Teen Cowell earns Player of the Week for Earthquakes
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser died Sunday at his home in New Mexico at age 87.
Officials at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he won “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in 1968, 1975 and 1981, announced his death on Monday.
Unser was part of the first family of the Indianapolis 500. His brother, Al, won the race four times, making them the only set of brothers to drink the post-race milk reserved for the winner. In all, six members of the Unser family have driven in the Indy 500, with Al Unser Jr. continuing the family legacy with two wins. Bobby produced 10 top-10 finishes in 19 career starts.
Bobby Unser Jr. was born Feb. 20, 1934, in Colorado Springs, Colo., but his family moved to Albuquerque when he was a toddler. As a teenager, he drove modified stock cars before serving in the military as he and two of his brothers gravitated toward racing.
His older brother, Jerry, was killed at age 26 in an accident in 1959 at a practice run before the Indianapolis 500.
Bobby Unser made his Indy 500 debut in 1963 and is one of two drivers to win the race — Rick Mears is the other — in three different decades.
Unser’s final Indy 500 victory in a Roger Penske entry was one of the most contentious outcomes and is still disputed to this day.
Unser won from the pole and beat Mario Andretti by 5.18 seconds, but officials ruled Unser passed cars illegally while exiting the pit lane under caution — drawing a penalty that docked him one position and moved Andretti to winner.
Penske and Unser appealed and after a lengthy process the penalty was rescinded in October of that year. Unser finished his career with 35 career Indy Car victories and two championships among his eight top-three finishes in the season points standing.
After his driving career, Unser moved to a 20-year broadcasting career with ABC Sports.
College athletics
WCC COMMISSIONER GETS CONTRACT EXTENSION >> The West Coast Conference rewarded the work of commissioner Gloria Nevarez by doubling down on her leadership. The WCC announced Monday that Nevarez has signed a contract extension through the 2025-26 academic year.
During Nevarez’s tenure, the WCC implemented the Russell Rule, which requires schools to “include a member of a traditionally underrepresented community in the final candidate pool for every athletic director, senior administrator, head coach and full-time assistant coaching search.”
Named for USF legend Bill Russell, the rule is the first of its kind in Division I. Nevarez also closed the WCC offices, previously located in San Bruno, and implemented a permanent remote model.
Horse racing DERBY WAGERING REBOUNDS 96 PERCENT >>
Back to being run on its traditional date on the first Saturday in May, the Kentucky Derby regained its place in American sports gambling over the weekend as wagering bounced back to near-record levels.
According to figures reported by Churchill Downs Inc., all-sources wagering on Saturday’s 2021 Kentucky Derby was $155.4 million, up 96 percent from last year, and second-most all time to the $165.5 million of 2019.
Last year’s race was postponed until September and held without spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic.
BAFFERT MULLING MEDINA SPIRIT’S NEXTSTEP>>
Medina Spirit’s surprising Kentucky Derby victory gave Bob Baffert a good problem to have — figuring out where to hang another sign on his barn’s already crowded wall of glory.
As Baffert digests a record seventh Derby win that even caught him off guard, the Hall of Fame trainer and the horse’s connections must determine whether the dark brown colt will turn around quickly for the 146th Preakness on May 15 in Baltimore.
“He came out of it well,” Baffert said Sunday morning at Churchill Downs. “It takes about a week to determine, so I’m going to come back next weekend and see. I don’t see anything that would discourage me right now.”
Tennis KENIN BECOMES FIRST AMERICAN TO QUALIFY FOR OLYMPICS >>
Sofia Kenin clinched a spot on the U.S. tennis team for the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first American to do so. She is ranked fourth in the world in singles and is guaranteed to be one of the top four American women in the rankings after the French Open, when the teams will be set.
Currently trailing her are Serena Williams, Jennifer Brady and Alison Riske. While Williams and Brady appear to be strong contenders to clinch a Tokyo berth, the fourth spot is up for grabs, with Riske, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff all in contention.
Kenin, a 22-year-old, is a five-time winner on the WTA Tour, including the 2020 Australian Open.
Soccer MAN UNITED TO PUNISH FANS WHO COMMITTED CRIMINAL ACTS IN PROTESTS >>
Manchester United will punish fans who committed criminal acts during the protests on Sunday which led to the Premier League game against Liverpool being postponed, the club said.
United fans protesting against the club’s American owners, the Glazer family, stormed into the stadium which was closed to fans due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Greater Manchester Police said a 28-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the protests and added that it was “reviewing all obtainable evidence” to identify the organizers of the demonstration and those responsible for assaulting officers.