内容摘要：“Nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport and our race teams,” Penske said in a statement. “We have had organizational failures during the last two years, and we had to make necessary changes. I apologize to our fans, our partners and our organization for letting them down.”

“Nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport and our race teams,” Penske said in a statement. “We have had organizational failures during the last two years, and we had to make necessary changes. I apologize to our fans, our partners and our organization for letting them down.”

So as Indy steps into a new role, the mega center of a jam-packed Memorial Day sports weekend, the longtime local sports executive is saddened Irsay won’t be here to enjoy the results of his efforts.“It’s incredibly sad, it’s a big ache in my heart,” Miles said Thursday. “

He cared so, so much about the people in this community. I don’t care what day it was, it was going to be a horrible loss but this weekend is sort of emblematic of what he helped build and I’m sorry he missed it.”His daughter, Casey Irsay Foyt, will be at the Indianapolis 500, though. Track officials announced she will be Sunday’s honorary starter, representing the next generation of Colts ownership along with her sisters — Carlie Irsay-Gordon- and Kalen Jackson.Miles, the CEO and president of IndyCar and Penske Entertainment, has had a front-row seat to Indy’s evolution — and Irsay’s influence — for decades.

The Indy native has seen the city thrive under the glare of two NBA All-Star Games, the CFP national championship game, and dozens of other national and international championships.But this is the kind of weekend only Irsay may have envisioned when he first came to town in March 1984.

and the Indiana Fever will host defending league champ New York in front of a sold out crowd Saturday afternoon. On Sunday morning, an estimated 350,000 fans — including

— will fill Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the world’s largest single-day sporting event, the Indianapolis 500. Then on Sunday night, the NBA’s Indiana Pacers will face the New York Knicks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.Also, McDermott said running back James Cook was the only player not in attendance. Cook is entering his fourth season and is coming off a season in which he finished tied for the NFL lead and matched a team single-season record set by O.J. Simpson in 1975 with 16 TDs rushing touchdowns.

Cook has gone on social media this offseason to express his desire to seek an extension to his contract, which expires after this upcoming season.General manager Brandon Beane said in March that he was moving on from negotiations with Cook to focus on the draft. And Cook has been the odd player out after Beane signed

, linebacker Terrel Bernard, edge rusher Greg Rousseau andto long-term extensions over the past three months.