WILD WEST RODEO KICKS OFF TONIGHT IN C’DALE
Carbondale—The Carbondale Wild West Rodeo kicks off the summer of competition tonight at the Gus Darien Arena. The gates open at 5:30.
Slack starts at 6 and the Grand Entry begins at 7:30 every Thursday night through August 22nd.
GEORGE KARL LET GO BY THE NUGGETS
DENVER (AP) – George Karl is out as coach of the Denver Nuggets.
Team President Josh Kroenke confirmed in an email to The Associated Press on Thursday that Karl’s tenure was over just weeks after he was named the NBA’s coach of the year. Karl’s departure comes shortly after Masai Ujiri, the league’s executive of the year, left to become general manager of the Toronto Raptors. Karl guided the third-youngest team in the NBA to the third-best record in the Western Conference with a franchise-record 57 wins, but the Nuggets were bounced from the first round of the playoffs for the fourth straight season. He had one more year on his contract.
ROCKIES HIT 6 HOMERS TO BEAT THE REDS
Cincinnati, OH–The Colorado Rockies broke out the lumber last night in a 12-4 rout of the Reds in Cincinnati. Carlos Gonzalez hit three of the Rockies’ six home runs to lead the attack while Troy Tulowitzki smacked two of his own. “Tulo” was also 5 for 5 at the plate.
THE BIDDING BEGINS FOR THE ’22 WINTER GAMES
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) – The International Olympic Committee has opened a 2022 Winter Games bidding contest without an expected favorite. Switzerland looked to host its first Winter Games since 1948, but a regional referendum in March rejected the St. Moritz-Davos bid project as too expensive and disruptive. Norway’s capital Oslo could be a strong candidate in a campaign amid tough economic forecasts. National Olympic bodies must propose host cities by Nov. 14 and formally apply by March. The IOC says its executive board will select the candidate list in July 2014.
ELSEWHERE IN SPORTS…
MIAMI (AP) – LeBron James and Tim Duncan are squaring off tonight in the opening game of the NBA Finals in Miami. It’s the Miami Heat against the San Antonio Spurs. The clubs met twice during the regular season with Miami coming out on top in each contest. The Spurs won the NBA West in four games over Memphis while the Heat took seven games to eliminate Indiana in the Eastern Conference.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Kings and Blackhawks are facing off tonight in the fourth game of the NHL’s Western Conference final. Chicago won the first two games, played on the Blackhawks ice, while the Kings came back to win Game 3 Tuesday night. Chicago will be without the services of defenseman Duncan Keith as he has been suspended for one game by the league for high-sticking Kings forward Jeff Carter in the face during the second period of the Hawks’ 3-1 loss.
BOSTON (AP) – The Boston Bruins are a win shy of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. They beat the Penguins last night, in double overtime, 2-1. The win gives Boston a three-games-to-none lead in the best of series. The Pens will try to avoid a sweep when they face the Bruins again in Boston on Friday.