UNDATED (AP) — The Confederate flag could soon be a relic of NASCAR's good ol' boy roots. Bubba Wallace is the lone black driver in the sport and he has called for NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag. It's part of a growing movement inside the sport to promote racial diversity. Wallace says there's no place for the flag. There was no immediate statement from NASCAR. The series in 2015 asked fans to “refrain from displaying" the flag at its facilities and events.
UNDATED (AP) — NASCAR will allow a limited number of fans to return to races later this month amid the pandemic. The plan for Homestead-Miami Speedway this Sunday is to allow up to 1,000 South Florida service members to attend the Cup Series race. Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama will allow up to 5,000 guests in the frontstretch grandstands for the June 21 race. NASCAR says all fans will be screened before entering, required to wear face coverings, mandated to stay six feet apart from each other and will not have access to the infield.
ATLANTA (AP) — Running back Todd Gurley has passed his physical with the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons say Gurley passed his physical on Monday in Atlanta. Gurley’s $6 million, one-year deal with Atlanta was made official on April 6. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NFL didn’t allow players to report to their new teams immediately for physicals. Gurley’s physical was notable because he has a history of knee problems. The Falcons expect the 25-year-old Gurley to replace Devonta Freeman, who was released, as the leader of the Falcons’ running attack.
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers will use being left out of the NBA's summer plans as motivation. Cleveland's season ended last week when the league announced it would resume play in at Disney World in Florida next month with just 22 teams. The Cavs are one of the omitted eight and coach J.B. Bickerstaff says he's talked to his players about letting it fuel them. Bickerstaff is confident the league will come up with a plan for the eight teams left out to offset the disadvantage of not playing games or bonding during the long layoff caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
MADRID (AP) — Pau Gasol (pow gah-SOHL') wants to return to the NBA next season but hasn’t ruled out finishing his career in Europe. The 39-year-old Gasol says he needs to be playing next season to give himself “a chance” of making it to the Olympics one last time. The Spaniard says he is keeping his options open but going back to the Los Angeles Lakers would be an “attractive” option, as would be returning to a club like Barcelona in Spain. He says a decision on his future will likely have to be made in September or October.