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A special tribute on Father’s Day

By Jim Lane sports@altoonamirror.com (Editor’s note: Retired Mirror sports editor Jim Lane wrote this column after his dad, Kermit Lane, passed away in 1987. It’s reprinted every Father’s Day.) Today is Father’s Day. It’s a chance to tell your favorite guy thanks for all he’s been and done for you over the years. It’s usually celebrated with a small gift, perhaps a shirt or tie or wallet. In many cases, few words are expressed. And that’s a shame. I wrote this Father’s Day column a couple of weeks after my dad died because I missed him. I still do. A day ...

Suarez victory delivers Mexican Cup winner

By Jenna Fryer The Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Here are some things to know about Daniel Suarez’s long journey before becoming the first Mexico-born winner at the top level of NASCAR: n When he decided as a child in Monterrey to seriously pursue a career as a racecar driver, Suarez’s father closed his well-known automobile restoration shop to support his son. n Suarez’s first move to the United States to pursue his dream wasn’t a relocation to NASCAR’s hub in Charlotte, North Carolina, but rather an unconventional arrangement to live with his team owner in ...

Cordova’s spirit will live on

The early 1970s was a great time to be a high school basketball fan in Altoona. For a dozen years beginning in late elementary school, I witnessed some amazing basketball. Not every season brought a championship, but you could count on seeing many more wins than losses. One got to see great players coached by legendary coaches before packed houses of fans. Who could forget a thousand-plus people jammed into the toasty Pleasant Valley Gym or the standing-room only crowds at the Jaffa watching the best teams in Western Pennsylvania? This notable era came vividly to mind when I ...

NBA playoffs have been full of surprises

By Ira Kaufman For the Mirror I love the NBA playoffs. Load management (the recent practice of NBA stars sitting out games for “rest”) and players missing weeks and months for injuries have impacted the quality of the six-month NBA regular season. The top teams rarely face each other with a full complement of players. While a seven-game series does not have the instant excitement of the NCAA March Madness’ single-elimination tournament, I enjoy watching the game-to-game adjustments teams make in order to win with the required four games. The 2022 playoffs have produced ...

In the SEC, football just means more

By Ralph D.Russo The Associated Press DESTIN, Fla. — The Southeastern Conference’s slogan, “It just means more,” could soon refer to the number of football games the league schedules. SEC coaches and athletic directors have been meeting this week at a resort on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Atop the agenda is whether the conference schedule should expand from eight to nine games when the league itself grows from 14 to 16 teams with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma. Whether a decision took place when the spring meetings wrapped up Friday was still to be determined — and ...

New TV deal may give NFL Brady fatigue

By Jim Caltagirone For the Mirror Further proof that sports exist in another realm of reality was revealed in early May when Fox Sports confirmed that Tom Brady will join the network as an analyst when he retires as an NFL quarterback. While the average American is stressing over how to afford the necessities of life, thanks to soaring inflation, Fox executives have determined that their programming budget can withstand a record $375 million payout to Brady over 10 years. Assuming that figure covers two preseason games, 17 regular season games and four postseason games, Brady’s ...