Preakness organizers are shaking up the racing world by considering moving the date of the second race in the Triple Crown back a couple of weeks to give horses a longer time to rest after the Kentucky Derby. Would that be a solution, or at least a step in the right direction, to help prevent more deaths of racehorses when numbers have been steadily rising over the last several years? Will there be pushback if that also means the Belmont will be rescheduled? Shouldn’t the lives of the horses be a priority?

As eighty becomes the new seventy, octogenarians have a stronger presence in sports than ever before, and with age comes additional health issues for those icons. Is basketball sportscaster Dick Vitale battling cancer again? What is his prognosis?

Players are back on the gridiron as the NFL preseason begins, and Buffalo Bill Damar Hamlin is returning to play at the Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh after almost losing his life on the field earlier in the year. Has he had enough time to recuperate? Should he take the whole year to be certain he has completely recovered, both mentally and physically?

The Washington Commanders have a new team owner, and with that comes the question of whether they will retain the new moniker they’ve had since 2020, revert back to their previous name (the Redskins), or choose something else entirely. Debates surround the political and ethnic minefield attached, looking to be respectful of the past, present, and future. What is the best way to address tragic events in history? Does cancel culture help those groups who were, and often continue to be, affected, or does it ensure that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”?

Email Fred, Art, and Mark with questions and comments at sportsfred@aol.com