged with a "reckless and dangerous" challenge on Cian Kelleher during a 40-21 defeat.

"The incident was found to merit a mid-range entry point, which indicates a six-week suspension for this offence," a league statement read.

The ban was reduced by 50% because of his remorse and admitting foul play.

Hastings, who missed Scotland's opening two Six Nations games through injury, will miss club games against Zebre and Ospreys as well as the international at Murrayfield.

He is free to play from 21 March unless one of the games is postponed.

USRA Sanctioning Randolph County Mods & B-Mods

Published in Racing
Thursday, 04 March 2021 12:00

MOBERLY, Mo. – After more than 40 years of experience in just about every role of officiating at dirt race tracks, Jim Lieurance is bringing his pedigree and a family-run effort to Randolph County Raceway.

“We’re excited to be a part of Randolph County Raceway again,” said USRA Director of Track Operations Bryce Hall. “The Lieurance family’s vast experience in the industry puts them in a position to hit the ground running and ready to take the program where it should be, which is the forefront of dirt track racing in the area.”

Lieurance and his wife, Tammy, have signed a two-year lease to run the fast four-tenths-mile high-banked dirt oval in Moberly, Mo., and have signed a two-year member track agreement with the USRA. They’re confident they can take the facility to where it needs to be.

They won’t be alone though. Their entire family will play a role in the track’s day-to-day operations, including two daughters, Alicia and Michelle, two sons-in-law, Jason and Daniel, and four grandchildren, Clayton, Caydence, Aiden and Alaina (Sunny).

Randolph County Raceway will host Friday night racing action with USRA Modifieds and USRA B-Mods headlining the Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series program along with Late Models, Super Stocks and 4-Cylinders.

“The rules were close to what already competed at the track,” said Jim Lieurance, who was the track’s race director last season. “But I really like what USRA has to offer overall. The experience has already been great. Everyone at USRA is ready to pick up the phone and has been anxious to help us.”

The track sanctioned USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods from 2013 through 2015 and hosted multiple Iron Man Challenge events as well.

Briscoe To Compete In Bristol Dirt Truck Race

Published in Racing
Thursday, 04 March 2021 12:07

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Chase Briscoe is returning to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the upcoming dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The NASCAR Cup Series rookie will pilot the No. 04 Roper Racing Ford during the Pinty’s Dirt Truck Race on March 27 with sponsorship from TexACon Cut Stone and Huffy.

Briscoe grew up racing on dirt in the midwest before moving to North Carolina to pursue a career in NASCAR. He’s one of a handful of NASCAR Cup Series drivers with dirt experience ahead of the March 28 Food City Dirt Race, which will be the first NASCAR Cup Series race on dirt since 1970.

In fact, Briscoe has a NASCAR national series victory on dirt. In 2018 Briscoe drove a ThorSport Racing Ford to victory in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway.

He is currently contesting his first full NASCAR Cup Series season as the driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. He has 11 NASCAR Xfinity Series victories, two Truck Series victories and six ARCA Menards Series victories during his career. He also claimed the 2016 ARCA Menards Series title.

Petit Le Mans, GT Challenge Get New Dates

Published in Racing
Thursday, 04 March 2021 12:37

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – IMSA officials have announced date changes for the Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia Int’l Raceway and the season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

The changes follow the announcement that the 24 Hours of Le Mans has been moved to Aug. 21-22.

The new Le Mans date falls on the originally scheduled IMSA weekend at Virginia Int’l Raceway, which was slated to have a live, NBC network television window for the two-hour, 40-minute IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race featuring the GT Le Mans (GTLM) and GT Daytona (GTD) classes.

As a result of that, and the fact that several teams and drivers plan to compete at Le Mans, the WeatherTech Championship race now will be run on Saturday, Oct. 9, airing live on NBC. It also will become the WeatherTech Sprint Cup season finale for the GTD class. The new VIR event weekend will be Oct. 8-10.

The new date for the 24th Motul Petit Le Mans will be Saturday, Nov. 13 and also will include a live, three-hour NBC network television window. The race will include five WeatherTech Championship classes – Daytona Prototype international (DPi), LMP2, LMP3, GTLM and GTD – and close out both the 2021 WeatherTech Championship and IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup seasons. The event weekend will run from Nov. 10-13.

“Given the momentum we are carrying in regard to television viewership, it is important for us to preserve live, NBC network windows,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “Holding our season finale in November proved successful last year in Sebring, and we have every reason to believe we can be successful again this November at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. As always, we are grateful to all of our stakeholders – and particularly our promoter and television partners – for their flexibility and understanding as we maneuver through these changes.”

In addition to the WeatherTech Championship events, the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and IMSA Prototype Challenge races scheduled for both VIR and Michelin Raceway also will be moving to the new event weekends.

Three IMSA-sanctioned single-make series – Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and Porsche Carrera Cup North America – also will be affected by these changes. Updates will be provided by the manufacturers when confirmed.

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