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Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard has opened up about his personal struggles in a heartfelt message on social media, saying he was "lost as a player and person" during the 2019-20 campaign.
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Lingard's goal in the closing stages of a 2-0 win at Leicester City on Sunday -- which secured Champions League qualification for third-placed United -- was his first Premier League strike in 18 months.
The 27-year-old has lost his regular first-team spot under United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and was limited to nine league starts in the 2019-20 season.
"This season has been difficult for so many reasons," Lingard said in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
"I lost who I was as a player and person, but I never wanted to give up, I knew who I really was on and off the pitch and knew that having been there before I could get there again.
"This meant working harder than I'd ever done before and trusting in those around me that they knew how to best help me achieve that."
In an interview with the Daily Mail last December, Lingard said he took on greater responsibility for his younger siblings after his mother became unwell earlier in the season.
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Lingard also said he had feared for his United future after posting a bizarre video on social media with teammate Marcus Rashford before the start of the last campaign.
"I know the fans have been frustrated but in all this time my love for this club and everyone connected to it has never left me," Lingard, a United academy graduate, said.
"This team, this club is my family and I will continue to keep working harder than ever to help this team achieve its goals."
Lingard has been linked in the media with a move away from United in the current transfer window, having less than a year remaining on his contract.
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Alexis Sanchez will have to take a pay cut if he wants to sign for Inter Milan permanently, sources have told ESPN.
United agreed a short extension to Sanchez's loan at Inter to cover the end of the Serie A season after it was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The agreement is due to end after the final round of fixtures on Saturday and sources have told ESPN that United will not sanction another short-term arrangement to cover the remaining Europa League games in Germany in August.
Inter have expressed an interest in signing Sanchez permanently but the Chile international will have to significantly reduce his demands with his contract worth close to £400,000-a-week at Old Trafford.
The 31-year-old still has two years left on his deal at United following his move from Arsenal in January 2018.
Sanchez is not in manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's plans and United are open to another long-term loan but would prefer to sell.
Chris Smalling's loan at Roma is also due to end next week and United are waiting on a proposal from the Italian side before making a decision on his future.
The defender will not be available to play for Roma in the Europa League unless a new long-team loan or a permanent transfer can be agreed.
United could meet Roma in the semifinals and Inter Milan in the final.
Smalling has impressed at Roma and Solskjaer has not ruled out including the 30-year-old in his squad for next season if another central defender does not arrive in the transfer window.
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NBA and WNBA players' decade of demanding justice
Published in
Breaking News
Wednesday, 29 July 2020 09:00
Dec. 8
Players across league wear “I Can’t Breathe” shirts
When Derrick Rose took the floor for the Chicago Bulls’ game against the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 6, 2014, he eschewed his traditional warm-up shirt for a black T-shirt with three words written in bold, white letters:
“I Can’t Breathe”
Those were the last words of Eric Garner, who died in July 2014 after a New York City police officer placed him in a choke hold. One week before Rose’s on-court statement, a grand jury had declined to bring charges against the officer.
“When I put it on and walked out there, I knew that it was gonna be something, because all my teammates, they were just shook,” Rose wrote in his 2019 autobiography. “It wasn’t about me, but you could tell they were thinking something different. Would people be upset? Because I wasn’t someone who talked much, wasn’t someone always speaking up, I think that made it louder. But that’s what I mean. Stuff like that. Something simple. Something I cared about. And it’s helping others. That’s how I wanted to express it.”
In that moment, the soft-spoken Rose sparked a movement. In the days that followed, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard and Kobe Bryant were among the players who donned “I Can’t Breathe” shirts.
Six years later, those words resonated again after the killing of George Floyd, who said “I can’t breathe” as a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for approximately eight minutes.
“I’m from that same kind of neighborhood where that man got killed,” Rose wrote of Garner in 2019. “That looks like every storefront in my neighborhood. I easily could have seen that, been there. And what could I have done with the police? Like, ‘Whoa, whoa, you got him in a chokehold! You about to kill him.’” — ERIC WOODYARD
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'This is a time where we're being heard': How the NBA is fighting for change from inside the bubble
Published in
Breaking News
Wednesday, 29 July 2020 09:00
FRED VANVLEET TRUDGED from the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Naples, out the double doors and into the stifling Florida humidity. The Toronto Raptors guard squinted, his eyes adjusting to the sunlight as the words came into focus.
He saw "Black Lives Matter" in large, white letters across each side of two buses that had arrived to take the Raptors to the NBA's campus at Walt Disney World Resort.
"It was dope," VanVleet said. "They didn't even tell us they were doing that."
The defending NBA champions were sending a message as they entered the bubble on July 9.
Along the three-hour trek north, VanVleet said, the buses passed through neighborhoods with manicured lawns featuring signs endorsing President Donald Trump, who called the Black Lives Matter movement a "symbol of hate" earlier this month.
"I was looking out the window like, 'Oh s---,'" VanVleet said. "That was the first time I really thought about it. They probably weren't going to be too happy with this bus. I thought that was a big, big gesture for sure by the team."
After some considered not playing, many NBA players chose to enter the bubble in large part because they saw an opportunity to use their platform to amplify their message. Although they are still determining how to best promote their cause, the past few weeks have seen an increased push from players, coaches and the league leading up to Thursday night's restart opener inside the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
With play resuming, players have been determined that these discussions about racial inequality and police brutality against Black people won't fade.
"Our performance on the court is a distraction," VanVleet said. "People love sports, and it takes you away from whatever you got going on. It's going to be our job and the league's job to give you the entertainment and still give you the message at the same time. ...
"We have a lot of great players and great leadership. We're going to keep finding great ways to get our message across."
MORE: Why the only NBA player who wears 'Sr.' on his jersey chose a different message
IN THE DAYS leading up to the NBA restart, Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell connected with New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday. They discussed how they could use the opening game of the restart to send a message.
A plan was formed: Both the Jazz and the Pelicans will kneel around the Black Lives Matter wording near center court -- the only thing on the hardwood beyond the NBA logo and lines governing play -- in a show of solidarity during the national anthem.
Instead of having two groups protest separately, both teams want to display a united front, sources said. The coaches are expected to join the players in the demonstration.
"There's a lot of buzz that I've been hearing," National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts said, referring to the potential for players to kneel. "I've always trusted our players to do what is best and to do what's in their hearts."
Thursday's demonstration will showcase their effort on the national stage, but many NBA players have been using their platform to advocate for change since they arrived at the Florida campus in early July.
Nearly 40 players dialed in to a Zoom conference on the afternoon of July 19 from their hotel rooms inside Disney's Grand Floridian, Yacht Club and Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs resorts.
On the line were politician and activist Stacey Abrams and Tamika Palmer, the mother of Breonna Taylor, who was shot by Louisville police officers in May after they served a no-knock warrant.
Abrams moderated the discussion between the players and Taylor, who was invited to the call by Oklahoma City Thunder guard and NBPA president Chris Paul. "We just want to be soldiers for her and her family and just continue to keep [Taylor's] name out there," Paul said.
Roberts said that initially, some players didn't know that Palmer was on the call.
"[The emotion] was palpable," Roberts said. "She didn't give a speech. She sort of acknowledged she was there and was really pretty quiet and said she obviously loved her daughter and just wanted to make sure everyone understood what happened.
"And the pain in her very limited number of words spoken was clear, and then of course the players' response, letting her know that they would be there for her and were not going to let this thing just die on the vine."
According to one person on the call, player after player asked what he could do to help Taylor's family.
They were told, one player on the call said, that it would be helpful for players to bring up Taylor's case when they speak to reporters before and after practices and games, the way Denver Nuggets forward Jerami Grant did days earlier.
"Our job at the least is to keep these conversations going. We're not political elites. We're not politicians. We're not educators. But we have influence." Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown
The following day, Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris used his news conference to talk about Taylor's death, demanding that the law enforcement officials involved be arrested. Over the next week, several players -- including the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and Alex Caruso, the LA Clippers' Paul George, the 76ers' Mike Scott and the Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart -- dedicated entire news conferences to talking about Taylor.
"Every player needs to get behind [Taylor]," Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown said. "It's not something we need to let slip away. ...
"For her to lose her life and her family to lose her, I wouldn't sleep easy if I went about my day not trying to help her and her family as much as I can."
Before arriving in Florida, some players expressed concerns about whether resuming play would distract from ongoing social justice protests and demonstrations. Some worried that the environment could complicate their organizing efforts.
To confront those possibilities, players have been vocal about their desire for reporters to jump-start conversations about social justice and racial inequality. Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma took to Twitter last week to ask for more social justice questions. Raptors forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson ended his media session Saturday -- after he wasn't asked any such questions -- by prodding those on the call.
"Some of you guys have the biggest platforms in the media and talking points, and lots of people follow you guys, so I want to challenge you all," Hollis-Jefferson said. "We know what is going on in the world and where our focus should be."
The NBA's safety protocols have presented challenges too, and players' early activism efforts have been a work in progress as they settle into new routines and living quarters. For two weeks after players arrived in Orlando, Florida, they weren't allowed to visit hotels other than the one in which they are staying.
Now that those restrictions have been lifted, Brooklyn Nets guard and NBPA vice president Garrett Temple has been able to find like-minded players interested in the same matters of social justice.
Temple said he formed a group chat with the Raptors' Kyle Lowry, the Portland Trail Blazers' CJ McCollum and the Indiana Pacers' Malcolm Brogdon focused on education reform. (While in Orlando, Brogdon unveiled a new foundation focused on bringing clean water to African countries and education reform to the United States.)
Temple said the group plans to have regular dinners to discuss policies, and the players' union has been organizing a speaker series. One installment, held Sunday, featured former First Lady Michelle Obama on the importance of voting.
"You still don't know exactly how you want things to play out, what you need to do," Temple said. "Over the next week and a half, two weeks, we may be able to get to a point where we can try to find some common ground with guys and start talking about what those tangible, actionable items are."
LeBron James, who on Thursday addressed reporters about Taylor and Black Lives Matter, said that he hopes more players will feel comfortable speaking out as the season restart unfolds.
"The greatest thing that could come out of this is guys in this bubble, guys who are maybe scared at points in time [might not] speak about this because they feel like it may affect how people view them," James said. "They say, 'I'm not LeBron. I can't do that. He can go up there and say that. It might affect my livelihood.'
"This is a time where we're being heard."
BRETT BROWN PUSHED through a pair of teal doors to the ballroom-turned-practice-facility inside the Coronado Springs resort. The 76ers' head coach called center Joel Embiid away from his hamstring stretches and asked forward Ben Simmons to take a break from shooting and join him with the rest of the players near the baseline.
Standing in front of a television, Brown pointed to an image of Rep. John Lewis and asked the players gathered in a semicircle around him:
"Do you know who this is?"
Several players murmured yes. Others shook their heads no. Brown explained that Lewis, who died the night before on July 17, was the last of the living "Big Six" activists, Civil Rights leaders who helped organize the March on Washington in 1963. (Several teams have recently watched "Good Trouble," the documentary about Lewis' activism.)
"I know who I am," Brown told his players, who are predominantly Black. "I am a 59-year-old white man who doesn't walk in your shoes. But I know what a good heart is. I know right from wrong.
"While we're on this path in Orlando, we don't want to be full of s---. It's called virtue signaling. We don't want to do that. It's going to be on you."
As players make their voices heard inside the bubble, coaches have also taken on a prominent role in furthering discussions about race and policy changes. In every game, coaches have worn large pins that read "Coaches Against Racial Injustice." The Portland Trail Blazers' Terry Stotts conducted a Zoom interview in a "Black Lives Matter" shirt. The San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich wore a shirt that read "Vote: Your life depends on it" during practice.
"The only way to overcome racial inequality is to reckon with our past and talk about it." Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle
The Clippers' Doc Rivers has been pleading for people to vote during his media sessions. The league, meanwhile, has provided players with voter registration resources in Florida through a smartphone app.
On July 15, Indiana Pacers head coach Nate McMillan showed his players "13th," Ava DuVernay's documentary on the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery in 1865.
"I am a coach. I am not trying to be an activist. I am not trying to be a history teacher by putting this film on in front of our players," McMillan said. "I just want us to be aware, and I wanted our players to be able to speak out."
The league's coaches have unified, in part, because of the leadership of one of their brethren outside the bubble: Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce.
Pierce, one of eight Black head coaches in the NBA -- five Black head coaches are inside the bubble -- chaired a subcommittee focused on racial injustice and social reform in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, on May 25.
"We had a call the next night," Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford said. "And since then, in each of the [NBA] cities, we have been organizing. ... The key is to work with people who understand how we get things changed. That's law, policy, procedure.
"I don't think anybody is looking to do photo ops."
Pierce also connected the NBA Coaches Association with Bryan Stevenson, author of "Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption" and the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative. The meeting led to a plan for coaches, including the Utah Jazz's Quin Snyder and the Dallas Mavericks' Rick Carlisle, to use a portion of their daily Zoom calls with reporters to bring to light moments of racial injustice in America's past.
On Thursday, Carlisle discussed the events of July 23, 1910, when a Black taxi driver was shot to death by a white man in Montgomery, Alabama.
"Part of our thing is to educate people," Carlisle, who has been president of the coaches' association since 2006, said of the mission. "The only way to overcome racial inequality is to reckon with our past and talk about it."
THURSDAY'S NBA RESTART will see pregame demonstrations give way to the players' unveiling to a national audience league-sanctioned messages, including "Say Her Name," "I Can't Breathe," "Education Reform" and "Vote," on the backs of their jerseys.
Mavericks players Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, J.J. Barea and Maxi Kleber will have "Equality" displayed in their native languages. Other players, such as Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers, said they will not be putting one of the messages on their jerseys.
Rivers said he would've preferred to name Trayvon Martin -- the 17-year-old who was fatally shot while walking in a Florida neighborhood in 2012 -- but the league did not approve using specific victims' names on jerseys, citing concerns about offending those close to someone whose name might not be used. (When the WNBA opened its season on Saturday, the backs of jerseys read "Breonna Taylor," to whom players dedicated the season.)
The NBA has explored playing "Lift Every Voice and Sing," known as the Black national anthem, at games, league sources said.
"Our job at the least is to keep these conversations going," Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown said. "We're not political elites. We're not politicians. We're not educators. But we have influence, and we care about our community. ...
"Are we playing basketball through a pandemic, or are we playing because we want to show solidarity and awareness to things going [on] outside the world?"
Players insist that they are in this for the long haul. Their organizing efforts might be in the formative stages, but the players realize that three months of developments will take place inside the NBA bubble -- during an election year.
"I am proud of this whole group of guys because I don't think they will let it die," Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry said. "I don't think LeBron James will let it die. I don't think Donovan Mitchell, Jrue Holiday, Chris Paul, they will not let this die."
ESPN's Tim Bontemps contributed to this story.
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Mo Gaba, a beloved Baltimore superfan, died Tuesday from cancer. He was 14.
A frequent caller on a sports talk-radio show, Gaba became an inspirational figure for players on the Orioles and Ravens for his positive attitude and selflessness.
Last year at the NFL draft, Gaba made history by becoming the first person to announce a selection off a card written in braille. On Tuesday, he was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame just hours before he died.
"The world has lost a beautiful spirit and a shining light," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "With his infectious laugh, amazing love of life and love of Baltimore sports, Mo captured the hearts of not only our organization, but the entire state of Maryland."
Gaba's celebrity in Baltimore started five years ago when he secretly called 105.7 The Fan while his mother was at work. Soon, he was throwing out the first pitch before an Orioles game and calling a play inside the Ravens huddle at practice, which resulted in a Lamar Jackson touchdown pass.
Thank you for everything, Mo.
Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/D64p1Nm2Hj
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 29, 2020
Gaba grew close with Orioles outfielder Trey Mancini, who is undergoing chemotherapy treatment after having a cancerous tumor removed from his colon in March. Mancini spent an entire day with Gaba during the All-Star break two years ago.
"Your kindness, bravery and positivity has left a lasting impact on all of us who were lucky enough to have met you," Mancini said Tuesday night. "You have truly made this world a better place."
It has been estimated that Gaba spent 75 percent of his life at hospitals. His mother, Sonsy, first discovered Gaba's health issues at 9 months old, when she noticed his eyes appeared white in a photo taken at a family gathering. He was diagnosed with a malignant tumor of the retina and soon lost his sight.
Gaba underwent operations, aggressive chemotherapy, radiation and a bone-marrow transplant to treat tumors on his neck, legs and lungs.
Less than two months ago, scans showed cancer had spread into his lungs and brain.
"I lost my best friend today," Gaba's mother posted on social media. "Your legacy will live on love bug."
Six weeks ago, Gaba's eighth-grade graduation was celebrated with a car parade, which included Mancini, Orioles catcher Austin Wynns, Ravens offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman and the Ravens marching band. Gaba was presented with a montage video that included several Orioles and Ravens wishing him the best.
"He'll never know how many lives he touched," said Ravens guard Ben Powers, who was selected in the fourth round in 2019 after Gaba announced the pick. "He will always have a special place in my heart."
On Tuesday, Gaba became only the second fan to be inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame. Lying in bed, he had the announcement read to him.
Our most dedicated fan is forever with us in our Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/usFYQk7s0p
— Baltimore Orioles ? (@Orioles) July 28, 2020
"Mo Gaba, you have brought so much joy to so many people," former Orioles outfielder Adam Jones said. "Your legacy will live on as a positive young man who never made an excuse and wanted your team to play hard. You're such an inspiration. Rest easy big fella. You will be missed!"
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Premier 15s: Clubs cleared to return to training in women's top-flight rugby union
Published in
Rugby
Wednesday, 29 July 2020 04:01
Clubs in the top flight of women's rugby union in England can now return to 'stage one training'.
Premier 15s clubs have not trained since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, with the 2019-20 season declared null and void in early April.
Stage one involves non-contact group training on a socially distanced basis.
No timescale has been set for clubs to move to full-contact training, while a start date for the 2020-21 season has yet to be decided.
The Rugby Football Union says clubs must meet a number of criteria, including testing levels and hygiene standards, before being given permission to resume training.
"After a four-month lockdown period, players need to return to a good training environment to push forward in their physical development," said the RFU's head of women's performance Nicky Ponsford.
Some members of the England Women's squad have already begun stage one training, with the rest of the squad returning by the end of this week before linking up with their respective clubs.
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MASON CITY, Iowa — Capturing his third USMTS victory of the year, Tanner Mullens led all 35 laps to top opening night of Mod Mania at the Mason City Motor Speedway.
The 27-year-old from Wichita, Kan., was the Sybesma Graphics Pole Award winner and remained at the front of the field the entire distance to capture another multitude of awards that await each winner. He also pocketed $2,000.
“I tried to ride around as long as I could on the bottom and was just trying to slow the pace down to save the tire there,” Mullens revealed. “I was getting tight there at the end and it (right rear tire) don’t look like we have too much left on it.”
Zack VanderBeek started from the outside of Mullens on the front row. He was second on the first lap and stayed glued to Mullens’ rear bumper until the checkered flag waved.
“I could kind of hear him,” Mullens recalled,” and I think he bumped me there once but I was just trying to slow down and save the tire. I didn’t think they were going to be able to drive around me on the outside.”
Mullens was in the mix the entire race when the Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s visited Mason City on June 18, eventually finishing third behind Dereck Ramirez — who was unable to crack the top 10 tonight — and point leader Rodney Sanders.
Then again, he’s been in the mix since the start of the 2020 campaign. He won the first USMTS main event of his career at the Lucas Oil Speedway on June 3 and followed that up with a heart-breaking runner-up the following night at his hometown 81 Speedway before winning again two weeks later at the Cedar County Raceway.
In addition to three wins he has eight top-five finishes and he’s finished among the top ten in all 13 of his starts utilizing a family-built chassis and engine.
VanderBeek brought his VanderBuilt home second while Sanders had to settle for the third-place paycheck. Hunter Marriott was fourth and Terry Phillips found himself fifth in the end.
The finish:
Tanner Mullens, Zack VanderBeek, Rodney Sanders, Hunter Marriott, Terry Phillips, Tyler Davis, Lucas Schott, Al Hejna, Jacob Bleess, Jake Timm, Dereck Ramirez, Dustin Sorensen, Calvin Iverson, Brooks Strength, Alex Williamson, Jason Hughes, Jason Cummins, Joe Duvall, Chase Rudolf, Casey Skyberg, Adam Hensel, Adam Kates, Joe Horgdal, Jake O’Neil
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DAVENPORT, Iowa — For the second time in as many races, Davenport Speedway delivered an absolute thriller with the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series.
Brandon Sheppard earned his 11th series victory of the season in Tuesday’s 50-lapper, earning $10,000.
Six official lead changes highlighted the action-packed show which brought fans to their feet as they witnessed Sheppard swap the lead multiple times with Cade Dillard.
A side-by-side battle for the lead not good enough? Well Jimmy Owens made it a three-way war throughout the closing half as three of the nation’s best fought wheel-to-wheel and raced under a blanket for the win.
In the end, lady luck and lapped traffic played a factor in the finish as Sheppard snuck by Dillard with four laps remaining and survived one final frantic sprint to the checkered flag to score his 66th career World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory.
“It was crazy; I just don’t even know how to describe it,” said Sheppard. “Cade and Jimmy are two of the best guys in the whole country to race with. You know they’ll run you clean and they know I’m gonna race them clean. That was just a blast to be a part of. I’m gonna have to go back and watch that whole thing on DIRTVision.”
Owen
With Dillard and Chad Simpson lining the front row and Owens and Sheppard behind them, the stage was set for a clash of titans from the beginning.
After Simpson controlled the opening five circuits, Dillard worked his way to the lead on lap six as he mastered the low line around the quarter-mile. While Dillard held the point, the action boiled behind him as Owens attacked Sheppard for second, and momentarily took it, before Sheppard found a new level in the No. 1.
Acing the bottom as Dillard blasted the top, Sheppard methodically picked at the inside groove and capitalized on lap 19 by driving by Dillard down the backstretch to take command. A pair of lap 24 cautions halted the pace before a lap 28 stoppage proved to be the final restart with Sheppard in control over a stout row two of Dillard and Owens.
“The line just changes so much here,” Sheppard noted. “I thought for sure we were gonna run around the top almost all race long, but I went down to the bottom just because I was alone down there and it ended up taking us to the lead. I mean what do you do, take the lead on the bottom and move to the top? It just didn’t seem like the right thing to do. So we bided our time down there on the bottom, even though I didn’t really want to. But the last time I was here and I was leading when a caution came out Ricky Thornton Jr. drove right by me on the restart, so I decided to go up top after those cautions.”
Sheppard’s switch to the high side opened the door for Dillard to occupy his lane on the bottom, which gave fans an intense side-by-side battle for the lead.
Running neck-and-neck down the stretch, Dillard and Sheppard ensued to trade the lead it seemed almost every lap. In reality, Sheppard controlled laps 19-35, then Dillard took command off laps 36-37, Sheppard stole it back on lap 38, and then Dillard again snatched it away on lap 39.
“Cade was right there lap after lap after lap after lap after lap after lap,” Sheppard joked on the heated side-by-side affair.
Closing back in with traffic in play, Sheppard and Owens – who was right in the thick of things with both drivers all race long – caught Dillard as the five-to-go signal was given. While Dillard dealt with traffic on the bottom, Sheppard ripped around the top and was able to squeeze by both the lapper and Dillard on lap 46 to reassume control of the lead.
From there, it was a mad dash to the finish with Dillard and Owens frantically pursuing the Rocket1 Racing No. 1. In the end, neither Dillard nor Owens could muster up one final challenge for Sheppard, who banked his 11th World of Outlaws win of the year.
“I think we were on a little different tire than Cade was and we were just able to hold our momentum up top which is what really allowed us to win that race,” Sheppard noted. “I don’t know that we had the best car. We were in the right place at the right time. I think a few more laps and he probably would’ve passed me. It was getting ready to get hairy. But hey, sometimes you’ve got to have luck on your side and it was on ours this time.”
Coming home in second, Dillard only fell behind of Sheppard by .521 seconds at the checkered flag.
“I couldn’t run around the top like Brandon and Jimmy could, so I just tried to stay down in the mud and keep our softer tire going around the end of the race,” Dillard said. “I’ll say it once again, it’s really just an honor to be up here consistently with people like Brandon Sheppard and Jimmy Owens, they’re definitely the best in the business. We’ll keep working on this MB Customs ride and hopefully can outrun them eventually.”
Owens, Jimmy Mars and Chris Simpson filled the top five.
The finish:
Feature (50 laps): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard [4][$10,000]; 2. 97-Cade Dillard [1][$5,000]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens [3][$3,000]; 4. 28m-Jimmy Mars [12][$2,500]; 5. 32s-Chris Simpson [5][$2,000]; 6. 58-Jeremiah Hurst [23][$1,700]; 7. 32-Bobby Pierce [11][$1,400]; 8. 29v-Darrell Lanigan [7][$1,300]; 9. 28-Dennis Erb [16][$1,200]; 10. 18-Chase Junghans [8][$1,100]; 11. 7-Ricky Weiss [10][$1,050]; 12. 15k-Justin Kay [20][$1,000]; 13. 99b-Boom Briggs [19][$950]; 14. 12-Ashton Winger [6][$900]; 15. 21b-Rich Bell [9][$850]; 16. 0-Scott Bloomquist [14][$800]; 17. 58e-Dave Eckrich [13][$770]; 18. 51-Matthew Furman [17][$750]; 19. 29-Spencer Diercks [22][$730]; 20. B1-Brent Larson [21][$700]; 21. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck [24][$700]; 22. 25s-Chad Simpson [2][$700]; 23. 98-Jason Rauen [18][$700]; 24. 59-Garrett Alberson [15][$700]. Lap Leader(s): Chad Simpson 1-5; Cade Dillard 6-18; Brandon Sheppard 19-35; Dillard 36-37; Sheppard 38; Dillard 39-45; Sheppard 46-50. Hard Charger Award: 58-Jeremiah Hurst[+17]
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ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Left wing Sonny Milano has agreed to a two-year, $3.4 million contract extension with the Anaheim Ducks.
The Ducks announced the deal Tuesday night.
Anaheim acquired Milano from Columbus in February in a trade for Devin Shore. Milano contributed two goals and three assists in nine games with the Ducks before the coronavirus pandemic ended their season.
Milano spent parts of five seasons with the Blue Jackets, recording 20 goals and 22 assists in 116 games. He was eligible for restricted free agency this summer.
Columbus chose Milano with the 16th overall pick in the 2014 draft, and the Long Island native reached the NHL as a 19-year-old in March 2016. He scored a career-best 14 goals for the Blue Jackets during the 2017-18 season, and he has impressed the Ducks' coaches during his brief stint in Anaheim with his speed and offensive creativity.
The Ducks' remaining free agents include defensemen Michael Del Zotto and Matt Irwin. Ryan Miller, 40, also is without a contract for next season, but the veteran is expected to be re-signed by Anaheim if the winningest American goaltender in NHL history elects to continue his career.
Anaheim general manager Bob Murray has re-signed right wing Troy Terry and defensemen Brendan Guhle and Kodie Curran to multiyear contracts during the Ducks' extra-long offseason.
The Ducks haven't yet re-signed potential restricted free-agent defenseman Jacob Larsson, who had two goals and nine assists in 60 games last season.
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Forward Sidney Crosby highlighted a star-laden return to the ice Tuesday, as six teams played in exhibitions in both cities of the NHL's restart bubble.
It was the first action of any kind from the league that paused its regular season in March amid the coronavirus pandemic, and with the Stanley Cup qualifier series slated to begin Saturday, these scrimmages -- additional teams will have theirs on Wednesday and Thursday -- represented players' lone chance to fine-tune their skills against true competition.
In Toronto and Edmonton, tarps, some with the NHL logo on them, were draped across the seating sections of the lower bowl, with a painted Stanley Cup 2020 logo on the center-ice circle, and the traditional advertisements attached to the boards.
In the league's first game since March 11, Crosby racked up 19:03 of playing time after missing practice and scrimmage sessions earlier this month in Pittsburgh for undisclosed reasons. His Penguins fell to the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, in overtime in Toronto.
"I felt good physically. I felt good, I felt strong, just anticipating and making plays and that kind of stuff," Crosby said after the game. "That's just going to come with time. But for the most part, I felt really good. It was fun to be back out there."
The Penguins will take on Montreal in one of the Eastern Conference's qualifiers, beginning Saturday night.
"I thought it was a sloppy game, especially in the first couple periods. I guess it's to be expected," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "I thought the second half of the game we improved.
"We need to be a whole lot better. We've got a ways to go before we're firing on all cylinders."
Carey Price, Montreal's star goaltender, started for the Canadiens against the Maple Leafs in the Toronto nightcap. Price, who will likely start vs. the Penguins Saturday in Game 1, made 19 saves in a 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs.
Across Canada, two Western Conference rivals, the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, met in the former's home rink. The Oilers' biggest star, forward Connor McDavid, opened the exhibition with a goal in the first period.
He and the Oilers will take on the Chicago Blackhawks in a qualifier, beginning Saturday, while the Flames will meet the Winnipeg Jets in their Game 1 later that night.
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