In San Antonio, Tom Orsborn notes Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon, in "yet another groundbreaking move," will become coach Gregg Popovich's "No. 1 assistant." This means that should Popovich "get ejected next season," Hammon would "become the first female to serve as a head coach in an NBA game." However, the return of Tim Duncan as an assistant coach "overshadowed everything" yesterday. Duncan has been a "frequent visitor to the Spurs practice facility, where he's worked out with the players both during and after practices" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 7/23).
CLASS ACT: In Ft. Lauderdale, Safid Deen notes the Dolphins will pay DT Kendrick Norton's "full salary" for the '19 season after his "left arm was amputated following a July 4 car accident, ending his football career." Norton will "receive his $495,000 salary while remaining a part of the Dolphins team this season." On Sunday, he was "placed on the reserve/non-football injury list," which "ensures he will remain under the NFL's health insurance plan, while he rehabilitates his injuries and receives occupational therapy" (South Florida SUN SENTINEL, 7/23).
FLYING THE COOP: A BALTIMORE SUN editorial is written under the header, "Is Baltimore Still A Baseball Town?" Orioles fans "have a host of excuses to explain why they continue to stay away from Camden Yards." The "most compelling" is that the team has "one of the worst records in baseball." The Orioles are "remarkably futile in most every aspect of the game." But that alone "doesn't explain the drop in home attendance." The Orioles lost 107 games in '88 and "averaged nearly 21,000 fans per game." The team is now "on track to lose (slightly) fewer than last year's 115 games but average about 17,500 people in the seats this year compared to 19,311" in '18 (BALTIMORE SUN, 7/23).
