He is the No. 7 driver in August's Hunter Index, which ranks the top 10 drivers in the NASCAR developmental series in North America.
Luis Martinez Jr., a driver from Long Beach, cracked the Hunter Index for the first time this season. He came in at No. 8.
Go to Haddock in the Paddock for more on the NASCAR Hunter Index for August.
Photo: Greg Pursley (26) and Luis Martinez Jr. (6) were ranked in the top 10 of the NASCAR Hunter Index for August. Credit: Jonathon Ferrey / Getty Images for NASCAR
UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel is optimistic. So it was business as usual when the Bruins’ opened training camp Monday morning with workouts for incoming freshmen.
“We have real depth for the first time, which means there will be real competition,” Neuheisel said. “Hopefully, we can parlay that into success.”
The Bruins' first practice was scheduled for Monday at 3 p.m., but Neuheisel and players were already addressing the season during media day. That included questions about Neuheisel’s future as coach.
Neuheisel has a 15-22 record in three seasons at UCLA.
“To tell you the truth, I haven’t thought anything about that this summer,” Neuheisel said. “I can’t let it take my attention away from what I have to do.”
Cornerback Jaime Graham and offensive lineman Albert Cid are expected to join the UCLA football team this week, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who was not allowed to speak publicly on the matter.
Both players were to submit their final paperwork to the university on Monday and their approval is a mere formality, the source said.
Cid, a transfer from Citrus College, could join practice as soon as Tuesday. He has three years of eligibility remaining. Graham, who played three seasons at Vanderbilt, is enrolling in graduate school and may not join the team for a few days.
Both players will be immediately eligible and are at positions where depth is a concern. Cid could earn a starting spot at guard. Graham will give the defense an experienced backup at cornerback.
--Chris Foster
Joe Paterno may be 84 years old, but he's still a pretty tough guy.
The legendary Penn State coach collided with a receiver who was running a route during practice on Sunday -- and walked away.
The school announced the incident Monday, saying Paterno spent the rest of the day undergoing tests on his right arm and hip at a hospital but was able to hold his morning coaches meeting over the phone.
"I expect to be back at practice soon," Paterno said in a statement. "I'm doing fine; tell everyone not to worry about me."
Surgery likely will not be required, Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli, Penn State director of athletic medicine, said in a statement.
The Nittany Lions' football media day was supposed to take place Thursday but has been rescheduled for next Monday.
ALSO:
The Times' preseason college football countdown: No. 24 Georgia
The Times' preseason college football countdown: No. 25 Texas
-- Chuck Schilken
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Photo: Joe Paterno. Credit: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images
Writers from around the Tribune Co. discuss the career of recently retired NFL receiver Randy Moss. Check back throughout the day for more responses and weigh in by voting in the poll and leaving a comment.
Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times
There's no question that after all this bouncing around, the last football stop for Randy Moss should be the Hall of Fame. Yes, he played hard when he wanted to. Yes, he was a diva and every so often pulled an immature stunt. Still, he was the league's most dangerous deep threat for many years and was a cornerstone on the NFL's two best offensive juggernauts to fall short of a ring: the 1998 Vikings and 2007 Patriots.
His numbers are tremendous. His 153 touchdowns are topped only by Jerry Rice (197), and he finishes eighth in career receptions (954) and fifth in yards (14,858). Had he punctuated his career with his flame-out in Oakland, his hall credentials would be shaky. But his rebirth in New England proved that, while he might have been a solid-gold bust for the Raiders, he's deserving of a bronze bust in Canton.
All praise Steve Williams, the golfing celebrity who fought through controversy and disappointment last weekend to hear thousands of fans chanting his name as he won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and … wait a minute.
Steve Williams didn’t win. Adam Scott won.
Steve Williams only carried the clubs. Adam Scott actually swung them.
Yet it was Williams who heard the loudest applause, it was Williams who conducted the main post-match interview, it was Williams who stole the show from a golfer who won with the lowest tournament score in 11 years.
And it is Williams who should now shut up and disappear.
Please. This caddy needs to be shacked. Long considered one of golf’s most classless figures, Williams outdid himself Sunday by using the furor over being fired by Tiger Woods to overshadow his new golfer’s success.
C.J. Cron, the Angels' top pick in the June draft, suffered a dislocated kneecap while swinging at a pitch in a minor league game Sunday, but the Angels won't know the severity of the injury until he undergoes an MRI exam Monday.
"He could be out for the season and miss [fall] instructional league, he could be back in two weeks -- he might need surgery, he might not need surgery," said Abe Flores, the Angels' director of player development. "There is a wide spectrum of possibilities."
Flores did not know which leg Cron had injured, "but when you create that kind of torque and bat speed, it can happen," he said. The MRI test will determine if there is ligament damage in the knee.
Cron, who is hitting .308 with 13 home runs and 41 runs batted in 34 games for the Angels' advanced rookie league team in Orem, Utah, was taken off the field on a stretcher and transported to a hospital for X-rays, but he was back in the dugout before the game ended.
The first baseman and former University of Utah star has been playing with a tear in his throwing shoulder that is expected to require surgery during the off-season.
-- Mike DiGiovanna
