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Martin Truex Jr. addresses tragic death of longtime partner Sherry Pollex
Martin Truex Jr. isn't someone who likes the spotlight. He's reserved. That's just who he is. So when it was announced on Sept. 17 that his longtime former girlfriend Sherry Pollex had lost her years-long battle with cancer, no one expected the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to come out and address the subject.
Instead, the 2017 Cup Series champion, who teamed with Pollex and his foundation for years to raise awareness and money for various cancer-fighting initiatives, published a statement that mentioned how she made a difference in the lives of many others battling the terrible disease and offered his condolences to her family.
@MartinTruex_Jr addresses the death of longtime partner Sherry Pollex. pic.twitter.com/TRWf0cT7KA
— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) September 27, 2023
This past weekend in Texas was the first time since the heartbreaking news that Truex publicly appeared when he met with the media before the first race in the Round of 12.
The 43-year-old was asked a variety of questions about the sweltering heat, the race, and the struggles during his playoff run before NBC's Dustin Long broached the sensitive subject and asked him how he was doing.
"I'm OK," the driver replied.
"Did you have any additional comment on Sherry?" Fox's Bob Pockrass followed up.
"I'd rather not talk about that right now," Truex responded.
That was it. The conversation moved on, and he answered several more racing-related questions before leaving the media center. The entire exchange between the driver and reporters was uncomfortable, but it was a subject that needed to be addressed.
To Truex's credit, he was short but cordial in both of his responses or basically what you'd expect from him. With that now behind him, he can focus on the task at hand and that's racing to win his second Cup title.
More must-reads:
- NASCAR makes major Austin Hill decision after controversial Indianapolis crash
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Austin Hill's NASCAR championship hopes take a big hit after suspension
Austin Hill's path to the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship just got a whole lot tougher. On Tuesday, it was announced that Hill was suspended for the Aug. 2 race after he intentionally right-rear hooked Aric Almirola in the closing laps of Saturday's Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But the one-race suspension carries a much harsher punishment than Hill just losing ground in the regular-season standings. Thanks to a new rule implemented by NASCAR over the offseason, Hill will lose all playoff points — both those he's already earned and any he earns over his final four starts of the regular season. That's a crushing blow for Hill, who has won three races in 2025 and earned 21 playoff points through the first 21 races of the season. Now, Hill will begin the first round of the playoffs at 2,000 points, making just getting out of the Round of 12 a much bigger challenge than it would be otherwise. Hill can earn playoff points once the playoffs begin, but unless he wins multiple races and stages in the Round of 12, he'd likely begin the Round of 8 at a significant points deficit as well, should he advance. Playoff points don't matter in the winner-take-all championship race, but Hill's potential path to Phoenix will have zero margin for error. The schedule for the Round of 12 is a daunting one, featuring visits to Bristol, Kansas and the Charlotte Roval. Hill has never won at any of those tracks. The Round of 8 does feature a superspeedway in Talladega and Martinsville, where Hill won on March 29, but if he's unable to win a race and lock up a spot in the Championship 4, a points battle for a spot in the championship race will be fought completely uphill. The penalty also makes the final four races of the regular season — Watkins Glen, Daytona, Portland and St. Louis — essentially glorified test sessions for the No. 21 team, as Hill can't earn any additional playoff points. All in all, Hill's suspension hurts in both the short and the long term, but the championship implications make his decision to wreck Almirola on Saturday all the more baffling in hindsight.
NFL analyst says teams should be 'extremely scared' of this franchise in 2025
While the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders have garnered a lot of attention lately, there is one NFC team that has quietly been flying under the radar. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a one-score game to the Lions in the divisional round in 2023 and followed that up with another one-score loss to QB Jayden Daniels and the Commanders last season, proving how close they have been to the ultimate prize in the two seasons with Baker Mayfield under center. In an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" Tuesday morning, analyst and former player Ryan Clark offered high praise for Mayfield and what the Buccaneers are capable of. "Baker Mayfield is a top-10 quarterback in this league," Clark said. "Baker Mayfield is a football player. And when I say that, I know people at home are gonna be like, 'Duh, he gets paid to play football.' No, not all quarterbacks are seen as football players. Not all quarterbacks are embraced in the locker room as one of us." Clark sees the Buccaneers as a team the rest of the league should be paying attention to because of who they have returning and the close calls in the playoffs the last two seasons. "This is a team that's been on the cusp the last two years," Clark said. "Now you think about some of the pieces they've added, the confidence in their quarterback and the way that he plays, and Todd Bowles with another year to understand winning at a high level at the head coach position. This is a team you better be extremely scared of because they're stacked and they're confident." Mayfield has been sensational during his time with the Buccaneers. Although he did throw 16 interceptions, Mayfield accounted for the third-most passing yards (4,500) in the league last season and has thrown the most TD passes (69) in the last two seasons, per StatMuse. To add even more incentive for Mayfield, the team restructured his contract, which is set to expire after the 2026 season, to include $30M in guaranteed salary for that season. The Buccaneers return a lot of production on both sides of the ball, in addition to bringing in first-round draft pick Emeka Egbuka, who topped 1,000 receiving yards twice at Ohio State and accounted for 26 total TDs. While Tampa Bay allowed the 17th-most points per game (22.7) last season, it returns the majority of its defensive production. On top of that, the offseason acquisition of veteran LB and two-time Pro-Bowler Haason Reddick, who agreed to terms on a one-year deal, should be a welcomed addition for a franchise that had some question marks on defense last season. The Buccaneers are projected to have the sixth-easiest schedule in the NFL this season and have the best chance to win the NFC South for the fifth consecutive season, according to ESPN Analytics. If Mayfield can cut back on his turnovers and the defense can create more pressure on opposing QBs, the Buccaneers could be a threat in the NFC once again as they look to put their recent nail-biting losses in the postseason behind them.
Oilers to Acquire a Top-Tier Goalie. An Official Trade Offer Is on the Table in a Blockbuster Deal
The Boston Bruins have been under pressure to retool after a disappointing season, and now a potential blockbuster move could shake the entire NHL. A major trade proposal has surfaced that could send a star goaltender to the Edmonton Oilers, a move that would give them the elite presence they've lacked in net while forcing Boston closer to a rebuild. The deal being floated by multiple outlets would send Edmonton's current starter, Stuart Skinner, along with Matthew Savoie, Beau Akey, and a 2028 first-round pick to Boston, while the Oilers land a goaltender capable of changing their Cup window overnight. Edmonton's push for a franchise goalie could reshape the Western Conference and challenge the Dallas Stars' path to the Cup If this trade goes through, the Oilers would instantly address one of their biggest weaknesses, setting up a showdown with teams like the Dallas Stars, who already see Edmonton as one of their toughest rivals. Boston, on the other hand, would fully commit to a rebuild, pairing Joonas Korpisalo with Skinner in what could be one of the NHL's weakest tandems, likely boosting their draft lottery odds in one of the most hyped draft classes in recent memory (NHL.com). An insider noted, "They weren't the only ones who had inquired about Swayman, but yes, I was told they poked around." That comment shows just how wide the interest is for this level of goalie talent (Heavy.com). I think this kind of trade would completely shift the balance of power in the West, making Edmonton even more dangerous for teams like Dallas, who could end up facing a vastly upgraded Oilers team in the playoffs. If Boston truly embraces a rebuild, moving their top goaltender could be the first domino in a massive roster overhaul, something that could shake the market for weeks.
Steelers reporter shares big claim about how Aaron Rodgers has looked in training camp
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers spent the bulk of the spring as an unsigned free agent and, thus, only began officially practicing with Pittsburgh Steelers teammates during the team's three-day mandatory minicamp in June. During a Monday appearance on Pittsburgh radio station 102.5 WDVE, Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette addressed how Rodgers looked during his first few training camp practices with the club. "His release is just astonishing to watch," Dulac said about Rodgers, as shared by Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot. "Everybody knows about it, and when you see it in person, you see it every day in practice, you just marvel at it. To me, he's the greatest thrower of the football I have ever seen, even at 41 (years old). That flick of that wrist and that ball comes out, it's moving and it is something to see." Rodgers was with the New York Jets when he suffered a torn Achilles four offensive snaps into the 2023 regular-season opener. He was then slowed by a nagging hip issue, injuries to both his knees, a low ankle sprain and a serious hamstring problem as the 2024 Jets went 5-12. According to Pro Football Reference, Rodgers finished last season ranked 28th in the NFL among qualified players with a 48.0 adjusted QBR and 26th with a 43.9 percent passing success rate. That said, he was also eighth with 3,897 passing yards and tied for seventh with 28 passing touchdowns. Rodgers and Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson endured some struggles during training camp sessions last summer before the two allegedly "never saw eye-to-eye" during the season. It sounds like Pittsburgh fans should be encouraged by how Rodgers performed in recent practices. "That guy can get rid of the ball as quick as anybody," Dulac added. "He made three throws in seven-on-seven (drills) the other day that the cumulative total I bet couldn't have exceeded 2.1 seconds. And two of those were for touchdowns." Rodgers wants to finish his career "the right way" and help the Steelers notch at least their first playoff win since January 2017. As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Pittsburgh at -150 betting odds to miss the playoffs for the upcoming season.
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