USA Today - 03.10.2019

E2 USA TODAY z THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2019 z SECTION C

MLB playoffs underway

AL Wild-Card Game coverage at mlb.usatoday.com

Koepka set for season debut

World’s No. 1 golfer plays Las Vegas 4C

NFL Week 5 set to kick off

Bell: On officiating; Rams-Seahawks preview 5C

IN SPORTS

BROOKS KOEPKA BY ADAM

HAGY/USA TODAY SPORTS

IN MEMORIAM

Bill Bidwill was part of
the NFL family his en-
tire life, starting from his
days as a ball boy through
his time as an owner. Al-
though never one to seek
the spotlight, Bill had an
incredible sense of humor
and he made extraordinary
contributions to the NFL.
Bill’s vision brought the
Cardinals, the NFL and mul-
tiple Super Bowls to Arizo-
na. He was a leader in em-
bracing diversity and em-
ployed the first African
American female executive,
and the first African Amer-
ican general manager and
head coach tandem.”

NFL commissioner Roger
Goodell, in a statement on the
death Wednesday of Cardinals
owner Bill Bidwill, 88. Bidwill is
survived by five children and
nine grandchildren. His wife,
Nancy, died in 2016. It’s unclear
who will replace him as owner.

TWEET OF THE DAY

@HillaryClinton

It was such an honor and

delight to kick off the tour

for “Gutsy Women” with one

of the gutsiest athletes and

advocates for equality of all

time. Thank you, @Billie-

JeanKing

Hillary Clinton on Twitter on

Wednesday about the start of

a publicity tour for the book

she wrote with her daughter,

Chelsea, “The Book of Gutsy

Women.” They made an ap-

pearance with tennis legend

Billie Jean King on Tuesday.

LAST WORDS

There’s not a game –

there’s not a game I

played that I wasn’t high.”

Former NFL WR Percy Harvin,

telling Bleacher Report he

combated anxiety during his

playing days by self-medicat-

ing with marijuana. Harvin was

never suspended by the NFL

for violating the league’s sub-

stance abuse policy, which

includes marijuana on its

banned substances list. Harvin

played eight seasons with

stints with Minnesota, Seattle,

the New York Jets and Buffalo.

What I would tell him,

from a physical stand-

point is, ‘Hey, Josh. I get it. I

see you diving and running

over people. I was that guy,

too. But listen, man. Take it

from a guy who’s played a

long time and learned may-

be later than I should’ve,

there’s a time and place

when you try for extra

yards. That wasn’t it. You’ve

got to be smarter.’ ”

Retired NFL QB Brett Favre,

when asked what advice he

would give Bills QB Josh Allen,

who suffered a helmet-to-

helmet hit Sunday and is in

concussion protocol.

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Jack Flaherty pitched seven scoreless innings on the final day of the regular season to help the Cardinals clinch the NL Central.
JEFF CURRY/USA TODAY SPORTS

Flaherty stars under radar

See NIGHTENGALE, Page 2C

Bob Nightengale

Columnist

USA TODAY

ST. LOUIS – Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty will walk to

the SunTrust Park mound Friday with the “TS” initials on

his cleats, draw those initials on the dirt, step off and si-

lently pray. ¶ He’ll be pitching in memory of Tyler Skaggs

of the Angels, his close friend and workout partner the

last four years, sharing dinner and laughs together in

St. Louis on June 22. ¶Nine days later, Skaggs was found

dead in his hotel room from a drug overdose.

“His talent is

outrageous.”

Cardinals’ Andrew Miller
On teammate Jack Flaherty

Season stats

Record:11-

ERA:2.

GP: 33

IP:196.

SO: 231

WHIP:0.

Stats by mlb.com

The kids who grew up play-

ing football with Vontaze Bur-

fict might have seen this com-

ing.

On Monday, the NFL sus-

pended Burfict for 12 games —

the longest suspension in

league history for an on-the-

field infraction — for his hel-

met-to-helmet hit on Colts

tight end Jack Doyle and for

what the league called “re-

peated violations of unneces-

sary roughness rules.”

“He’s been playing that

way since he was a little kid,”

Dashan Miller, Burfict’s older

brother, told USA TODAY

Sports. “It was kind of funny

because kids back then when

we were younger would go

home crying to their mom be-

cause they felt like he hit them

too hard or he was just being a

little too aggressive.

“My Mom had to defend

him so many times.”

In fact, Burfict’s mother, Li-

sa Lane, recalled, “It wasn’t

even like a knock on the door

sometimes. It was me coming

in with my fiancé at the time,

my daughters, and I’d come in

with the stroller and people

would come up to me like, ‘Are

you Vontaze’s mom?’ And I’m

like, ‘Yes.’ And then, ‘Can you

please tell your son not to

knock my son out tonight?’

“I don’t think he intention-

ally does that.”

Attempts to reach Burfict

through his family members

were unsuccessful.

And so here it goes again,

with Burfict’s mother and oth-

er family members coming to

the defense of the 6-1, 255-

pound linebacker — while a

segment of the football world

accuses him of being a head-

hunter and cheap-shot artist.

Burfict, 29 and in his eighth

NFL season, has forfeited

more than $5 million as a re-

Brother:

Burfict

plays

one way

Josh Peter

USA TODAY

See BURFICT, Page 2C