IN BRIEF Confederate flag banned by NASCAR

Bold change announced before race in Martinsville

NASCAR has banned the Confederate flag from its races and properties.

NASCAR said Wednesday the Confederate flag “runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry.”

Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s lone black driver, called this week for the banishment of the Confederate flag and said there was “no place” for them in the sport. Wallace asked the stock car series with deep ties to the South to formally distance itself from what for millions is a symbol of slavery and racism.

At long last, NASCAR obliged.

Former chairman Brian France in 2015 tried to ban the flying of Confederate flags at race tracks, a proposal too broad to enforce and one that angered NASCAR’s core Southern-based fan base.

The move was announced before Wednesday night’s race at Martinsville Speedway, which was won by Martin Truex Jr., who held off Ryan Blaney and Ryan Keselowski.

Baseball: The Tigers selected Arizona State slugger Spencer Torkelson with the No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball amateur draft. The Tigers plan to move Torkelson to third base from first base, where he played in college. Arkansas OF Heston Kjerstad went No. 2 overall to the Orioles, who took Oregon State C Adley Rutschman with the top pick a year ago. Minnesota RHP Max Meyer went third to the Marlins. Texas A&M LHP Asa Lacy was the No. 4 pick by the Royals. Rounding out the top 5 picks was Vanderbilt INF Austin Martin, who was taken by the Blue Jays as a shortstop after he played third base.

Boxing: An all-British world heavyweight title showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury in 2021 is a step closer. Fury said that an agreement has been reached with Joshua’s camp on a two-fight deal between the current holders of the heavyweight belts.

Colleges: USC is welcoming back Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush to the school he helped win two national titles, ending a 10-year NCAA-mandated disassociation. The former star RB had been prohibited from interacting in an official capacity with the school he played for from 2003-05 since NCAA sanctions handed down in 2010. Bush and USC were penalized for him and his family receiving impermissible benefits while he was still in school. “I’ve dreamed of this day for 10-plus years, and I’m excited to come home!” Bush said in a statement.

Golf: U.S. captain Steve Stricker would pick half of his 12-man Ryder Cup team under a revised points system that accounts for golf not being played for three months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualifying for the top six Americans also was extended by one week through the BMW Championship, the second of three FedEx Cup playoff events. That leaves 12 events for Americans to earn Ryder Cup points for the Sept. 25-27 matches at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, assuming the Ryder Cup is held this year.

Olympics: Amid a global wave of demonstrations against racism, the IOC said it would open talks that could let athletes make stronger protests at the Olympic Games. Only five months ago the Olympic body strengthened its ban on political statements by specifying that gestures such as taking a knee or raising a fist on a medal podium remain prohibited. But the IOC’s public stance eased slightly Wednesday when its president Thomas Bach said the in-house athlete committee would “explore different ways” opinions could be expressed during the games — while still “respecting the Olympic spirit.”

Soccer: MLS announced that its season will resume starting July 8 with a tournament in Florida. The league’s 26 teams will be divided into six groups for the opening round of the tournament played without fans at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World. Each team will have three group matches, played over 16 consecutive days with multiple games a day. The group matches will count toward the regular season. Sixteen teams will advance to the knockout round, with the winner earning a spot in the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League.

Tennis: Roger Federer will miss whatever remains of the coronavirus-impacted 2020 season because of a setback in his recovery from surgery on his right knee. The 20-time Grand Slam champion had arthroscopic surgery on his knee in February and said in a statement on Twitter that he had a second procedure that will delay his return until 2021. Federer, 38, had initially planned to be sidelined for at least four months.