Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Kurt Busch facing uncertain future
Head injury has Vegas driver in limbo
Kurt Busch will miss his fourth consecutive NASCAR race this weekend with an upper body injury. At least that is the way it would have been reported had he played for the Golden Knights.
To Busch’s credit, he has been forthcoming and transparent about the head injury that threatens his participation in the Cup Series playoffs as well as what remains of his driving career.
“Brain injury doesn’t always take a linear path,” the former series champ from Las Vegas wrote in his weekly social media progress report after clouting the wall during qualifying at Pocono Raceway July 23. “I’ve been feeling well in my recovery, but this week I pushed to get my heart rate and body in a race situation-type environment, and it’s clear I’m not ready to be back in the race car …”
Busch went on to say that this by far was his hardest week emotionally but that he was pushing hard each day. He thanked everyone for their continued support and wished his replacement, Ty Gibbs, good luck in this week’s race in Richmond, Virginia.
Now that’s how you handle an injury update.
Around the horn
■ When he was inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame June 17, ex-bishop Gorman standout Demarco Murray probably never dreamed he would be defending his former Oklahoma position coach — and until Sunday fellow Sooners assistant — Cale Gundy after the latter resigned for repeating a “racially charged word” found on a player’s ipad during a team meeting.
Wrote Murray on Twitter: “I wouldn’t be the man I am today without his love/guidance he’s shown me and my family as well as countless other student-athletes over the past 25-plus years. He’s not just my former coach, but a great friend that will always remain that and more.”
The former NFL star also said that “what transpired was unacceptable during position meetings” and “we must use this time to educate and continue to unify.”
■ Stat of the week: Though former Bishop Gorman star Joey Gallo has hit 171 home runs over his eight-year MLB career, he has only two sacrifice flies in 2,262 at-bats — which seems unusual for a big guy who specializes in hitting high, deep and majestic fly balls (and yes, also has been known to strike out a time or two).
According to Deadspin, the last MLB player to have two sacrifices or fewer over as many at-bats as Gallo was Eddie Miksis, who had two when he retired in 1958. But the website neglected to point out that sacrifice flies were not an official statistic until 1954 — 10 years after the light-hitting Miksis made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
■ Last week’s note about local author and golf enthusiast Jack Sheehan trying to get Bill Russell, who adamantly but politely refused to sign autographs, to sign their golf scorecard elicited a similar story from Las Vegan Richard Assalone, another former golfing partner of the basketball legend.
Assalone wrote in an email that after a round at Royal Links, he mentioned to Russell that because Assalone had kept score, it would be up to the former Boston Celtics great to sign the card.
“He let out his usual loud laugh. He then signed my scorecard,” Assalone wrote of the big man who became the first player to have his jersey number (6) retired by the NBA following his recent death. “He signed William Russell.
“He told me he is William Russell to his friends. Bill Russell was (only) a basketball player.”
0:01
■ Twitter user @Nhljackmanning commenting on the Golden Knights’ goaltending situation on Wednesday: “I would love it if Logan Thompson became a bonafide No. 1. But the road to hell is littered with goalies that had hot starts to their careers before opposing pro scouts find all the weaknesses in their games. I’m not ready to turn the reins over to a guy with 19 starts.”
And this is what he wrote Thursday, after Robin Lehner was declared out for the season due to hip surgery: “What I meant to say is that Logan Thompson is obviously ready to be a number one goaltender in this league! No doubt in my mind that his prior success will continue without interruption. Oh. God.”