SPORTS DIGEST || Sharon Speedway to conclude season

Sharon Speedway to conclude season

Hartford

Sharon Speedway will conclude the 88th anniversary season this weekend with the running of the annual “Apple Festival Nationals” tonight and Saturday night. Ten different divisions will compete. The Mod Lites, Sportsman Dwarf Cars, and Junior Sprints will run a complete show on Friday night, while “410” Sprint Cars, Big-Block Modified Non-Winners, Penn-Ohio Pro Stock Championship Series, E-Mods, RUSH Sportsman Modified Touring Series, Econo Mods, and Mini Stocks will have their shows split over the two days with their features on Saturday night. Race time is early at 6 p.m. both nights.

Patriots fans cheer banner, boo Goodell

FOXBOROUGH, MASS.

The New England Patriots are celebrating their fifth Super Bowl title.

The Patriots planned a ceremony to unveil the NFL championship banner before the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. The team had to do some minor renovations of their home stadium to make room for the latest banner.

Commissioner Roger Goodell was on the field before the game, which was also the opener for the NFL season. With New England fans still angry about Goodell’s “Deflategate” investigation, he received a chilly welcome.

Fans booed him and wore shirts featuring his face adorned with a red clown nose. A website handed out thousands of towels with the image, too.

The Patriots won their fifth championship in February, rallying from a 25-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons in the first overtime in Super Bowl history.

Texas A&M coach receives racist letter

HOUSTON

Texas A&M and law enforcement officials were investigating Thursday night after football coach Kevin Sumlin received a racist and threatening letter at his home.

His wife, Charlene Sumlin, posted a picture of the letter, which had a return address in Houston, on Twitter on Thursday night. The handwritten letter read: “You suck as a coach! You’re a (racial epithet) and can’t win! Please get lost! Or else.”

On the post Charlene added: “People of 2017: please tell me how any part of this is OK? And to the sender: did it occur to you that a child may open it?” At the end of the post she added the hashtag orelseWHAT?

Later on Thursday night Texas A&M President Michael Young and athletic director Scott Woodward issued a joint statement condemning the letter and adding that they are: “working with law enforcement authorities to bring the sender of this letter to justice.”

EPL agrees to shorten transfer window

LONDON

Premier League clubs will no longer be able to sign players in the weeks after the season starts.

From 2018, the transfer window will close in the Premier League on the Thursday before the opening match of the season. The next transfer window opens in January.

Premier League clubs will still be able to sell players to clubs in other leagues where the transfer window remains open.

This year, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain played for Arsenal in a 4-0 loss to Liverpool in the third game of the season on Aug. 27. He then joined Liverpool on Aug. 31 — the final day of the transfer window.

USWNT announces roster for friendlies

Midfielder Tobin Heath, who has been rehabbing from a back injury, was named to the 22-player roster for the U.S. national team in advance of two exhibition matches against New Zealand.

Heath has not played for the United State since March because of the injury. She was recently cleared to play with her National Women’s Soccer League team, the Portland Thorns.

Heath joins two other players from the Thorns, Allie Long and Lindsey Horan, on the U.S. roster announced by coach Jill Ellis on Thursday.

Staff/wire report