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sports Diamars 26 Januari 2021

Iowa State athletic finances improving; new projects planned

(AP) — Iowa State’s ath- be fully completed by the fall.
letic budget outlook is Pollard said he will go to the
better than expected, and Board of Regents next month
the school will push for- to get approval to begin the
ward with several initia- Gateway Pedestrian Bridge
tives hoped to create new project, which will develop
revenue streams, athletic the area between Jack Trice
director Jamie Pollard Stadium and Hilton Coli-
said in a video sent to fans seum.
Monday. Two donors put up $5 mil-
lion apiece for the bridge.
The COVID-19 pandemic In addition, a parking lot for
was expected to cause operat- 300 recreational vehicles and
ing revenue to decrease from other new parking areas are
$90 million to $43 million planned and will be paid for
and, after cost-savings mea- with private dollars. Com-
sures, leave the department pletion of the bridge project
with a $35 million deficit. and parking lots is set for fall
Pollard said the ability to 2022. An arts and entertain-
have limited fan attendance ment district are planned for
at most home football games the area sometime after that.
generated an unexpected $8 Pollard also announced there
million and, along with other would be a price increase for
savings, cut the deficit to $25 football season tickets, with
million. The shortfall will be across the athletic depart- building projects. football locker, meeting and student tickets going from
paid off over 20 years, he said. ment, renegotiate football academic areas and a dining $150 to $175. Most season
Immediate goals are to end coach Matt Campbell’s con- A $90 million sports per- facility for all athletes are on tickets in general seating ar-
the 10% salary reductions tract and finish or begin new formance center with new track to open this spring and eas will increase $50 to $75.

Taillon excited to reunite with Cole, push for playoffs

(AP) — Jameson Taillon’s much as it sounds. That “I’m jumping into a legend- ton who has assisted Andy ing curveballs and sliders
trade from Pittsburgh to sounds crazy. But each injury ary franchise, a legendary or- Pettitte, Mark Melancon, and along with occasional chan-
the New York Yankees is separate. Each experience is ganization,” he said. “I over- Anthony Rendon; Pirates di- geups.
started to soak in, and he separate,” he said. night went from a rebuilding rector of sports performance “I hate seeing videos of the
thought about reuniting Taillon felt he didn’t fulfill organization to a team like A.J. Patrick; Pirates pitching way I used to throw. It dis-
with former roommate the confidence Pittsburgh the Yankees where I’m step- coach Oscar Marin; Pirates gusts me,” he said. “I kind of
Gerrit Cole. showed when he was selected ping in and the only thing bullpen coach Justin Mec- had like a coming-to-grips
with the second overall pick they care about is to win. So cage and the Florida Baseball moment where I said, you
“Every night you get a five- in the 2010 amateur draft. He that’s kind of lit a fire under Ranch in Lakeland. know what, my current set of
star cooked meal,” Taillon was disappointed the Pirates me.” He started throwing bullpen mechanics and what I’m do-
said. “Even if he’s cooking blew up a group that came When he awoke from his sessions last July and got up ing isn’t working. That’s just
for himself, he’s going to through the minors togeth- last operation, he decided he to about three innings of bat- the cold, hard truth. I need to
marinate whatever he’s cook- er and admitted “seeing all needed to relieve pressure ting practice. Taillon thinks change something or else my
ing properly. He’s going to do my good friends get traded on his elbow, putting more his fastball velocity is about career is going to be over. So
everything with the perfect in Pittsburgh and to see the work on his legs and short- 95 mph, where it was be- I stripped it all the way down.
execution. He’s going to have direction we were headed ... ening his arm motion. He fore the latest injury, and he With rehab, all you have this
a perfect wine pairing for it.” didn’t necessarily light a fire” reworked his mechanics with gained deception. Taillon time. I had 12, 15, 16 months
Taillon, recuperating from and he thought a trade “was Ben Fairchild, a sports per- plans to leave heavily on his to strip it down and kind of
his second Tommy John sur- necessary.” formance manager in Hous- four-seam fastball, alternat- revamp my mechanics and
gery, was acquired Sunday revamp my career.”
for four prospects. He joins a Taillon was inspired watch-
revamped rotation headed by ing former Pirates teammate
Cole and projected to include Daniel Hudson overcame
Deivi García, Jordan Mont- two Tommy John operations
gomery and Corey Kluber, and strike out Houston’s Mi-
whose pending $11 million, chael Brantley for the final
one-year deal is expected to out of the 2019 World Series
be finalized this week. for Washington. Taillon looks
A 29-year-old right-hander, forward to reaching the big
Taillon has not pitched since league playoffs for the first
May 1, 2019. In addition to time with the Yankees.
the elbow operations with “New York’s one of those
New York Mets medical di- organizations where it’s all
rector Dr. David Altchek on about winning. From what
April 9, 2014, and on Aug. 13, I’ve heard, nothing else mat-
2019, he also had operations ters in that clubhouse,” he
for a sports hernia on July 8, said. “It’s a group of guys
2015, and for testicular can- trying to make each other
cer on May 8, 2017. He was better, trying to push for Oc-
hit on the head by a 105 mph tober. And I mean, seriously,
line drive off the bat of Mil- ever since I got the news that
waukee’s Hernán Pérez on the Yankees are where I was
July 19, 2016, and stayed in headed, I can’t stop thinking
the game. about that. I’ve heard Yankee
“When you’re going through Stadium in October is just
it, it doesn’t seem like as absolutely incredible.”