Aside from a smattering of minor-league races in 2010-11, North Wilkesboro Speedway had sat dormant since Jeff Gordon won its most recent Cup race on Sept. 29, 1996. A $20 million renovation (
“I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Jim Irsay. He was more than just an owner, he was a man of the people and his generosity was unmatched. I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to have played under his leadership, and his impact on my life.” — former Colts kicker“Playing for a team that Mr Irsay ran was an honor. He was funny, brilliant, unique, and somehow still wildly relatable for a man who became the sole owner of an NFL team at the age of 37.. and before that, hired as the youngest general manager in the history of the league as a 24 year old. He battled his demons, as we all do but, God blessed Jim Irsay with an abundance of compassion.. he wanted to give back/help everybody and everything he saw or knew about… putting a list together of all of the causes/things/people that he’s given to would be an impossible task.” — former Colts punter and broadcaster
NEW YORK (AP) — Dick Barnett, a basketball Hall of Famer who played on both New York Knicks NBA championship teams after being part of a historic college powerhouse at Tennessee A&I, has died. He was 88.The Knicks announced the death of the former guard Sunday. There were no details provided about his death.“Throughout his illustrious career, Dick Barnett embodied everything it meant to be a New York Knick, both on and off the court,” the
. “He left a positive impact on everyone he encountered and this organization is incredibly fortunate to have him be such an integral part of its history. His jersey will forever hang in the rafters of Madison Square Garden, and his play throughout his career will forever be a part of Knicks fans memories.”Barnett played on the Knicks’ title teams in 1970 and 1973 and reached the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and as a member of his college teams at Tennessee A&I (later Tennessee State), the first HBCU to win a national championship in basketball.
A native of Gary, Indiana, Barnett went on to star for the Tennessee A&I teams that made up one of college basketball’s first dynasties. The Tigers won three straight NAIA championships starting in 1957, with Barnett being chosen an All-American each season and twice being selected the MVP of the NAIA Tournament.
He was taken by the Syracuse Nationals with the No. 5 pick in the 1959 draft and also played for the Los Angeles Lakers before coming to the Knicks in 1965. He spent nine years with the Knicks, averaging 15.6 points and playing on their championship teams in 1970 and 1973.He died earlier this week after a yearlong battle with brain cancer, his representative, Taylor Lomax, said Friday.
In his long and varied career, Foley directed Madonna music videos, 12 episodes of “House of Cards” and the two, but it was his 1992 adaptation of
foulmouthed Pulitzer Prize winning play that stood above the rest. Although it wasn’t a hit at the time, “Glengarry Glen Ross” wormed its way into the culture and grew into an oft-quoted cult favorite, especiallymade-for-the-film “always be closing” monologue.