Burton, Earnhardt, Edwards headline Hall of Fame nominees
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards were among the new nominees for NASCAR’s next Hall of Fame class announced Tuesday under a revamped voting protocol.
Voters for 11 years elected five members per class first from a list of 25 candidates; it was trimmed to 20 beginning with the 2015 class.
The new process starting this year splits the nominees into three ballots; Modern candidates, Pioneer candidates and Landmark candidates. Two entries from the 10 Modern candidates will be elected, along with one entry apiece from the five-candidate Pioneer and Landmark categories.
Janet Guthrie, the first woman to run in the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600, returns as a nominee to the Landmark category after a one year absence. She was dropped in 2019 from the category, which has existed as an award for contribution to the sport, and her absence sparked a backlash toward the nominating committee.
Burton, Earnhardt, Edwards, Jake Elder and Banjo Matthews are all first-time nominees for the Hall of Fame.
Burton and Earnhardt both moved to the NBC Sports broadcasting booth after successful careers with big race wins but never the elusive Cup Series championship.
Olympics
ATHLETES ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR TOKYO GAMES GET TO KEEP SPOTS » About 6,500 athletes who already have earned their spots for the Tokyo Games are in for 2021 under redrawn qualifying regulations published by the International Olympic Committee.
The IOC released its rewritten roadmap for qualifying for the games, which were rescheduled due to the coronavirus. They’ll be held July 23 through Aug. 8 next year.
The new deadline for qualifying is June 29, 2021, and entry lists are due a week later. Individual international sports federations will still be in charge of their qualifying procedures.
Many sports allow athletes to qualify by compiling results over a series of events. The IOC urged the federations to find a balance “between protecting those athletes who were close to qualifying based on the previous 2020 deadlines and also ensuring the best athletes at the Olympic Games” by taking into consideration performances in 2021.
Soccer
ENGLISH SOCCER WARNED OF $1B PANDEMIC LOSSES, CLUBS CLOSING » English soccer faced warnings that losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic could exceed $1 billion and clubs could go out of business.
The financial alarm was sounded by the heads of the English Football Association and Premier League as well-paid players in the top flight resist calls to cut their salaries because they believe the move would only benefit wealthy owners.
FA chairman Greg Clarke urged the country to unite to “keep the game alive.”
In the lower leagues, third-tier promotion hopeful Sunderland and fourthtier leader Crewe announced they would place staff, including players, on the government’s job retention scheme.
MÜLLER EXTENDS CONTRACT AT BAYERN MUNICH » Thomas Müller signed a two-year contract extension with Bayern Munich, the German champions said.
The 30-year-old attacking midfielder’s contract had been due to expire at the end of next season but he is now tied to the team until 2023.
Müller has been with Bayern for 20 years, winning eight German titles and the 2013 Champions League, and marked his 500th senior game for the club in November.
NFL
BUCCANEERS UNVEIL NEW LOOK » The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are all in for a new look in 2020. Building on momentum created by the signing of six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady in free agency, the Bucs unveiled new uniforms for next season — a move that also figures to be embraced by fans.
Gone are jerseys sporting difficult to read digital alarm clock-style numbers, replaced by more traditional red, white and pewter ensembles similar to the uniforms the team wore from 1997-2013 — the most successful stretch in franchise history.
Hockey
BETTMAN RAISES CHANCE OF NHL NOT COMPLETING REGULAR SEASON » For the first time since halting play four weeks ago, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman raised the possibility of not completing the regular season in order to squeeze in time to award the Stanley Cup.
Bettman also acknowledged during an interview with NBCSN the league is considering having games played at neutral sites in the event not all teams will be allowed into their home rinks.
Bettman, however, stressed these are among myriad options being considered with nothing determined because it will take at least two more weeks to gain a clearer picture on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the league’s 31 markets.
OILERS’ CAVE IN MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA » Edmonton Oilers forward Colby Cave has been placed in a medically induced coma after suffering a brain bleed. The Oilers said on their Twitter account that the brain bleed happened overnight and that Cave was in the critical care unit at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital.
MLB
RIPKEN HEADS CHARITY CAMPAIGN » Cal Ripken Jr. has launched a campaign to help feed children and families across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, coordinating a contribution of $250,000 and opening a social media account for the first time to promote the cause.
Ripken spent his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles before retiring in 2001. He set a record by playing in 2,632 consecutive games and gained entry into the Hall of Fame in 2007.
His current focus is helping feed families impacted financially by the coronavirus, but he’s also looking forward to a time when baseball teams are back on the diamond. Ripken is encouraged by the effort of Major League
Baseball to devise a plan to start the delayed season, suggesting that the games “can play an important part in the recovery of the country.”
College basketball
BEY, GARZA, POWELL, PRITCHARD, TOPPIN WIN HOOPS AWARDS » Saddiq Bey of Villanova, Luka Garza of Iowa, Myles Powell of Seton Hall, Peyton Pritchard of Oregon and Obi Toppin of Dayton have earned positional awards from the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Bey received the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year award. He averaged 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and shot 45% from 3-point range.
Garza was named the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year. He averaged 23.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.
Powell earned the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year. He averaged 21 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
The Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year went to Pritchard, who averaged 20.5 points, 5.5 assists and shot 82% from the freethrow line.
Toppin received the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year. He averaged 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and shot 63% from the field.
Each award’s namesake headed his own selection committee to evaluate candidates throughout the season. Fans also were able to vote. ARIZONA’S MANNION JOINS NNAJI IN DECLARING FOR DRAFT » Arizona point guard Nico Mannion has joined fellow freshman teammate Zeke Nnaji in declaring for the NBA draft.
Mannion arrived in Tucson as the highest-rated recruit in a class that included Nnaji and Josh Green. He averaged 14 points and was second in the Pac-12 with 5.3 assists per game during his lone season at Arizona.
DUKE FRESHMAN STANLEY DECLARES FOR DRAFT » Duke freshman Cassius Stanley is entering the NBA draft.
Stanley announced his decision after averaging 12.6 points and 4.9 rebounds for the Blue Devils, highlighted by his highflying athleticism.
He had a season-high 24 points in a January loss to Louisville, while he finished strong with 19 points and six rebounds against rival North Carolina in what turned out to be the Blue Devils’ final game once the coronavirus pandemic led to the cancellation of postseason tournaments.