NASCAR driver Kyle Larson has been under fire for uttering a racial slur during a live iRacing event on Sunday. Larson was frustrated about being disconnected from his spotter and inexcusably used the "n" word.
The 27-year-old apologized for the remarks via a video posted to his Twitter account Monday afternoon.
— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) April 13, 2020
Larson has since been suspended indefinitely by both NASCAR and his race team, Chip Ganassi Racing, for the use of the slur.
Kyle Larson has now been suspended without pay by Chip Ganassi Racing due to his use of the N word during last night’s iRacing event. pic.twitter.com/Kq70LUtCf4
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) April 13, 2020
NASCAR suspends Kyle Larson indefinitely: https://t.co/yYFN3fHK4u pic.twitter.com/Wkg5OoXx7z
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 13, 2020
This is the second incident involving iRacing over the last two weeks. Bubba Wallace quit in the middle of a race after an incident with Clint Bowyer.
Larson is Japanese-American and a graduate of NASCAR’s “Drive for Diversity” program. He is the only driver of Japanese descent to ever win a major NASCAR race.
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Despite finishing fifth in his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start of 2025, Corey LaJoie was still frustrated by what could've been in the closing laps of Saturday's race at Michigan International Speedway. A huge crash on the Lap 121 restart put LaJoie on the front row for the first overtime restart of the afternoon. But after two more crashes forced the race into triple-overtime, LaJoie chose to restart not on the front row, but in the outside lane, behind another truck for the final restart of the race. That decision ended up being the death knell for LaJoie, as he was unable to challenge for the win over the final two laps. In his 303rd start across NASCAR's top-three series, LaJoie is still searching for his first win. "I've been so close so many times, I don't count my chickens anymore," LaJoie told Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass. "In my case, it's never hatched. I knew we were in the right spot to be. I'm just really frustrated. We say it all the time, winners choose the front row." "We had the chance to choose the front row and we didn't. It seemed like the outside lane always prevailed over the inside lane, and that's what we were going with. But the lane was soft, the push didn't come, and we were kinda stuck in bad air." Still, a top-five finish in his first Truck Series start of the year is a good building block for LaJoie. His next race with Spire Motorsports and the No. 07 team will come at Richmond on Aug. 15. LaJoie will also pilot the No. 07 Chevrolet in the seven races that make up the Truck Series playoffs in an attempt to win the owners championship for Spire. All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Luis Diaz has told Liverpool he expects them to accept Bayern Munich’s offer unless the club follow through on their promise of a new contract, according to reports from Colombia. The winger, who turns 29 in January, is said to have grown frustrated after Anfield chiefs failed to follow up on discussions from May, when they reportedly assured him his deal would be improved. Luis Diaz appears to be pushing for a move to Bayern Munich Bayern are now preparing to formalise a bid, and Diaz has made it clear he wants to take the opportunity to move to Germany if Liverpool aren’t willing to honour their previous word. The report comes from Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra, who says Diaz has now “requested” that Liverpool accept Bayern’s offer if a contract renewal isn’t happening. That aligns with yesterday’s Bild report (via Falk, Altschaeffl Agardi) which claimed personal terms with Bayern are already agreed and the German club are “confident” a deal can be reached. Liverpool could lose a regular starter just weeks before the new season Diaz has been part of Arne Slot’s side during pre-season, despite missing the friendly with Stoke City — but there’s growing doubt over whether he’ll be at Anfield for the Premier League opener. He still has two years left on his current deal, so Liverpool aren’t under pressure to sell. But with no extension on the table and the player now pushing for an exit, the club could be drawn into negotiations on Bayern’s terms. The winger joined from Porto in January 2022 and has made over 100 appearances for us, scoring 24 goals. Last season, he assisted 13 goals in all competitions and helped secure the Premier League title. This latest update only increases the pressure on the Liverpool hierarchy to either act decisively or risk losing another first-team name this summer.
Through much of his time with the New York Rangers, Mika Zibanejad has been too good to be a second-line center, yet not quite a top liner for a contender. Now aging out of his prime, his play has dropped off the past two seasons, only rebounding when moved to the wing next to midseason acquisition J.T. Miller. That presents a problem for New York. The Rangers are not deep down the middle. Moving Zibanejad back to center provides that depth, putting Vincent Trochek back in his appropriate 3C role. But does Zibanejad again suffer without Miller? It also leaves the Blueshirts thin on the right side. Zibanejad can’t play two positions at once and the Rangers cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. There is a solution, however: Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish. Anaheim and New York already have strong front office ties, with a pair of trades in the past eight months. The cross-continental line should be open. McTavish is precisely the player archetype that Rangers general manager Chris Drury has sought in this past year. The 22-year-old possesses good size (6-foot-1, 219 pounds) and plays with a grit that Drury adores. An old-fashioned power forward in the making, McTavish hunts bodies, making life miserable for defenders on the forecheck and finds pockets of space when off the puck, where he unloads a cannon of a shot. An all-situations player, McTavish digs in the corners and is developing nicely as an offensive driver. McTavish is a hard worker who shows leadership traits. New Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan loves to play with speed and relentless pressure, a mantra that suits McTavish down to the ground. For a second-line center, McTavish’s numbers don’t exactly pop off the page, but 52 points (22 goals) in 76 games for a bad Ducks team is nothing to sneeze at. In New York, he would also presumably get to play with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. Given the playmaking ability of those wingers and McTavish’s heavy shot, 30-plus goals could be on the cards. Bleacher Report has stated that the Ducks are unlikely to extend McTavish an offer sheet, instead willing to match whatever offer comes his way. Does that mean he is on the trade block? At the very least it means that Anaheim will likely be willing to listen to offers. That said, it would take an almighty package to pry the former No. 3 pick out of Orange County. The Ducks would rightly command a first-round pick — if not two — and a highly-rated prospect. New York has its own first-rounders in store, as well as a, likely, late first-rounder next year, with second-round picks each year except 2027. Would New York part with a first, a second and a pair of its top prospects? The Rangers are loaded with left wing prospects. Whilst Gabe Perrault is likely off the table, Brennan Othmann, Adam Sykora and Brett Berard should be discussed, as should defenseman E.J. Emery. Would picks and a pair of prospects be enough for Anaheim, though? Here’s a thought experiment: a deal centered around Will Cuylle. As mentioned, the Rangers have a raft of left wingers coming through and Lafreniere is also a natural left winger. Would trading Cuylle for McTavish solve the Rangers' issues at the pivot, allowing Zibanejad to help fix the right-hand side and give the team room to develop more youngsters on the left? Could this solve three issues in one swoop? It would be a, potentially, seismic move, but it might just make sense for both teams, especially if the Ducks are not looking to keep McTavish around long-term. It would complete a remarkable offseason for Drury.
One question remains after New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu announced his retirement. How long until Canton calls? On Tuesday, the 12-year NFL veteran revealed he was retiring, effective immediately, ending the New Orleans native's legendary football career. In a statement published to social media, the three-time first-team All-Pro wrote, "As I hang up my cleats, I'm filled with gratitude as I close this chapter of my life and officially retire from the game that's shaped me in every way. "From my first snap in college to my final play in the NFL, this journey has been nothing short of a blessing." He's a surefire first-ballot Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame honoree, breaking out while at LSU (2010-11). During his freshman and sophomore seasons, he forced 11 fumbles with eight recoveries, four interceptions and four total touchdowns while finishing fifth in Heisman voting in 2011. Mathieu was dismissed from the team in 2012 after failing multiple drug tests and then was arrested on marijuana charges, but he didn't allow that to define his career. Instead, he carved out what could be considered a Pro Football Hall of Fame resume, too. Mathieu ends his professional career with 838 tackles, 100 passes defended and 36 interceptions. In addition to being named first-team All-Pro three times, he received three Pro Bowl honors and was a member of the Hall of Fame All-2010 Team. Mathieu also won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in February 2020. Per Mathieu's Pro Football Reference's Hall of Fame Monitor score (65.2), he has a below-average case for enshrinement, with the average Hall of Fame defensive back scoring a 96.93. But players have received a gold jacket with worse scores in the PFR metric, including John Lynch, Eric Allen and Dick LeBeau. While he might have to wait past his first ballot to make it into the Hall of Fame, it would be a shame if Mathieu didn't one day receive his flowers. It certainly helps his case that in addition to being one of the greatest safeties of his generation, Mathieu was, by all accounts, just as outstanding off the field. NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill and Arizona Cardinals insider Kyle Odegard, who covered Mathieu when he played for the Cardinals, were among the media members to share fond stories about Mathieu. "One of those guys who really respected the job we do and would take the time to explain the game," Underhill shared. "He an all-world talent and the most accessible, genuine, introspective superstar I've ever met," Odegard wrote. It could take longer than five years, but it should surprise no one if one day Mathieu receives Hall of Fame recognition. He is the Honey Badger, after all. He takes what he wants.
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