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Williams was a Saint Francis anchor

With the recent passing of Sandy Williams in Atlanta, Georgia, Saint Francis University lost one of its most prolific basketball stars. Although numbers never illustrate the complete picture of an athlete’s contributions, Williams’ leap right off the page. Williams is one of only a handful of Saint Francis players to compile more than 1500 (1546) points and 750 rebounds (833). Competing in only three seasons — freshmen weren’t eligible in 1960 — Williams’ career totals are remarkable. A “Frankie” (Red Flash) Hall of Famer who played from 1961-64, Williams ...

All that’s left for college football playoffs … negotiations

The road to a new format for deciding major college football’s national champion took a detour Wednesday when the CFP management committee — 10 conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director — was unable to come to a consensus on the proposed 12-team format. Instead of teeing up the university presidents who have the final say for a vote next week in Chicago, members of the committee circled back on the possibility of an eight-team playoff and discussed other issues. They are set to reconvene in Chicago, with the presidents joining via Zoom, for what CFP ...

US Open is in a class by itself

Even if you are not a fan of tennis, the U.S. Open in New York City should be on your bucket list. Over the last two weeks, I attended over 50 hours of matches between the best tennis players in the world — including Novak Djokovic, who was trying to achieve the Grand Slam (all four major titles in the same year), a feat that has not been accomplished in the men’s division since 1969. The first four days of the tournament are especially exciting as 128 men and 128 women play their first- and second-round matches at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center. The 23,000-seat Ashe ...

Mailbag

PSU needs stronger mask requirement Of all the changes to Beaver Stadium admission and operation this year, the most important element seems to have been totally discarded. That being the requirement to “mask-up” while at indoor portions of the stadium. Does anybody in stadium management understand that the COVID-19 pandemic continues? Have Penn State Athletics been made aware of the spread of the Delta variant? Sans a few announcements on the public address system, I couldn’t find any evidence of Covid precautions at last Saturday’s game. There were no ...

Sooners, Huskers were first to open doors

By Cliff Brunt The Associated Press NORMAN, Okla. — Half a century ago, the Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry games offered a grand stage for the best Black college football players while the South dragged its feet on integration. With Nebraska’s Johnny Rodgers, Rich Glover and Willie Harper and Oklahoma’s Greg Pruitt, Joe Washington, Rod Shoate and brothers Lee Roy, Lucious and Dewey Selmon leading the way, the programs dominated with stars most schools in the South wouldn’t even recruit. After Texas became the last all-white team to win a national title in 1969, Nebraska and ...

Sports helped 9/11 begin recovery

By Jim Caltagirone For the Mirror For those who lived through the nightmare that enveloped the country on September 11, 2001, there may be specific details of the multiple terrorist attacks that have escaped from memory. However, it’s fair to assume that most Americans recall the emotional devastation that they experienced when the first images of the attacks were aired on television. As the country observes the 20th anniversary of 9/11, minds will once again be transported to that horrific morning. Not since the bombing of Pearl Harbor had a coordinated attack of that ...