Novak Djokovic to Play at U.S. Open After COVID-19 Policy Change

Sports and COVID-19: The Impact on the Sports-Event Industry

Posted On: May 3, 2023 By : Matt Traub

Editor’s Note: The pandemic that started in early 2020 upended the world order and sports was not exempt; in fact, when the NBA announced that it was pausing its season in the wake of Rudy Gobert’s positive test for COVID-19, our staff was gathered for dinner at an industry event in Colorado Springs, Colorado. From lockdowns to protocols, masks to social distancing testing to vaccination, SportsTravel has tracked the ways in which our industry has been affected. We started writing and providing small updates on this story in the early hours of the pandemic and just like the rest of the world, sports has moved past the stops and starts to move past the coronavirus. We hope not to have to update file after today; but through the more than 336,000 words that are below, we also think it provides an interesting perspective on how the sports industry has adapted, pivoted and changed.

Djokovic cleared to play U.S. Open after vaccine travel policy change

Posted: May 3, 2023

Perhaps the last COVID-related saga in the sports world ended on Tuesday with official word that Novak Djokovic can return to the U.S. Open this year — and at tournaments throughout the country — because the federal government’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for foreign air travelers ends next week.

The White House announced Monday most of the last remaining federal COVID-19 vaccine requirements will disappear May 11, when the national public health emergency for the coronavirus ends.

The U.S. Open, the season’s final Grand Slam, begins in New York in August. Djokovic, a 35-year-old from Serbia, has missed several key events — including the 2022 U.S. Open — because he decided not to get inoculated against the coronavirus.

Back in April 2020, Djokovic said he was opposed to needing to be vaccinated to travel. He later said he would not get the shots even if it meant he would not be allowed to participate in some of his sport’s most important tournaments. Unable to travel to the United States, he missed the Masters 1000 tournaments at Indian Wells, California, and Miami both last year and this year.
Djokovic earlier this year won the Australian Open in January for the first time in two years, his 22nd Grand Slam title. Djokovic, famously unvaccinated against COVID-19 and a skeptic of vaccines general, was kicked out of Australia in 2022 in a back-and-forth that became an international sensation over his stance compared to Australia’s vaccination mandate for foreign travelers.

The nine-time Australian Open champion was not allowed to seek a 10th title at Melbourne Park after a tumultuous 10-day legal saga over his vaccination status that culminated with his visa being taken away on the eve of the tournament. Djokovic was allowed to play at the French Open, where he lost in the quarterfinals, and at Wimbledon, which he won, before he sat out the U.S. Open and other summer tournaments in the U.S. last year.

“I don’t have any regrets. I mean, I do feel sad that I wasn’t able to play (at the U.S. Open), but that was a decision that I made and I knew what the consequences would be,” Djokovic said in September at the Laver Cup in London. “So I accepted them and that’s it.”

IIHF Women’s Hockey Event in China Postponed

Posted: March 7, 2023

The 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Division I Group A, due to take place in Shenzhen, China, has been postponed based on international travel restrictions and testing requirements the participating teams would face as a result of ongoing complications related to coronavirus, the IIHF said.

The event was scheduled to take place from April 11–17 and will have new dates announced later. The tournament in Shenzhen will feature Denmark, Norway, Slovakia, Austria, China and the Netherlands with the winning promoted to the top division of the IIHF.

“The International Ice Hockey Federation firmly stands behind the contract with the Chinese Ice Hockey Association and is only postponing the tournament to make sure it starts in a positive way,” said IIHF President Luc Tardif.

The IIHF has postponed and pivoted repeatedly over the past three years. The 2021 Women’s World Championship was moved to Calgary and played at a later date after the event in Halifax and Truro was postponed. The 2022 World Junior Championship in Edmonton was cancelled during the tournament due to Covid before resuming later that year at the same venue.

One Year After Omicron, Sports go Full Steam Ahead in Holiday Season

Posted: December 2, 2022

It was around this time a year ago that things started going haywire in the world of sports — professionally and collegiately. As the then-new omicron variant spread around the country, fall and winter sports that started its respective seasons with optimism sudden felt anxiety and stress levels rising.

The news between Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2021 seems like not just a year ago, but many years. Yet it was right there in black and white;

The NFL postponed three games at the end of December because of omicron. What started with NFL teams averaging 28 positive Covid tests per week skyrocketed to over 700 in the span of two weeks around Christmas.
Between December 12 and January 8, 756 NBA players and 478 staff members tested positive for COVID. The league postponed 11 games in December alone.
College football’s bowl season was a game of musical chairs. The Fenway Bowl and Hawaii Bowl, along with Arizona Bowl and Holiday Bowl, were cancelled. The Gator Bowl and Sun Bowl were played only after replacement teams were secured on short notice to replace other programs that had omicron outbreaks.
And in the NHL, plans for players to participate in the 2022 OIympic Winter Games in Beijing were scrapped after the league, which had only one unvaccinated player, had to postpone 105 games including a one-week break around the Christmas and New Year holiday.

The retiring Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said the administration was hopeful a combination of infections and vaccinations had created “enough community protection that we’re not going to see a repeat of what we saw last year at this time.” Part of that is while the percentage of Americans who are fully vaccinated and double boosted still lags — nearly three months after updated doses of boosters were made available to the public, only about 35 million people have received one of the new shots from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.

But so far this year, with Thanksgiving in the rear-view mirror, the sports world has seen barely a ripple because of Covid. There still are COVID lists with each pro league; the NBA’s Denver Nuggets have missed Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Bones Hyland at points already this season because of Covid protocols. And there still is the designation by many teams as whether an illness is Covid or non-Covid related.

Yet there are no cancellations. No games postponed for good on any level. And no vaccination requirements or mask mandates by any team or arena throughout college or professional sports. Is the sports world done with Covid? We all thought that was the case last year and it turned out to be a false premise. But does this time feel much different? Yes.

TENNIS: Djokovic Appears Able to Play in Australian Open

Updated: November 16, 2022

Nearly a year after one of the biggest dust-ups in international sport erupted, Novak Djokovic looks ready to be allowed into Australia to compete in the Australian Open in January for the first time in two years.

Djokovic, famously unvaccinated against COVID-19 and a skeptic of vaccines general, was also famously kicked out of Australia last year in a back-and-forth that became an international sensation over his stance compared to Australia’s vaccination mandate for foreign travelers.

The Australian Broadcasting Corp. and multiple newspapers in the country said Immigration Minister Andrew Giles would put aside a potential three-year ban from entry that Djokovic, a 35-year-old from Serbia, had faced as a foreign citizen whose visa was revoked.

Djokovic arrived at Melbourne Airport with a visa he had obtained online via what he believed to be a valid medical exemption from the country’s strict laws governing unvaccinated visitors. His application had been endorsed by Tennis Australia and the government of Victoria state, which hosts the tournament.

As it turned out, that apparent medical exemption allowed him to enter the tournament but not necessarily to enter the country. The Australian Border Force rejected the exemption and Alex Hawke, Australia’s immigration minister at the time, used discretionary powers to cancel Djokovic’s visa on character grounds, stating he was a “talisman of a community of anti-vaccine sentiment.”

Australia has had a change of government since then and since July, incoming travelers no longer have to provide proof of receiving shots against COVID-19. Djokovic was allowed to play at the French Open, where he lost in the quarterfinals, and at Wimbledon, which he won, before he sat out the U.S. Open and other summer tournaments in the U.S. because he could not fly into the country as an unvaccinated foreign citizen.

SOCCER: Qatar Changes Course, Scraps COVID-19 Requirements for World Cup Fans

Updated: October 30, 2022

World Cup host Qatar has scrapped a requirement for visitors to obtain a negative COVID-19 test before arriving to watch games when the World Cup starts November 20.

Previously, Qatar had told fans they must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test regardless of their vaccination status, before departing by air or at the border crossing.

The health ministry also dropped a requirement that adults show their COVID-19 status on a government-run contact tracing smartphone application called Ehteraz before entering stadiums or other establishments. Organizers re-confirmed all visitors aged 18 and over need to have a Hayya Card (Fan ID for the tournament) via qatar2022.qa, which alongside a valid match ticket is the only way to enter the country during the World Cup.

The original plan was players and staff with the 32 World Cup teams will have to take rapid antigen tests every two days in Qatar, as will referees and match officials, FIFA said. Masks must be worn on public transport, including the subway system that many fans will use to get to the eight stadiums in and around Doha.

Qatar has recorded nearly 440,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 692 deaths from the disease, according to the country’s ministry of public health. More than 97% of the population in Qatar has had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the data states.

MLB: Canada Lifting Vaccination Requirement Changes Playoff Picture

Posted: Tuesday, September 20

One of the biggest COVID policies in North American sports may be ending as the Globe and Mail in Toronto has reported that the Canadian federal government will drop its vaccination requirement for visitors to the country by the end of this month.

Changes for arrivals at land, air and sea ports of entry, are planned but a mask requirement for people on trains and planes will remain in place, the Globe and Mail reported, adding aviation and travel industries have pushed the government to relax the rules that cover international travel.

This would affect all major sports leagues that have teams in Canada, with each season since those teams were allowed to play in its home markets marked by the question of which players would not travel with teammates to games because of their individual refusal to get vaccinated. While the NHL only had one unvaccinated player last season, the NBA had others who did not travel to Toronto to play the Raptors — famously unvaccinated Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets as well as Philadelphia’s Matisse Thybulle, who missed two playoff games between the 76ers and Raptors in the Eastern Conference first round.

The potential lifting would affect the stretch run of the Major League Baseball season and a potential postseason appearance by the Toronto Blue Jays, who entered Tuesday night in the first wild-card spot in the American League. Should it hold onto that spot, the Blue Jays would host a first-round series against potentially a team like the Tampa Bay Rays or Seattle Mariners. While the Rays did not have any players on the MLB restricted list for its last visit to Toronto, the Mariners placed reliever Drew Steckenrider on the restricted list and starter Robbie Ray also didn’t make the trip.

The vaccination requirement to this point has affected other MLB teams in different ways. The Kansas City Royals had nearly a dozen players skip the trip to Toronto earlier this season while National League MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt sat at home when the St. Louis Cardinals traveled north of the border. The New York Post reported last week that should there be a World Series between the Blue Jays and New York Mets, the Mets franchise was worried because they “still have multiple stars who remain unvaccinated.” Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt ripped MLB’s coronavirus protocols in July after he was scratched from a start and added to the COVID-19 injured list, saying “it’s ridiculous we’re still doing it. Stop testing it. Stop acting like COVID is far worse than a lot of other things.”

The potential lifting of the requirement would also affect international sports in Toronto including Formula 1 and the ATP and WTA Tours, which hold a major event each summer in Toronto and Montreal. Novak Djokovic, who is unvaccinated, was not allowed to play in this year’s ATP Nations Bank Open because of his status.

On June 20, the Canadian government suspended vaccine requirements for domestic and outbound travelers, federal government employees and federally regulated industry workers. While Canada’s vaccination requirement may be dropping soon, the United States still requires all entrants to be vaccinated.

NFL: New Season, No COVID Restrictions

Posted: Friday, September 9

The 2022 NFL season started in the same location where the 2021 season ended: SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, with the Rams playing in front of a sold-out home crowd.

The result may have been different: The Rams lost 31-10 to the Buffalo Bills, a team many are picking as a Super Bowl favorite this season. It also started a different season for the NFL — the first since 2019 in which there are no intensive COVID-19 protocols.

After a 2020 season that was held in stadiums with restricted numbers in attendance — if any at all — the 2021 season had some lightened protocols but still with plenty of testing. The league also had to, like every other professional league that was in action during the omicron surge, adjust the schedule in limited circumstances.

In 2022, that is no longer the case. There is no testing even for unvaccinated players. Unvaccinated players are also no longer required to wear masks at team facilities. While a positive test means a player must isolate for five days — which happened in the preseason for Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins, who remains unvaccinated and missed a key game last year when he test positive while in the NFC playoff hunt as the Vikings eventually were shut out of the postseason.

Another thing that is in the past for the NFL: vaccination mandates for fans at games. Most notable last season were the mandates in Las Vegas and Buffalo, where two fans were charged for using fake vaccination cards after posting them on social media.

And as always, the demand for tickets to NFL games is seemingly insatiable; ticket sales were up 5% over the same time before training camp, reported Sports Business Journal. Bobby Gallo, senior vice president of club business development, told the publication the NFL it will set a record for gross ticket revenue even with no new stadiums opening after last year saw the public debut of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

NBA: Testing Still Mandatory for Unvaccinated Players This Season

Posted: Wednesday, August 31

Unvaccinated NBA players and team personnel must submit to weekly COVID-19 testing this season, the league told clubs in a memo Tuesday according to multiple media reports.

The policy for the coming season was agreed to by the National Basketball Players Association. There will be certain exceptions to the mandate, the league said, such as when an unvaccinated person is considered to have been “recently recovered” from COVID-19.

Canada’s vaccination policy for travelers will mean a continuation of last year’s NBA policy for players who would have to miss games at the Toronto Raptors. The NBA told teams this week that players who are not fully vaccinated and have not been given a medical clearance will be barred from traveling to play the Raptors. Canada’s mandate for incoming foreign travelers to be vaccinated has been an issue all season for Major League Baseball, most notably when 10 Kansas City Royals did not travel to a recent weekend series with the rest of their teammates.

The league had a 95 percent vaccination rate last season but most of the attention was focused on one player who was famously unvaccinated, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who missed most of his team’s home games in the regular season because of New York City mandates that were eventually lifted.

This coming season, testing will not be required except when “directed by their team physician or a league physician or government authority,” the league said. Face masks also will not be required, though they will be recommended for use indoors in cities where coronavirus levels are classified by government officials as high.

“It looks like we’ll be on our normal track in terms of when the season starts, in terms of our protocols around the game, particularly around the health and safety of our players,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said at the league’s Board of Governors meeting in July. “I have learned over the last 2½ years not to make any predictions when it comes to COVID, but only to say we’ll be prepared for anything that comes our way.”

The league said it is strongly recommending that those people remain up to date with their vaccination status, including all boosters that are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All players and team personnel will be required to get tested when exhibiting symptoms, plus they will be required to report those symptoms, as well as any positive or inconclusive results of tests not administered by the team or the league. Players and personnel will also have to report when someone in their household tests positive for COVID-19.

TENNIS: Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic Withdraws from U.S. Open

Posted: Thursday, August 25

With the final Grand Slam of the tennis season about to start in New York, one of the biggest stars in the world will not be there — of his own volition.

Novak Djokovic, who is famously unvaccinated, withdrew from the U.S. Open on Thursday because he is not allowed to travel to the United States. Djokovic announced his withdrawal hours before the draw for the event was revealed.

“Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open,” Djokovic wrote, wishing luck to his fellow players, and said he would “keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again.”

While the U.S. Open will mostly be known for Serena Williams’ final tournament before retirement, the Djokovic situation also loomed over preparation. When the event posted social media promotions, several eagle-eyed observers noted how Djokovic was not one of the players featured.

Novak Djokovic chases down a shot from Daniil Medvedev during the men’s singles final of the US Open on September 12, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Djokovic could have remained in the draw after it was made on Thursday but later withdraw, similar to what he did earlier this spring at tournaments scheduled for the U.S. One player, Liam Broady, criticized Djokovic this week the possibility of denying a spot to a fringe player given the financial stakes; making the main draw at the U.S. Open is worth $80,000 to a player.

“There should be a rule against late withdrawals from slams when you know you aren’t going to play,” Broady said on Twitter. “Really tough on No 1 seeds in qualifying seeing players they know aren’t playing on the main draw list but still having to go through qualifying.”

There is one former player outspokenly defending Djokovic: John McEnroe said the U.S. government should allow Djokovic to play, telling Australian media, “He’s won a lot more majors than me because he’s dug his heels in and found that will, that very few people in sport have ever found. That’s part of what made him so great, so he sticks to his guns.”

Not playing at Flushing Meadows completes a rollercoaster year of Grand Slams for Djokovic. He was deported from Australia over that country’s vaccination mandate hours before the 2022 Australian Open after being in the country for nearly two weeks, then lost in the semifinals of the French Open to Rafael Nadal and won Wimbledon. The win was his first Grand Slam since last year’s Wimbledon, gives him one more career Grand Slam than Roger Federer and brings him within one of re-tying rival Nadal for the all-time record.

Djokovic has been mum other than on social media since Wimbledon but said after his men’s championship win at the tournament that “I’m not vaccinated and I’m not planning to get vaccinated so the only good news I can have is them removing the mandated green vaccine card or whatever you call it to enter United States or exemption … I don’t think exemption is realistically possible. If that is possibility, I don’t know what exemption would be about. I don’t know. I don’t have much answers there.”

The past two years at the U.S. Open have been tumultuous for Djokovic for different reasons. In 2020 at a tournament closed to fans, Djokovic was defaulted in the round of 16 after striking a lineswoman with a ball; in 2021, he had a Grand Slam at stake before losing in the final to Daniil Medvedev.

It was weeks after the 2021 Open that the U.S. issued an order requiring vaccination for nonimmigrant noncitizens hoping to enter the country. Djokovic’s inability to enter the U.S. led him to withdraw in the spring from high-profile tournaments in Indian Wells, California, and Miami; the hard-court season leading to the U.S. Open is based in the U.S. and Canada, meaning Djokovic did not participate in any of those tournaments.

In February, Djokovic told the BBC “the principles of decision making on my body are more important than any title or anything else”, but added he was keeping an open mind about being vaccinated in the future. Djokovic has “always been a great student of wellness, wellbeing, health and nutrition” in his words but insisted he was “never against vaccination.”

SOCCER: Europe’s Revenues Increased Post-COVID

Posted: Monday, August 22

Throughout the major professional sports leagues in the United States, commissioners almost unanimously have been able to give strong financial updates while coming out of the worst of COVID-19, with both the NHL and NBA pleased with the past season’s overall revenue and the NFL remaining the titan of money-making sports leagues.

Those positive financial figures are the trend around the world in most parts as well. Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance showed the European soccer industry had held up across the continent with total revenues of approximately $27.6 billion, a 10% rise from the previous season despite in some cases still having to deal with various capacity restrictions depending on the country.

Deferred broadcast revenues from the previous season and revenue generated from the rescheduled Euro 2020 tournament played across the continent in 2021 were behind the rise, the report said.

“Clubs across Europe played a significant proportion of matches behind closed doors or with reduced capacity during the 2020/21 season which caused an almost complete loss of matchday revenue,” said Tim Bridge, lead partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte. “It’s testament to the resilience of the industry, the value driven by broadcast deals and the success of the Euros that the European football market has achieved tenacious growth, in revenue terms, over the past year.”

Stuck within the financial report were some notable figures. While the overall revenue grew throughout Europe, it was entirely down to the Premier League in England. Excluding the Premier League, the leagues in Germany, Spain, France and Italy reported total operating losses for 2020-21 of nearly $905 million. Italy’s Serie A increased revenue 23% to $2.5 billion and England’s Premier League rising 8% to $5.5 billion both Germany’s Bundesliga and Spain’s La Liga both saw reported combined revenues down 6%.

Those gap between the Premier League and others in Europe will only continue to grow when you factor in what they get from international broadcast rights in the U.S. The Premier League’s new U.S. TV contract averages $450 million per year, more than double La Liga’s and in the case of the Bundesliga, a nearly 14-fold increase. UEFA announced a renewal of its U.S. broadcast rights with CBS, a $1.5 billion deal over 6 years, that is worth 2.5 times the previous contract.

“As the Premier League enters its fourth decade, it’s further ahead of the competition than ever before, having emerged from the pandemic without as significant an increase in net debt as many might have expected,” said Bridge.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Division II team moves four games from Canada to U.S.

Posted: Tuesday, August 16

An NCAA Division II school in Canada will play four of its six scheduled home games in the upcoming 2022 season in the United States because of Canada’s border restriction that requires all visitors into the country to be fully vaccinated.

Simon Fraser will move games from SFU Stadium at Terry Fox Field to Blaine, Washington, the college announced on Tuesday. The games affected are against Texas A&M-Kingsville (October 1), Western New Mexico (October 22), Angelo State (October 29) and West Texas A&M (November 12).

Simon Fraser University will have to play most of its home games in the United States because of Canada’s COVID-19 entry requirements for foreigners.

“We are all looking forward to a time when the impact of the global pandemic will be behind us,” said Theresa Hanson, senior director of athletics and recreation at SFU. “This news is especially disappointing for our student-athletes, but we continue to support them and advocate for ways to ensure they can train and compete. We are looking forward to creating a home-field atmosphere in Blaine for these games.”

The program also announced a game against Montana State-Northern scheduled for September 10 has been cancelled. Simon Fraser has two scheduled home games at SFU Stadium remaining, against Central Washington on September 17 and the Shrum Bowl against the University of British Columbia on December 2.

Simon Fraser was predicted to finish last in the Lone Star Conference, which is comprised of all Southern U.S.-based schools except for SFU, Central Washington and Western Oregon. Those three schools are typically in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. In November 2021, SFU, Central Washington and Western Oregon were accepted into the Lone Star Conference, creating a 10-team league. With only three NCAA Division II football schools in the Pacific Northwest, it was an essential move to guarantee a full conference schedule.

Simon Fraser obviously does not have a large following in college football but did make news last season as Kristie Elliott became the first Canadian female to play and score in an NCAA college football game in the 2021 season, during which SFU played two home games and six games on the road. The program’s 2020 season was canceled by the pandemic.

NFL: Kirk Cousins to miss Vikings preseason game

Posted: Friday, August 12

One of the NFL’s biggest COVID skeptics will miss his team’s first preseason game this weekend because he tested positive for COVID for the second time in less than 10 months.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is unvaccinated, was told to isolate for five days after testing positive for COVID on Friday, meaning he would miss the team’s Sunday preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Barring complications, Cousins would be eligible to rejoin the team Tuesday. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said Cousins had “minimal” symptoms starting Thursday and reported it to the team.

“I like the way he handled it,” O’Connell said, “reporting the symptoms and just going through our in-house process here. I’m proud of how he did that, looking out for his teammates and making sure that we’ll get him back ready to roll as soon as possible.”

The NFL paused its COVID-19 protocols in March. Players are not required to be vaccinated while nearly all league employees and coaches on its teams do have a mandate. Players are not tested on a daily basis but anyone who tests positive must quarantine for at least five days.

Cousins has been one of the most anti-vaccine NFL players in a league that has been overwhelming vaccinated among team rosters. He had to quarantine last preseason as a close contact of backup QB Kellen Mond after he tested positive. He said later he would rather have meetings either outside in the winter — in Minnesota! — or have indoor meetings with everybody plexiglassed off rather than get vaccinations, saying “if I die, I die” when asked about his exposure to COVID.

Cousins then missed a crucial late-season game for the Vikings after testing positive for COVID as Minnesota, a game out of the playoff race, was blow out by the Green Bay Packers and failed to make the expanded postseason.

NBA: Vaccine Mandate Still in Effect for Travel to Canada

Posted: Wednesday, August 10

Canada’s vaccination policy for travelers will mean a continuation of last year’s NBA policy for players who would have to miss games at the Toronto Raptors, according to multiple reports.

The NBA told teams this week that players who are not fully vaccinated and have not been given a medical clearance will be barred from traveling to play the Raptors. Canada’s mandate for incoming foreign travelers to be vaccinated has been an issue all season for Major League Baseball, most notably when 10 Kansas City Royals did not travel to a recent weekend series with the rest of their teammates.

Toronto Raptors fans fill Scotiabank Arena for a game.

Yahoo Sports earlier this summer reported the league will not have a mandate for vaccination next season, a continuation of last season’s policy. The league had a 95 percent vaccination rate last season but most of the attention was focused on one player in particular who was famously unvaccinated, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who missed most of his team’s home games in the regular season because of New York City mandates that were eventually lifted.

As for health and safety protocols next season, “what it looks like to me is people who are symptomatic would test, and would be tested quickly,” Commissioner Adam Silver said during the start of the NBA Finals — an event he missed the final two games of after testing positive for COVID himself. “And to the extent a player or a member of the staff is positive, they would then, whatever the state of the protocols are then, whether there’s antivirals available to them, but certainly they would be separated from the team.”

Silver added “my assumption is there would probably be some mask-wearing — not required of fans, unless local municipalities require it. But in the bowels of the arena, where people are proximate and trainers and others are working on players. To the extent there are relatively simple things we can do to reduce risk of transmission, we would do those as well. … But I don’t see much more beyond that, at least right now. I think it’s going to seem, as it essentially did for most of the playoffs, very much like the pre-COVID protocols we were following then. But as you mentioned, you never know what’s coming.”

The Raptors will play 41 home games in the regular season, as tradition dictates. Toronto also has exhibition home games scheduled in Edmonton against the Utah Jazz, in Montreal against the Boston Celtics, and at home against the Chicago Bulls. Additional home games would also come in the playoffs; Toronto last year had three home playoff games in the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers, who were without guard Matisse Thybulle, who as of the postseason was not fully vaccinated.

Vaccination Status Adds Twist to MLB Trade Deadline

Updated: August 3, 2022

As the Major League Baseball trade deadline approached, for anybody involved in the American League playoff race, one question was added to the number of things to consider when making a move: A player’s vaccination status.

One of the wild card contenders in the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays, are fully vaccinated as a team and visiting players who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 are not allowed to enter Canada. Several teams have gone to Canada this season without some of their best players. The Kansas City Royals were the most extreme example, losing 10 players ahead of their trip north of the U.S. border — two of which were traded in the past week, one of them to the Blue Jays themselves.

Two-time All-Star Whit Merrifield, who is unvaccinated but said he would get his shots if it meant playing in the postseason, was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. Merrifield’s stance about changing his mind to play in the postseason made him the target of some criticism from Royals fans, who have seen the team languish near the bottom of the American League all season.

Kansas City Royals players Andrew Benintendi, left, and Whit Merrifield celebrate scoring against the Detroit Tigers on July 2, 2022. Both players, who are unvaccinated, have since been traded. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Merrifield’s explanation for his unvaccinated status was contradictory at best. He said a close college friend died from COVID but “… I don’t feel like COVID is a threat to me. So it was a choice I made when talking to my family, talking to my wife. Didn’t think the risk was worth it, honestly.” He also said vaccination “(is) helping people to stay out of the hospital. But I don’t feel like I’m in that demographic. And if I am, I get it, and I get sick and get in the hospital, that’s on me. But if it was foolproof like it was supposed to be, I would get the vaccine and it would stop me from spreading COVID. No problem. But unfortunately, that’s not what it’s doing.”

“We’ll let him work through that with his family,” Blue Jays General Manager Ross Atkins said of Merrifield. “We felt like we made a very good team better today.”

Andrew Benintendi’s unvaccinated status was also more notable after he was traded to the New York Yankees, who could play the division foe Blue Jays in the playoffs in addition to remaining regular season games.

“I’m open minded about it,” Benintendi said after the trade about getting vaccinated. “I’m not against it, but time will tell as we get closer, but for now I’m just focused on getting here, getting comfortable, getting to know the guys and winning baseball games.”

Given the number of players that have had to miss games this year in Canada because they are not vaccinated, it’s perhaps no surprise that Toronto entered the week 13 games over .500 at home — and one game under .500 on the road. The Yankees, Guardians, Rays, Orioles, Red Sox, Angels and Cubs all play games in Toronto after the deadline.

Even in the National League, where teams have much less travel to Toronto but still could have their postseason status come down to a three-game series in Canada, a player’s vaccination status is “certainly one of the things that’s new that you didn’t have to think about,” Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington told The Associated Press. “I think every team obviously wants to feel that the full complement of their roster is available to play, but we’re in a new world and there’s personal choices.”

The St. Louis Cardinals were without All-Star infielders Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt for a two-game series plus catcher Austin Romine. Going into the series, the Cardinals were in the final wild-card spot in the National League.

Arizona Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen said the vaccine status of players was affecting trade talks “to some degree” but didn’t believe it would be a deciding factor in many deals. He added vaccine status is part of a player’s medical file, so there shouldn’t be any secrets, since teams are free to discuss those details.

Report Says NBA May Forgo Vaccine Mandate

Posted: July 27, 2022

The league will strongly suggest vaccinations but not require them next season

Vaccine mandates were a major story line during the last NBA season, but they not be much of a story when the 2022–2023 season tips off.

According to a report from Yahoo Sports, the NBA will forego a vaccine mandate next season but will strongly suggest all personnel be up to date with vaccines. There is also the possibility, according to the report, that periodic testing of unvaccinated players could still be allowed, pending discussions with the players’ association,

NBA health and safety policies last season left the issue of vaccine mandates up to local state and city laws. While players were not required to be vaccinated, they were subject to more stringent testing and restrictions if they declined to get the shot.

The issue of vaccines still played out throughout the season, including with Brooklyn Nets’ star Kyrie Irving who was unvaccinated. New York state laws on the issue prevented him from playing home games for much of the season. He finally made his home debut in late March only after New York lifted its local mandates.

According to league statistics, most NBA players were vaccinated last season, with the league boasting a 95 percent vaccination rate.

While the NBA may not require vaccines, the issue at the moment is likely to remain for teams traveling to Toronto, where Canadian restrictions require anyone entering the country to be vaccinated. If those national laws don’t change, any NBA player competing in Toronto would have to prove their vaccination status. That issue continues to play out this season in Major League Baseball, where several high-profile players have had to stay home for games against the Toronto Blue Jays because they have not been vaccinated.

Canadian Vaccine Requirements Keep Two Cardinals Home

Posted: Monday, July 25

Major League Baseball teams traveling to Toronto to play the Blue Jays continue to run into challenges bringing their entire roster with them to compete. And in the case of the St. Louis Cardinals, the country’s vaccination rules mean the team will be without All-Star infielders Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt for their two-game series as both are unvaccinated.

Catcher Austin Romine also will miss the series because he is unvaccinated against COVID-19.

Canadian rules still require anyone entering the country to have received a second COVID-19 vaccine shot, or dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, at least 14 days before entering the country.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) is congratulated during a game against the Miami Marlins. Arenado is among three Cardinals who will not make the trip to Toronto over the country’s vaccine rules. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

In the case of the Cardinals, Arenado and Goldschmidt represent their two best hitters in the lineup. For the pair, there are also financial considerations as Arenado will lose $384,416 and Goldschmidt will forfeit $241,758 in pay under terms of the contract negotiated with the players’ union.

The Cardinals sit in second place in the National League Central and hold the third and final wild-card spot.

Earlier in July, 10 members of the Kansas City Royals didn’t make the trip to Toronto for their four-game series with the Blue Jays. Prior to Kansas City, 25 MLB players had hit the restricted list due to being unvaccinated.

Since Olympics, China Seemingly Adopts ‘Zero Sporting Events’ Policy

Posted: Monday, July 18

The 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing was held with pomp, circumstance and little cheering — because there was no crowd.

China’s determination to keep one of the world’s largest sporting events on schedule without having to deal with potential delays stemming from COVID-19 included a strict closed loop, daily testing and more than a little fear of what would happen for any athletes who would test positive after entering the Olympic Village.

The desire to have the Games go on was China’s geopolitical weight at its most prominent with the IOC falling in line. The closed loop also was a convenient way to keep foreign press from going out in public and talking with citizens while foreign fans were banned months before the Opening Ceremony — all in the name of controlling the narrative for as much as China could.

The Olympic rings glow during the Closing Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Officials in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo say there is public support for holding the 2030 Winter Olympics. However, Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto says the city has no plans to hold a binding public referendum for the final word. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)

It worked in February with the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games going off on schedule with China shown across the world as host. Since then, it’s clear to assume that China’s willingness to continue hosting sporting events that do not match the Olympics for prestige is not nearly as strong.

The 2023 Asian Cup, the continent’s top soccer tournament? No way, even if it’s a year out.

International figure skating and X Games events? Also cancelled.

The PGA and LPGA Tour events scheduled for October? Not a chance.

World Athletics’ half-marathon championships? Axed from the calendar.

Seemingly every international sporting event that was scheduled for China is off the calendar — except for the one that it had the maximum worldwide exposure to showcase its “zero-COVID” policy that the World Health Organization recently called unsustainable, a view which Chinese officials have rejected outright.

The latest outbreak in Shanghai, a key international business center, has been linked to a karaoke parlor that reopened without authorization during lockdown. Residents of parts of Shanghai and Beijing have been ordered to undergo further rounds of COVID-19 testing following new cases in the two cities while tight restrictions remain in place in Hong Kong, Macao and other Chinese cities.

Shanghai has only just emerged from a strict lockdown that confined most of its 24 million residents to their homes for weeks and the new requirements have stirred concerns of a return of such harsh measures. One thing will be for sure this year; the chances of an international sporting event coming to town in the coming months is slim to none.

Those fans will instead watch on TV as they did during the Winter Games — an event that started with Vladimir Putin smiling as an invited guest during the Opening Ceremony as his country prepared to invade Ukraine, with no discussion of human rights abuses of the Uyghur and Tibetan minority communities and curated coverage by the International Olympic Committee of China’s ability to host the Games.

Yes, there was no known spread of COVID-19 among athletes and new stars emerging while others bade an Olympic farewell. The question remains, however, and it’s semi-rhetorical: Did China care about the athletic portion of the Games as much as its ability to propagate itself?

Kansas City Royals Without 10 players in Toronto Because of Unvaccinated Statuses

Posted: Wednesday, July 13

One of the main storylines during the developing early action in the American League playoff race is the three unvaccinated Boston Red Sox players as the team is in the beginning battle for a wild-card spot against the Toronto Blue Jays. Given how Canada does not allow unvaccinated visitors to the country, those three players have been the focus of attention.

Turns out all along that one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball likely has the most unvaccinated players in the league — the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals announced that 10 players will not travel to Toronto for an upcoming four-game series because of their unvaccinated status including one of the team’s best players in Whit Merrifield and one of its leading candidates to get traded in Andrew Benintendi. Players who are unvaccinated and miss games in Toronto forfeit service time and salary for the four games missed. Prior to Kansas City, 25 MLB players had hit the restricted list due to being unvaccinated.

Along with Merrifield and Benintendi, missing games will be catcher MJ Melendez, utilityman Hunter Dozier, outfielders Michael A. Taylor and Kyle Isbel, catcher Cam Gallagher and pitchers Brad Keller, Brady Singer and Dylan Coleman. Only the Oakland Athletics have a worse record in the AL than the Royals.

“It’s an individual choice,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said after Wednesday’s game, a win over the Detroit Tigers. “The organization’s done a real good job bringing in professionals and experts to talk guys through tough conversations and then put it in their hands to make the decisions they believe is best for them and their families.”

Benintendi’s and Taylor’s vaccination statuses could play a role in trade talks, especially for a team that would want to be in the playoffs — and be matched against Toronto. Merrifield did not rule out the possibility of vaccination should he be traded, “(if) I happen to get on a team that has a chance to go play in Canada in the postseason, maybe that changes.”

Merrifield’s explanation for why he is unvaccinated is the stuff that would make medical experts’ heads explode. He said a close college friend of his died from COVID last fall but “I feel that the vaccine initially — what it was supposed to do, it’s not doing it — and if it was doing what it was supposed to do, stopping the spread of COVID — I would probably have a little more willingness to take it. But it’s not doing that, and I don’t feel like COVID is a threat to me. So it was a choice I made when talking to my family, talking to my wife. Didn’t think the risk was worth it, honestly.”

If that is not confusing enough, Merrifield admitted that vaccination “(is) helping people to stay out of the hospital. But I don’t feel like I’m in that demographic. And if I am, I get it, and I get sick and get in the hospital, that’s on me. But if it was foolproof like it was supposed to be, I would get the vaccine and it would stop me from spreading COVID. No problem. But unfortunately, that’s not what it’s doing.”

Some of the other comments were also medically strange, ranging from Coleman saying the vaccine “felt very rushed to me, like as soon as it came out I feel like that mainly was it” to Dozier saying he doesn’t “do any vaccines” and that since he got COVID two years ago, “I have antibodies … I want my body to naturally fight stuff off.”

NBA Almost Completely Back to Pre-Pandemic Normal

Posted: Wednesday, July 13

With revenue better than it has been since the start of the pandemic, arenas that aside from a few weeks in Toronto were open to full capacity all season long and the return of a popular team in the Golden State Warriors to the role of NBA championship, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sounded more than ever this week to turn the page on the pandemic as far as the league’s future outlook.

“It looks like we’ll be on our normal track in terms of when the season starts, in terms of our protocols around the game, particularly around the health and safety of our players,” said Silver, who missed the last two games of the NBA Finals after testing positive himself for COVID-19, with Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum stepping in to award the Larry O’Brien Trophy to the Golden State Warriors. “I have learned over the last two and a half years not to make any predictions when it comes to COVID, but only to say we’ll be prepared for anything that comes our way.”

The 2019–2020 season famously was suspended during the start of the pandemic before resuming in a bubble environment at the end of summer in 2020 in Orlando, Florida, before a shortened 2020–2021 season that was held in front of sparse crowds for most of the year.

The 2021–2022 season started off as normal as ever during the pandemic but the league did have to deal with several rescheduled games during the omicron wave in the holiday season. It also had the sideshow all season long of the famously unvaccinated Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn.

As for health and safety protocols next season, “what it looks like to me is people who are symptomatic would test, and would be tested quickly,” Silver said. “And to the extent a player or a member of the staff is positive, they would then, whatever the state of the protocols are then, whether there’s antivirals available to them, but certainly they would be separated from the team.”

The NBA also announced that it had cleared $10 billion in revenue the past season, which Silver said exceeded the league’s projections: “I think it’s quite remarkable from where we came in only two and a half years ago when it was — the future of this industry was in question, in part because of the pandemic and also people questioning whether people would want to continue to assemble in arenas and stadiums the way they are.

“I think what it demonstrated this past season was an incredible amount of pent-up demand from people to get out and be with other people,” Silver said. “I think there is something unique and special about being around other people. Whether you’re there to cheer or jeer or whatever it is, there’s something really special. Particularly, I think, about arena and stadium sports.”

Silver was speaking after a NBA board of governors meeting in Las Vegas, where Summer League is ongoing through the weekend. Silver said this year’s 10-day Summer League will fill 70,000 hotel rooms with 135,000 tickets and an estimated economic impact of $125 million.

“While I know we don’t have a franchise in Las Vegas, it feels like we have a franchise in Las Vegas, certainly with the impact that we are able to have here over the summer,” Silver said.

Unvaccinated Djokovic Wins Wimbledon, Another Part of a Tumultuous Year

Posted: Monday, July 11

Novak Djokovic’s celebration and happiness after winning the Wimbledon men’s championship on Sunday in England was evident. The win was his first Grand Slam since last year’s Wimbledon, gives him one more career Grand Slam than Roger Federer and brings him within one of re-tying rival Rafael Nadal for the all-time record.

And that’s as close as Djokovic will get for quite some time — and all of his own doing.

Barring a change in U.S. entry requirements for foreigners, Djokovic will not participate in the U.S. Open at summer’s end because of his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Novak Djokovic kisses the winners trophy as he celebrates after beating Nick Kyrgios to win the men’s final at Wimbledon in London. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

“I’m not vaccinated and I’m not planning to get vaccinated so the only good news I can have is them removing the mandated green vaccine card or whatever you call it to enter United States or exemption,” Djokovic said Sunday. “I don’t know. I don’t think exemption is realistically possible. If that is possibility, I don’t know what exemption would be about. I don’t know. I don’t have much answers there.”

It was weeks after the 2021 Open that the U.S. issued an order requiring vaccination for nonimmigrant noncitizens hoping to enter the country. The U.S. ceased requiring negative coronavirus tests for entry in mid-June but did not stop requiring full vaccination of noncitizen nonimmigrants. Djokovic’s inability to enter the U.S. led him to withdraw in the spring from high-profile tournaments in Indian Wells, California, and Miami; the hard-court season leading to the U.S. Open is based in the U.S. and Canada, meaning Djokovic would lose ranking points that he earned from playing last summer.

Djokovic was asked Saturday: “About the U.S. Open, you said there’s nothing you can do at this point, but you do still have time to get vaccinated before New York to make it in time for the U.S. Is that something you’ve completely closed your mind to as an option going forward or …”

“Yes,” Djokovic said.

“It is [closed]?” the reporter said.

“Yes,” Djokovic said.

Djokovic’s Grand Slam journey this season has been a rollercoaster; he dealt with deportation from Australia over that country’s vaccination mandate before the 2022 Australian Open after being in the country for nearly two weeks, then lost in the semifinals of the French Open to Nadal.

“Certainly this year has not been the same like last years,” Djokovic said. “It has started the way it has started and it has affected me definitely in the first several months of the year. I was not feeling great generally. I mean, mentally, emotionally, I was not at a good place.”

(This is where observers can point out that getting vaccinated would have solved a lot of these problems, but … )

COVID was a storyline throughout Wimbledon and not only because of Djokovic’s eventual victory in the men’s singles draw. Three men’s players had to withdraw after testing positive in the first week, leading some players to return to wearing masks when indoors while others lived as they had for months without restrictions, leaving to widespread confusion as to what the tournament’s protocols would and would not entail.

“So many rules,” Nadal said. “For some people some rules are fine; for the others rules are not fine. If there are some rules, we need to follow the rules. If not, the world is a mess.”

Wimbledon also dealt with international drama of its own doing before the tournament began when it banned Russian and Belarussian players from participating because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision was protested by both the ATP and WTA Tours, which decided that it would not award world ranking points at Wimbledon.

And the issue was again in front of mind during championship weekend when the women’s title was won by Elena Rybakina, who plays while representing Kazakhstan — but who is born, raised and still lives in Russia and only switched allegiances four years ago when Kazakhstan said it would help with her expenses. The Russian Tennis Federation was quick to claim “our product” on Rybakina’s run.

MLB: Red Sox Still Vexed by Vaccination Issues

Posted: Thursday, July 7

The Boston Red Sox have been one of the hottest teams in Major League Baseball this summer, going 22-8 since June 1 and rocketing into second place in the ultra-competitive American League East division, taking the lead in the wild-card race.

One of its challengers for a wild-card spot already this season is division rival Toronto, who took two of three games from the Red Sox recently thanks to late-inning rallies thanks to Boston missing its closer — because of his unvaccinated status.

Red Sox closer Tanner Houck is not only unvaccinated and has missed two series so far in Toronto, but he has also not committed to getting his shots ahead of the next visit to Canada in September.

“It’s tough watching, but that’s all I really have to say about it right now,” said Houck last week. “Just not going to comment on it.”

Teams that must play in Toronto have known what the situation was since spring training; Canada’s restrictions on allowing individuals unvaccinated against COVID-19 into the country led MLB and the MLB Players Association to agree to roster modifications for games in Toronto. While most of the attention due to the Canadian government’s rule was focused on potential key players missing for both the Red Sox and New York Yankees, the Yankees did not have any players missing during its earlier visit to Toronto this season.

Houck is one of three Red Sox players that are unvaccinated. Outfielder Jarren Duran said over the weekend that he plans to get his shots so that he will be available in September, when the games could have playoff positioning at stake.

“I love this game too much to miss out on opportunities to play baseball,” said Duran. “I could care less about the money or service time or any of that. I just missed the boys and playing baseball, so that’s kind of like the deciding factor.”

Duran is the only one of the three Boston players who has committed to getting vaccinated. Houck was non-committal as well as starting pitcher Chris Sale, who is injured and undergoing rehab in the minor leagues.

“I just had a lot of fun,” Sale said to reporters in Portland, Maine, on Thursday when asked about vaccination. “Let’s not ruin that. I’m enjoying this process. I appreciate being where I’m at and what I’m doing. Today’s today and tomorrow’s going to come. We’ll figure that [stuff] in a month.”

The potential for Boston missing at least one and potentially two key pitchers for the final visit to Toronto is huge given its spot in the schedule with one week remaining in the season when the series begins. Even beyond the regular season, there remains the possibility that the Red Sox and Blue Jays would be matched up in a playoff series.

“I hate to say it this way, but it is what it is right now,” said Boston manager Alex Cora. “We’ve got plenty of time to get some more players in that series [in September], and if we make it to the playoffs and they make it to the playoffs, then we [could] have to go up there and play. We talk to the players, and I think things are going to be changing with time.”

One non-Red Sox player who has been on the MLB COVID list, upon rejoining his team, said that if he does feel symptoms again, he would not inform anybody and that MLB should “just stop testing.”

New York Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt, who missed a start while being on the COVID list, said he was asymptomatic and “stop acting like COVID is far worse than a lot of other things. I was never sick.”

Bassitt will make his next start on Friday. He said he reported symptoms because he has a daughter.

“If I can somewhat be safe I will,” he told reporters on Thursday. “I tested myself. It was positive. So I basically had the choice to tell them so I can protect my teammates or not say anything and (put) my teammates at risk. I never had a symptom. I woke up perfectly fine the next day. Have not had a symptom since.”

PGA, LPGA Events in China Cancelled

Posted: Wednesday, July 6

The PGA Tour and LPGA Tour cancelled upcoming major events scheduled for China on Wednesday, saying the decisions were made in conjunction with the China Golf Association.

The PGA’s World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions was scheduled for October 27–30 in Shanghai while the LPGA Tour’s Buick LPGA event was scheduled for October 13–16 at Qizhong Garden Golf Club.

“We have worked with all Tours, as well as the China Golf Association, on the viability of hosting the WGC-HSBC Champions this fall, but unfortunately the logistical implications forced the difficult decision to cancel the event,” said PGA Tour Senior Vice President, International, Christian Hardy. “We are thankful for HSBC’s partnership during these trying times as we continue to navigate the changing COVID-19 climate.”

Rory McIlroy tees off at the HSBC Champions at the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai on October 31, 2019. This year’s PGA and LPGA Tour events in China have been cancelled. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

With the cancelation of the WGC-HSBC Champions, the Butterfield Bermuda Championship will be played as a standalone event with full FedExCup points and a purse of $6.5 million.

Wednesday’s announcements — the third straight year that both events have been cancelled — comes as parts of Shanghai and Beijing will undergo further rounds of COVID-19 testing. China has put tight restrictions on arrivals from foreign countries during the pandemic and imposes wide-ranging lockdowns for any COVD-19 positives within the country.

China hosted the Winter Olympics in February in a bubble that involved cordoning off whole sections of Beijing, but has routinely called off less-prominent international sports events.

The golf announcements come a day after the world half-marathon championships were canceled because China wasn’t able to host the races due to the coronavirus pandemic, World Athletics said. This year’s event was due to be the last before the championships are renamed the World Athletics Road Running Championships with the addition of 5-kilometer races and mass-participation events alongside the elite competitions.

The first of those is in Riga, Latvia, next year. The World Athletics Road Running Championships will be held Yangzhou in March 2027, World Athletics announced also on Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, the championships can’t be held this year, through no fault of the (local organizing committee), but our endurance athletes will have the opportunity to compete in Riga next year,’’ World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said. “The Council’s decision to award another event to Yangzhou in 2027 indicates its faith in the organising committee and willingness to return and stage a World Athletics Series road running event there at the first available opportunity.”

Surge in Positives Cause Concern at Wimbledon

Posted: Friday, July 1

Wimbledon is at full capacity for the first time since the pandemic started; the tournament was cancelled in 2020 for the first time since World War II and last year had capacity restrictions throughout the event plus testing required for players and their support team.

This year there is no mandatory testing, however, and masks are not required. But COVID is front and center among the tournament’s storylines after three prominent men’s players had to withdraw after positive tests, including last year’s runner-up. No. 8 seed Matteo Berrettini’s withdrawal came two hours before his first-round match on Tuesday.

“I have had flu symptoms and been isolating the last few days,” Berrettini wrote on social media. “Despite symptoms not being severe, I decided it was important to take another test this morning to protect the health and safety of my fellow competitors and everyone else involved in the tournament.”

Ugo Humbert serves to Casper Rudd in a second round men’s singles match at Wimbledon in London on June 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Men’s 2017 finalist Marin Cilic also tested positive on Tuesday. No. 17 Roberto Bautista Agut pulled out of the tournament on Thursday after he also tested positive. Reports out of England say Wimbledon shared new safety measures including increased cleaning throughout the player areas and masks will be available for anyone who wants.

Not just tennis but in most professional sports, protocols have changed to where it is a player’s responsibility to notice symptoms that could be COVID-related and get tested. French player Alize Cornet had some startling comments after her first-round win Tuesday, saying players contracted COVID while at the French Open but did not tell organizers because of fears of being barred from continuing. Two women’s players, Barbora Krejcikova and Marie Bouzkova, did leave the French Open after contracting the virus.

“At some point… we all might have had the flu,” Cornet told French daily L’Equipe. “At Roland Garros, yes, I think there have been a few cases and it’s a tacit agreement between us. We are not going to self-test to get into trouble. Afterwards, I saw girls wearing masks, maybe because they knew and didn’t want to pass on.”

While the ATP and WTA Tours did not mandate vaccination among players, most of the top 100 on both tours are vaccinated because of the consequences should they test positive at an event.

“The ATP, similar to the NFL, the NBA, MLB, they’re kind of making you get it, in a way,” said Sam Querrey, an American who reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 2017. “They’re saying: If you don’t get it, you might not be able to play certain tournaments or in these games, and we’re going to kind of make things so miserable that you’re going to have to get it. So for me, it was a combination that I think it was good to get it, and it makes your life a lot easier from a professional standpoint.”

“Pretty easy: Vaccines work. Everyone has a right to choose, but more or less, the reason we don’t die from diseases from 50 years ago is because we got vaccines,” added eighth-seeded Jessica Pegula, who is from Buffalo and won Thursday to reach Wimbledon’s third round for the first time. “Of course, it came out really fast, so, sure, there’s always that thought: ‘I hope nothing happens.’ Some people had bad experiences. But for me, I thought it was worth the risk.”

But having three players withdraw with positive tests has led whispers that the tournament could be dealing with an outbreak that grows as the event continues. “I didn’t even know that people were testing positive,” said Coco Gauff, the 18-year-old American who was the runner-up at Roland Garros this year, “until I saw another player wearing a mask.”

And for many of the players, COVID has become part of the reality of traveling around the world to play professional tennis. Women’s No. 5 seed Maria Sakkari said after her win Tuesday “I’m pretty sure I had Covid, so I’m less afraid than I used to be,” adding “we have to get back to a normal life again” and comparing COVID to being forced out of a tournament for food poisoning. Asked after her victory Thursday what her level of concern, women’s No. 4 seed Paula Badosa replied “zero,” adding she is vaccinated and already came down with every “type of COVID possible.”

The biggest tournament in the world, Wimbledon has been dealing with off-court news for more than a month after the All England Tennis Club announced that Russian and Belarussian players would be banned because of Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine; in response, both the ATP and WTA Tours said it would not award ranking points at the tournament. While several months ago it looked like the tournament would not allow Novak Djokovic, the No. 1 seed who is famously unvaccinated, to participate, England’s entry protocols for athletes changed in the spring to allow Djokovic to play.

Djokovic, a 35-year-old with 20 Grand Slam titles, was deported from Australia because of his unvaccinated status hours before the tournament started after a protracted legal battle. He was barred from participating in tournaments in California and Florida earlier this season and as of now would still be stopped from going to the U.S. Open, because he says he will not get a shot against COVID-19.

“The sport needs him — needs him in the sport and at big events,” said Denis Shapovalov, a 23-year-old Canadian seeded 13th at Wimbledon who said he did not have an easy time deciding whether to get the shots himself but in the end, “I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.”

NHL: As Avalanche Win Stanley Cup, COVID Hits Bettman

Posted: Tuesday, June 28

As NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman addressed the media before the Stanley Cup Final series that started in Denver, Colorado, he spent most of the news conference in an exuberant mood, boasting of increased media revenue from the first year of a new TV deal, how scoring was up this season and how revenues were trending way up, leaving him to exclaim “I am delighted that after two and a half years, things are actually feeling normal.”

On Sunday night as the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup by winning Game 6 at the Tampa Bay Lightning, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly handed the Stanley Cup to Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog in place of Bettman, who recently tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to produce enough negative results to get back to the series in time.

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog lifts the Stanley Cup with NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly after the team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Sunday in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

It’s the first time someone other than Bettman — NHL fan tradition demands he get roundly booed while on ice — handed out the Cup since he took over in 1993. A league spokesman said Bettman was resting at home and feeling better less than two weeks after giving his first Cup Final address in person for the first time in three years.

It was during that address at which Bettman was in a good mood. Even after a hard winter that included a temporary shutdown of the season because of the omicron variant, the NHL was expecting to hit $5 billion in revenue for the first time in the 2019–2020 season. After that season was finished in two fan-free bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton with the Lightning winning the Stanley Cup at a nearly empty Rogers Place in Edmonton, the 2021 season was abbreviated to 56 games with no cross-border travel and regional scheduling with several arenas not allowing fans at full capacity.

Even while more arenas opened up as the season went on — eventually the Lightning repeated as Cup champions at home in front of a sellout crowd — Bettman acknowledged that the league’s lost revenues had reached the billion-dollar level last season, making this season all the more important financially. The league was able to return to 82 games and its traditional division alignment and while 105 games were postponed, all were rescheduled thanks to not taking a break for the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

“We were able to stabilize the business and power through,” Bettman said. “Didn’t mean that at times there weren’t challenges, didn’t mean at times we didn’t have to adjust. Some of you on occasion said we were making it up as we went along, and we were, but we did what we had to do to get through it.”

Bettman’s absence for the Cup handover comes less than two weeks after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver missed the last two games of the Finals after a positive COVID test, leaving Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum to present the Larry O’Brien Trophy to the Golden State Warriors.

Could Booster’s Waning Effects Hurt Sports Next Winter?

Posted: Monday, June 20

With the NBA season and the Stanley Cup Final cementing the end of the NHL’s season, the 2021–2022 winter pro sports have been able to complete another season that was complicated by COVID-19. Unlike the previous season that was held with fan restrictions in nearly every arena, this year’s NBA and NHL seasons were almost always held in front of crowds allowed at 100 percent capacity, and those that started the season with masking and vaccination requirements eliminated those protocols by the time spring came.

But the seasons will be remembered for more than just having been completed and with revenues more in line with traditional expectations. There were moments of genuine concern for both the NBA and NHL because of the omicron variant that surged around the United States and Canada during the winter months. Some NBA games had to be rescheduled, with players coming out of retirement on 10-day contracts to fill rosters of teams dealing with multiple COVID positives. The NHL had to take even more drastic measures, suspending the season around the Christmas holiday for a short period of time and backing out of its original plans to participate in the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

Make no mistake about it: If the public at large was as vaccinated in the percentages that pro sports leagues and many collegiate programs are, the numbers based around COVID-19 would be drastically different. Nearly every pro league has a 95-plus percent vaccination rate, something few regions in the U.S. can boast. Yet given the way different variants have spread and the general waning effectiveness of the first round of boosters, the question remains: Will what we saw during this past winter potentially happen again?

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks before Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics in San Francisco on June 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Dr. Robby Sikka, former vice president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves who consulted with the NBA on COVID-19 treatment and protocols and now a physician for the Denver Broncos and founder of the COVID-19 Sports and Society Workgroup, told The Athletic recently that next season will still bring questions related to COVID for leagues to consider.

“We’re talking about a disease that doesn’t just impact life and death, but this is a disease that potentially spreads rapidly throughout a population,” Sikka said. “We probably need to start thinking about, are people going to get a booster ahead of next season? Are we going to have more treatments available, or are we going to more aggressively use Paxlovid? Those are the questions that we should ask.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver before the Finals considered the idea of a COVID-infected player not missing games next season “a really interesting question. I don’t know if it’s analogous or not, (but) there are other viruses, where the flu, historically it’s been a determination from a player and team or player’s doctor as to whether it’s appropriate for them to be out on the floor. Ultimately, I think that’s a bigger issue than the NBA. I don’t think we’re looking to be a trendsetter there. I think we want to be mindful of an impact an infected player can have not just on other players on the floor but people in the arena.”

Of course, about a week after his press conference, Silver tested positive for COVID and missed the last two games of the NBA Finals, leaving Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum to present the Larry O’Brien Trophy to the Golden State Warriors after the Game 6 win in Boston.

NBA: Report Hints at COVID Breakout During NBA Playoffs

Updated: Monday, June 13

The latest person to get caught up in the NBA’s health and safety protocols is the league’s top leader.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver canceled plans to attend Monday’s Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics because of the league’s health and safety protocols.

The league did not say if Silver had tested positive for COVID-19 or was deemed a close contact of someone who had. It was unclear if Silver will be able to resume attending games.

Part of Silver’s job involves handing out the league’s championship trophy, which one team will be awarded either Thursday in Boston or Sunday in San Francisco. Silver has been commissioner since February 2014.

There is a chance that perhaps the most stunning result of the NBA postseason has a COVID-related backstory for why it happened.

Those who watched the Dallas Mavericks’ 123-90 win in Game 7 at the Phoenix Suns were stunned by the ease in which the Mavericks were able to dominate, leading by more than 40 points throughout the second half. Seeing the best team in the NBA’s regular season beaten so easily made some fans wonder if their eyes were deceiving them … and now, a report from The Athletic suggests there could have been a COVID-related reason.

Phoenix Suns players watch from the bench during the second half of Game 7 against the Dallas Mavericks on May 15, 2022, in Phoenix. The Mavericks defeated the Suns 123-90. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Phoenix assistant coach Bryan Gates tested positive after Game 6 and The Athletic reported that five others tested positive within days the Suns’ lethargic performance in Game 7, including one unnamed player. The NBA requires team personnel to test for COVID if they are experiencing symptoms and a positive test would rule them out of any tasks. Team personnel can be subjected to testing for close contact with someone with COVID-19 if they are not fully vaccinated.

The reports out of Phoenix are not the only time that COVID has affected the postseason. Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George missed his team’s play-in tournament game against the New Orleans Pelicans, a loss that knocked the Clippers out of the first round. Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls missed Game 5 of his team’s first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, a game the Bulls lost to close the series.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr missed two games in the Western Conference semifinals when he tested positive, saying when he returned “I felt like I had a bad cold, sore throat, cough, congestion. I felt like I could have coached, but I obviously didn’t want to get anybody else sick. So as soon as I tested positive, it was like all right, you’re out of here.”

The Eastern Conference finals was disrupted because of COVID when Boston Celtics forward Al Horford missed Game 1 against Miami before returning to two negative tests 24 hours apart, allowing him to return per the league’s protocols.

And COVID has affected the NBA Finals away from the court. ESPN play-by-play announcer Mike Breen missed the first two games after a positive test that also took him out of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, while analyst Jeff Van Gundy missed Game 1. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski also was not on site for Game 1 after a positive test.

NFL: League Does Away with All COVID Protocols

Posted: Monday, June 6

The National Football League in early March was the first professional sports league in the United States to suspend all of its COVID-related protocols as the combine was starting in Indianapolis — and those suspended protocols will go away for the 2022 season, the NFL Network reported.

According to Tom Pelissero, the NFL Management Council informed teams last Thursday that COVID surveillance testing of players and staff — regardless of an individual’s vaccination status — is no longer required.

When the protocols were suspended, players and staffers were able to go maskless inside team facilities without having to adhere to social distancing measures. Teams provided testing for anyone at a team facility who self-reported COVID symptoms but there is no mandatory testing. Those who test positive will be required to isolate for five days.

The NFL, like every professional league, has been overwhelmingly vaccinated — 95 percent of players and almost 100 percent of team personnel by the end of the playoffs earlier this year — without the need for a mandate for players, although coaches and Tier 1 personnel did face a mandate.

COVID testing will occur “when clinically indicated and/or at the direction of the Club Physician,” Pelissero said, and any individual experiencing symptoms must receive a negative test before going into club facilities. Clubs can determine individually whether to require full vaccination or boosters for staff, subject to state law.

The league did still face a surge in cases in December as the omicron variant spread throughout the country, with more than 1,200 positive tests among players and staff from December 12 to January with multiple games near the end of the regular season postponed a few days without too much disruption to the schedule.

But once it got past the surge, the NFL almost completely stopped testing for the virus even among unvaccinated players in the playoffs. The league changed course for multiple reasons — partially because of a rapid decrease in the number of players testing positive after an end-of-regular-season surge, and partially because the percentage of vaccinated players on the remaining teams was high enough to give the league and union comfort in changing its protocols.

SOCCER: Messi Details Long Bout With COVID Aftereffects

Posted: Tuesday, May 31

Another example of how high-performing, world-class athletes can be affected by COVID-19 was revealed by one of the greatest soccer players ever over the weekend.

Lionel Messi, who had COVID in January, admitted during an interview with Argentina television recently that returning to Paris Saint-Germain after testing positive was difficult.

“It left me with after effects. It left me with after effects in my lungs. I came back and it was like a month and a half without even being able to run because my lungs were affected,” Messi said Monday. “I came back before I should have, and it got worse because I went too fast and it ended up setting me back. But I couldn’t take it anymore, I wanted to run, to train – I wanted to get going. And in the end, it got worse.”

PSG’s Lionel Messi shots a free kick during a match against Lens at Parc des Princes in Paris on April 23. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Messi first tested positive for COVID right around New Year’s Day. He was one of four players that was isolated on January 2 after he tested positive while away on vacation in Argentina, leading to a short-term absence during the Ligue 1 season that PSG — the league’s dominant powerhouse — won with weeks to spare in the season.

Messi said his symptoms were a sore throat, coughing and fever. The Argentine forward missed three matches after his positive test in January: two in Ligue 1 and one in the French Cup.

The 34-year-old, already regarded as one of the greats to ever play the game, had a subpar record by his standards with PSG, recording six goals and 14 assists in 26 games. He had five goals in seven Champions League games for PSG, which was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Real Madrid, Messi’s archrivals from his time at Barcelona. Messi’s contract with PSG runs out after next season, with a move to Major League Soccer widely rumored.

Messi is preparing to play with Argentina against Italy in the first edition of the Finalissima, pitting the winners of Euro 2020 against the winners of the Copa Ámerica. The match takes place on June 1 in London.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Financial Reports Show Pandemic’s Impact on Power Five

Posted: Friday, May 27

It was never a question of if, but more how much, college sports revenue dropped during the past two-plus years of the pandemic. Between the cancellation of the NCAA’s winter and spring championships in March 2020 and the following fall’s restricted capacities for football games throughout the country, athletic departments and conferences knew the revenue they would traditionally budget would not be coming.

In the past week, college sports fans have gotten a clearer picture of what the economic impact was with three of the Power Five conferences reporting significant revenue drops for the 2021 fiscal year, which encompassed the 2020–2021 seasons.

USA Today Sports’ examination showed that the Pac-12 had a $190 million revenue downturn in the fiscal year 2021 while the Big Ten was down $89 million and Big 12 was down $53 million.

The inconsistency among the Power Five conferences in how they handled football — their biggest revenue driver — was stark. The SEC and ACC played full conference schedules, which meant that while several longstanding non-conference rivalries were on hiatus for a year, there were still opportunities to get a restricted number of fans through the gates. The ACC also allowed teams to play one nonconference game. Both schools also, by the amount of games scheduled, were able to put together plenty of content for their respective conference networks.

Georgia fans cheer during the second half against Florida on October 30, 2021, in Jacksonville, Florida. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

The Big 12 also played as close to a full schedule as possible and while it posted a loss, it was not nearly the amount of the Big Ten and Pac-12. Those two conferences started the latest in the season, played fewer games than any other Power Five leagues and did not have any fans in the stands other than family members. The Pac-12 said only one of its 35 scheduled football games to be shown on the Pac-12 Network in 2020 was actually played because most of its others were already scheduled for national broadcasts.

The SEC also announced in May 2021 that it would distribute an additional $23 million to each member as an advance on future television money — having signed an agreement with ESPN in December 2020 for a reported $300 million per year, multiples more than it previously had for a TV contract. The Big Ten, while knowing its schools would take gigantic hits played in stadiums closed off to fans, during the past fiscal year exercised a pre-existing option to sell 20 percent of its interest in the Big Ten Network to Fox for $100 million in cash or receivables on the books.

Add it all up and the rich got richer in college sports even during the pandemic; the SEC’s financial maneuverings allowed it to distribute $54.6 million to each school, by far the most, while the Pac-12’s member schools each got $19.8 million.

Months After Beijing Olympics, China Says No to Hosting International Events

Posted: Thursday, May 26

Within months of hosting one of the biggest sporting events in the world, there is an open question on when China will ever host another one.

The country announced it will not host next year’s Asian Cup, the continental championship, adding to a list of events surrendered within the past two weeks:

Hangzhou will not host the 2022 Asian Games after the event scheduled for September 10–25 was postponed until a future date because, the Olympic Council of Asia said, of the “pandemic situation.”
After “extensive discussions” between the International University Sports Federation, Chengdu 2021 Organizing Committee and other stakeholders, the World University Games scheduled for this summer in Chengdu will be postponed until 2023.
The Asian Youth Games scheduled for December 20–28 in Shantou, China, has been cancelled.

Giving up so many major sporting events in the coming months comes as China has been fighting some of its worst numbers of COVID-19 since the pandemic. Shanghai will lift a citywide lockdown on June 1 after several weeks of having severe restrictions on movement. Beijing has been gradually tightening restrictions since late April. Shanghai reported fewer than 700 daily cases on Sunday while Beijing reported 61 cases.

“Lockdown restrictions have led to a pivot towards more activities at home, including watching live sports,” said Justin Tan, managing director of Mailman China, a global digital sports agency. “On one hand, we miss the physical proximity to the biggest stars and teams of global sports. On the other hand, we have had the opportunity, with success, to create new experiences for fans here, enabled and powered by digital connectivity and new technologies.”

The cancellations come after Beijing was able to hold the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in February and March with a “closed loop” philosophy which kept athletes and Games personnel sealed off from the public.

The desire to host the Games was not just China’s, remember. The IOC’s annual report, published last week during its Executive Board meetings, showed the organization earning $7.6 billion in total revenue from 2017–2021, which includes the Summer Games in Tokyo.

Of that gigantic number, 61 percent came from worldwide TV broadcasting rights — making sure the show went on in Tokyo and Beijing was of upmost importance to the IOC, regardless of having fans in the stands or even in the country .

NFL: Could Vaccine Mandate Have Led to Raiders’ No-Show Numbers?

Posted: Monday, May 23

One look at the NFL attendance figures for the 2021 season would make an observer believe that the inaugural season for the Las Vegas Raiders was a roaring success for fans. According to the NFL, the Raiders drew an average of more than 61,000 at Allegiant Stadium last season, which is 94.1 percent of capacity.

Those numbers look even better when you consider that according to Team Marketing Report’s Fan Cost Index, the average home ticket for the Raiders was $153.47, highest in the NFL — perhaps showcasing the demand by fans at Allegiant Stadium after it opened in 2020 with games played without fans because of the pandemic.

But a report last week in Sports Business Journal indicates that those attendance numbers may not have been as robust as first thought. The Raiders averaged a 14.3 percent no-show rate after an analysis of attendance reports compared to quarterly reports by the Las Vegas Stadium Authority.

“For an NFL team to have 14.3% percent no-shows with the first year of a new stadium, with a competitive team, that’s more than double what I’d anticipate. Probably really around triple what I’d anticipate,” Tony Knopp, co-founder and chief executive manager of TicketManager, told Sports Business Journal.

Las Vegas Raiders fans stand during the first half of a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks on August 14 2021, at Allegiant Stadium. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Critics would also point out that the Raiders were the only team to have the entire season played with a vaccination mandate for fans; the Bills had one for most but not all of the regular season.

“On the surface what’s crazy was how hot the market was, and it was crazy the no-show rate was this high,” said Patrick Ryan, co-founder of Eventellect, told SBJ. “But it’s Vegas, and no pun intended, all bets are off in Vegas.”

It also is a glimpse inside the dual silos of attendance numbers; teams often trumpet sellouts, those who watch at home on television and see empty seats during games know that it’s more a question of tickets sold but not tickets used.

Vegas’ 94.1 percent capacity figure even before no-shows was in the bottom third of the NFL for stadium capacity last season. While the NFL had two teams at 100 percent capacity — and, somehow, four teams a few tenths above 100 percent capacity, which raises the question of what capacity really means — some teams had large numbers of fans but not as robust a number for capacity.

The Dallas Cowboys, for example, drew an average of over 93,000 per game, far and away the best in the league. But when measured for capacity of a sellout crowd, Dallas actually ranked 23rd last season at 93.4 percent, one spot behind Vegas.

A look through the NFL’s attendance figures also shows that the belief that a worse a team is, the fewer fans show up is not entirely true. If you go by percentage of capacity last year, the moribund Houston Texans (92.8 percent) edged the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals (92.1 percent). The Pittsburgh Steelers, with a devoted following at road games that sometimes take over an opponent’s stadium, were at 88.4 percent capacity during its home games, just one spot above the New York Jets’ 86.9 percent.

Overall, though, it is inescapable that a number for just about any NFL team would be the envy for any other professional sports franchise (or at any level, really). After the Jets on the capacity percentage chart were only two teams not to draw at least 86 percent capacity at home games; the Detroit Lions at 79.9 percent and the Washington Commanders at 64.3 percent.

NBA: More Positive Tests Disrupt Conference Finals

Posted: Thursday, May 19

The latest in a string of COVID-19 positive tests to hit the NBA playoffs affected Boston star forward Al Horford on Tuesday night, giving the league another reminder of the road that it has traveled over the past three years when trying to complete each season.

Boston Celtics center Al Horford wipes his face in the second half of Game 1 in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against Milwaukee on May 1 in Boston. The Celtics missed Horford in Game 1 of the East Finals against Miami on Tuesday night because of NBA health and safety protocols. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

The Celtics made the announcement less than three hours before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, which Boston lost to Miami. Horford tested positive for COVID-19 during the preseason and was in protocols again in December.

Under the NBA’s protocols, a player must have two consecutive negative PCR tests at least 24 hours apart or two consecutive PCR tests sampled at least 24 hours apart with cycle threshold values greater than 30 no sooner than Day 4 and 5 after initially testing positive. The Celtics announced six hours before Thursday’s Game 2 that Horford cleared protocols.

COVID has been a storyline from the beginning of the NBA playoffs this season, just like the past two — the 2021 playoffs ran into late July because of the season starting late and the 2020 playoffs were memorably held in a bubble environment at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Florida, and not finished until October.

The league’s issues started this postseason when Paul George missed the Los Angeles Clippers’ play-in tournament game, a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Chicago’s Zach Lavine also missed a game during the Bulls’ first-round series loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr missed Games 4 and 5 in the Western Conference semifinals after a positive test and was replaced by associate head coach Mike Brown.

Federal health officials said Wednesday that one third of Americans live in areas where the threat of infection high enough they should consider wearing a mask in indoor public settings regardless of local policy.

Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said “we urge local leaders to encourage the use of prevention strategies like masking in public indoor settings and increasing access to testing and treatment for individuals,” for areas with high case numbers.

According to the New York Times’ daily COVID tracker, there were 100,732 new cases of COVID on Tuesday, up 61 percent over the past two weeks, with a 27 percent increase in hospitalizations.

Of the four teams left in the NBA playoffs, Miami-Dade County has the highest daily number of infections at 1,179, according to the Times’ tracker. San Francisco is next with 503 followed by Boston with 481 and Dallas with 200.

“It’s like every single time we think, ‘All right, this is kind of getting behind us,’ it’s not, and it’s frustrating for all of us,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Wednesday. “You don’t want to see it on either side. You want to play against their best and try to beat their best with our best. It’s just not the world we’re living in right now. It’s really been three years of this. So I would expect the unexpected.”

WNBA: COVID Already Affecting Season Within Weeks of Tipoff

Posted: Tuesday, May 17

For nearly every professional sport that has been tracked since the fall, any potential spread within a team of COVID-19 has been (for the most part) the more easily transmissible omicron variant, which wreaked havoc with the winter schedules of the NBA and NHL in December.

But while Major League Baseball this season has had just one game postponed so far, one main difference between it and the NFL, NHL and NBA compared to other sports is its teams fly charter all season long. And with the mask mandate on planes being reversed earlier this spring, there were worries within the WNBA in particular about how that would potentially affect players since those teams fly commercial.

The first player to enter the WNBA’s protocols this season was Washington guard Natasha Cloud, who once the mask mandate was lifted in April wrote on Twitter “On commercial flights, trying to have a Covid free season … while being surrounded by random people not wearing masks.”

Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart, right, drives past Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard during a WNBA basketball game, Friday, May 6, 2022, in Seattle. The Storm won 97-74. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart and teammate Epiphanny Prince then missed last Wednesday’s game against the Phoenix Mercury after entering protocols. “Fly commercial they say…” Stewart said on Twitter that night.

WNBA players are tested only if they are symptomatic.

“We travel commercial,” Seattle guard Sue Bird said after the game. “When we’re on the road we’re in public places in order to eat, the hotels we stay at. With the new variants and the fact that we don’t have a G League to pull from, one would imagine that this might happen a lot. I don’t hope that for anyone. But who knows … given that the season has just started, and we are already starting to see it.”

Charter flights have been a hot topic in the WNBA already this season in part because of players drawing attention to the issue. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in March that the cost of charters for all teams would be more than $20 million per season, a figure she does not feel the league could incur. The league fined New York Liberty owner Joe Tsai $500,000 last season for chartering flights to every game for his team once the league found out he had kept it under wraps; Tsai, who also owns the Brooklyn Nets, has a reported net worth in excess of $8 billion.

“I personally think airports are the dirtiest places in the world,” said LA Sparks center Liz Cambage, who is 6-foot-8 and told The Los Angeles Times that she spends up to $8,000 of her own money each season to get first-class upgrades rather than try and fit into a regular seat. “And the fact that we’re in [them] every other day, when there are owners out there that want us to fly private? And the league literally doesn’t allow it? It’s crazy to me.”

The WNBA is not the only women’s pro league to have issues with COVID recently. The NWSL announced a player replacement policy last Friday that allows teams to sign emergency players to fill roster spots; the next day, a game scheduled between Gotham FC and the North Carolina Courage was postponed to a later date with 11 players between the two teams out because of health and safety protocols.

“While we are just as disappointed as our fans, we understand and respect the NWSL’s decision,” Gotham FC said in a statement.

NBA: Kyrie Irving’s Actions During Pandemic May Have Consequences

Posted: Monday, May 16

One of the biggest storylines during the NBA regular season was the saga of Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, whose refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19 led to a temporary exclusion from the team entirely, before a part-time return and eventual late-season full return before the team exited the playoffs with a first-round sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics.

The Nets last week held front office press conferences, two weeks after the Nets were swept with Irving saying after the game he was looking forward to returning to Brooklyn — he is a free agent in the summer — and that he would be “managing this franchise” with fellow star Kevin Durant.

In the wake of those comments, the Nets front office left more than a few hints that this season’s difficulties, in which the preseason East favorite ended up being the No. 7 seed, were Irving’s responsibility.

“We’re looking for guys that want to come in here and be part of something bigger than themselves, play selfless, play team basketball and be available,” Nets General Manager Sean Marks said. “And that goes not only for Kyrie but for everybody here.”

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving drives past Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry during the first half of a game earlier this season in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Because of previous New York City mandates, Irving was at the start of the season barred from playing in home games. The Nets first told Irving to stay away from the team entirely before he returned in a part-time role in December. The NYC mandate was eventually eliminated and Irving was able to play a few home games in the regular season before the playoffs, but Irving’s status was a topic of discussion on a daily basis in Brooklyn.

“Whenever you have a key part of your team that isn’t available and you’re trying to build chemistry, you’re trying to build camaraderie out on the court, that’s very difficult,” Marks said.

The little whispers and hints also grew louder in the wake of the Nets’ abrupt end to the season when one of the team’s assistant coaches, former NBA All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire, said he would not return to the team and pointed to Irving’s unreliability as a reason why.

“It made it difficult for us coaches to figure out who’s going to play in spite of Kyrie,” Stoudemire said recently. “The chemistry is not where we would like it to be, so it was difficult for us to manage that. So yeah, it was definitely part of that.”

Irving has been an untraditional figure within the NBA for several seasons. In the 2020–2021 season, he missed seven games while essentially going AWOL and violating the NBA’s health and safety protocols. He flouted his unvaccinated status most of the season, at one point claiming he was a voice for the voiceless. Between his unpredictability and other comments, there were reports last week that Nike may end its sponsorship contract with him for what is his unperceived untrustworthiness.

“I think those are going to be discussions,” Marks said about Irving. “It’s a team sport and you need everybody out there on the court.”

NBA: Playoffs Still Affected by COVID Protocols

Posted: Friday, May 13

While not as prevalent by any means compared to the initial omicron surge during December that forced some games to be postponed in the regular season, the NBA Playoffs are still a reminder of COVID’s existence throughout the world.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday evening and was replaced by associate head coach Mike Brown for Monday’s win Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Kerr had been wearing a mask in recent days and received confirmation of a positive test less than two hours before the game. He also missed Wednesday’s Game 5 loss to the Grizzlies in Memphis; Game 6 is Friday night in San Francisco.

Brown, who will leave the Warriors at season’s end to take over as head coach of the Sacramento Kings, has stepped in on several occasions for Kerr and is 12-0 guiding the Warriors through postseason games between Monday night and the team’s 2017 title run.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, right, reacts to referee Courtney Kirkland during the first half of Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Memphis Grizzlies in San Francisco on May 7. Kerr missed Game 4 after testing positive for COVID-19. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

“There’s butterflies, because again you’re going into the game with a certain mindset and it’s a big game. Every game that we play at this point in the year, it’s huge,” Brown said. “So to have that kind of thrown at you, you’ve got to switch gears because I know what my responsibilities are going in as Mike Brown the assistant coach, and it changes.”

Kerr’s positive test is the latest of several during the playoffs. Paul George missed the Los Angeles Clippers’ play-in tournament game, a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Chicago’s Zach Lavine also missed a game during the Bulls’ first-round series loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

NBA protocols no longer require players to undergo testing unless they are symptomatic or unvaccinated. Players who test positive have to be out six days before potentially being able to rejoin the team.

“I just want to send him my best. Hope he gets better very soon, rests up,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said of Kerr. “The way of the world right now, COVID’s still rampant throughout, so I just want to make sure he’s doing well. I know it’s terrible timing and stuff, but hopefully his spirits are up. Just want to send him a good note there.”

As the NBA continues its postseason, the WNBA’s 26th season started on Friday. One of several major differences between the leagues is the mode of travel; while all NBA teams fly charter, the WNBA flies commercially and with the rescinding of the mask mandate on airplanes, there was fear before the season that players would be at a higher risk of contracting COVID.

Washington’s Natasha Cloud was the first WNBA player this season to enter COVID protocols. Cloud is averaging 18 points per game through two games and while watching her team’s win over Las Vegas on Tuesday night tweeted “Shoutout to the @WNBA for flying us commercial during a pandemic. (And no mask mandates) Go mystics.”

MLB: First Game of the Season Postponed due to COVID

Posted: Wednesday, May 11

Major League Baseball had its first game postponed this season because of COVID-19 after the Cleveland Guardians’ game against the Chicago White Sox was called off due to an outbreak within the Guardians organization.

The game will be rescheduled at a later date. Guardians manager Terry Francona had already been announced to have tested positive but neither the team or MLB provided further details on the level of COVID within the organization.

Cleveland’s Franmil Reyes throws a football to teammate Myles Straw as the scoreboard informs fans that the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Guardians has been postponed due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests within the Guardians organization on May 11, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Cleveland’s team recently had a coronavirus outbreak, with infielders Owen Miller, Yu Chang and pitchers Cal Quantrill and Anthony Castro all being placed on the COVID-19 injury list.

“Following multiple positive COVID-19 tests within the Cleveland Guardians organization, their afternoon road game today vs. the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field has been postponed to allow for continued testing and contact tracing,” MLB said in a statement.

Wednesday’s game was to be the last of a three-game series before the Guardians have an off day ahead of a three-game series at the Minnesota Twins.

It was the first coronavirus-related postponement in the league so far this season, which started on April 7. Last season did not even start before there was a postponement related to COVID-19.

China Postpones Asian Games and World University Games

Posted: Friday, May 6

Only a few months after the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games were held in a tightly-sealed bubble environment in Beijing, the Chinese city of Hangzhou will not host the 2022 Asian Games after the event scheduled for September 10–25 was postponed until a future date because, the Olympic Council of Asia said, of the “pandemic situation.”

Along with the Asian Games, after “extensive discussions” between the International University Sports Federation, Chengdu 2021 Organizing Committee and other stakeholders, the World University Games scheduled for this summer will be postponed until 2023. The Asian Youth Games scheduled for December 20–28 in Shantou, China, has also been cancelled, the OCA said. The next event will be 2025 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

China is in the midst of its worst outbreak of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. While Shanghai said Friday it has brought its outbreak under effective control following a month-long lockdown of nearly 25 million people, other cities including Beijing are facing a wave of targeted lockdowns.

“(The Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee) has been very well prepared to deliver the Games on time despite global challenges,” the Olympic Council of Asia said in a statement “However, the above decision was taken by all the stakeholders after carefully considering the pandemic situation and the size of the Games. The name and the emblem of the 19th Asian Games will remain unchanged, and the OCA believes that the Games will achieve complete success through the joint efforts of all parties.”

The Asian Games is second in size only to the Olympic Summer Games. Fifty-six competition venues had been completed as the city prepared to host more than 11,000 athletes from 44 nations and territories.

TRIATHLON: World Triathlon Cancels Two Championships in China

The outbreak in China has also had an impact on two major international triathlon events, which have also been postponed. The World Triathlon Executive Board has approved the cancellation of the 2022 World Triathlon Championship Series Chengdu and the 2022 World Triathlon Cup Weihai, after the Local Organizing Committee and the China Triathlon Sports Association formally requested the cancellation of both events due to the impact of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in China.
According to the COVID-19 Prevention and Control Policy applied by the Chinese government, all travelers from aboard would have needed to go through “14+7” days of quarantine in designated hotels, a time during which the athletes and staff would not have access to training facilities, making it impossible to move forward with the events, according to World Triathlon.

The events had been scheduled to be staged in September and October 2022.

NHL: Playoffs With Full Buildings is ‘Return to Normalcy’

Posted: May 3, 2022

The Stanley Cup Playoffs started with four games on Monday night, including games in Toronto and Edmonton — under very different circumstances compared to when those cities hosted playoff games two years ago.

When the Maple Leafs hosted the Lightning and the Oilers hosted the Los Angeles Kings, they were the first playoff games in Canada with full arenas since 2019. Toronto and Edmonton were the sites of two bubbles to complete the 2020 NHL regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“This is the ultimate return to normalcy,” NHL Commission Gary Bettman said as the playoffs prepared to get underway. “To have our full buildings and exciting games, what more could we ask for? Especially after what we’ve all been through the last two years.”

Hockey was affected perhaps more than any sport in the winter as omicron spread throughout the league. The NHL had to temporarily shut down at the end of December, forcing the league to withdraw from plans to have its players at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. There were more than 100 games postponed and later made up overall with some Canadian teams having to return to fan capacity restrictions during the worst of the surge.

The COVID issues throughout the season have affected players all season.

NHL veteran Brandon Sutter, one of 21 Canucks players who contracted COVID during March 2021, told Sportsnet last month that during the summer of 2021 he experienced a raised heart rate and breathing difficulties. He was unable to play when the season started in October before returning to practice in February before setbacks meant he has not skated since early April.

Vancouver’s Brandon Sutter plays the puck during a game February 11, 2021, against the Calgary Flames. (AP Photo/Rich Lam)

“Thought I was getting better after Christmas and started training again, started skating again and was kind of optimistic about returning at some point this season,” Sutter told Sportsnet. “… I’m always hopeful to get back as soon as I can and doing all we can to correct it. It’s just been dealing with immune system stuff, which a lot of people who are going through it at home too, have had what they’re calling ‘long Covid’ stuff. It’s not a lot of fun.”

Sutter played for the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins before joining Vancouver in 2015.

“Being out all year like this, watching the guys, is tough,” he said. “I want to get back as soon as I can … You’re just waiting for answers. You break a bone, you have a broken leg or a knee problem, or a shoulder or something, you go ‘OK, we got six weeks, we got eight weeks, we got 10 weeks, and we’re back to normal.’ This has just been dragging on and dragging on.”

The NHL’s rollercoaster season has mirrored that of its top minor league, the American Hockey League, which will start its Calder Cup Playoffs this week as well.

“It’s been one of peaks and valleys,” AHL President Scott Howson said on the SportsTravel Podcast. “October, the first part of November, we were sailing along. We had some cases, but not a lot of games are being canceled and not a lot of cases were being reported. … then U.S. Thanksgiving hit and the cases, they just exploded. And it seemed like every day we were dealing with a team that was in jeopardy of not being able to play, not being able to ice a competitive team.”

Howson said the AHL would not have been able to play an abbreviated 2021 season without the NHL’s financial support. The NHL itself lost $3.6 billion between having the 2019–2020 season cut short and the 2021 season shortened to 56 games. The NHL this season projected $5.2 billion in revenue at a Board of Governors meeting in December.

“Revenue wise, we did fine this year,” Bettman said. “We did basically what we were projecting. The impact of having buildings empty in Canada for some period of time had an impact — material for those clubs — but in terms of the $5-plus billion were going to do, it was only a very, very small part of that.”

NFL: No COVID, no worries for draft fans in Las Vegas

Posted: Friday, April 29

The crowds were as wild as the Las Vegas nightlife promotes, tens of thousands invading the City that Never Sleeps for the start of the NFL Draft on Thursday night with the promise of a long weekend filled with football, plus all the other attractions that the city in the middle of the desert promises.

It was the first time that the NFL had been able to fully realize its road trip ambitions in three years, explained the man in charge of putting together the NFL draft, former SportsTravel Podcast guest Peter O’Reilly, the league’s executive vice president of club business and league events.

“This feels great and we couldn’t be more appreciative,” O’Reilly told The Associated Press. “We’ve had a core vision that has been three years in place. We’ve learned a ton on how it can evolve and grow.”

Fans pack the general attendance area at the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)

And grow it will. One of the league’s most desirable offseason events, the list of potential draft sites is long. The first road show draft after the NFL left New York, where it had been since 1965, was the opener of a two-year stay starting in 2015 in Chicago, followed by Philadelphia, Dallas and Nashville.

The 2020 draft was scheduled for Las Vegas before the pandemic turned it into a virtual event, then last year’s draft in Cleveland was held with some crowd capacity restrictions. O’Reilly told the AP that 20 NFL cities have expressed interest in hosting in the future. The 2023 draft is heading to Kansas City while 2024’s draft is heading to Detroit.

“It’s become a pilgrimage event by NFL fans,” O’Reilly added. “And we’re in a destination market. The fans come in and connect with each other, and they all feel that hope, which is the single most (accurate) word for a draft.”

And for the businesses on the strip, it was a massive boost.

“This is the first time we ever had an event that is close to us,” Linq Promenade General Manager Tonia Chafetz told the Nevada Independent. “What I’m hearing from our team is the numbers are very similar to March Madness.”

Practically forgotten was the past two years with COVID affecting the draft, the NFL, everything in sports and life. And while the draft last night and throughout this weekend is the first step in a professional career for many draftees, there remains memories of the pandemic and what it has wrought for millions around the country.

Alabama receiver John Metchie III, a projected middle-to-late round pick, is from Canada and could not see his family for two years. “Not seeing my mom for two years was tough,” he said in March. “Of course, technology nowadays helps. It’s not the same as seeing them in person or being around them in person, but it definitely helps.”

The uncertainty depending on the school and level of college football means that this year’s draft class has a wide berth of experiences. South Dakota State running back Pierre Strong played 24 games in 10 months on the FBS level while UConn defensive tackle Travis Jones saw his program cancel its 2020 season.

While UConn cancelled its season there were plenty of other schools who put players on an emotional rollercoaster that fall. Some Big Ten schools actually started practicing in pads before the conference said no games would be played. When the SEC and other leagues did not follow the Big Ten’s lead, the league eventually changed course and had an abbreviated season.

“It’s crazy,” Ohio State tackle Nick Petit-Frere said. “The season got canceled, came back, games got canceled. We played one of the most crazy seasons you could ever imagine in the history of college football and somehow, the Ohio State Buckeyes were in the (national) championship game. … This has been a once-in-a-lifetime two or three years.”

At Louisiana, tackle Max Mitchell spent two weeks in isolation in 2020 after a COVID-19 test showed he had antibodies. He returned in October and finished the season, but the impact lingers.

“It was frustrating to say the least,” Mitchell said. “I never tested positive and they came and pulled me off the field in the middle of practice. If you’ve been sick, I understand you have to take care of yourself. But when you feel fine, there’s a guilty feeling when you’re not out there.”

NBA: Kyrie Irving’s Refusal of the COVID Vaccine Looms Large as Nets Contemplate Early Elimination

Posted: Tuesday, April 26

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has disrupted sports throughout the past several months whether it be the postponements for the NBA, a temporary shutdown of the NHL, games cancelled in collegiate sports and minor sports feeling the crunch after a season that started with so much promise because of the widespread availability of vaccination.

Then there is the Brooklyn Nets, who started the 2021–2022 season with championship ambitions before it came to a crushing halt with a first-round sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference playoffs. For the Nets, the season was affected because of COVID in a different way than most — because of where the team is located, for starters, and because of one of their player’s refusal to get vaccinated.

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving sits on the baseline during the first half of Game 3 against the Boston Celtics on April 23 in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

The season started under a cloud of controversy when star guard Kyrie Irving made it clear that he would not vaccinated even after then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio put a mandate in place that workers within the city had to get the vaccine. Irving’s refusal forced the Nets’ hand and the team decided at the start of the season that a player to be half-in, half-out would not be good for the roster, telling him to stay away while still paying his salary.

Brooklyn changed its mind in mid-December as the team’s roster began to be depleted because of the omicron variant, with Irving returning to action on January 5 after his own stint on the NBA’s COVID list. He continued to only play in road games until current NYC Mayor Eric Adams rolled back the mandate in late March. Before the mandate was rolled back, the Nets also further shook up the roster by trading fellow star James Harden to Philadelphia; Harden, once in Philadelphia, said Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated and unsettle the team was one of the reasons he requested a trade out of Brooklyn.

The day before the Nets’ elimination, Irving said part of the team’s struggles this season was because of not being able to play together on a consistent basis.

“We’re all just trying to jell,” Irving said. “… “I don’t want to be too cliché, but I don’t have a lot of answers from how you make up time from October until now when usually teams would be jelling and things would be feeling good. You could put it on me in terms of playing better, controlling the game better, controlling our possessions, being more in a stance, not turning the ball over as much — so you could put it on me more of just doing more. And holding the guys accountable, same way I’m held accountable.”

Acknowledging the inconsistent nature of the season while saying that it was because of his on-court performances, rather than the actual reason Irving was in and out of the lineup until right before the playoffs, was more than noticeable by NBA observers.

Nets coach Steve Nash said on Sunday that Irving’s unvaccinated status all season was not worth thinking about in retrospect, saying “it’s not a worthy exercise. We deal with what’s in front of us. We deal in reality.” But Irving, at least, conceded his absence’s role after the Nets were eliminated on Monday night.

“I think it was just really heavy emotionally this season,” he said. “I felt like I was letting the team down at a point where I wasn’t able to play. We were trying to exercise every option for me to play, but I never wanted it to just be about me. And I think it became a distraction at times. And as you see we just had some drastic changes.”

His most prominent teammate, Kevin Durant, backed up Irving after the game, telling Yahoo Sports that his friend’s refusal to get vaccinated was not a reason why the Nets underachieved and did not strain their relationship.

“I would love for him to play more,” Durant said, adding “Life is way more important to me than that. I can’t be pissed off. I can’t end the friendship based on something like that. Our friendship is based off who we are as human beings. The basketball adds to it. If we don’t get along on the basketball court, we can easily talk it out as friends.”

MLB: Why Canada’s Border Rules are Exposing Baseball’s Unvaccinated Players

Posted: Wednesday, April 20

A major storyline throughout this Major League Baseball season will be when teams have to head to Toronto and play the Blue Jays — and not only because of the star power that the team many consider a pennant contender.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals are not permitted to enter Canada as the country’s protocols stand, meaning that any MLB team that heads to Toronto will have to put players on the league’s COVID list — and reveal a player’s unvaccinated status.

The Oakland Athletics had three players on the COVID list ahead of its trip to Toronto last week. And one of the Blue Jays’ rivals for the AL East title, the Boston Red Sox, will miss “multiple” players when it heads north of the border for a series starting Monday, manager Alex Cora said.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora takes the ball as he relieves Tanner Houck, center, on April 16 in Boston. Houck will not join his teammates on a trip to play the Toronto Blue Jays because he is unvaccinated. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Red Sox right-handed starter Tanner Houck admitted to the Boston Globe that he will miss the trip and is unvaccinated, saying “I think it’s a personal choice for everyone whether they get it or not. So, that’s all I really got to say on it.”

Even before going to Toronto without several unvaccinated players, the Red Sox have dealt with COVID-related issues. Boston put catcher Christian Vazquez and infielder Jonathan Arauz on the COVID list Tuesday, joining catcher Kevin Plawecki, who was placed on the list Monday.

Two staff members have also tested positive. Cora said Vazquez and Arauz are vaccinated. Players are tested only when reporting symptoms this year. Players can return 10 days after a positive test or if they test negative on two PCR tests, provided they are not showing symptoms.

COVID-related issues for the Red Sox are not new during the pandemic. The team had a dozen players and two staffers test positive between August 27 and September 12 last season in the midst of a playoff race before the team rallied to reach the American League Championship Series. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal said the Red Sox had a low vaccination rate relative to the rest of the league last year.

“This is the world we live in. It’s a lot different than ’20 and last year,” Cora said. “I’ve been in a hotel for several days because one of my kids tested positive. We made some adjustments, like on the road, we’ll go from three buses to five buses. We want to protect our families, our organization and the group.”

MLB will postpone games “only if necessary to protect the health and safety of club personnel, players and umpires” in an attempt to encourage vaccination, although the percentage of players who are fully vaccinated is not known. Players ineligible to play in Toronto will not receive pay or accrue service time for games missed.

HOCKEY: AHL Preparing for first Calder Cup Playoffs since Pandemic

Posted: Monday, April 18

With all of the attention focused on professional sports leagues and getting through the past two years, as well as the collegiate scene, some levels may have been overlooked (yes, we include us in that critique).

One of the minor leagues that did play through the pandemic in the spring of 2021 was the American Hockey League and the ongoing season, with two weeks to go before the playoffs, has been a mix of optimism from opening faceoffs in October before the winter and omicron variant’s wave throughout hockey.

“It’s been one of peaks and valleys,” AHL President Scott Howson said during a recording of an upcoming SportsTravel Podcast. “October, the first part of November, we were sailing along. We had some cases, but not a lot of games are being canceled and not a lot of cases were being reported. … then U.S. Thanksgiving hit and the cases, they just exploded. And it seemed like every day we were dealing with a team that was in jeopardy of not being able to play, not being able to ice a competitive team. And that lasted about six or seven or eight weeks.”

Now, the league has two weeks left in the regular season — extended by a week because of the 86 games that were postponed but ultimately rescheduled.

“I think everybody was frustrated a little bit because it looked like we were in the clear and we weren’t,” Howson said. “I was proud of the way certainly our staff, our referees, our players, our coaches handled it and we all got through it working together.”

This year’s Calder Cup playoffs will also see the return of a true postseason for the AHL for the first time since the pandemic started. The 2019–2020 season was never finished because of COVID and last season was scheduled to start on time, then delayed multiple times before starting in February 2021 with three teams opting out and seven teams temporarily relocating to be closer to their NHL parent clubs.

The league gave each division the opportunity to hold its own postseason instead of the Calder Cup. The Pacific Division was the only team to do so as the league had an unbalanced schedule; none of the teams in the Atlantic Division played more than 25 games while each team in the Pacific played at least 34 with San Diego actually playing 44.

“It would have been impossible to play last year without the NHL,” Howson admitted. The AHL has 11 independent team owners with the others owned and operated by its NHL parent franchise and in spite of the financial issues — revenue dropped north of 75 percent — the games, as many as it could play, went on.

“The important thing was to get the players on the ice,” Howson said. “In 2020 minor league baseball, it didn’t have a season at all. So all those players lost a full year (of development). And it was really a commitment from our ownership and from the NHL, quite frankly, to make sure that we were going to be able to have some type of season.”

The Syracuse Crunch is one of 11 independently owned teams in the American Hockey League, which has the Calder Cup Playoffs scheduled to start in early May.

The AHL has grown to 31 teams — 32 starting next season with the addition of the Coachella Valley Firebirds — and this year’s Calder Cup will be the first with 23 teams in the playoffs. Next year will also see with 32 teams the standardization of the league’s schedule with all teams playing 72 games; the past several years had seen Pacific Division teams play 68 games with other teams playing up to 76 games.

The standardization is one of the changes in the future that will be implemented by Howson. After the big revenue drop of last season’s abbreviated campaign, he said revenue is only down 10-15 percent from when the AHL’s last full season was with plans to grow it further in the future. The league has had advertising on its jerseys for a while “so that will continue to be a source of revenue for our teams,” he said. “The gambling issue is intriguing. We have a partnership with a company called Genius Sports and they are quite a significant sponsor for us and they’re in the gambling industry. That’s a league-wide deal that we do and it doesn’t prevent our teams from doing more deals with other gambling partners.

“I always say to people that 5, 6, 7, 10 years ago, nobody even thought gambling was going to be a big revenue producer. Now look what’s happened; you’ve got to be ready. And there’s other things that are going to come along here now like NFTs, and we’ve got to be ready to take advantage of that and have a policy at least of how we’re going to operate.”

But first, there will be a Calder Cup to hand out this year — the first time since Howson became president two-plus years ago that he’ll be able to do the handoff.

“That’s going to be a great moment because we waited a long time,” he said. “We play to win a cup. And there was no opportunity to do that last year. And (players) understood that. … but you know, that’s the carrot at the end of the day that they all want. They want to win. And that’s going to be an exciting moment when we get to that moment and we’re able to hand out the cup to a champion. It’s been a long wait.”

NBA: Sixers’ Matisse Thybulle to miss parts of playoffs because of Canada’s vaccination mandate

Posted: Friday, April 15

While most of the NBA’s vaccination attention was focused on Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving and his refusal to get his shots — other than on the road, so to speak, until recently — there was always the looming issue of if any players would be kept out of Canada when his respective team would have to travel to face the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

That scenario will be true in the first round for one player on the Philadelphia 76ers, Matisse Thybulle. The team’s top defender and one of the best in the league, Thybulle revealed ahead of the regular-season finale that he is unvaccinated and now with his team matched up against the Raptors, he will miss at least two games and potentially three depending on how long the series lasts.

“I’m not fully vaccinated,” Thybulle said after his team’s regular-season finale against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. “This was a decision I made a long time ago. I thought a lot about what I’d say here. Essentially, I made this choice and I thought I could keep it to myself, I could keep it private, but people are always going to wonder why.”

Philadelphia’s Matisse Thybulle, left, goes up for a dunk against Denver’s Nikola Jokic during a game on March 14, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

COVID has quickly become one of the dominant early storylines for the NBA playoffs. L.A. Clippers star Paul George will miss Friday’s play-in game against the New Orleans Pelicans after testing positive, with a spot in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs at stake. Lawrence Frank, a Clippers executive, said George did not feel well and “this is another challenge for our group.” Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan said lead assistant Chris Fleming and assistant Damian Cotter tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be on the bench when the team plays this weekend at the Milwaukee Bucks.

Thybulle revealed that he did get his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine last year but did not receive his second shot, saying “I was raised in a holistic household where ‘anti-vax’ is not a term that was ever used. It’s a weird term that has kind of been thrown around to just label people. But we grew up with Chinese medicine and naturopathic doctors. With that upbringing, coming into this situation I felt like I had a solid foundation of medical resources that could serve me beyond what this vaccine could do for me.”

Thybulle was thought to be fully vaccinated during the season even as he entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols in both November and January. He also played for Australia in the rescheduled Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo last summer; there was no vaccine mandate for athletes at those Games, unlike the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing where athletes who were not vaccinated had to go through an extensive quarantine process.

Two of his teammates on the Sixers, Danny Green and Georges Niang, weighed in on Thybulle’s decision not to get fully vaccinated this week on Green’s podcast.

“I gave him a heads up, maybe a couple months ago, ‘Hey Matisse, the playoffs are coming up. if we play Toronto, we’re going to need you.’ And I think in his mind there was a 20 percent chance that happens,” Green said. “… Given the fact that he didn’t predict that would happen, I think if he knew ahead of time, and he had more time, maybe his decision might’ve been different. … But we all respect his decision, we understand where he stands with this. … We’ve had guys out for COVID, guys out for injuries, and guys that were just out. We just have to adapt and adjust and figure out ways to get wins.”

“It’s unfortunate we’re going to miss Matisse in Toronto,” Niang added. “I’ll never out one of my teammates or make them feel uncomfortable for something that’s their personal decision that makes them feel comfortable… I respect Matisse’s decision, because it’s his decision, and me knowing him, I know he’s put a lot of time and thought into this decision.”

Thybulle added that knowing he would be ineligible to play against the Raptors, while discussing the issue with teammates, did not change his mind.

“Having had the stance I’ve had for almost a year now, I just felt like it couldn’t be something that I could be forced to do because of rules or regulation changes,” he said. “… And unfortunately, the repercussions of that are going to be me missing games and not being there for my teammates. Yeah, I’ve talked to them. Obviously from fans to coaches to front office (members) to teammates, there are people that are upset and people who don’t understand. But ultimately, I’ve been lucky enough to have them voice that they may disagree, but they still support me in my decision-making.”

While vaccination does not prevent getting COVID, it has shown to dramatically lessen its effects for those who have breakthrough positives. Thybulle said when he got his first dose, “I was under the impression that getting vaccinated meant that I could not get the disease and transmit it to other people. And I felt like if I’m going to be a part of society, in the position I’m in, I need to do what’s right for the greater good. That argument of the greater good held a lot of weight for me.”

As he saw that people could get COVID still — including two prominent teammates in Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid — Thybulle decided against a second dose.

Since January 15, athletes have needed to be fully vaccinated to enter Canada. While the National Hockey League has only one known unvaccinated player, the NBA has several more — the league’s vaccination rate is above 95 percent but not 100. Major League Baseball’s unvaccinated players will be revealed throughout the season as well once any team has to travel to play the Toronto Blue Jays; one of the team’s rivals in the AL East, the New York Yankees, will be able to have unvaccinated players participate in home games after Mayor Eric Adams recently lifted the private sector mandate for athletes but there remains questions about some Yankee players’ vaccination status, notably slugger Aaron Judge.

“I knew all year,” said 76ers coach Doc Rivers of Thybulle’s status. “I encouraged him all year, but as a coach, you gotta be a human, too. It just puts you in a tough spot. I gotta support the kid, and I told him I didn’t agree, but I told him I support him. I will and I’ll make sure as much as I can that his teammates support him. Tough spot for us to be in, but it is what it is.”

TENNIS: Djokovic Returns to Court Unvaccinated, Unrepentant

Updated: Tuesday, April 12

The return of one of men’s tennis’ greatest Grand Slam winners has officially begun with Novak Djokovic’s entry into the Monte Carlo Masters, his first tournament in months after being shut out of two major U.S. events due to his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

“I miss competition,” Djokovic said Sunday in Monaco. “I still feel motivation to be on the tour and compete … and try to challenge the best players in the world for the biggest titles.”

Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina during a second round match at the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Djokovic’s return to the tour was short, however. He lost in three sets on Tuesday in his first match of the event to Davidovich Fokina.

Djokovic could not defend his Australian Open title in January after he was deported from the country for not being vaccinated against COVID-19 the day of the tournament’s start. He was forced to withdraw from a tournament in Indian Wells, California, and was not on the entry list for Miami because he couldn’t travel to the United States for the same reason.

He has declared that he would not get vaccinated to be able to compete. The French Open starts on May 22 in Paris and while at one time it looked like he would be barred from that event, French authorities have lifted most COVID-related restrictions including those for sporting events. Wimbledon in mid-summer does not have any restrictions while the U.S. Open, at this point, still would be out of Djokovic’s reach because of U.S. entry requirements.

“The last four, five months have been really challenging for me mentally and emotionally, but here I am and I try to leave all that behind and move on,” Djokovic said Sunday, adding “it will take some time, some matches, to really get in the groove.”

OLYMPIC SPORTS: World Games Still On in China But Some Withdraw

Posted: Monday, April 11

Only a few months after the entire Winter Olympic sports world went to Beijing, the World University Games — scheduled to be held this summer in Chengdu, China — will be held, organizers said last week, in spite of several countries pulling out.

Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Luxembourg have withdrawn due to COVID-19 concerns. Australia has also indicated it is withdrawing its swimmers, volleyball players, and track-and-field athletes.

“Athletics Australia continues to have many concerns around the event and its management of COVID protocols,” Athletics Australia said in a statement to the AP. “It is Athletics Australia’s view that it cannot endorse competition for Australian athletes in an environment that could put athletes at risk.”

A spokesman for the International University Sports Federation told AP that it has raised many concerns with Chinese authorities after Shanghai, with 26 million people, was put into lockdown because of COVID-19 cases recently.

The FISU said Chinese officials have reassured them that Chengdu will not face a lockdown. It’s expected that the World University Games will operate on a closed-loop system similar to one used in the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing, which kept athletes and officials walled off from residents in Beijing, required daily testing of all participants, extensive protocols to enter the country, and tracking by China-issued smart-phone apps.

Olivier Van Bogaert, a spokesman for FISU, said about 6,000 athletes from 90 delegations were expected to attend. The World University Games, delayed a year because of COVID and the resulting postponement of the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Tokyo to 2021, are scheduled to open on June 26.

NBA: Canada Vaccination Policy May Affect Eastern Conference Playoffs

Posted: Thursday, April 7

The Eastern Conference playoffs will be more competitive than in seasons past with the top six spots being shuffled on a near-nightly basis … and this year’s postseason could have an additional layer of intrigue for whoever will be matched up with the Toronto Raptors.

Because of Canada’s vaccination requirements to enter the country, any of the few remaining NBA players that are not vaccinated would not be able to play in Toronto should their team be matched up against the Raptors.

“We have no choice but to operate under the laws and jurisdictions in which we play,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday in a press conference. “In some cases, as we saw here in New York City, those are city ordinances. In other cases, they’re state. And in the case of Toronto, there are Canadian issues that we have to comply with. Those rules are well known to all players, and for any player who chooses not to get vaccinated, they know they are at risk of not being allowed to play in Toronto. That’s the facts that we’re all going to have to operate under.”

The most high-profile Eastern Conference player that is unvaccinated is Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, who only recently was allowed to play home games after New York City Mayor Eric Adams rescinded the part of the city’s private-sector vaccine mandate that deals with athletes and entertainers, allowing unvaccinated players such as Irving to play home games.

When that announcement was made by Adams, the NBA — which had put on some polite pressure, so to speak, on Adams — said the league was 97 percent vaccinated and 75 percent boosted as of March 24. The chances of the Raptors and Nets playing in the first round are slim at the moment, however.

The Raptors play host to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night and one Sixers player, Matisse Thybulle is listed as ineligible to play, an indication that he is unvaccinated. Thybulle played in the Sixers’ preseason opener at the Raptors on October 4 and in a December 28 regular season game before Canada’s restrictions were tightened in mid-January.

Thybulle has been placed in the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols twice this season; his absence as a defensive stopper would be keenly felt by the 76ers should they face Toronto in the first round and he miss multiple games — the Sixers and Raptors, entering Wednesday’s games, are in a potential Nos. 4 vs. 5 matchup.

Canada’s vaccination policies are a reminder that COVID, while mostly disappearing from the sports scene in recent weeks, is still an issue. The Miami Heat played in Toronto over the weekend in the return of ex-Raptors legend Kyle Lowry, but Miami coach Erik Spoelstra did not make the trip after entering the health and safety protocols, leaving assistant Chris Quinn to coach the Heat.

Lowry’s return to Toronto also showed how COVID has disrupted the sports world for so long. Lowry last played in Toronto on February 28, 2020, when the defending champion Raptors lost to Charlotte. Less than two weeks later, the NBA season was shut down by the pandemic, resuming in a bubble environment in Orlando, Florida.

With the Canadian border closed by COVID-19, the Raptors were forced to relocate to Tampa, Florida, for Lowry’s final season with the team in 2020-21, depriving Toronto fans of a proper goodbye. Miami earlier played at Toronto on February 1, but that game only had a few hundred fans in attendance because of Ontario government restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spring Training Attendance Decline is Steep After MLB Lockout

Posted: March 30, 2022

When Major League Baseball ended its lockout of players at the beginning of March and said that a full 162-game season would be salvaged, the league was widely seen as having to prepare for an exodus of fans for at least this season, potentially lonnger.

That seems to be the case already less than two weeks into spring training, and the delayed start and low attendance so far since MLB opened up for business has a big economic impact on communities throughout Arizona and Florida who rely on the seasonal tourism.

Fans watch from the outfield during the sixth inning of a spring training game between the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Peoria, Arizona. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Cactus League attendance was 1.9 million in 2017 and spring training had an economic impact of $644.2 million in 2018, according to a report by Arizona State University. But last season’s COVID-enforced fan capacity restrictions resulted in attendance of only 446,905.

This year, according to the Arizona Republic, six of the 15 teams in the Cactus League averaged under 5,000 fans per game, a benchmark that no team was near before the pandemic.

“I think it’s over 60 percent of our people that attend spring training games are from out of the area,” said Surprise Mayor Skip Hall, whose city hosts spring training for the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals. “So it’s frustrating for all of us.”

Some of the traditional big-name teams are still drawing competitive numbers, with the Cubs and Giants leading the way (both are above 8,800 per game). The Dodgers are also drawing a competitive number with 7,465 through the first week but there are notable teams dragging the league’s overall average down — the Angels and hometown Diamondbacks are above 5,000 per game but the Padres, with one of the more exciting groups of players in MLB, are only averaging 4,195. And the Cleveland Guardians are drawing under 2,700 per game early on.

Spring training baseball can be one of the most enjoyable ways to enjoy the sport. While the big-name players are not going to be playing a full nine innings and you typically see players in the later innings of games wearing non-traditional numbers, the compact nature of Cactus and Grapefruit League ballparks make the setting more intimate than fans will ever get to experience during the regular season.

And with a lower cost than in the regular season, it is also the most economical way to watch a team during the year. Whether the attendance depression trend continues into the regular season will be a key indicator in how much the lockout turned off fans from baseball. And given the toxicity of the labor negotiations, it is not a surprise that fans are initially not ready to embrace the game just yet.

“We are excited to welcome baseball fans back to our 10 ballparks,” Cactus League Executive Director Bridget Binsbacher told the Republic last week. “Given the circumstances, it is not surprising that overall attendance is lighter than usual.”

Attendance Records Revive Debate: Should There be More Neutral Sites for the NCAA Women’s Tournament?

Updated: Monday, March 28

Throughout the first weekend at both the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Division I Tournaments, the repeated comments on television was about the atmosphere in the arenas after two years of disruptions — first a March without any Madness because of COVID, then last year with both tournaments being held in single-site formats.

The women’s tournament in particular has hit new heights, with 216,890 attending the first two rounds — a NCAA record. Iowa’s second-round game against Creighton set a single-site crowd record with 14,382 as the Blue Jays upset the Hawkeyes.

“That was the most special environment I’ve ever played in, by far,” Creighton’s Payton Brotzki said. “It’s really, really special for the sport.”

A crowd of 10,414 fans, filling the lower bowl of the KFC Yum Center, attended the women’s NCAA Tournament second round game between Gonzaga and Louisville on March 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

For a traditional powerhouse like South Carolina, the 9,800 that showed up to Colonial Life Arena for a 49-33 win over Miami on Sunday was not out of the ordinary. The Gamecocks have led the nation in average attendance for seven straight years with sellouts becoming routine since Dawn Staley took over as coach in 2008.

“We’ve created an environment in which people want to come see us play,” Staley said. “People want to come downtown and have dinner and come to a game. It’s investing in women. It’s investing in women on our campus from the president to the AD. Everybody at South Carolina want our women’s programs to win.”

Investing in women, of course, is a prime emphasis for the NCAA after last year’s issues in San Antonio. With intense focus on making sure the tournament presentation is equitable this year, the ‘March Madness’ branding has been noticed at the sites.

“When you walked through the doors and you walked through the hallways you see the signage,” Staley said. “Then you look at the participants. I looked at Howard. I looked at Miami, South Florida, Incarnate Word, they all felt like they were in the NCAA Tournament because of all the hoopla, all the signage. That’s what you want to make everybody that participates in a tournament feel like. They’re something special. You don’t want it to feel like it’s a home game for South Carolina because we got to host.

“I think it’s a great start. It’s a really great start, but I’m eager to see what five years and ten years down the line, what that looks like and I hope it looks like what when they started investing in the men’s tournament what that looked like.”

The next question for the future of the women’s tournament is whether the opening round weekend will change. The tournament’s first two rounds from 1982 through 2022 were at top seeds before moving to a neutral site format in 2003, attendance dropped. The NCAA restored the current model in 2015.

The NCAA selection committee has not yet discussed moving first- and second-round games to neutral sites but may after the Final Four in Minneapolis. The regionals weekends this year have also been geographically influenced, with South Carolina advancing to the Final Four on Sunday in Greensboro, North Carolina, a relatively short distance from its home base. Stanford beat Texas in Spokane, Washington, home of two Cardinal starters. Monday’s game in the Bridgeport regional is essentially a home game for No. 2 Connecticut against No. 1 North Carolina State.

When the NCAA last month decided against having the Men’s and Women’s Final Fours at the same sites, which was recommended by its own gender equity review, several influential women’s basketball coaches actually were relieved that it was going to keep its own spotlight rather than being part of the men’s event. So it will be interesting to see if the NCAA listens to coaches again because two of them, Arizona’s Adia Barnes and North Carolina’s Courtney Banghart, both endorsed the status quo.

“I think that’s a terrible idea for our game,” Barnes said. “I think on the list of 100 things to change, to me, that’s 100. I think there’s so many things to change before that with equity and stuff that that’s not even a consideration for me or not even on the list.

“… I think it’s more valuable to play in McHale with 10,000 people than it is to go to San Antonio to a neutral site with 1,500 people,” Barnes continued. “I don’t think it generates any income, and I don’t think it’s good for our game where we are right now. … I think that’s an awful idea.”

Mind you, Barnes said this coming off a home loss, 63-45, to Banghart’s Tar Heels.

“I just want to make sure what doesn’t get lost is the moment of remembering how special the energy and excitement is,” Banghart said. “So I don’t know if we’re totally ready for that entirely yet but I think getting more games on TV and having these upsets are showing the quality of play.”

NYC Mandate Change Allows Unvaccinated Athletes like Kyrie Irving to play at home again

Posted: Thursday, March 24

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving played the waiting game and won, with more than just a little assist from the impending start of Major League Baseball.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams will rescind the part of the city’s private-sector vaccine mandate that deals with athletes and entertainers, allowing unvaccinated players such as Irving and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who has avoided questions about his vaccination status, to play home games.

“We were treating our performers differently because they lived and played for home teams,” Adams said, calling it “unacceptable” and tacitly agreeing with recent criticism from the NBA about the mandate and how it affected Irving.

Thursday’s announcement was made at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets — whose owner, Steve Cohen, donated more than $1 million to Adams’ mayoral campaign. The Yankees’ home opener is April 7, the NBA play-in tournament begins on April 12 — the Nets are outside of the Eastern Conference’s top six spots — and the Mets’ home opener is April 15.

The decision comes one week after Adams said he expected to eventually roll back the city’s mandates for all private-sector employers — but added there would not be special carveouts for athletes. Adams has in the past responded to questions about Irving’s status by urging him to get vaccinated; on Tuesday, he said “baseball, basketball, businesses … they have to wait” as he unveiled the latest rollback of COVID-related restrictions.

The private employer mandate as it relates to pro athletes has been an issue throughout the NBA season. Irving made it clear that he would not get vaccinated to play home games and the Nets, in response, kept him away from the team for road games to start the season. But once as the omicron variant swept throughout the country in the winter, timed with an injury crisis on the Nets roster, the team changed course and allowed Irving to play part-time.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Nets star Kevin Durant in recent weeks spotlighted the discrepancy in the mandate because while Irving was not allowed to play, unvaccinated visiting players were eligible. Until two weeks ago, proof of vaccination was also required for fans at Barclays Center.

After the fan mandate was lifted, Irving was a spectator, sitting across from the Nets bench for Brooklyn’s 110-107 victory over the New York Knicks on March 14. Durant spent a good chunk of his postgame interview after that game calling on Adams to change the mandate, calling it “ridiculous” that unvaccinated people could be in the arena but not play in it. Durant backtracked from those comments days later after layers of public criticism.

Still, the move — and setting for Thursday’s announcement — makes many observers believe that Adams’ decision is timed not for the end of the NBA regular season, but instead the MLB season. If there was any doubt as to what the main motivation behind Adams’ decision was, Thursday’s press conference was held with top leadership from the Mets and Yankees … but not the Nets.

The news temporarily took the spotlight off Irving and onto the Yankees and Mets. Judge talked around questions asking about his vaccination status after not getting vaccinated last season. The Mets were among six MLB teams last season that did not reach the 85 percent vaccination rate among on-field staff, including players, necessary for relaxed virus protocols under Major League Baseball’s 2021 health and safety plan.

Mets president Sandy Alderson said those who worked for the team had to get vaccinated or face termination but admitted there are still players who have not gotten their shots, saying it is because of the player unions, which protect athletes.

“Because of the player unions, they fall outside of our mandate,” Alderson said.

While any remaining unvaccinated Yankees players will not miss home games, there is one place they will not be allowed — Toronto, after the league and union agreed that Canadian entry rules would preclude them from playing there. The Yankees play 10 games at their division rival this season.

Yankees president Randy Levine said unvaccinated players will be unable to play games in Toronto and “it’s still a problem. We hope to get everyone vaccinated.”

Those rules in Canada also apply for visiting NBA players so while Irving will be free to play in Brooklyn, should the Nets have to play at the Raptors in the play-in tournament, he would remain ineligible.

MLB: Vaccination Remains Hot Topic Among American League East

Updated: Wednesday, March 23

While spring training was delayed because of a lockout by Major League Baseball’s owners, the games have now begun and in a change from last year, there are no restrictions on crowd sizes, no painted circles in the grass outfields to ensure social distancing and no teams worried about capacity caps for regular season games ahead of Opening Day.

But there will still be some signs of a COVID-affected season, notably in the American League East, which may be one of the most exciting divisions in MLB.

“Life is not back to normal yet,” Yankees reliever Zack Britton said last Wednesday after the Yankees and Mets were told by New York City the same private employer vaccine mandate that has sidelined NBA star Kyrie Irving for Brooklyn Nets’ home games also applies to the MLB teams.

New York Mayor Eric Adams reiterated Tuesday that “we’re going to follow the science” and no matter the public pressure by any of the city’s sports teams and athletes, he will not be rushed into a decision.

“Right now, we’re going to take some complaints,” Adams said. “But when this is all said and done, people are going to realize this is a thoughtful administration and we got it right. So baseball, basketball, businesses, all of those things, they have to wait until that layer comes.”

New York Yankees Aaron Judge swings during a spring training game against the Detroit Tigers in Tampa. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The Yankees’ home opener is April 7, with the Mets opening at home on April 15. All private-sector workers in New York City must show proof they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

New York City’s infection rate has climbed 50 percent over the past week as the omicron variant has started to make its way stateside. NYC’s average of approximately 950 cases per day is similar to numbers in November before omicron overtook the region — and the country — in December.

Both teams could be affected by the mandate. Yankees star Aaron Judge talked around questions asking about his vaccination status; Judge was not vaccinated last season. The Mets were among six MLB teams last season that did not reach the 85 percent vaccination rate among on-field staff, including players, necessary for relaxed virus protocols under Major League Baseball’s health and safety plan.

“We knew just because the Irving stuff was going on,” said Britton, a member of the MLBPA executive subcommittee. “I think the indoor-outdoor venue was maybe like a little bit of a question mark on that. But I think it was something that we knew might be something we needed to tackle before the season starts.”

One year after barely missing the playoffs and stocking up in the offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays will also be in contention in the division. And because of Canada’s vaccine requirements for entry, MLB and the MLBPA agreed that unvaccinated players won’t receive pay or service time if they miss games in Toronto.

While Tampa Bay has little in the way of COVID regulations given its Florida location, both it and the Boston Red Sox will have to be prepared for games in Toronto. The Red Sox, another one of the teams that did not reach 85 percent vaccination last year and was hit hard by the virus late in the season, should be better prepared this season after several key players including Xander Bogaerts and Christian Arroyo said they were vaccinated this offseason. Boston ace left-hander Chris Sale did admit he remains unvaccinated.

After intake COVID-19 testing ahead of spring training, players will only be tested when showing signs or reporting symptoms. Players and team personnel only wear masks in clubhouses and other indoor areas if mandated by local regulations.

The league is also maintaining an ability to move games if the public health situation in an area deteriorates and will “postpone games only if necessary to protect the health and safety of club personnel, players and umpires.” The COVID-19 injured list remains, but players with a positive test can exit with two negative tests. The requirement for tracing wristbands that were used last year is omitted.

“I know it does help guys’ mentality throughout the year, where they can have family and they can go see family,” Oakland Athletics pitcher Daulton Jeffries said. “Just to give them a little bit of a break from the baseball grind.”

As Fields of 64 Tip Off, is a 351-Team NCAA Tournament Feasible?

Posted: Thursday, March 17

Thursday starts one of the biggest weekends in sports for basketball fans, alumni of the schools participating in the NCAA men’s and women’s tournament … and don’t forget the tournament pools and newfound openness throughout the United States in wagering on the results, too.

And two years after the NCAA cancelled both tournaments as well as all of its winter and spring championships because of the pandemic, in addition to the new constitution approved in February brings a potential flashpoint for the NCAA: Should the field be expanded beyond its current 68 teams in the future?

“Well, it used to be a 32-team tournament, and it was a 48-team tournament, and it was 64. And then it was 65. And now it’s 68,” Atlantic Sun Commissioner Ted Gumbart told The Associated Press. “So I don’t think there’s any magic number to say, hey, you can’t be 72 or 80. I think it’s healthy.”

The idea of expanding the tournament beyond 68 has been around for years although never seriously considered by the NCAA. While many fans may not remember, the NCAA Tournament did not expand to 64 teams until 1985 — a year in which one of the biggest title upsets ever occurred as Villanova, a team that may not have been part of the event if there had not been expansion to 64, upset Georgetown in the championship game. The field expanded to 68 teams with the ‘First Four’ in Dayton, Ohio, in 2011; the ACC proposed expansion to 72 teams with a second “Final Four” held in the Western U.S. in 2018 but the idea did not progress.

“You could have an all-comers tournament with just one more weekend,” Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said. “I think it’s an idea that might have the nuggets of compromise that could be satisfactory.”

The March Madness logo is shown on the court during the first half of a men’s basketball game in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Expansion of the tournament, while sounding unwieldy, may have benefits. A bigger tournament would allow for more cities to have the NCAA Tournaments either visit more often or visit for the first time ever. While the TV ratings grow as the tournament field narrows, part of why the event is referred to as March Madness is because of the early-round upsets so famously recorded by teams as Princeton, UMBC, Oral Roberts and Florida Gulf Coast. Having everybody in the field would also end the ongoing debate of whether the selection committee is slanted toward power conferences; out of this year’s 36 at-large bids, 29 went to teams in the Power 5 conferences plus Big East.

“Should it be sort of more of a play-in where the lower seeds play each other and the better seeds come in later in the tournament? Maybe that’s the right model if the tournament is expanded,” Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman said.

A gigantic piece to the puzzle — and probably the key piece — would be the potential financial revenue for expanding the tournaments. The 2022 NCAA Division I revenue plan says $625.5 million will be distributed this year, an increase on the $613.4 million sent out last year. Front Office Sports reported this week that by 2032, the NCAA has budgeted $826.6 million for distribution. CBS and Turner’s original contract with the NCAA was for 14 years at $10.8 billion with an eight-year extension in 2016 that gives them the rights through 2032, and the per-year average will jump to $1.1 billion beginning in 2025.

Currently, each of 32 Division I conferences receives an automatic bid for its champion. The majority of those conferences, from the American East to Western Athletic, usually get just their automatic qualifier into the field, access that also comes with several million in revenue. Last year, one unit earned for making the NCAA men’s tournament was worth $2.02 million paid out over six years. Distribution is based on factors that include this year’s tournament as well as recent historical performance for each conference.

No system exists in the women’s tournament as looming ahead is a potential new deal for TV rights. ESPN’s rights to the women’s tournament are folded into a deal where the network is paying the NCAA $500 million for 24 Division I championships through the 2023–2024 school year, an amount that almost all television consultants believe devalues the women’s tournament to an extraordinary degree.

Reminders of last year’s NCAA Tournaments, in which the gaps between the experience for athletes between the men’s and women’s tournament was well-established and highlighted throughout March, will also be watched closely this year. Democratic Reps. Carolyn Maloney of New York, Jackie Speier of California and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey sent a letter this week to NCAA President Mark Emmert saying the organization was “violating the spirit of gender equity as codified in Title IX.”

The letter also notes the NCAA “failed to create or commit to creating a chief business officer role to oversee NCAA’s media partner relationships with CBS/Turner and ESPN, the Corporate Partner Program, and branding and marketing for all championships,” that Emmert has made no progress in changing the leadership structure that would have NCAA vice president of women’s basketball Lynn Holzman report directly to him instead of going through NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt and cited internal emails from the NCAA that highlighted some of last year’s disparities, including as NCAA staff declined offers from sponsors and non-sponsors to donate food or food gift cards when female players complained that their food was not equal to the amount given to the men.

One of those offers came from LA Sparks player Chiney Ogwumike, a former Stanford star who offered to donate $500 DoorDash gift cards to each of the 64 teams; the NCAA denied the offer because Uber Eats was an NCAA corporate sponsor. The NCAA has already made changes to this year, such as expanding the tournament to 68 teams and using the phrase “March Madness” — once limited to the men’s tourney — in branding for the women’s tournament.

NCAA Men’s Subregional Hosts

KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York
Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas
Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Viejas Arena, San Diego, California

NCAA Women’s Subregional Hosts

James Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa
Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas
Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana
XFINITY Center, College Park, Maryland
Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, South Carolina
Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tennessee
KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky
Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, Oklahoma
Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, North Carolina
Maples Pavilion, Stanford, California
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, Connecticut
McKale Center, Tucson, Arizona
Ferrell Center, Waco, Texas

Two Years Later, Sports Feel More Normal Than Any Other Time During Pandemic

Updated: Wednesday, March 16

The weekend was full of college basketball fans jumping to celebrate a basketball or yell at a referee. At game’s end, depending on the result for their team, maybe hugging some friends and family that came to the game with them — maybe even the person in the row below who was a stranger at tipoff and now feels like a friend.

Sunday came and went with the selection shows for both the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Division I Tournaments with cities throughout the country ready for an influx of fans streaming through airports, eating at the local restaurants and staying at the nearest hotel to the arena. It will was the start of spring training in cities throughout Arizona and Florida, seasonal workers who get the chance to check into the complex after a lockout delayed its opening, ready for the next few weeks’ worth of fans coming to sit in the sun, feel the warmth that has been absent in many parts of the country, and relax with a cold drink and a hot dog.

At moments like this, it’s also worth remembering when it all went away.

Two years ago last week, the Ivy League had postponed its conference tournaments and a Division III tournament game was played without fans. COVID had become part of the news — terrible images in Italy, news of cases starting to spread throughout the United States — but the idea that sports would stop seemed almost inconceivable. Leagues were starting to take precautions, shutting down locker rooms to the media. But until the Ivy League announced its decision — preceded two days before by the cancelling of the ATP and WTA Tour stop in Indian Wells, California, one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world — COVID moved firmly into the discussion of how sports were going to be held.

“How do we handle it?” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on March 6, 2020. “I don’t know yet.”

An almost entirely unmasked section of Los Angeles FC fans cheer before the team’s MLS match against the Colorado Rapids in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Then, it all happened. It started with crowd restrictions in Seattle and San Francisco. Within a four-hour span, the NCAA announced the men’s and women’s tournaments would be held without fans, then the first NBA game was cancelled after a player tested positive. At 9:30 p.m. ET on March 10, the NBA suspended its season indefinitely; within 24 hours, the entire sports world was shut down.

At that point, we all figured it would be just a pause in sports … and in life. We all figured within a few weeks, this ‘COVID thing’ would be done and over and normalcy would reign. How quaint it looks in retrospect.

Instead it was leagues that held bubble events in places ranging from Orlando to Utah to Canada because fans were too much of a risk. When fans were allowed back, it was mostly in certain geographic areas and even then, it was in severely curtailed numbers and with an atmosphere that seemed abnormal — because it was. ‘Social distancing’ became one of the top concerns for event organizers, followed in short order by hand sanitizer and masking. Events started to come back but in weird time frames — the Masters in the fall? The Olympic Summer Games, postponed? The World Series, held in a neutral site? With crowd restrictions keeping most fans at home, the conventional wisdom was all of these unique moments to watch on TV would lead to gigantic ratings. In fact, most ratings suffered historic lows (except, it must be said, for women’s sports, which are more popular than ever before).

Slowly, the games did return. But even a year ago when sports started feeling normal again, COVID was a part of the discussion. Football, both college and pro, were held as usual but without capacity crowds because of … well, you know by now. Then came winter, and a surge in cases. The NFL got its season finished and breathed a huge sigh of relief, saved perhaps more than anything because of its outdoor venues. Indoor winter sports such as the NBA, NHL and college basketball were full of disruptions. Fans got used to the idea of having to change plans on which game they would watch at a moment’s notice, because sometimes that’s how fast a game was postponed. The NCAA Tournament for men and women went off as single-site events with restricted attendance. Few if any NBA or NHL teams allowed sellout crowds.

Then came spring and while vaccinations a year ago were not widely available to the general public, the pandemic started to feel like it was ending. Soon there would be sellout crowds for NBA playoff games and the PGA Championship. Major League Baseball was a full capacity in every ballpark by July 4, and the most recent NFL and college football seasons had no attendance restrictions at all. Only during the height of omicron were there attendance restrictions in the NHL and NBA and even then, it was only for teams in Canada.

The road from even 2021 to 2022 has not been that smooth, however. The idea of vaccination and masking within the sports world has become a highly-charged debate just as everything else in the broader world became. Now, just a few NBA and NHL teams even have mask mandates for fans. We will wait to see what protocols are for Major League Baseball but given its outdoor atmosphere compared to the indoor winter sports, the lack of a fan masking or vaccination mandate seems likely — and even if there was a mandate, whether it’s been at NBA or NHL games or even the Super Bowl, any mandates in place have been almost completely ignored — and truth be told, seldom enforced.

The Winter Olympics went on without fans and those who were allowed in Beijing were highly restricted in their movements and China itself is starting to deal with additional breakouts throughout the country. There are still players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. The NCAA Tournament selection shows also included a list of four teams that would be called into the field should any of the 68 men’s and 68 women’s teams have a sudden breakthough number of cases. The spring brings a decrease in cases but there are still tens of thousands of cases, and there are still deaths — 1,291 alone on Sunday, according to the New York Times, a number that sounds ‘low’ but maybe only perhaps because of how skewed our sense of reality has become in the past 24 months.

In New York City, where COVID hit the hardest at the beginning and where the scars of those early months run deep, debate now rages about Kyrie Irving, who has spent the season proudly unvaccinated while others campaign to have special circumstances created for him in a sport where the team supposedly outweighs the individual. Those debates will continue throughout the MLB season, given that players will be unable to go to Toronto if unvaccinated and play against a strong Blue Jays squad; the Mets and Yankees, much like its winter counterparts in the Nets, Rangers and Knicks, must be vaccinated to play in home games which leaves doubts over slugger Aaron Judge‘s eligibility given his reluctance to speak on the issue. Novak Djokovic‘s unvaccinated status has left him on the outside looking in at the Australian Open and major hard-court events in the United States, but the French Open has now said he would be allowed to participate after France lifted restrictions in almost all public spaces except hospitals, nursing homes and public transport, meaning the Roland Garros stadium should be operating at full capacity.

So does that mean COVID is over as far as the sports world goes? No. The way fans experience a game in person has changed, but the feeling that they get going to events has not. Fans should go to games and cheer and shout and clap. Those sounds are what makes the experience of being a fan so special and unique. It’s those experiences that were taken away from us two years ago, which we can now appreciate more than ever before.

TENNIS: Novak Djokovic’s Vaccination Saga Will Never End

Posted: Wednesday, March 9

One of Novak Djokovic’s strengths during his career and nearly two dozen Grand Slam championships is the ability to endure and wear out opponents, no matter how long the match takes.

It appears he’s taking that mentality off the court as well, continuing to refuse vaccination for COVID-19 and dragging on a saga that has seen him barred from entering the United States to compete in the biggest non-Grand Slam tournament of the season that starts on Thursday in Indian Wells, California.

Djokovic was announced in the draw for the BNP Paribas Open and was scheduled to play this weekend after a first-round bye. But he is not at the tournament site because U.S. rules for entry into the country state that visitors must be vaccinated. As a result, he was replaced in the draw on Wednesday afternoon.

Beyond the U.S. entry issue was that Indian Wells says all fans must show proof of full vaccination to attend and “no exceptions to the vaccination policy will be allowed. All tournament volunteers, staff, sponsors, media, and vendors will be fully vaccinated in accordance with this policy.”

The ATP and WTA Tours do not have vaccination policies and instead allow the host country for their tournaments make the rules. Reports have indicated that Djokovic is the only player in the ATP Tour’s Top 100 that is unvaccinated.

While Djokovic’s Australian saga garnered worldwide attention, it does appear that his chances of competing in the French Open have improved. Officials in France announced last week the country would no longer require visitors to show proof of vaccination to enter indoor establishments after March 14. The French Open starts May 22; Djokovic has won the tournament twice, including last year, and four times has been the runner-up.

After the French Open comes Wimbledon starting in late June. England’s relaxation of vaccination rules makes it likely that Djokovic, a six-time winner at the All England Club, would also be allowed to enter the country and defend his title.

Djokovic was deported from Australia moments before the Australian Open started in January after immigration officials ruled he was a danger to society because he could energize an anti-vaccination movement in that country. Djokovic had received an exemption to enter the country while unvaccinated because he produced a test showing he had recently recovered from COVID-19, an exemption that angered Australians and set off a court battle leading to his eventual deportation.

Talking to the BBC last month, Djokovic said vaccination — which Djokovic has received before in his life — was a personal choice and “the principles of decision making on my body are more important than any title or anything else.”

After Indian Wells is the Miami Open, another prominent event on the ATP and WTA Tour schedules. The majority of the post-Wimbledon summer schedule for the ATP Tour goes through the United States and Canada, another country that could be problematic for Djokovic to enter.

Djokovic confirmed last month that he was not expecting to play in the U.S., admitting “as of today, I’m not able to play, but let’s see what happens. I mean, maybe things change in the next few weeks.”

COLLEGE SPORTS: Mitigation Measures Worked to Prevent COVID Spread, Study Shows

Posted: Monday, March 7

A collegiate sports study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates mitigation measures taken the past two years by a dozen NCAA schools worked in limiting the spread of the virus.

The study, published by a group of Stanford researchers, found participation in college sports was not associated with increased test positivity in student-athletes and the majority of schools studied actually decreased test positivity among student-athletes. The paper is the first known study investigating the difference in COVID-19 test positivity between college athletes and nonathletes at schools across the country.

Dr. Calvin Hwang, clinical assistant professor of orthopedic surgery and team physician at Stanford, co-authored the study, which initially looked at available data from schools throughout the Power Five before settling on 12 schools with the most complete set of publicly available data. The Stanford study based its research on more than 4 million tests, including 555,372 from student-athletes, at Arkansas, California, Clemson, Illinois, Louisville, Michigan, Minnesota, Penn State, Purdue, Stanford, UCLA and Virginia.

The NCAA canceled the 2020 men’s and women’s Division I basketball tournaments amid coronavirus fears but a recent study shows schools worked to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 throughout college football. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

“We wanted to see across the country do athletes in general have higher test positivity rates compared to nonathletes, or are they actually potentially protected against infection based on some of the guidelines the NCAA has laid out to allow for the safe resumption of sport,” Hwang said.

The study found that student-athletes did not have increased risk of infection compared with other students. At nine schools — Arkansas, Minnesota, Penn State, Clemson, Louisville, Purdue, Michigan, Illinois and Virginia — student-athletes showed a decreased positivity compared with the general student population. Overall, there were 2,425 positive tests (0.44%) among student athletes and 30,567 positive tests (0.88%) among nonathlete students.

“This was a little bit surprising to us, but it really goes to show the likely protective effect the NCAA mitigation (guidance) in place last year had on preventing COVID infection within the student-athlete population,” Hwang said.

Compared with professional sports before vaccinations were widely available — the NBA, MLS and NHL famously conducted parts of its seasons within a bubble environment — collegiate sports were almost entirely held on campus, though both outdoor and indoor sports were held in front of restricted numbers of fans (or none at all). While there have not been any documented cases of COVID spreading during competition collegiately, “the specific risk of transmission within a collegiate athletic team setting including meals, practice, travel, competition, and communal housing with these various protocols is unknown,” the study said.

More on the report can be seen on the NCAA’s YouTube channel with researchers discussing the results.

The study’s release comes right as the NCAA has released its guidelines for the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments. Last year’s tournaments were held in Indianapolis for the men and San Antonio for the women in controlled environments, with fans in restricted numbers able to attend depending on the venue.

The NCAA will encourage indoor masking when Tier 1 individuals are not practicing and competing, in their hotel room, or eating and drinking. But it does allow individual teams to implement protocols “keeping with local public health authorities and the updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on COVID-19 Community Level and COVID-19 Prevention.”

On-site testing for asymptomatic individuals in Tier 1 will not be required, but those individuals before traveling to a championship site must be tested for COVID-19 or meet the requirements for exemption from testing. To be exempt from testing, a Tier 1 participant must be fully vaccinated or have documentation of a COVID-19 infection within the previous 90 days. All nonexempt individuals in a travel party must produce a negative COVID-19 test result before travel to a tournament site.

The NCAA Medical Advisory Group’s guidance also recommends that athletes and other Tier 1 individuals “should engage only in scheduled team activities when traveling or at a host/competition site.”

NFL: League Declares End to COVID Protocols

Posted: Thursday, March 3

The National Football League on Thursday was the first professional sports league in the U.S. to suspend all of its COVID-related protocols. The decision, made jointly with the NFL Players Association, was disclosed to NFL teams on Thursday as the combine is starting in Indianapolis.

“The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to suspend all aspects of the joint COVID-19 protocols, effective immediately,” the memo reads. “We will continue to prioritize the health and safety of players, coaches and staff, as we have throughout the pandemic. Should there be a reason to reimpose aspects of the Protocols or to take other measures, we will work closely with the clubs, NFLPA and our respective experts, and local, state and federal public health officials to continue to safeguard the health of the NFL community.”

Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera wears a mask to protect against COVID-19, during practice in August in Ashburn, Virginia. The NFL has suspended all aspects of its COVID-19 protocols, citing recent trends showing that the spread of the coronavirus is declining. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Players and staffers will be able to go maskless inside team facilities without having to adhere to social distancing measures. The memo does remind clubs that they “are required to remain in compliance with state and local law and are free to continue reasonable measures to protect their staff and players.”

Teams will provide testing for anyone at a team facility who self-reports COVID symptoms but there will be no mandatory testing. Those who test positive will be required to isolate for five days.

The NFL, like every professional league, has been overwhelmingly vaccinated — 95 percent of players and almost 100 percent of team personnel — without the need for a mandate for players, although coaches and Tier 1 personnel did face a mandate. The league did still face a surge in cases in December as the omicron variant spread throughout the U.S., with more than 1,200 positive tests among players and staff from December 12 to January with multiple games near the end of the regular season postponed a few days without too much disruption to the schedule.

New CDC Guidelines a Game-Changer for Fan Protocols at Sports Events

Posted: Wednesday, March 2

Friday’s new guidelines for masking released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will continue to make the fan guidelines for sports a continuing development.

The CDC’s new framework is intended to move the country to a long-term strategy that allows lives to return to a “new normal.” The new system puts more than 70 percent of the U.S. population in counties where the coronavirus is posing a low or medium threat to hospitals. Those are the people who can stop wearing masks, the agency said.

The recommendations do not change the requirement to wear masks on public transportation and indoors in airports, train stations and bus stations. Cities and institutions may still set their own rules, even in areas of low risk. And people with COVID-19 symptoms or who test positive shouldn’t stop wearing masks.

A server wears a face mask to help curb the spread of COVID-19 while taking food and beverage orders from fans sitting in courtside seats during an NBA game between the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks in Orlando, Florida. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

According to the New York Times, as of Friday the United States was 65 percent fully vaccinated and 76 percent of those eligible were at least partially vaccinated. After a gigantic surge in cases due to the omicron variant during late November and throughout December, the 14-day average of new cases in the U.S. is down 65 percent. However, only 28 percent of those who are eligible for a booster have received one, the Times database reported.

“Anybody is certainly welcome to wear a mask at any time if they feel safer wearing a mask,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday. “We want to make sure our hospitals are OK and people are not coming in with severe disease. … Anyone can go to the CDC website, find out the volume of disease in their community and make that decision.”

Regardless of Kyrie Irving’s saga in New York City, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sounded like a man ready to start thinking of a non-pandemic future during the All-Star Weekend in Cleveland. Only the Toronto Raptors are currently under fan restrictions — those will be lifted within days — and a number of teams have relaxed their guidance on mask-wearing at games, guidance that was widely ignored anyway.

“In terms of a post-pandemic NBA, we’re looking for something very much closer to the normal that we are familiar with, and we are beginning to see that already,” Silver said in Cleveland. “The regulations vary from city to city, state to state, but the teams have all managed to work through those issues, and fans have been eager to come back.”

COVID-19 is still a storyline in the National Hockey League as well — L.A. Kings coach Todd McLellan entered protocols on Friday. But the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday became the third Canadian team to drop its mandate for fans to be vaccinated to attend home games, joining the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs, in a shift of protocols north of the border.

The league also is still trying to get insurers to cover what it says is $1 billion in lost revenues because of the pandemic, a request that a California judge rejected last week. But Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Sunil Kulkarni indicated he was open to hearing more details of the NHL’s claim that the insurance policy had a communicable disease clause that might still lead to compensation. Factory Mutual insurance says the payout limit should be $1 million. The NHL and 20 of its teams sued Factory Mutual last year after the insure rejected claims for compensation.

Given what is widely known about COVID-19, the risk for fans is much less when outdoors compared to indoor venues. Major League Soccer started its 2022 season over the weekend with no attendance restrictions at any of its venues after the 2021 season saw some restrictions on the opening weekend.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber said the league is 97 percent vaccinated and that it will, similar to other leagues, only test vaccinated players if they show symptoms. Unvaccinated players will be tested “more frequently,” Garber said last week, adding an exact total will be determined within two weeks.

“We continue to evolve our medical health and safety protocols as the regulations come down from different states and different provinces,” Garber said. “And, clearly, we’re paying close attention to what the rules are going to be in Canada, and that’s work in progress.”

And as Silver added in Cleveland, planning for a sports world in a “post-pandemic” era does not mean that COVID disappears.

“I think, as I have said before, we all have to learn to live with this virus,” Silver said. “Based on what I have read and been told by our experts, it’s not likely to go anywhere. There will probably be other variants, at some point, but we now have tools to deal with those. Obviously, vaccines, boosters, anti-virals, et cetera, that didn’t exist when the pandemic started. So I feel that as a country, as a world we’re much better equipped to deal with it now.”

NBA: Kyrie Irving Will Get His Wish Should New York City Lift Vaccination Mandate

Posted: Friday, February 25

The NBA’s most famously unvaccinated player, Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, may soon get his wish with the expected lifting of New York City’s vaccine mandates — although the exact timetable does leave doubt as to whether it would be before the end of the regular season for the struggling team.

Irving has been unable to play in home games because of the city’s vaccination mandate, which Mayor Eric Adams said may be eventually phased out. Irving originally was told by the Nets to stay away from the team entirely at the start of the season before returning on a part-time basis as Brooklyn, a preseason contender for the NBA title, has struggled.

“It’s great, obviously,” Nets coach Steve Nash said. “It would be great for us to have Kyrie available for all our games. Having said that, it’s not really in our control, so we’ll leave it up to the mayor and wait patiently.”

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving shoots against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of Game 1 of an NBA second-round playoff series in New York on June 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)

The Nets entered the post-All-Star break in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. The team had 23 games remaining in the regular season entering Thursday night as the league resumed play after its All-Star Weekend in Cleveland.

“I can’t wait to get it done,” Adams said Wednesday. “I’m not going to get ahead of the science, because I’m ready to get ahead of all of this and get back to a level of normalcy. … But I look forward in the next few weeks of going through a real transformation … We’re going to get the city back up and operating. And we’re going to be rolling out some things in the next day or so on how we’re going to carry that out.”

Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated — making him stand out from nearly the rest of the league, which is more than 97 percent vaxxed — has been a major storyline this season. Irving tried to avoid the issue during training camp and the Nets’ first home game was a wild scene at the Barclays Center as anti-vaccine protesters tried to storm the facility.

Irving has danced around the vaccination issue since returning to the Nets, trying to frame it as a personal decision and saying that he is not opposed to vaccinations — just that he doesn’t want to take them. That framing has not worked to say the least with many anti-vaccination proponents adopting him as one of their own. When the Nets announced that Irving would be allowed to rejoin the team on a part-time basis, he landed on the NBA’s COVID list within 48 hours for being a close contact of somebody who had tested positive during the height of the omicron variant.

The current mandate in New York is that proof of full vaccination must be shown to enter indoor spaces like restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and sports venues such as the Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden. That the mandate applies only to New York City residents but not visiting players has become a greater source of contention within the NBA has case numbers have continually fallen in recent weeks

“This law in New York, the oddity of it to me is that it only applies to home players,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said last week on ESPN. “I think if ultimately that rule is about protecting people who are in the arena, it just doesn’t quite make sense to me that an away player who is unvaccinated can play in Barclays but the home player can’t. To me that’s a reason they should take a look at that ordinance.”

NFL Bursts Combine Bubble After Agent Opposition

Posted: Tuesday, February 22

As sports events navigate the next steps in the COVID-19 pandemic, each one is still finding its way through what participants expect and what the organizers would like to see happen. Case in point the change in policy that has taken place with the NFL Combine, an event that over time has grown into a weeklong spectacle in Indianapolis.

In advance of the event expected to start March 1, the NFL had set guidelines for participating athletes that would have had them confined to a bubble of sorts in an effort toward COVID mitigation. Athletes, in particular, were not allowed to leave the secured area to visit with their own personnel including physical therapists, massage therapists or athletic trainers, although one member of their medical support team would have been allowed in to a specified location.

That restriction, however, met a cold response from player agents who vowed in large numbers to keep their clients away from the event entirely if something didn’t change. The NFL Players Association, which does not yet represent any of the athletes until they join teams, also offered their support, issuing a statement that said, “We have spoken to several agents to reinforce our longstanding opposition to the NFL Scouting Combine and agree and support the decisions by those to not attend. The combination of the NFL’s proposed ‘bubble’ and fact that we still have an antiquated system of every team doctor examining players and having them perform yet again needs serious modification or elimination. While we do not represent these players we have advocated for their rights to fair treatment.”

And it didn’t take long for something to change. On Sunday night, in a memo obtained by several media outlets, the league softened its stance.

Masks will still be required for participating athletes during their travel to Indianapolis and during medical exams at the Combine. In all other circumstances, masks will now be recommended by not required. The memo also went on to encourage players to “remain within the secure Combine at all times for your safety.”

But several exemptions will now be allowed, including the ability for players to leave the bubble during any free time on their schedule. And most important for players, their own therapists and trainers will now be permitted within the secured areas of the Combine as well.

The Combine is set to take place March 1–7 with more than 300 players invited to participate.

If Mask Mandates Are Not Enforced, Why Do Sports Events Have Them?

Updated: February 21, 2022

Throughout Sunday’s Super Bowl there were a mix of celebrities in the ultra-exclusive areas and fans throughout the upper areas where prices — although exorbitant — were, by comparison, within the budget of a regular man or woman.

And seemingly nowhere was there a person wearing a mask, despite the venue’s mandate to do so during the Los Angeles Rams’ 23–20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, which raises the question: With COVID cases nationally on a downturn, should any professional or collegiate sports venue still have a mask policy given that it has been shown to be unenforceable?

Los Angeles County officials held a press conference the week before the Super Bowl to encourage fans to follow health and safety protocols — including comments from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who on Sunday was seen without a mask almost the entirety of the game.

Fans watch during the first half of Super Bowl 56 between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals on February 13, 2022, in Inglewood, California. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

All attendees were to be given a KN95 mask upon entry and fans had to either show proof of full vaccination or a negative test up to 48 hours before a game. Fans were required to wear a mask at SoFi Stadium except when eating or drinking, regardless of vaccination status. But “you can’t force everybody to wear a mask all the time,” said James Butts, mayor of Inglewood, ahead of the game, admitting that enforcement would not be strict to say the least.

That ended up being the case as it was probably harder to find a person wearing one than not wearing one, especially among those in the celebrity suites. There was one group that strictly adhered to the venue’s rules; the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra performed with masks before the game.

“Businesses, schools, churches were fined or shut down for far less, and yet it seems like when we have something high-profile like the Super Bowl or the Emmys, the rules just don’t seem to matter anymore,” Supervisor Janice Hahn said Tuesday. “And I believe that our health orders are only effective if people believe in them, if they think they are fair and if they follow them. And keeping mandates in place that aren’t followed just erodes the credibility the public has in us as policymakers.”

The NBA has mandated that at every arena, regardless of other protocols, fans sitting within 15 feet of the court will have to wear masks at all times, except when eating or drinking. Judging by a random viewing of multiple NBA games on a given week, you would have to assume that there is a lot of eating and drinking going on with how many people don’t have masks on the entire game.

And what was nearly half the league mandating either vaccination or at least a negative test to attend games has slowly started to decline. The Utah Jazz announced on Tuesday that not only would it not ask fans for proof of a negative test at minimum to attend games, but it would no longer have a mask mandate for all fans — which, from first-hand experience, was never followed by 99 percent of the fans to begin with.

None of the NHL’s teams in Canada are allowed to have full capacity at the moment, a source of public irritation for Commissioner Gary Bettman. Only a handful of NFL teams required proof of vaccination for entry into their stadiums all season: Buffalo and Las Vegas mandated vaccination while Seattle and New Orleans (for part of the season) allowed fans to at least show proof of a negative test if they were unvaccinated. Los Angeles mandated either proof of vaccination or a negative test at SoFi Stadium along with mask wearing, although that was clearly not either adhered to or enforced.

So it goes back to the original question — if teams have a mask mandate and are not enforcing it, then why are the policies in place? Having one is disingenuous when it’s not enforced like on Sunday. There have been no documented sports events that have turned into super spreader events this year among fans for not being masked or vaccinated; there also is no contact tracing at any sporting events so we really will not ever know.

Los Angeles County, two days after the Super Bowl, ended its outdoor mask mandate for places such as SoFi Stadium and Dodger Stadium. It also said that it will keep in place a mandate on indoor masking, even though the rest of California lifted that provision on Wednesday. Whether that mandate will be enforced at home games for Los Angeles’ NHL and NBA teams is … well, you know the answer to that already.

As the Beijing Olympics Wind Down, so do Positive COVID Cases

Posted: Thursday, February 17

As the Olympic Winter Games finish off their final week in Beijing, organizers are reporting that the COVID-19 countermeasures put in place for all arriving participants and stakeholders appear to be having the intended effect. On February 16, the organizing committee reported that for the first time during the Games, there were no positive tests in the so-called closed loop that is governing the rules of engagement for all Olympic participants on site. The day before, only person — not an athlete — tested positive among stakeholders.

The milestone of no positive cases over the course of a single day came after 68,970 PCR tests just on February 16 alone, including 5,239 among athletes. The day before, organizers said they administered 69,786 PCR tests inside the closed loop, including 5,899 for athletes and team officials. The one person who tested positive registered their test at customs upon arrival in Beijing.

Vincent Zhou, of the United States, competes in the men’s team free skate program during the figure skating competition at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. He later tested positive for COVID-19 but has since ended his quarantine. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Overall, more than 400 people have tested positive during the Games, including more than 180 athletes, although the peak of those positive tests came February 2, just two days before the Opening Ceremony. Since then, numbers have been on a steady decline.

Huang Chun, the deputy director general for the Office of Pandemic Prevention and Control of the Beiing Organizing Committee, said the results show that the significant countermeasures put in place for the Games appear to be working.

“Every day we’re seeing very few number of confirmed positive cases,” he said. “We are taking very stringent COVID measures within the closed loop. It was not our target to have zero positive cases. Against the background of the global pandemic, we know for sure there will be imported cases. But the Games are going on. We are optimistic, but still need to be very careful. The success of the countermeasures means the success of the Games.”

IOC Spokesman Mark Adams also noted that the organizers will soon be shifting the majority of their attention to depature procedures, which will also require participants to register negative tests before leaving Beijing. “We sometimes forget we are in the middle of a global pandemic and we are hosting one of the most complex international competitions or events in the world very successfully,” he said. “We are not complacent. The Games are not over yet. We are making sure those who need to leave the country can do so safely. That is still a logistical challenge.”

February 21 is expected to the peak day for Olympic departures. The Games are scheduled to conclude on February 20 with the Closing Ceremony.

Novak Djokovic, Kyrie Irving Hold Firm on Anti-Vaccination Views

Posted: Tuesday, February 15

Two major stars in their field, seemingly gifted beyond belief and both this week vowed that their athletic achievements will suffer — willingly — because of their refusal to take the COVID vaccine.

Novak Djokovic, in his first interview since his deportation from Australia days before the Australian Open started, told the BBC that he would rather never play in a Grand Slam again if that meant he would have to get vaccinated.

“I have never said that I am part of that movement,” Djokovic said of the anti-vaxxer part of the world, admitting he was vaccinated as a child.

“I’m trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can,” he said. “Based on all the information that I got, I decided not to take the vaccine, as of today.”

Novak Djokovic looks as his documents after landing in Belgrade, Serbia on January 17. Djokovic arrived in the Serbian capital following his deportation from Australia on Sunday after losing a bid to stay in the country to defend his Australian Open title despite not being vaccinated against COVID-19.(AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Djokovic, who has been skeptical of COVID since nearly the beginning of the pandemic, received a medical exemption to play in the Australian Open — saying he had COVID in December, which would have been the second time he had the virus. After his visa was revoked by the Australian government, Rafael Nadal won the Australian Open title and broke the tie he held with Djokovic and Roger Federer for most major titles by a male player.

“I understand that there is a lot of criticism, and I understand that people come out with different theories on how lucky I was or how convenient it is,” Djokovic said. “But no one is lucky and convenient of getting COVID. Millions of people have and are still struggling with COVID around the world. So I take this very seriously. I really don’t like someone thinking I’ve misused something or in my own favor, in order to, you know, get a positive PCR test and eventually go to Australia.”

Djokovic said he will play at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, in March. But while the ATP and WTA Tours do not have a vaccination mandate, non-US citizens must be fully vaccinated to travel to the United States by plane, according to the CDC. Fans attending the tournament in Indian Wells must also show proof of full vaccination.

Djokovic’s status for the French Open starting May 22 remains unclear. France currently has a vaccine requirement but may lift it before the tournament starts. As it stands, no one who is unvaccinated can enter sports venues unless they have proof they have had COVID within the previous four months; Djokovic’s positive test in December would fall outside of that guidance.

Beyond the French Open, Wimbledon has allowed COVID exemptions for visiting athletes in some cases. The U.S. Open in late summer is the final Grand Slam of the year and the United States Tennis Association has said it will follow government rules on COVD protocols.

While Djokovic’s chase for the all-time Grand Slam titles seems doubtful — on his own accord — the slumping Brooklyn Nets, who would love to have any type of boost to reverse its freefall down the Eastern Conference standings, will continue to play home games without one of its best players in Kyrie Irving.

Irving, who is not allowed to play home games because he is unvaccinated, insisted again this week that he would rather miss time — and potentially harm his team’s NBA title chances — rather than get vaccinated.

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving remains hopeful that the New York City worker vaccination mandate will eventually get overturned and he will be able to participate in home games this season. Irving will not be able to play again with his team until February 26 in Milwaukee. The Nets have dropped 11 straight games after a 115-111 loss to the Heat on Saturday night.

“There’s no guilt that I feel,” Irving said. “I’m the only player that has to deal with this in New York City because I play there. If I was anywhere else in another city then it probably wouldn’t be the same circumstances. But because I’m there, we have [mayor] Eric Adams, we have the New York mandate, we have things going on that are real-life circumstances that are not just affecting me, bro. So you ask me these questions, I don’t feel guilt.”

Irving’s anti-vaccination stance comes under the increased spotlight because of the Nets’ trading James Harden for Ben Simmons, formerly of the Philadelphia 76ers. There were reports that one of the reasons for Harden’s unhappiness in Brooklyn was the half-in, half-out nature of Irving’s commitment to the team due to his anti-vaccination status.

Irving, meanwhile, continues to believe that eventually the New York City vaccination mandate will be eased or eliminated altogether and is willing to accept the consequences should it not happen — including the potential loss of his second NBA title.

“I’m just living my life as best I can just like everybody else that missed these last two years,” Irving said for his part. “I didn’t have a plan in place while all this was going on, didn’t know. The NBA and the NBPA made it very clear that there would be things that I would be able to do to work around this. And that’s off the table. So you tell me if I’m just alone out here or do I have support from everybody else that’s dealing with the same thing?”

OLYMPICS: Valieva’s Drug Test Saga Overshadows Figure Skating Competition

Posted: Monday, February 14

From an operational standpoint, the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing has seen a marked daily decline in COVID cases. But the operational standpoint when it comes to other, darker aspects of the Games has come under a harsh spotlight thanks to a repeat offender.

Fifteeen-year-old figure skater Kamila Valieva looked to be one of the breakout stars of the Games when she landed the first quadruple jump by a woman at the Olympics and led the ROC to gold in the team competition. But her star turn turned into a spotlight that includes a positive drug test — recorded on Christmas Day during the Russian nationals — that only came to light in the past week.

Kamila Valieva, of the Russian Olympic Committee, competes in the women’s team free skate program during the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

And after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled overnight that she can continue to participate, and most likely end up with the women’s individual gold medal, Valieva’s presence will overshadow the rest of the figure skating competition with as much attention paid to off-ice events as on-ice performances.

CAS gave her a favorable decision in part because Valieva was a minor or “protected person” and was subject to different rules than an adult athlete. Athletes under 16 like Valieva typically are not held responsible for taking banned substances.

The CAS panel also cited that she tested clean in Beijing and “serious issues of untimely notification” of her positive test that a drug-testing lab in Sweden reported contained the heart medication trimetazidine, which is banned in international sports. Reasons for the six-week wait for a result from Sweden are unclear, though Russian officials have suggested it was partly because of a surge in COVID-19 cases, which affected staffing at the lab.

“The panel considered that preventing the athlete to compete at the Olympics would cause her irreparable harm in the circumstances,” CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb said.

The International Olympic Committee said “in the interest of fairness to all athletes,” there will be no medal ceremony if Valieva wins a medal and instead, “organize dignified medal ceremonies once the case of Ms. Valieva has been concluded.”

“It is the collective responsibility of the entire Olympic community to protect the integrity of sports and to hold our athletes, coaches and all involved to the highest of standards,” USOPC Chief Executive Officer Sarah Hirshland said in a statement. “Athletes have the right to know they are competing on a level playing field. Unfortunately, today that right is being denied. This appears to be another chapter in the systemic and pervasive disregard for clean sports by Russia.

“We know this case is not yet closed, and we call on everyone in the Olympic Movement to continue to fight for clean sport on behalf of athletes around the world.”

Russia’s anti-doping agency, known as RUSADA, gave Valieva a provisional suspension for the drug tests then lifted it a day later. That decision was appealed by the International Olympic Committee, the World Anti-Doping Agency and International Skating Union, leading to the overnight CAS ruling.

Operationally, why six weeks lapsed before Valieva’s positive test came back has led to questions that the IOC has continually dodged. That she is from Russia reminds anyone with knowledge of the Olympics about its continual issues with flouting anti-doping rules. Doping in Russian sport has been a major theme for a sixth straight Olympic Games, including the past three winter editions at Sochi, Russia; Pyeongchang, South Korea; and now Beijing.

Russia is not competing at the Olympics in name only. Athletes are competing under the acronym ROC, for Russian Olympic Committee, because of a state-sponsored doping operation dating to the 2014 Winter Games, which Russia hosted. Further exposing the ‘severity’ of the IOC’s ban of Russia is that as its athletes are competing in the Games, Vladimir Putin was at Opening Ceremony, waving from a luxury box to athletes.

The team competition gold medal, and any medal she wins in the individual competition, could still be taken from Valieva as part of a longer-term investigation — ensuring that this story will only continue to linger in the months ahead.

Big Parties, Sellout Crowd, No Positive Tests: The Super Bowl has Moved Past COVID

Posted: Friday, February 11

It says something about the state of COVID within the National Football League that during his state of the league address on Wednesday in Los Angeles, Commissioner Roger Goodell was not asked once about the pandemic that the league was again able to play through this regular season — though not without some late-season stress.

Last season, COVID dominated the off-field discussion — some teams did not have fans all season long at home games, nearly every team had some type of capacity restriction and more than a dozen games were rescheduled as the season went along.

The interior of SoFi Stadium is seen days before the Super Bowl in Inglewood, California. The Los Angeles Rams are scheduled to play the Cincinnati Bengals on February 13. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

This year thanks to the availability of vaccines, the season started out with capacity crowds everywhere and beginning with the start of training camp, NFL teams averaged 28 positive tests per week. But with the omicron variant spread throughout the country, the NFL was not immune.

The week of Christmas, the NFL recorded 347 player positives and three games were postponed. The following week had 411 positive results, but no changes to the schedule. And since then, it has been smooth sailing for the league.

Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, said this week 95 percent of players and almost all staff received at least two doses of the vaccine. Those numbers far outpace the general U.S. population, but NFL players have lagged behind the rest of the U.S. and NFL community in getting a booster; Sills said only 10 percent of players so far had received one.

“The rollout of boosters came at a challenging time for players,” Sills said. “We all know that during the season players don’t want to do anything that might detract from their performance or cause them to miss time.”

While Sills said it’s “absolutely possible” that players from the Rams and Bengals could still miss the Super Bowl, that would require an extraordinary set of circumstances over the coming days; the league stopped regular testing midway through the playoffs and now only tests players if they have symptoms of COVID and self-report them.

“Let’s understand that there’s a culture of recognition within the team,” Sills said. “If there’s a player within the team environment or coach or staff member displaying obvious symptoms, no one wants that individual to spread that around the team. Particularly this week.”

Yet another sign of increasingly normalcy throughout the country; a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted February 4–7 showed 36 percent of those watching say they will do so with people that include individuals outside of their immediate families, up 11 percent from last year.

“The impact of COVID-19 on the economy has been unprecedented and the multi-billion dollar sports industry and its ancillary business have not been immune,” said Seton Hall Marketing Professor and Poll Methodologist Daniel Ladik. “Everyone from parking attendants at the games to the local deli preparing cheese platters and six-foot sandwiches for a Super Bowl party has been impacted. Perhaps these numbers are a harbinger of a step toward normalcy.”

This year’s Super Bowl is the first time that the game has been in Los Angeles since 1993 but Goodell believes Los Angeles will be a “regular Super Bowl stop” because of SoFi Stadium, which opened last year without fans in attendance.

“I’d be hard-pressed to think that it won’t be at the top of everybody’s list, every opportunity we can,” Goodell said.

The next three Super Bowls will be played in Arizona, Las Vegas and New Orleans with the game in February 2026 the next one available. Which city will host in 2026 will be intriguing given that several cities that could host the game are also in the running to host games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which could be an organizational nightmare.

So who could host in 2026? If you think outside the box a little bit, you could take the game far away — to London, more precisely. The Daily Mail reported this week the Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur, which hosts two NFL games each regular season, is interested in hosting the game.

Tottenham Hotspur stadium’s costs were in part offset by the NFL, who contributed $13.5 million to the venue which has an artificial NFL regulation field underneath a retractable grass soccer field. London is five hours ahead of East Coast time; with Sunday’s kickoff at 6:30 p.m. Eastern, that means any future Hotspur-hosted Super Bowls would have to start near midnight in London.

NHL: Instead of heading to Beijing Games, regular season resumes

Posted: Thursday, February 10

Right as the NHL All-Star Game finished Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas, if it hadn’t hit players or fans before then, it did now — what was expected to happen next has changed dramatically.

After all, Las Vegas was picked to host this year’s All-Star Weekend because with its West Coast location, players would be able to leave immediately for the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. But after a first half of the season in which the league had to postpone 105 games with more than half of the league’s teams having to go on COVID-enforced pauses, the league instead will resume play this week and skip the Games.

Edmonton’s Connor McDavid during the NHL All-Star game on February 5, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

“It’s disappointing, because you realize you never know when you’re going to get an opportunity to go to the Olympics,” said Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel, a probable member of the U.S. team. “It’s something you dream about and it’s disappointing that it didn’t happen.”

The NHL has tried to thread the needle on its Olympic decision. While going to Beijing was a high priority for players in the last collective bargaining negotiations, the league has been historically ambivalent about it. The league has been disappointed, to say the league, between not having the rights to show video highlights of players. While the best-on-best Olympic competitions have brought in traditionally strong TV ratings, it also has tended to overshadow the NHL’s regular seasons when the Games are held.

What the NHL prefers to the Olympics is the World Cup of Hockey, which the league has full control of and can market to its own financial benefit. The tournament was last held in 2016 and the league has discussed its return as soon as 2024.

“(The Olympics is) something that a lot of guys were really looking forward to,” said Toronto star Auston Matthews, who would have made his first appearance for the U.S. team. “I know I definitely was. It’s too bad. It’s just the circumstance we’re in. Hopefully we’re able to get a best-on-best tournament at some point here, just because there’s so many good young players, and the league is in such a good place right now with the amount of talent and skill that’s in it.”

For his part, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman seemed to be anything but disappointed not to have players heading to Beijing: “In the absence of that roughly three-week period, I’m not sure how we would’ve been able to finish the season on any rational or irrational basis,” he said Friday.

Bettman was in a pugnacious mood in Las Vegas, repeatedly taking aim at Canada’s COVID restrictions for crowds. He said the league would move the June draft out of Montreal unless it was able to sell tickets at full capacity and hinted games would be moved out of Canada unless its teams were able to sell tickets at arenas to full capacity. Currently none of the NHL’s Canadian teams can do so.

“That’s how devastating and troublesome it has been for [those] clubs,” Bettman said. “All the clubs that can’t play at full capacity are losing lots of money. I don’t have concerns about a club going out of business, but it’s not unlike what we’ve been through for the last couple of years. It costs a lot of money. On average they’ve lost up to $50 million each. Some more, some less. Adding this on top of that for some clubs isn’t great.”

It was curious, then, how Bettman was critical of Canadian crowd capacities but then seemed nonplussed about the news that the Arizona Coyotes may have to start next year playing in a small 5,000-seat hockey arena on Arizona State University’s campus. Instead, Bettman took shots at the city of Glendale, Arizona, which is booting the team from Gila River Arena, and criticized the Phoenix Suns for not sharing the downtown Footprint Center.

The league also received another reminder that the season will still be affected by COVID; New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, Vancouver winger Quinn Hughes and Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin were each placed on the NHL’s protocol list since the All-Star Game.

OLYMPICS: Covid Remains Dominant Storyline for Beijing Games

Posted: Tuesday, February 8

U.S. men’s figure skater Vincent Zhou, less than 24 hours after winning a silver medal in the team figure skating competition, announced that he will miss the singles competition after testing positive for COVID-19 at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

Zhou was often in tears during his Instagram video announcement. He had tested positive as part of a routine COVID-19 screening before additional testing. The 21-year-old had struggled through a poor free skate during the team event.

Vincent Zhou competes in the men’s team free skate program during the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics on February 6, 2022, in Beijing. Zhou announced the following day that he had tested positive for COVID-19. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

“I have tested positive for COVID-19 and unfortunately I will have to withdraw from the individual event starting tomorrow,” said Zhou. “It seems pretty unreal that of all the people it would happen to myself, and that’s not just because I’m still processing this turn of events but also because I have been doing everything in my power to stay free of COVID since the start of the pandemic. I’ve taken all the precautions I can. I’ve isolated myself so much that the loneliness I felt in the last month or two has been crushing at times.”

Zhou’s positive test comes days after bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor was forced to skip the Opening Ceremony, having been elected as one of the two U.S. flag bearers, for her own positive test. Meyers Taylor was released from isolation on Monday and will be able to compete.

U.S. speedskater Casey Dawson, meanwhile, is hoping to compete after arriving in Beijing from Salt Lake City after testing requirements kept him in Utah last week. Having tested positive for COVID three weeks ago, Dawson thought he would need two consecutive negative tests to begin his journey to Beijing before he found out that he needed four consecutive negative tests. He missed the 5,000-meters and landed just hours before the 1,500-meter event. Dawson will also compete in the men’s speedskating team pursuit beginning February 13 with Emery Lehman and Joey Mantia, reuniting the trio that broke the world record in December.

COVID, regardless of the IOC’s and Beijing’s wishes, has remained the dominant storyline in the opening days of these Games. A sample of the issues since Friday’s Opening Ceremony include:

Sunday’s women’s hockey game between Russia and Canada was delayed for an hour because Canada refused to take the ice until Russian COVID test results were processed. The International Ice Hockey Federation reached a compromise to have players from both teams wear masks. The Russians, in the midst of a 6-1 loss, were allowed to remove their masks at the start of the third period after test results showed no one was positive. Finland’s players also wore face masks during its game on Tuesday against Russia, which had forward Polina Bolgareva test positive the day after playing against Canada.
Polish speedskater Natalia Maliszewska, who was forced to miss the 500 meters short track event on Saturday, said “I cry until I have no more tears” while in an isolation ward after testing positive for COVID. Maliszewska tested positive for coronavirus on January then was released from isolation on the eve of the 500, only to test positive a few hours before it started and was put back into quarantine. The next day, she was released after again testing negative. “People got me out of my room at 3am,” she said on social media. “This night was a horror, I slept in my clothes in my bed because I was afraid that at any moment someone would take me back to isolation. Then a message that unfortunately they were mistaken, that I am a threat, and should not have been released from isolation. … To me this is a big joke, I hope whoever is managing this has a lot of fun. My heart and my mind can’t take this anymore.”
Finland men’s ice hockey player Marko Anttila has been confined to his room for two weeks after testing positive upon arrival to Beijing. Reuters reported that Anttila tested negative before leaving to the Games but more sensitive tests used by Chinese health authorities have produced positive tests. Finland coach Jukka Jalonena said Anttila was “not getting good food” and was suffering with mental stress. “We know he’s fully healthy and ready to go and that’s why we think that China, for some reason, they won’t respect his human rights,” Jalonena added.
Russian biathlete Valeria Vasnetsova posted on Instagram from a quarantine hotel: “My stomach hurts, I’m very pale and I have huge black circles around my eyes. I want all this to end. I cry every day. I’m very tired.” She posted a picture of what she said was “breakfast, lunch and dinner for five days already,” a tray with plain pasta, an orange sauce, charred meat and a few potatoes. Vasnetsova’s post was deleted after it circulated in Russian and international media; Russian team spokesperson Sergei Averyanov later shared a photo of a new meal given to Vasnetsova, with salmon, cucumbers, sausages and yogurt.

For its part, the International Olympic Committee has said the issues have been addressed. IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi said Sunday. “It’s a duty, a responsibility we have, to make sure that the expectations are met. … the situation has been addressed. The conditions were not good enough that night and it should not happen. We want to make sure that it does not.”

Beijing organizers were more succinct: “We of course pay very close attention to these issues and will respond quickly and effectively and address all these problems,” BOCOG Vice President and Secretary General Han Zirong said. “That concludes my remark.”

Dr. Brian McCloskey, chair of the Beijing 2022 Medical Expert Panel, said Tuesday morning that the number of cases within the closed loop system is doing down and “the situation inside the closed loop is extremely safe and there is no signs of infection spreading.” He added that the average length of isolation for positive individuals has been just under seven days.

In regard to Russian and Canadian women’s hockey players wearing masks, McCloskey said “the medical evidence of the risk of infection on the field of play is such that masks are not necessary and probably will not help. But wearing them is an individual choice.”

NFL: Politicians Emphasize SoFi Stadium Mask Mandate, Which Many of Them Ignored

Posted: Friday, February 4

Los Angeles County officials held a press conference this week to try and encourage fans to follow health and safety protocols at SoFi Stadium during next week’s Super Bowl — protocols that were widely ignored during the NFC Championship game, including by some of the politicians making the case on Wednesday.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Mayor London Breed were all photographed without masks at the game, won by the Los Angeles Rams over in-state rival San Francisco. Newsom and Garcetti both said they only briefly took off their masks during the game.

Fans, many with no masks on, cheer during the second half of the NFC Championship game between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers on January 30, 2022, in Inglewood, California. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

When taking a photograph, “I’m holding my breath literally for two seconds,” Garcetti said. “There is a zero percent chance of infection from that. I put my mask right back on … to make sure that there is no spread. And I think that we should all follow that advice until we’re out of this period.”

Fans are required to always wear a mask at SoFi Stadium except when eating or drinking, regardless of vaccination status. But officials acknowledge there is no way to police 70,000 people.

“You can’t force everybody to wear a mask all the time,” said James Butts, mayor of Inglewood. “In the end, it’s the responsibility of the people to take care of themselves, their families and their friends. And that’s the simplest way I can put it.”

All attendees will be given a KN95 mask upon entry to the Super Bowl and attendees ages 5 and up must either show proof of full vaccination or a negative test up to 48 hours before a game — and if a fan is not vaccinated but has a negative test, it must be from a lab or official clinic with at-home tests not accepted. SoFi Stadium has an on-site clinic where you can get test results within 30 minutes the day before the game for $59.

Slipping off a mask to take a bite of a snack “doesn’t mean buy a bucket of popcorn and eat it for two hours,” said Russ Simons, senior adviser of facilities at the stadium. “The staff is on hand to remind people to mask up.”

But as social media showed, reminding fans of the rules and enforcing them are two different things. Given the number of fans who ignored the mask mandate at SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger this week called for a reassessment of the mandate, saying “they don’t make a difference when they’re not consistently followed or enforced.”

Los Angeles County has some of the most restrictive pandemic rules in the nation, yet it also has seen among the highest rates for infections and deaths in the state of 40 million. Los Angeles Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer did not rule out the possibility that the county could drop or amend mask rules ahead of the Super Bowl but “transmission is super high here. And we’ve got to get to lower rates before it makes sense to be taking off our masks.”

OLYMPICS: Chief of Beijing Medical Panel Details Olympic Testing Protocols

Posted: Thursday, February 3

Dr. Brian McCloskey, chief of the Beijing 2022 Medical Expert Panel, said a day before the 2022 Olympic Winter Games officially open that “there are very few places in the world where the risk of COVID-19 is as low as it is in here.”

A total of 200 positive tests have been recorded at the Olympics since January 23 through Monday. Sixty-seven were athletes and officials with “stakeholders,” a group that includes workers and media, making up a majority of the numbers. The positive test rate so far is 4.2 percent for athletes and officials compared with 0.66 percent for stakeholders.

McCloskey said in a media briefing the numbers are “the sort of level of positive tests we would expect to get. They’re being managed, so the risk has been reduced, so the risk within the closed loop is very low.”

A worker prepares to administer a COVID-19 test at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

McCloskey’s briefing came on the same day that Belgian skeleton racer Kim Meylemans was permitted to enter the Olympic village after she tearfully posted on social media about being in isolation over coronavirus concerns.

Meylemans tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival, which meant she had to enter isolation and return several negative tests before being cleared to move into the Yanqing Olympic Village. She thought that was happening Wednesday and boarded an ambulance for what she thought was a ride to that village.

“But the ambulance went to another facility,” Meylemans said in an Instagram post.

Belgian Olympic officials and the International Olympic Committee intervened and Meylemans was brought to the Yanqing Village, where she will be in an isolated room and still needs seven days of testing before she can be released.

“Our main goal was to get Kim to the Olympic Village in Yanqing as quickly as possible,” Belgian Olympic delegation leader Olav Spahl said. “We are therefore very pleased that this has now been successfully achieved. We understand that the COVID measures are necessary to safeguard the safety and health of participants in the Games, but we believe that the athlete should always be at the center of such an approach.”

IOC President Thomas Bach said “We have a lot of sympathy for all the people who are affected and in isolation, or direct contact persons. … The other day we had a meeting with the Athletes Commission. The IOC executive board and commission said maybe it should be considered that in such cases one should not wait until an athlete is calling for help. For the athletes, it’s terrible. I do not want to ignore it, or if it’s happening to somebody from the media, from the IOC or from the federation or to everybody. But for the athletes, it’s really the worst.”

Beijing’s closed-loop system was designed to lessen the risk of transmission of the coronavirus — although critics of Beijing’s hosting of the Games would hint that there are other reasons for the restricted movements. Once inside the “closed loop” system, no one will be able to leave a network of official venues.

“I’ve learned over the past few years with the pandemic never to relax around COVID-19 completely because it always has the capacity to surprise,” McCloskey said. “But so far, we are seeing that the system is working and the system is doing what it should do.”

McCloskey said there were not many changes made in Beijing’s protocols even after the omicron variant began spreading around the world because of the implementation of all the basic public health measures associated with COVID were already in place. “But it does mean we are more vigilant because omicron can come in more quickly,” he said. “And therefore it is even more important that the vaccination rate — because the vaccination does work against omicron — is higher than we had in Tokyo, which is an advantage for us.”

Vaccination rates ahead of these Games are significantly higher than for the 2021 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Tokyo not only because of the increased availability worldwide of vaccines, but also because of Beijng’s mandate that any unvaccinated attendee for the Games would have to quarantine 21 days.

Regardless of vaccination status, all athletes, team officials and journalists need to provide two recent negative tests before heading to China. They will be tested at the airport upon arrival and everyone will get daily throat swabs for PCR lab tests, with results coming back within a day.

If anybody tests positive during the Games, there will be a confirmatory test. Should that test also be positive, anyone who has symptoms will go to a hospital while those without symptoms go to a hotel for isolation. To get out of isolation, people will need two consecutive days of negative tests and no symptoms.

“The reality is there is very little evidence in the scientific literature around the world of the spread of COVID-19 on the field of play for any sport,” McCloskey said. “An individual freestyle skier, for example, who could be brought to the start, can ski down the course entirely on their own and brought away at the finish is much less of a risk of spreading infection than ice hockey, where the team has to get together and train together, two teams to compete together. So the risk of something spreading is, theoretically at least, higher for those who have team sports than for the individual.

“The challenge is not to make sure we keep the participants safe from being infected in China — it’s that we keep them safe from infecting each other, that we stop them infecting the Chinese population,” McCloskey added. “So those two things are why we do the closed loop and the testing so much.”

OLYMPICS: U.S. Star Elana Meyers Taylor Out of Opening Ceremony with COVID

Posted: Wednesday, February 2

The COVID health and safety protocols at the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing are already being implemented as organizers said Tuesday that athletes and team officials who come to China are testing positive for COVID-19 at much higher rates than other people arriving for the Games.

Beijing organizers claim that 16 athletes and officials tested positive on Monday out of 379 screened. All of those who tested positive have been taken into isolation hotels to limit the spread of the infection.

United States Olympic Winter Games bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor poses for a portrait at the 2017 Team USA Media Summit in Park City, Utah. Meyers Taylor announced this week that she tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Beijing for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

One of the most notable athletes to go public with their positive test is U.S. World Cup champion Elana Meyers Taylor, the only woman to win three Olympic bobsled medals for the U.S. “After arriving to Beijing on January 27, on January 29 I tested positive for Covid-19,” Meyers Taylor wrote on social media. “I am asymptomatic and currently at an isolation hotel- and yes I am completely isolated.”

Meyers Taylor was planning to stay in a hotel and not the Olympic village, since she is traveling with her young son.

“This is just the latest obstacle that my family and I have faced on this journey, so I’m remaining optimistic that I’ll be able to recover quickly and still have the opportunity to compete,” Meyers Taylor wrote.

USA Bobsled and Skeleton remains hopeful that Meyers Taylor will be able to compete at the Games since bobsled does not begin until February 13 with the monobob. The two-person event starts February 18. Josh Williamson, a push athlete who was picked for his first Olympic team, revealed last week that he tested positive at a team camp in Chula Vista, California.

One moment Meyers Taylor will miss is the Opening Ceremony — for which she and curler John Shuster were selected by their fellow U.S. athletes to be the flag bearers of.

Shuster is a defending gold medalist and five-time Olympian. He will lead the U.S. delegation on Friday with speedskater Brittany Bowe, a three-time Olympian who was the first runner-up and will walk in place of Meyers Taylor.

The announcement of the flag bearers came shortly after competition at the Beijing Olympics began Wednesday with the opening games of mixed doubles curling at the Ice Cube, a reconfigured venue where Michael Phelps won a record eight swimming gold medals at the Summer Olympics 14 years ago.

A total of 200 positive tests for COVID-19 have been recorded at the Olympics since January 23. Sixty-seven were athletes and officials with “stakeholders,” a group which includes workers and media, making up the majority of the numbers. The positive test rate so far is 4.2 percent for athletes and officials compared to 0.66 percent for stakeholders. On Monday, the rate of infection from tests of those inside the closed loop system was 100 times higher for athletes and officials compared to workers.

All athletes, team officials and journalists need to provide two recent negative tests before heading to China. They will be tested again at the airport upon arrival and everyone will get daily throat swabs for PCR lab tests, with results coming back within a day. If anybody tests positive, there will be a confirmatory test. Should that test also be positive, anyone who has symptoms will go to a hospital while those without symptoms go to a hotel for isolation. To get out of isolation, people will need two consecutive days of negative tests and no symptoms.

COVID-19 is not the only controversy ongoing at the Games. The FBI this week issued a warning for U.S. athletes traveling to Beijing use burner phones and not bring their personal devices.

Nearly everyone attending this year’s games are required to download the My 2022 app to track their health while in Beijing. The FBI’s notice comes on the heels of last month’s report by the Citizen Lab, a group based at the University of Toronto, which found the app could be easily hacked with sensitive information of the users stolen.

“The FBI urges all athletes to keep their personal cell phones at home and use a temporary phone while at the Games,” said a notice by the agency. “While there were no major cyber disruptions, the most popular attack methods used were malware, email spoofing, phishing and the use of fake websites and streaming services designed to look like official Olympic service providers.”

The FBI said during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, there were more than 450 million attempted cyber-related incidents and that in Beijing, the use of digital wallets and mobile vaccination cards “could also increase the opportunity for cyber actors to steal personal information or install tracking tools, malicious code or malware.”

The FBI also revealed in its note that during the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeonchang, South Korea, that Russian cyber actors “conducted a destructive cyberattack against the Opening Ceremony, enabled through spear phishing campaigns and malicious mobile applications.”

While the controversy over China’s hosting of the Games continues to be a subplot of the event, Olympic officials in Taiwan announced that it had reversed a decision to skip Friday’s opening ceremony of the Beijing Games, saying they were pressured to do so by the IOC.

Taiwanese athletes compete as Chinese Taipei at the Olympics as part of a decades-old agreement with China brokered by the International Olympic Committee. The IOC said Tuesday “the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee has confirmed its participation” in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies; officials in Taiwan said the country would “adjust” its plan not to attend.

One more note: Japan, which hosted the delayed Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in summer 2021 in Tokyo, will now host the swimming world championships in 2023 after the event was postponed for a second time. FINA, the world governing body for the sport, said the event will be July 2023 in a third attempt to have the Japanese city host the event, which was scheduled for July 2021 until that was pushed back 10 months to make space for the Tokyo Games.

Fukuoka first hosted the world swim championships in 2001, and the original date was meant to celebrate the 20th-year anniversary. FINA said as part of the adjustments that the 2023 worlds, originally scheduled for Qatar, will be in January 2024 — putting two world championships plus the 2024 Paris Olympics within a 12-month span.

AUTO RACING: Formula 1 Mandates Vaccination to Avoid Djokovic-Esque Drama

Posted: Tuesday, February 1

On the heels of tennis’ drama over Novak Djokovic trying to get a medical exemption to the Australian Open — a request that was granted before the country’s immigration authorities revoked his visa and dramatically deported the star ahead of the tournament — another worldwide sports league is getting ahead of any potential drama by mandating full vaccination with no exemptions.

Formula One’s regulations going forward will apply to drivers, teams, media and hospitality guests, multiple reports said on Monday. The Guardian and Reuters said the series’ current roster of drivers are all vaccinated already.

“Formula One management will require all travelling personnel to be fully vaccinated and will not request exemptions,” an F1 spokesperson told The Guardian.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in leads Red Bull driver Max Verstappen at the start of the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 12, 2021. Verstappen ripped a record eighth title away from Hamilton with a pass on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi GP to close one of the most thrilling Formula One seasons in years as the first Dutch world champion. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

The series is going into the 2022 season with a surge of popularity, especially in the United States, thanks to its hit Netflix series. The dramatic end to last season, in which Max Verstappen passed Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the final race to win the championship.

F1 was the first global sport to restart following the pandemic, completing a 17-race calendar in 2020 almost exclusively in Europe before last year’s 22 race schedule, which included more events outside of Europe including in Austin. This year’s 23-race season is scheduled to start on March 20 in Bahrain and last nine months with four races in North America, including a return to Austin plus a new race in Miami and the first Canadian Grand Prix since before the pandemic.

“Formula One has done an outstanding job in getting these races in and bringing fans back,” said the McLaren Chief Executive Zak Brown told The Guardian. “We have a challenge, unlike most other sports, where we go to lots of different countries. What works in England might not work in France, and might not work in Singapore, for example. We have to continue to be flexible and adaptable and open up responsibly as the world opens up.”

The issue of a vaccine mandate is centered in Formula 1 around FIA’s medical car driver, Alan van der Merwe, who is not vaccinated and has been on social media debating the merits of vaccination. Van der Merwe is well-known throughout Formula 1 for saving Romain Grosjean when his car burst into flames at the Sakhir Grand Prix in 2020. The FIA did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment about the vaccine mandate or Van der Merwe’s future.

FOOTBALL: Why the NFL is No Longer Testing for COVID

Updated: Monday, January 31

The NFL will almost assuredly not have any issues with Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals being disrupted by COVID-19 because once the playoffs came around, the league almost completely stopped testing for the virus even among unvaccinated players.

The change, made before the divisional round, means that unless a player exhibits symptoms of COVID, they will not be tested. In a memo, the NFL wrote: “This comprehensive, symptom-based approach to testing reflects our recent experience with the omicron variant and conforms to current public health recommendations and best practices employed in healthcare, and offers the best opportunity for identifying and treating cases promptly and avoiding spread within the facility.”

SoFi Stadium hosted the NFC Championship Game on Sunday as the Los Angeles Rams faced the San Francisco 49ers in Inglewood, California. The Rams won 20-17 and will play a home game in the Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals. (AP Photo/Doug Benc)

That will be good news for the Bengals and home team Rams ahead of the game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The Rams were one of three teams that had to have a game postponed in December, with a Sunday night game against the Seattle Seahawks moved to Tuesday and forcing the team to play two games in six days. At one point, the Rams had 27 players on the NFL’s reserve/COVID list.

The Bengals meanwhile did not have many COVID-related issues this season. Quarterback Joe Burrow even took a mild shot at his home city during the NFL’s surge, saying the Bengals stayed clear of major issues because “fortunately, there’s not a ton to do in Cincinnati, so nobody’s going out to clubs and bars and getting COVID every weekend.”

The league changed course for multiple reasons — partially because of a rapid decrease in the number of players testing positive after an end of regular season surge, and partially because the percentage of vaccinated players on the remaining teams was high enough to give the league and union comfort in changing its protocols.

Between December 12 and January 8 this season, 756 players and 478 staff members tested positive. A majority of them were asymptomatic, according to the league, but three games near the end of the regular season were postponed multiple days.

Two fans of the Buffalo Bills, meanwhile, have more pressing issues than overcoming their sorrow at losing last weekend to the Kansas City Chiefs in a dramatic divisional playoff game.

Amber and Michael Naab, 37 and 34, were charged with one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument this week in Orchard Park Town Court after posting on social media how they were able to attend Bills home games this season with fake vaccination cards.

Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said he would not send the couple to prison even though it is a Class D felony thanks to a state law signed in December.

“I readily admit this is not the crime of the century,” Flynn said Wednesday. “I hate to be the guy that says, ‘I need to send a message.’ I don’t like being that guy, but you can’t do this. There’s a law. We’ve got laws on the books.”

Flynn said the team learned got an anonymous tip from someone who saw the couple bragging on social media about using fake cards to attend Bills games. They were removed from their seats in the second half during Buffalo’s playoff home win against the New England Patriots.

The Bills required proof of vaccination at home games this season; the Erie County Department of Health said in October that at least 250 people were denied entry on the first weekend the mandate went into effect.

Even if the Bills had been able to win and eventually reach the Super Bowl, those fans would have had issues getting into many of the events planned in Los Angeles ahead of the title game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

Fans attending the game need to show proof of vaccination or have a negative test. Fans attending Super Bowl LVI will be issued with KN95 masks, the Los Angeles County Department of Health said this week. Free COVID-19 rapid tests and vaccinations will be offered at the Super Bowl Experience attraction at the Los Angeles Convention Center ahead of the game on February 13.

That the Rams were playing at home two weeks ahead of the Super Bowl did not mean that Sunday’s game served as an operational test run for February 13 — in fact, in many ways it was the opposite. Multiple SoFi parking lots were closed and crews have been building Super Bowl-related infrastructure around the stadium, which for some fans going to Sunday’s game may have meant having to leave for the game even earlier than usual.

And for the NFL, The Athletic reported, what would be a five-week build around the venue and surrounding area now will have to be compressed.

“We have been continually adjusting schedules and coordinating on a daily, even hourly basis, as the team advanced in the playoffs,” said Katie Keenan, the NFL’s senior director of live event operations. “Now we are consolidating our schedules, adding crews and working with the Rams to make sure we are ready for Super Bowl Sunday.”

OLYMPICS: How U.S. Ski & Snowboard is Trying to Keep Athletes Healthy Before Arriving at the Beijing Winter Olympics

Updated: Thursday, January 27

The Beijing 2002 Olympic Villages have officially opened with approximately 2,900 athletes are expected to arrive in the next week.

The Beijing Olympic Village is located in the Chaoyang district of the city, close to the Olympic Park. It will predominantly house athletes competing in the ice sports at Beijing 2022. In Zhangjiakou, the Olympic Village will accommodate 2,640 athletes and team officials taking part in freestyle skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, ski jumping and cross-country skiing. The third Olympic Village, in Yanqing, accommodate 1,430 athletes and team officials who will be taking part in alpine skiing, luge, bobsleigh and skeleton.

The accomodations are open — but getting there is still a challenge when it comes to making sure you can avoid the omicron variant of COVID-19, given what is at stake for Olympians.

Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin leads the 17-member U.S. ski team while snowboard Chloe Kim is one of the most high-profile American winter sports athletes. Typically, all the Olympians and staffers representing the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association would gather and leave for a Winter Olympic Games destination together.

In this Feb. 13, 2018, file photo, Chloe Kim, of the United States, jumps during the women’s halfpipe finals at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

This year is no typical Games. Between the strict entry requirements into Beijing and fears over the spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19, extraordinary precautions are being taken to get Olympians into China.

“There are certainly plenty of logistical hurdles,” U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and Chief Executive Officer Sophie Goldschmidt told the SportsTravel Podcast this week. “We’ll have athletes leaving from various locations. Many of them are training and competing in Europe at the moment and probably would come back before heading to an Olympics, but we want to minimize unnecessary travel as much as possible, so they’re going to stay there and jump on flights from Europe straight to Beijing. Others are in the U.S. and will be leaving from various destinations.

“It’s a bit of a jigsaw puzzle,” Goldschmidt described it. “With the protocols and amount of testing you have to do in the days leading up, there’s a lot to juggle and manage. But we’ve got a great team who are on top of every detail. Changes are happening in real time so we just have to stay on top of it.”

Organizers in Beijing have eased the COVID-19 requirements for participants, which could lead to fewer athletes tripped up by positive tests. The International Olympic Committee said the changes include easing the threshold for being designated positive for COVID-19 from PCR tests and reducing to seven days from 14 days the period for which a person is deemed a close contact.

The changes, which take effect immediately and apply retrospectively, “have been developed in order to further adapt to the reality of the current environment and support the Games participants,” the IOC said in a statement.

The viral load detected in PCR tests has been a source of contention among those in the medical community as to whether a person is still contagious. Shiffrin herself tested positive earlier this season but was cleared to ski eight days later on the World Cup circuit.

“We’ve been managing the process and had very strict protocols that we communicate very regularly to all of our athletes, coaches and staff,” Goldschmidt said. “We’re just reviewing (events) constantly — what are we learning, can we change different protocols, how can we make sure we’re communicating the right way. There’s a challenge that this has been around so long it can be white noise and people think because (omicron is) not so serious, ‘OK you don’t have to take the protocols so seriously.’ It’s just not the case. A positive case is a positive case.”

The Alpine schedule in Beijing starts February 6 with the men’s downhill, followed by the women’s giant slalom on February 7.

Organizers began reporting data on positive COVID-19 tests among Games-related personnel, with 177 confirmed cases found among 3,115 international arrivals from January 4 to January 23, according to Beijing 2022 data released Sunday and Monday.

The first athletes to have publicly been ruled out of the Olympics were revealed on Tuesday as Russian figure skater Mikhail Kolyada after testing positive ahead of traveling to a pre-Olympic training camp. He has been replaced by Evgeni Semenenko on the team; Kolyada was the only member of Russia’s men’s team who had previously competed at the Olympics.

“Several days ago Mikhail Kolyada started feeling unwell,” the federation said. “For all this time the skater has not been training.”

Two-time ski jumping gold medalist Andreas Wellinger will also miss the Games because he tested positive one day before the German team was selected.

“The risk for him and for the team is too high,” team spokesman Ralph Eder said Tuesday.

Two members of Norway’s women’s cross-country ski team also tested positive on Wednesday. Heidi Weng, a two-time overall World Cup champion, and Anne Kjersti Kalvå are now isolating and Norwegian cross-country manager Espen Bjervig said their participation in the Olympics was uncertain. The entire men’s team is also in isolation in Seiser Alm after head coach Arild Monsen tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to Norway on Monday. Two Swiss women’s hockey players, two Russian bobsledders and two German skeleton sliders are among other would-be Olympians facing a nervous wait.

China mandates 21 days of quarantine for people arriving from abroad but waived that for those coming for the Olympics on condition they test negative for the virus. Those conditions served as a ‘special’ enhancement for athletes to get vaccinated, although multiple delegations including the United States mandated vaccination for athletes and team officials.

One country that did not have a mandate was Switzerland and snowboarder Patrizia Kummer, who won a gold medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics in the parallel slalom, is almost done finishing her isolation before competing. Kummer declined to discuss her “personal reasons” for refusing a vaccine, telling The Associated Press “I had a bunch of reasons for the vaccine and a bunch of reasons against the vaccine, and in the end, it was like, ‘No, I can’t do it.’”

Kummer is staying in a Holiday Inn in Beijing where food is brought to her door three times a day. She has a stationary bike for exercise and she brought a yoga mat, weights and fitness equipment.

“I’m a minimalist, so I don’t need much to have a good living. I don’t need much to be happy. So that’s no problem,” Kummer said. “And I actually enjoy being by myself.”

Kummer’s friend, Austrian snowboarder Claudia Riegler, is also unvaccinated. Austria has threatened to leave Riegler off the team if she does not at least get her first shot by Sunday; Austrian news agency APA reported that Riegler does not want to be vaccinated after having contracted the virus over the Christmas period.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: After Gonzaga Tickets are Revoked, John Stockton’s Wild COVID Comments Draw Widespread Criticism

Posted: Tuesday, January 25

For decades even before it became a college basketball powerhouse, John Stockton’s shadow loomed over Gonzaga.

One could make the case that he is still the most famous basketball player from the school, given his Hall of Fame enshrinement and multiple NBA all-time records held. Since his retirement from the Utah Jazz, Stockton’s family has remained in Spokane and has been a visible part of the Zags program with two of his six children, David and Laura, both playing for the university’s men’s and women’s nationally-ranked basketball teams.

That makes the news over the weekend all the more stunning and concerning as to Stockton’s beliefs about the COVID-19 pandemic while revealing that his season tickets for Gonzaga home games have been suspended over his refusal to comply with the university’s mask mandate.

“Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit,” Stockton said to the Spokesman-Review. “And therefore they received complaints and felt like from whatever the higher-ups — those weren’t discussed, but from whatever it was higher up — they were going to have to either ask me to wear a mask or they were going to suspend my tickets.”

Retired NBA player and Gonzaga alumnus John Stockton looks on before a 2016 between Gonzaga and Washington in Spokane, Washington. (AP Photo/Young Kwak, File)

Stockton’s interview with the Spokane Spokesman-Review contained a series of his beliefs about the pandemic that are — to be blunt — not even remotely true. Comments about athletes dying because of being vaccinated have been widely ridiculed throughout the NBA and beyond. Former NBA player Detlef Schrempf called Stockton’s comments “Bat s–t crazy.”

Stockton has opposed mask mandates, shutdowns and vaccines while promoting debunked conspiracy theories relating to COVID-19 over the past year. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar told CNN that Stockton’s beliefs are “not based on reality or facts” and “I think statements like that make the public look upon athletes basically as dumb jocks, for trying to explain away something that is obviously a pandemic.”

“Gonzaga University continues to work hard to implement and enforce the health and safety protocols mandated by the State and by University policy, including reinforcing the indoor masking requirement,” the school said on Sunday. “Attendees at basketball games are required to wear face masks at all times,” the school’s statement continued. “We will not speak to specific actions taken with any specific individuals. We take enforcement of COVID-19 health and safety protocols seriously and will continue to evaluate how we can best mitigate the risks posed by COVID-19 with appropriate measures. The recent decision to suspend concessions in McCarthey Athletic Center is an example of this approach. Gonzaga University places the highest priority on protecting the health and safety of students, employees and the community.”

Stockton was drafted out of Gonzaga in the 1984 NBA draft by the Jazz and played 19 seasons. Stockton, whose 15,806 career assists and 3,265 career steals are NBA records, was part of the 1992 USA “Dream Team” that won gold, and he won gold again at the Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta.

While Stockton is no longer welcome at Gonzaga games, he could still attend Utah Jazz games. The team allows unvaccinated fans to attend games as long as they have proof of a negative test within 48 hours of a game and a mask mandate instituted in Salt Lake County two weeks ago was struck down by the state legislature.

TENNIS: Vaccine Mandate Debated After Djokovic Drama

Posted: Monday, January 24

The eruption over Novak Djokovic’s vaccination status that led to him being deported ahead of the Australian Open has raised the issue of whether the ATP and WTA Tour will institute vaccination mandates among players as they travel around the world.

Worldwide sports such as tennis and golf face a complicated road ahead when it comes to traveling. Whether it’s from one country to another during the tournament schedule or for a player who takes a break and goes home before heading back on tour, the myriad policies around the world on people entering a country with or without proof of vaccination makes for a jigsaw puzzle that at this point the ATP and WTA Tour have yet to piece together.

Two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka last week became the first member of the WTA players’ council to call for a mandate.

“From my standpoint it has been very clear,” she said after a second-round win at the Australian Open. “I believe in science. I believe in getting vaccinated. That is what I did for myself. I don’t want to push my beliefs onto everybody else. However, we are playing a global sport. … On certain things I think [a] black-and-white approach is necessary, and, in my opinion, this should be the case.”

Given the amount of worldwide attention focused on the Australian Open’s vaccine mandate, the next Grand Slam is sure to follow — and the French government has recently passed a law declaring that unvaccinated players will not be allowed to play in events held within its borders, highlighted by the French Open. While Wimbledon and the British government do not have any mandate or seemingly plans to implement one, there is considerable debate on whether Djokovic would be allowed to enter the U.S. as an unvaccinated foreigner and compete in any event throughout the country, let alone major spring tournaments in Indian Wells, California or Miami before the summer hard-court season that culminates with the U.S. Open in New York City.

Rafael Nadal, Djokovic’s rival and a member of the ATP player council, has continually endorsed vaccination but stopped short of calling for a mandate when asked about the issue. The ATP Tour said last week that 97 of the top 100 players are vaccinated after pre-U.S. Open reports last August of that number being around 50 percent.

“I think if he wanted, he would be playing here in Australia [at the Australian Open] without a problem,” Nadal said of Djokovic before the tournament. “He made his own decisions, and everybody is free to take their own decisions, but then there are some consequences. Of course I don’t like the situation that is happening. In some way I feel sorry for him. But at the same time, he knew the conditions since a lot of months ago, so he makes his own decision.”

While Djokovic drew all the attention for his anti-vaccination stand, there were two other players in the ATP Tour’s Top 100 who did not bother applying for an exemption and skipped the event including U.S. player Tennys Sandgren, twice a quarterfinalist at the Australian Open. Sandgren is openly anti-vaccination and his other fringe stances have drawn criticism within the tennis world, notably Serena Williams.

During tennis’ ongoing vaccination debate, the ruling to revoke Djokovic’s visa was released with a panel of three judges agreeing on the authority of the country’s immigration minister. The ruling was released by the Federal Court of Australia.

“An iconic world tennis star may influence people of all ages, young or old, but perhaps especially the young and the impressionable, to emulate him,” the panel of three judges found. “This is not fanciful; it does not need evidence.”

Australia’s immigration minister, Alex Hawke, was within his rights to cancel Mr. Djokovic’s visa on the grounds of “health and good order,” the judges ruled.

Djokovic’s case will bear watching in the coming months should he try to play events in the U.S. and France. Before the final ruling and deportation from Australian, Srdjan Djokovic, Novak’s father, described his son as the “symbol and the leader of the free world,” and “Spartacus” of a new world – one that “does not tolerate injustice, colonialism and hypocrisy” … which is certainly one way of putting it.

OLYMPICS: Olympic Ban Disappoints Chinese Fans as Fears Over Omicron Continue

Posted: Friday, January 21

Given the zero tolerance for speaking out, there was expected resignation but acceptance among Chinese sports fans upon hearing this week’s decision that they, like the rest of the world, will be shut out of attending events at the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing.

Organizers announced Monday that only selected spectators will be allowed. Access to the famed National Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest, and indoor venues have been sealed off as the omicron variant has heightened concerns about outbreaks; Beijing reported one new case Wednesday. Around 20 million people around China are under some form of lockdown and mass testing has been ordered in entire cities where cases have been discovered.

“It’s a pity that I won’t be able to watch the Games this time during the Winter Olympics,” Chen Lin told The Associated Press. “Of course, we can still watch the Games with live broadcast on TV and live streaming online, but it doesn’t provide as strong a sense of engagement as watching the Games on the spot.”

Chen said the level of excitement in China was far below that of 2008, when the Summer Games brought an outpouring of national pride. “On the one hand, the Winter Olympics don’t get as much attention as the Summer Olympics. On the other hand, there is also the pandemic. Both of them are the reasons,” he said.

Women wearing face masks to help protect from COVID-19 walk against a decoration for the Winter Olympics Games as they visit Tiananmen Square in Beijing. With just over two weeks before the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, residents of the Chinese capital say they’re disappointed at not being able to attend events because of coronavirus restrictions that have seen parts of the city placed under lockdown. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Olympic athletes, media and workers will be cut off from the outside world during the Games, with the only places they can go being competition venues, their accommodations and transportation between the two. China plans to isolate anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 for at least two days, pending a negative result. The country also has a mandatory 21-day isolation period for anyone entering the country who is not vaccinated.

USOPC Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Finnoff said every U.S. athlete heading to Beijing is fully vaccinated with no medical exemption requests.

“Vaccination is sort of the foundation of our COVID mitigation protocol,” Finnoff said Thursday.

While fans in China are disappointed to be missing out on seeing events in person, one athlete who publicly said she was contemplating skipping the Games because of the conditions in Beijing has decided she will compete after all.

Germany’s four-time luge gold medalist Natalie Geisenberger will compete after last month saying she was undecided because treatment from organizers at a test event in November. Geisenberger was quarantined after being deemed a close contact of somebody on the flight to Beijing who later tested positive. She also said that the food and conditions for athletes were not up to the standards expected by elite athletes.

“I tried to address everything that went so badly at our test event directly to the IOC,” Geisenberger wrote in a post on Instagram. “Much has been assured and promised to me. I hope that this will now be implemented. … Now I have to hope for the best and I like to be positively surprised.”

The protocols for anybody, athlete or otherwise, testing positive in Beijing are strict enough that NBC will not be sending its announcers and most hosts to China.

It will be the second straight Games for which the broadcast teams will work mostly out of NBC Sports headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, rather than the host city. The marquee sports of track and field, swimming and gymnastics had announcers in Tokyo. USA Today was first to report on NBC’s decision for Beijing.

“With COVID’s changing conditions and China’s zero-tolerance policy, it’s just added a layer of complexity to all of this, so we need to make sure we can provide the same quality experience to the American viewers,” said Molly Solomon, the head of NBC’s Olympics production unit. “That’s why we are split between the two cities.”

NBC Sports spokesman Greg Hughes told The Associated Press announcing teams for Alpine skiing, figure skating and snowboarding will be working remotely. NBC Olympics president Gary Zenkel is one of 250 people the network already has in Beijing. Most of those are technical staff.

Prime-time host Mike Tirico will anchor coverage from Beijing from February 3–10 before flying to Los Angeles to host the next three days and the network’s coverage of the Super Bowl. NBC said it would determine over Super Bowl weekend where Tirico would be based for the final week of the Games.

“Our plans will continue to evolve based on the conditions, and we’re going to stay flexible as we move through this,” Hughes said.

Most expect the amount of time NBC devotes to human rights issues in China to be next to nothing — if not entirely nothing. On Tuesday, athletes were urged by human rights activists to avoid criticizing China because they could be prosecuted. The International Olympic Committee has said athletes will have freedom of speech when speaking to journalists or posting on social media. However, the Olympic Charter rule that prohibits political protests at medal ceremonies also requires “applicable public law” to be followed.

Asked about free speech at the Olympics, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Wednesday that China understood the IOC banned athletes from political protests.

“I would like to reiterate that China welcomes athletes from all countries to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and will ensure their safety and convenience,” Zhao said.

USOPC Chief Executive Officer Sarah Hirshland told The Associated Press on Thursday that it is holding informational meetings with athletes over the next week to reiterate the requirement of athletes to adhere to the host country’s laws when considering any type of protest or demonstration.

“Certainly, the culture and laws of China are distinct from ours,” Hirshland said. “And we have a duty and an obligation to make sure that they’re well informed. At the same time we need to assure them that they’ve got a robust support team behind them along the way.”

NHL: League Resets Schedule, Still Plans to Finish Season on Time

Posted: Thursday, January 20

The league that has been most affected by omicron has released an ambitious attempt to finish its regular season on time, as the National Hockey League has rescheduled all 98 games postponed so far this season because of COVID-19.

The league says that all 32 teams will finish a full 82-game schedule by April 29, the original final day of the regular season. Along with the 98 games that had been postponed, there are 23 games that will have new dates from the original slate.

“We are profoundly grateful to our fans for their support and understanding during a challenging time and to our Clubs, the NHL Players’ Association and the Players for their cooperation in a rescheduling of unprecedented logistical complexity,” said NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly.

Montreal Canadiens left wing Christian Dvorak scores a goal against Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger during the third period of a game in Dallas on January 18, 2022. The Canadiens won 5-3. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

The highlight is 95 games scheduled for the 16-day window from February 7 through February 22, designated previously as a pause to accommodate NHL Player participation in the Olympic Games. Games are scheduled on all 16 dates after the league and NHL Players Association agreed to not have players go to the Olympic Winter Games next month in Beijing.

The NHL will also change up its testing protocols. Players and staffers who exhibit COVID-like symptoms will still be tested, as well as everybody whenever a team crosses the border to and from Canada while asymptomatic players will not be tested. The change in protocol, announced Tuesday, has been desired by players for several weeks after daily testing was introduced in December; the NHL has since had to pause the season during the week of Christmas as dozens of games were postponed.

The league also continued to postpone games that were scheduled to be played in Canada because of attendance restrictions in a bid to save gameday revenue decreases. The league, which has one unvaccinated player, has had 73 percent of its players test positive this season according to NHL data.

“We’ve got guys vaccinated, double vaccinated,” St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly said in December. “Some guys aren’t showing any symptoms and they’re popping in COVID protocol. I think I’d like to see testing if you have symptoms but it’s not up to me. It’s a league and players’ decision.”

After the all-star break, the league says there will be a “single test upon re-entry to Club facilities post-All-Star, after which there will no longer be asymptomatic testing, or testing of Fully Vaccinated close contacts. Thereafter, testing will continue only on a limited “for cause” basis in Fully Vaccinated Players and Staff who develop symptoms or require testing for cross-border travel.”

NBA: Kyrie Irving refuses vaccination as Nets need him more than ever

Posted: Wednesday, January 19

The Brooklyn Nets have had to deal with a COVID outbreak, star James Harden reporting to the team at the start of the season in what most would charitably say was not “ideal” shape and now they have the biggest star on the team, Kevin Durant, out for a month or more with a sprained ligament in his knee right as the second half of the NBA season starts to heat up.

What will not happen for the Nets during Durant’s absence is having his teammate, the unvaccinated Kyrie Irving, change his mind on the subject. The only shots Irving will be getting this season will be on road games — since Irving is barred from playing in home games because of a vaccine mandate in New York City.

“Kev’s going to heal, Kev’s going to be OK, and we’re going to have to deal with that as his teammates,” Irving said Monday following Brooklyn’s 114-107 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. “But in terms of where I am with my life outside of this, I stay rooted in my decision. And that’s just what it is. It’s not going to be swayed just because of one thing in this NBA life. … I respect everyone else’s decision, I’m not going to ever try to convince anyone of anything or any of that, I’m just standing rooted in what I believe in. Though we’re dealing with this right now with Kev, I just know that I’m protected by the organization, I’m protected by my teammates, I’m protected by all the doctors I’ve talked to. And I just stand rooted.”

The Nets decided before the regular season began that they would not accommodate Irving as a part-time member of the roster but reversed course last month after a COVID-19 outbreak decimated the roster. Irving was immediately placed into COVID protocols and has played in four road games so far this season.

Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated will have competitive repercussions for the Nets in the postseason especially as a potential NBA title contender in the Eastern Conference. The Nets are one of six teams separated by just 2.5 games at the top of the East; his participation in the playoffs only in road games would have increased emphasis if the Nets are the top seed and therefore would miss Irving for most of each series.

“You’re bringing my vaccination status into a basketball game, and I live my life, the majority of the time, when I’m away from this,” Irving said during an extended back-and-forth with reporters after Monday’s loss. “So when I say I’m not getting vaccinated and I’m making a choice with my life, somehow it gets mixed into, ‘Well, what about the basketball?’ When it’s like no, bro. We live in a real world. It’s great to be able to do this. I’m grateful for the opportunity. I love being with my teammates. I love playing on the Nets, but I’ve already been away enough time to think about this, to process it, to be able to make this decision … I’m not just a basketball player, bro. Millions of fans. I appreciate all of it, but it’s not just about the game.”

While Irving’s anti-vaccination stance remains intractable, the National Hockey League is changing one part of its testing protocol with asymptomatic players and staffers no longer having to undergo daily testing.

Players and staffers who exhibit COVID-like symptoms will still be tested, as well as everybody whenever a team crosses the border to and from Canada. The change in protocol, announced on Tuesday, has been desired by players for several weeks after daily testing was introduced in December; the NHL has since had to pause the season during the week of Christmas as dozens of games were postponed.

The league also continued to postpone games that were scheduled to be played in Canada because of attendance restrictions in a bid to save gameday revenue decreases. The league and NHL Players Association also agreed to not have players go to the Olympic Winter Games next month in Beijing. The league, which has one unvaccinated player, has had 73 percent of its players test positive this season according to NHL data.

The NHL still plans to have All-Star Weekend starting February 4 in Las Vegas and daily testing until then. While the Olympic break was scheduled to start after then and last for nearly all month, plans for rescheduled games during that break have not yet been announced. After the all-star break, the league says there will be a “single test upon re-entry to Club facilities post-All-Star, after which there will no longer be asymptomatic testing, or testing of Fully Vaccinated close contacts. Thereafter, testing will continue only on a limited “for cause” basis in Fully Vaccinated Players and Staff who develop symptoms or require testing for cross-border travel.”

TENNIS: Djokovic’s Anti-Vaccine Saga Not Over This Year

Posted: Tuesday, January 18

No matter how the tournament plays on after the first two days of competition, this year’s Australian Open will always be remembered for the Novak Djokovic “will he or won’t he” drama that ended over the weekend with his deportation from the country because of his refusal to be vaccinated.

But those who think the story is over are very much mistaken.

The next Grand Slam will be May at the French Open in Paris, where a new law to spur vaccination includes barring those who have not received the shot from stadiums and public places. A member of the French Parliament, Christophe Castaner, said the law will apply to anyone who wants to play in the French Open.

“To do your job, to come for pleasure or leisure, to practice a sport, it will be necessary to present a vaccine,” Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu told BFM television on Monday. “This will be valid for people who live in France but also for foreigners who come to our country for vacation or for a major sports competition.”

Djokovic is also the defending champion at Wimbledon, which begins in late June. England has allowed exemptions from COVID restrictions for visiting athletes, if they remain at their accommodation when not competing or training. The U.S. Tennis Association, which runs the U.S. Open, has said it will follow government rules on vaccination status. Non-U.S. citizens are required to be fully vaccinated to enter the country, which would in theory also complicate Djokovic’s chances of playing in any U.S. events.

Being barred from playing in any Grand Slam would keep Djokovic from having a chance to break the current all-time record for most men’s Grand Slam titles, which he shares at 20 with current rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Nadal is in the Australian Open while Federer is recovering from an injury and skipped the event.

Drama started building in the leadup to the tournament given that Djokovic has been steadfast in his refusal to be vaccinated. His actions in the beginning of the pandemic were widely criticized when he held a mini-tournament in his hometown and invited several other ATP Tour pros; Djokovic and several others later shortly after tested positive for COVID.

Australia’s vaccine mandate meant extra attention would be focused on Djokovic, so when he announced that he had been given a medical exemption to compete, it sparked widespread anger in Australia, where managing the pandemic has been among the best in the world in part because of strict lockdowns for citizens.

Upon arrival the week before the tournament, border officials said Djokovic’s exemption was not valid and moved to deport him. After Djokovic won an appeal, Australian authorities eventually revoked Djokovic’s visa again and a second appeal was denied.

As the legal battle played out, Djokovic acknowledged he had attended a youth tennis event and an interview with French journalists in the days after testing positive for the coronavirus. He later described this as “an error” of judgment.

Djokovic returned home after deportation to a hero’s welcome in Serbia, whose president had called the court hearing in Australia “a farce with a lot of lies.” Asked if Djokovic would face any penalties for flouting his isolation while being infected when he returns to Serbia, Serbian officials said he would not because the country is not in a state of emergency.

OLYMPICS: Beijing 2022 Stops Ticket Sales, Allows Limited Number of Spectators

Posted: Monday, January 17

Select and limited groups of Chinese spectators will be allowed to attend the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing, but organizers announced Monday they would no longer sell tickets to the event. The decision follows a move in September that already prevented foreign spectators from attending the Games.

In the announcement on the latest limitation, organizers said they would enact “an adapted program that will invite groups of spectators to be present on site during the Games.” Those spectators will be expected to abide by the COVID-19 countermeasures before, during and after each event to create the safest environment for athletes.

“Given the difficult and complicated work of controlling the epidemic, and to protect the health and safety of those involved with the Games, the original plan of offering tickets to the general public has been altered toward spectators from selected groups,” the statement said.

A woman wearing a face mask to protect against COVID-19 walks past a clock counting down the time until the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

The Olympic Games open on February 4 with the Paralympic Games set to start March 4.

Organizers in Beijing have been working to limit the spread of COVID-19, adopting a “closed-loop” system that is aimed at limiting interactions between Olympics stakeholders and the general public. China has largely avoided major virus outbreaks with a regimen of lockdowns, mass testing for COVID-19 and travel restrictions, although it continues to fight surges in several cities, including the port of Tianjin, about an hour from Beijing. The capital itself confirmed over the weekend that a 26-year-old woman had contracted the omicron variant of the virus and has tested more than 13,000 people in search of cases of cross transmission.

The move to limit mainland spectators is similar to practices put in place for the recent Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Tokyo, where all spectators were prevented from attending those Games.

NFL: No, the Super Bowl is not moving to Dallas from Los Angeles

Posted: Friday, December 14

Social media was ablaze this month at the news that the NFL explored using the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington as a backup site for the Super Bowl. The NFL confirmed that it finds backup sites for the Super Bowl every year, and it had no serious concerns about holding the game in Inglewood.

And the league reinforced this week that in no way, shape or form will one of the world’s biggest sporting events leave the Los Angeles area on February 13.

“All of our plans for Super Bowl week remain fully in place for a month from today,” Katie Keenan, the NFL’s senior director of event operations, told The Associated Press. “We’re working along with everyone here, with the LA County Health Department, to make sure all of our events are being held safely.”

SoFi Stadium hosts the Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 26, 2021, in Inglewood, California. A late-season surge in COVID-19 cases had the NFL in 2021 looking a lot like 2020, when the coronavirus led to significant disruptions, postponements and changing protocols. The emerging omicron variant figures to play a role all the way through the playoffs, including the Super Bowl in Los Angeles, where California has always been aggressive with policies to combat the spread of the virus. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong, File)

Attention was also sparked by UCLA and USC having a few basketball games held without fans in attendance but at no point have SoFi Stadium games been held with any type of attendance restrictions. Under the current LA County public health order, fans ages 5 and over must provide proof of either vaccination or a negative test result taken within 48 hours of kickoff.

“I don’t think anybody has ever wavered on being able to play this game here and play it safely,” said Kevin Demoff, the Rams’ chief operating officer. “We’ve had an amazing, safe environment all year. We are fortunate this is an outdoor facility where the air gets in. We feel this building is very safe. People who come to our games have learned to be safe, and we are doing everything we can to be safe.”

The proof of vaccination or negative test protocol extends to Monday night’s home game for the Rams against the Arizona Cardinals. The other NFL playoff game with COVID fan protocols will be Saturday when the Buffalo Bills, who require proof of vaccination for fans to attend, host the New England Patriots.

The first Super Bowl was held at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum in January 1967; the game returned to that venue in 1973 and has been at the Rose Bowl five times as well, the last time in 1993. Next month will be the first time the game is at SoFi Stadium, which opened last year with fans not allowed at home games because of the pandemic.

The chance for fans to attend Rams and Chargers games in Los Angeles, as well as Raiders fans to be at Allegiant Stadium for the first time, allowed the NFL to register a 0.9 percent increase in announced attendance for games this season — a number that is strong compared decreases for the NBA and NHL from its last pre-pandemic seasons, but also a number that can be explained and debated in several directions.

The miniscule increase comes after three years of declining NFL attendance numbers and is almost entirely because of the new venues in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. It is instructive to note that paid and actual attendance are different things and it wasn’t hard to watch games on TV this season and see gaps in the stands at games where sellouts were announced.

Even so, Sports Business Journal reported that 19 teams saw declines this year compared to 2019. The question is which of those numbers are because of potential fan reluctance to be at mass gatherings, even with vaccinations readily available — and which of those decreases, such as in Washington (19.4 down), Detroit (16 down) and the New York Jets (8.7 down) is because of consistently losing franchises.

The leadup to this weekend’s expanded slate of playoff games has been mostly without COVID-related drama, although ESPN reported on Thursday there may be some of that brewing in Dallas where Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper has been fined by attending a Dallas Mavericks game without wearing a mask.

Cooper is unvaccinated and missed two games in the regular season after testing positive. Cooper would not fall in the daily testing protocol through Super Bowl LVI, per the league’s health and safety protocols, since he had COVID while in-season.

“You don’t want to get sick. This is the tournament. We train so hard in the offseason, OTAs, camp, to get to this point. We accomplished that goal thus far,” Cooper said after Dallas’ win over Philadelphia last weekend. “We’re going to do everything we can do to not get sick. If that means isolation, then that’s what that means. Hopefully we can isolate enough to not catch it.”

NFL Schedule
All Times Eastern
Saturday’s Games
Las Vegas at Cincinnati, 2:30 p.m.
New England at Buffalo, 6:15 p.m. (fans must show proof of vaccination to attend)
Sunday’s Games
Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, 11 a.m.
San Francisco at Dallas, 2:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Kansas City, 6:15 p.m.
Monday’s Game
Arizona at L.A. Rams, 6:15 p.m. (fans must show proof of vaccination or negative test to attend)

TENNIS: Djokovic’s Excuses Piling Up in Australia

Updated: Friday, January 14

The Australian government revoked the visa for Novak Djokovic overnight for the second time in two weeks, setting up a weekend courtroom showdown that will determine if the world’s top-ranked player will be able to compete at the Australian Open while being unvaccinated.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said he canceled the visa on “health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so.” His statement added that Prime Minister Scott Morrison‘s government “is firmly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Hawke’s decision comes three days before play begins at the year’s first Grand Slam with Djokovic still in the draw that was made on Thursday. Djokovic’s lawyer, Nick Wood, told Australian judge Anthony Kelly that he wanted an appeal to be heard on Sunday in the hopes that Djokovic would have his visa reinstated in time for Monday’s first round.

Kelly ruled in favor of Djokovic earlier this week on procedural grounds after his visa was first canceled when he landed at a Melbourne airport.

Djokovic admitted on Wednesday that after his positive COVID test last month, he went unmasked to a youth tennis awards show and a newspaper interview and photo shoot. He also traveled throughout Serbia, despite the country’s mandate to isolate upon testing positive, and also traveled to Spain, a trip that is reportedly under investigation by that country’s government.

Serbia has strongly backed Djokovic throughout the entire visa saga but softened its stance on Wednesday after he admitted to breaking the country’s rules. Serbia requires individuals to isolate for 14 days after a positive test.

“If you’re positive you have to be in isolation,” Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić told the BBC, adding if Djokovic went out knowing he had a positive result, it would be a “clear breach” of the rules. Lawyers in Serbia told national media that if found guilty, Djokovic would be subject to a fine or prison sentence although community service was more likely.

All of this was “an error of judgement,” Djokovic said on social media. He also blamed “human error” by his agent for putting on his visa application that Djokovic had been isolating, which social media clearly shows was untrue.

In an affidavit to the court to stay in Australia and not be deported ahead of the tournament, Djokovic said he was “tested and diagnosed” as positive for COVID on December 16. But social media clearly shows Djokovic being at a youth tennis camp on December 17 and then at an interview and photo shoot for the French newspaper L’Equipe on December 18.

Djokovic in his Wednesday statement said he did not know that he was positive until after he attended the youth event. He did not explain why he went to an interview and photo shoot.

The initial news that Djokovic was granted an exemption to Australia’s strict vaccination rules provoked an outcry. Australia reported 130,000 new cases, including nearly 35,000 in Victoria, almost entirely of the omicron variant. Victoria went through hundreds of days of lockdowns in the past two years and there is a vaccination rate among adults of more than 90 percent. Everyone at the Australian Open is required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 unless given a medical exemption.

The stakes are high because Djokovic will be a heavy favorite to win the year’s first Grand Slam, having done so nine times before. A title would break the record he currently holds with rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer for the men’s Grand Slam singles titles in a career.

Nadal has pointed out that Djokovic’s drama would easily be resolved by getting vaccinated. Most players have stayed away from the topic of Djokovic leading to the Grand Slam other than veteran João Sousa, who said “I understand that it’s what he believes in, but it’s a little selfish towards his colleagues in the profession because many of us – not me – didn’t want to get vaccinated and we had to do it in order to play. It was the rules. It turns out to be a rule that Djokovic managed to get around.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas before Hawke’s decision said Djokovic was “playing by his own rules” and making vaccinated players “look like fools.”

While this is all going on, the Australian Open also announced that because of a rise in COVID cases, ticket sales at Rod Laver Arena will be paused at 50 percent of capacity if a session has not already sold to that level. All tickets purchased before Wednesday will still be honored with face masks mandatory except when eating or drinking.

OLYMPICS: No Decision Yet on Spectators at Olympic Games

Posted: Wednesday, January 12

Three weeks out from the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games, no decision has been made yet on whether domestic spectators will be allowed at the venues, the International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday. But IOC officials said the “closed loop” system of testing and keeping Olympic athletes and officials isolated from the Chinese population appears to be off to a strong start.

The question of spectators is one of the last unknowns for the Games that will begin February 4 in Beijing. All spectators were banned from the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo and foreign spectators have already been ruled out for Beijing. But no final decision has been made yet on what might happen with domestic spectators, said Pierre Ducrey, the Olympic Games operations director, who deferred the question to the Beijing Organizing Committee during a briefing covering logistics on the ground in China.

Workers deliver a cart loaded with equipment to a commercial plaza at the Winter Olympic Village in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

Regardless of how the spectator issue gets resolved, there will be significant differences in protocols for athletes, coaches, Olympic officials and media that will be traveling to Beijing compared to their experience in Tokyo this past summer, where they also faced limits designed to counteract the threat of COVID-19. Olympic stakeholders in Beijing will be tested every day during their stay, with some clarity provided Wednesday on what happens should they test positive. In Tokyo, only athletes and certain officials were tested daily, while others were on a modified testing schedule dependent on how close they had contact with athletes. All participants coming to Beijing also must be vaccinated, something that was merely a recommendation for participants in Tokyo.

The so-called “closed loop” system being implemented by the IOC and the Beijing Organizing Committee is also being designed to isolate Olympic participants from the Chinese population, where recent outbreaks have caused several major cities to go into lockdown. Ducrey said the IOC is not concerned about any transmission from the general public into the Olympic zone, or the other way around, based on the strict limits that will be placed on how Olympic visitors will be allowed to move about the city.

“When it comes to outbreaks in China and the closed-loop approach, it is called a closed loop for that very reason,” he said. “There will be no contact between those outside the loop and inside the loop. It has been built to help protect the inside from the outside and the outside from the inside. There is no concern from this perspective that this could influence the Games.”

“There will be no contact between those outside the loop and inside the loop. It has been built to help protect the inside from the outside and the outside from the inside.”
—Pierre Ducrey, IOC

Nonetheless, the IOC has developed specific rules for anyone within the loop who does test positive on the daily PCR tests that will be administered in the Athlete’s Village or at approved hotels for other Olympic participants. People who test positive but are asymptomatic will be sent to a designated hotel to be monitored for symptoms. If after three days of isolation they test negative on two consecutive days, they will be allowed to return to the closed loop. Ducrey said a 3- or 4-star hotel will be designated for those purposes with those isolated being granted access to Wi-Fi and meals, as well as deliveries from other members of their team. “You could be out as quickly as you produce two negative tests,” he said.

Anyone who is symptomatic will be sent to a hospital or other medical facility where they will need to stay until their symptoms improve and they also receive negative tests for two consecutive days. If someone continues to test positive for two weeks, there will be a medical panel that will review their situation before determining the next steps or decide whether those individuals can eventually return to the closed-loop system.

Those deemed close contacts during the course of the Games will not have to quarantine themselves but will be subject to two daily PCR tests for seven days in an effort to monitor their status.

Meanwhile, the IOC is reporting that the process upon arrival at the airport in Beijing has been smooth for participants, an improvement over what was in some cases up to 10 hours of testing and waiting for participants in Tokyo. The Beijing Organizing Committee has said that those arriving can expect to be processed in under six hours, although Ducrey said some people are moving their way through in about an hour. Those arriving are subject to a PCR test upon arrival and sent straight to their designated hotel or the Athletes’ Village. They cannot leave those accommodations until their negative results are returned. “The arrival and departure process is working extremely well,” Ducrey said.

TENNIS: Djokovic’s Visa Drama in Australia Continues

Posted: Tuesday, January 11

Novak Djokovic, known for some of the most drama-filled matches in modern Australian Open history, brought that drama off the court this week ahead of the first Grand Slam of 2022.

Djokovic won a court battle to stay in Australia — it seems — to play in the Australian Open despite being unvaccinated against COVID-19. Federal Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kelly reinstated Djokovic’s visa, canceled upon his arrival into Australia last week after officials decided he did not meet the criteria to enter the country despite a medical exemption from the state of Victoria because the country requires all non-citizens be fully vaccinated.

Kelly ordered Djokovic to be released from a Melbourne quarantine hotel where he had been staying since being detained. Later in the day, Djokovic tweeted a photo of him and his coaches at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne saying, “I’m pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation.”

Novak Djokovic holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after defeating Daniil Medvedev in the men’s singles final at the Australian Open in Melbourne on February 21, 2021. An Australian judge reinstated Djokovic’s visa after it was canceled last week because he is unvaccinated. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill, File)

The story is not done, though. Court documents from Djokovic’s appeal to stay in the country admitted that Djokovic, a longtime vaccine skeptic, is not vaccinated. Government lawyer Christopher Tran told the judge that the minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Alex Hawke, “will consider whether to exercise a personal power of cancellation.” If Hawke uses that power, the nine-time Australian Open winner would still face deportation.

Rafael Nadal, who last week pointed out the drama would all be avoided if Djokovic got vaccinated, called the controversy “a circus” and “there’s no question that justice has spoken and has said that he has the right to take part in the Australian Open.”

Circus is certainly one way of putting the past week. To wit:

Kelly said during the hearing that Djokovic provided airport officials with a medical exemption given to him by Tennis Australia and two medical panels.
Djokovic said the medical exemption was because he had tested positive for COVID in December; there is a temporary exemption to Australia’s vaccination rules for people who have had COVID within six months.
Djokovic’s positive date is dated December 16 — six days after the deadline to apply for a medical exemption to play in the Australian Open.
The test has a QR code with it; depending on who has checked the code out, it says ‘positive’ or in some cases that Djokovic tested negative.
Djokovic is seen on social media the day after the alleged positive test at a youth tennis event without a mask on. Two days after he allegedly tested positive, Djokovic did an interview and photo shoot for the French newspaper L’Equipe without a mask on.
Journalist Ben Rothenberg reported on Monday night that Djokovic told Australian border patrol that he had not traveled in 14 days priors to his arrival when social media shows that he had, in fact, visited Spain.

The Australian Open is not only one of Djokovic’s most successful events, a win this year would break the tie with Roger Federer and Nadal for the most Grand Slam singles titles in men’s history. But Djokovic’s mother, Dijana, called Monday’s court hearing “the biggest victory” of his career during a family press conference — an event that was immediately ended after a reporter pointed out Djokovic was seen in public after a positive test without a mask on.

Regardless of what happens in Australia, Djokovic’s refusal to be vaccinated will follow him throughout the world. The United States requires visitors be fully vaccinated to enter the country by plane unless they are U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents or traveling on a U.S. immigrant visa. Not only would that leave in doubt Djokovic’s entry into the late-summer U.S. Open, but it would affect major events in Indian Wells, California, and Miami, both scheduled in March.

The French Open begins in May and sports minister Roxana Maracineanu said last week that she expected Djokovic would be allowed to enter the country … then said any athlete would be required to show proof of vaccination to have access to sports training facilities.

SPORTS: Omicron Continues to Affect Pro Sports, College Basketball

Posted: Monday, January 10

No matter that the calendar has turned from 2021 to 2022, things often feel like the sports world is caught in a time loop:

In addition to several Ivy League schools, the Pac-12’s Stanford, USC and UCLA are going without fans at indoor events for at least the next week’s games.
Wake Forest, Michigan State, Maryland, Rutgers and Michigan will require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for fans to be at indoor events while Ohio State has closed concessions at games.
The NCAA updated its guidance for winter sports, saying a “fully vaccinated” Tier 1 individual (which pertains notably to coaches) must have gotten both a COVID vaccine but also a booster shot.
The NHL continues to postpone games, mostly in Canada but a few that involve U.S.-based teams. And with players not heading to the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, the pre-scheduled break after the All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas will not only be full with rescheduled games, there remains a chance the league still adds a week to the regular season to ensure everybody plays its full schedule.
The NBA has rescheduled all 11 games postponed in December for virus-related reasons with seven teams that have at least one stint of playing four games in five nights: Chicago, Toronto, Brooklyn, Cleveland, Miami, New Orleans and Denver. The original schedule had no such stretches.

The NHL went on an extended pause during the Christmas holiday but still the league has been postponing games — including two games scheduled for Monday night after the Edmonton Oilers had eight players and the New Jersey Devils had seven players apiece going into the league’s health and safety protocols.

The league has postponed close to 100 games and while a majority of those have been because of COVID-related issues. While the league has not made its intentions for the now-cancelled break, there is the assumption that the league will play as many games as possible during that stretch of time — and it may still not be enough to get the regular season done on time.

Then there are the dozens of games postponed because of attendance restrictions at various places in Canada. None of the teams are currently allowed to have sellout crowds. The Winnipeg Jets, currently restricted to 250 people, asked fans how they would feel about moving home games to Saskatchewan, where there is no restriction on attendance. To no one’s surprise, the response was negative.

And playing games with no fans in attendance is a non-starter for the NHL in Canada — there is money to be made up from the first shutdown, of course.

“Certainly for the fans of those teams who want to attend those games and who have bought tickets, it’d be a shame for them to miss those games,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic in November. “Obviously, it’s important from a revenue perspective, an HRR (hockey related revenue) perspective, to play before fans and to generate gate revenue.”

The NBA is not immune by any stretch. There have also been more than a dozen of the league’s coaches missing time, with daily testing extended through the end of the week. The league’s total of players in protocols at any point this season is over 300; as part of the rescheduled games, Brooklyn played Sunday against San Antonio at home — then flew across the country ahead of Monday’s rescheduled game at Portland. The Nets then come back East and visit Chicago on Wednesday.

“The main reason to release these now is because we wanted to make sure that teams had at least one week’s notice on any postponements, from a travel perspective, basketball planning, business, ticket sales, all those things,” said Evan Wasch, an NBA vice president who helps oversee the league’s scheduling. “It made sense to do it now.”

Financial sense, of course.

The question with all these games is whether the seats for them will be full. NBA attendance from the 2019–2020 season compared to this season has gone down 5.7 percent and NHL attendance is down even further, 7.9 percent. And with omicron’s numbers still increasing, it is worth examining a pre-Christmas survey done by Morning Consult in which 44% of fans said they would be comfortable at an indoor event, down nine percent from July.

Part of it is the push and pull between franchises that need fans to be in the stands and spend money at games after losing hundreds of millions in revenue from the pandemic, contrasted to fans who because of the pandemic may not have as much disposable income to spend on tickets or the gameday experience. While the NBA has a policy that fans within 15 feet of the court must wear masks except when actively eating or drinking, at nearly every game this season that policy has been ignored by a majority of attendees.

Whether that continues or should arenas start enforcing the rules more strictly will be something to watch. It is unlikely that any U.S. arena will start to restrict capacity like places have done in Canada; whether fans fill those seats over the next weeks is still an open-ended question.

NFL: League on Downswing of Omicron Surge

Posted: Friday, December 7

The NFL looks at first glance to be on the downswing when it comes to players testing positive and going onto the league’s COVID-19 list. Still, there are teams that have been affected this week.

One day after clinching a playoff berth, the Philadelphia Eagles put 12 players on the COVID list. But the Eagles have been an outlier overall, given that there were nearly 600 positives among players and league personnel from December 12–25.

This all sounds encouraging but there still are risks that teams must address. The Sunday night game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers is a playoffs-or-bust finale, making both teams ensure usage of masks and large meeting rooms — even virtual position-group gatherings remain vigilant so that players do not miss the key contest.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts throws during the first half of a game against the Washington Football Team on December 21, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The league and players’ union in the past two weeks have agreed to ease return-to-play guidelines to encourage vaccine booster shots. The agreement came after there were three games this season, all in Week 15, that needed rescheduling, including two games moved to a Tuesday.

“We wanted to go where the science was going, and I will say that that five-day period sort of mirrors the data we have been seeing in our own NFL testing data throughout the year,” Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, told the NFL Network. “So, it really wasn’t about player availability or roster numbers. It was, ‘What is the science telling us?’”

Those changes allowed unvaccinated quarterback Carson Wentz of Indianapolis to avoid becoming the latest starting quarterback to miss a game. The Colts lost to the Raiders anyway and need a Week 18 victory over two-win Jacksonville to make the playoffs. Kirk Cousins, also unvaccinated, and Minnesota weren’t so lucky. He was out against Green Bay on Sunday, and the Vikings lost 37-10 to be eliminated from playoff contention.

New Orleans lost to Miami two weeks ago after a COVID-19 outbreak decimated the roster before the NFL’s changes. Still, the Saints can advance if they beat Atlanta and San Francisco loses to the Los Angeles Rams.

“I think the players and staff here handled a lot of challenging things not always perfectly, but we have managed to keep our head above water, keep grinding and keep fighting,” said Saints coach Sean Payton. “You’re just looking at the number one goal, outside of winning the division, is making it to the postseason. We have the opportunity to do that this weekend. You just want to find a way to get into the tournament.”

Concerns over omicron and local regulations as they develop have led the NFL to reportedly make backup plans for the Super Bowl, scheduled for February 13 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Reports indicated that there were preliminary discussions about AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, serving as an emergency site.

“We plan on playing Super Bowl LVI as scheduled at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 13,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told The Associated Press. “As part of our standard contingency planning process that we conduct for all regular and postseason games, we have contacted several clubs to inquire about stadium availability in the event we cannot play the Super Bowl as scheduled due to weather-related issues or unforeseen circumstances. Our planning process for the Super Bowl in Los Angeles is ahead of schedule and we look forward to hosting the Super Bowl there to culminate another fantastic NFL season for our fans and clubs.”

For its part, “we are working closely with the NFL to welcome the Super Bowl to L.A. County,” the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Thursday told Yahoo Sports. “And while we cannot provide certainty for the future, we do not anticipate capacity limits at sporting events.”

Now, the NFL just has to get to that game safely.

Saturday’s Games
All Times Eastern
Kansas City at Denver, 4:30 p.m.
Dallas at Philadelphia, 8:15 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Pittsburgh at Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Cincinnati at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Green Bay at Detroit, 1 p.m.
Tennessee at Houston, 1 p.m.
Indianapolis at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Chicago at Minnesota, 1 p.m. (fans must wear masks except when eating or drinking)
Washington at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.
Seattle at Arizona, 4:25 p.m.
New Orleans at Atlanta, 4:25 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo, 4:25 p.m. (fans must show proof of full vaccination to attend)
San Francisco at L.A. Rams, 4:25 p.m. (fans must show proof of full vaccination to attend)
New England at Miami, 4:25 p.m.
Carolina at Tampa Bay, 4:25 p.m.
L.A. Chargers at Las Vegas, 8:20 p.m. (fans must show proof of full vaccination to attend)

OLYMPICS: IOC Confirms Beijing Games Will Not Be Postponed

Posted: Thursday, January 6

After two countries earlier this week raised the issue of whether the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing would be postponed, the International Olympic Committee, has made it clear that the Games will go on as scheduled.

The Swiss Olympic committee said the IOC, during a video conference call on Wednesday, gave assurances about Beijing going ahead as scheduled. The IOC also promised case-by-case assessments of athletes who recover after testing positive for COVID-19 ahead of traveling to China, the Swiss team said in a statement.

The IOC’s comments to the Swiss team come a day after Swiss team leader Ralph Stöckli asked for talks as omicron has surged throughout the world.

“We must really discuss the possibility of a postponement of the Games,” Stöckli told French-language state broadcaster RTS on Tuesday. “If we don’t have the best athletes there, that’s going to be very, very difficult.”

But after talking with the IOC, “the issue of a postponement is no longer relevant to all of us,” Stöckli said.

A visitor to the Shougang Park walks past the a sculpture for the Beijing Winter Olympics in Beijing on November 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

The comments from Switzerland came after Canadian Olympic Committee Chief Executive Officer David Shoemaker told the CBC over the weekend “we’re confident that these Games can still be scheduled safely. But we’re taking it day by day and wake up every morning to make sure that is how we still feel about it.”

The Tokyo Summer Games, originally scheduled to be held in 2020, were postponed one year in a decision that was made four months before the scheduled opening ceremony. The Beijing Games are less than one month away.

Beijing organizers and the IOC are creating a “closed loop” system for the Olympics with strict testing and limits on travel and movement than were enforced at last year’s Tokyo Games. The rules include a 21-day quarantine for athletes, officials and workers not fully vaccinated, daily testing for all attendees and local staff required to stay within the bubble. International fans are banned, though tickets to attend events in stadiums will be sold to people living in China.

The Swiss team said it also asked the IOC about waiting times before an athlete could enter China after recovering from COVID-19. The IOC and Chinese organizers announced that a panel of international experts will evaluate individual cases and handle the issue in a “more flexible manner,” the Swiss team said.

“It’s a positive signal,” Stöckli said, otherwise given the high current case rates “we would have had to assume many athletes, no longer presenting any risk of infection, would have been deprived of their dream of participating in the Olympic Games.” But Stöckli acknowledged “there will probably be disappointments” for athletes who end up being unable to compete.

For national governing bodies throughout the United States, protocols vary by location for pre-Games events. The U.S. Figure Skating Championships will be held in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena. Those who have credentials for the event must sign a waiver, show their vaccination card, have proof of a negative test taken within 72 hours of receiving credentials and agree to test again four days after arrival.

“I know U.S. Figure Skating is doing everything it can to keep all the skaters and everyone protected,” said figure skater Karen Chen, a member of the 2018 team for the Pyeongchang Games. “All the skaters are vaccinated. We need a PCR test that’s negative before we get a credential. At least the people around me should be good and COVID-free.”

The U.S. Olympic long-track speedskating trials will be held without fans at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee.

“It’s vital that we continue to keep a strong focus on the health and welfare of our athletes,” said Ted Morris, executive director of U.S. Speedskating. “Our ability to create a competition bubble provides us with the best situation to protect our athletes while providing them with the opportunity to qualify for the Beijing team at the Olympic trials.”

TENNIS: Novak Djokovic denied visa to play in Australian Open after vaccination uproar

Posted: Wednesday, January 5

Two of the most prominent anti-vaccination athletes in the world are back in the spotlight, if you would even say that they left.

But for Novak Djokovic, the spotlight within 24 hours turned dramatically upside down in the Land Down Under.

Djokovic’s visa to enter Australia ahead of the tennis season’s first Grand Slam was rejected and he was told to leave the country, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald reported. The report was confirmed by Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who tweeted “Mr Djokovic’s visa has been cancelled. Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, we are continuing to be vigilant.”

Djokovic posted on Instagram on Tuesday morning that he was heading to Australia, announcing he received a medical exemption to play in the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam, with a chance to break the all-time singles title record. Shortly after Djokovic’s post, tournament organizers issued a statement saying “Djokovic applied for a medical exemption which was granted following a rigorous review process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts. One of those was the Independent Medical Exemption Review Panel appointed by the Victorian Department of Health. They assessed all applications to see if they met the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation guidelines.”

The Victoria government mandated players, staff and fans must be fully vaccinated unless there is a genuine reason why an exemption should be granted. The news that Djokovic had been granted an exemption was met with widespread negativity as Jaala Pulford, acting Victorian sports minister, said on Twitter, “We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam,” following with “We’ve always been clear on two points: visa approvals are a matter for the Federal Government, and medical exemptions are a matter for doctors.”

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Instagram that he has spoken to Djokovic and added Serbian authorities are taking measures “so the harassment of the best tennis player in the world be stopped in the shortest possible time.”

The Age and Sydney Morning Herald reported Wednesday that sources at Tennis Australia claimed the move by government authorities to deny Djokovic entry was a “publicity stunt that solely targeted Djokovic and not other players who had already entered with the same exemption.” The tournament starts January 17 with the Australian public still getting over months of lockdowns and severe travel restrictions, leading to anger about Djokovic’s exemption.

Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said there was no special treatment for Djokovic ahead of his exemption and “I would encourage him to talk to the community about it. We have been through a very tough period over the last two years.”

Djokovic has won the Australian Open nine times and a 10th victory would break the tie he has with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for most men’s Grand Slam singles titles all-time. Should Djokovic not be allowed to compete, the next chance to break the record will be at the French Open in Paris; French President Emmanuel Macron this week said he planned to make life difficult for unvaccinated people throughout the country with a law currently debated over whether tobar unvaccinated people from much of public life in France.

Djokovic finished one win short of a calendar-year Grand Slam in 2021 when he lost the U.S. Open final to Daniil Medvedev. A longtime skeptic of vaccination, Djokovic tested positive for the coronavirus in 2020 after he played in a series of exhibition matches that he organized in Serbia and Croatia without social distancing amid the pandemic.

While Djokovic looks to not be allowed to play in Australia, Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets, according to multiple reports, will make his NBA season debut on Wednesday as his team visits the Indiana Pacers. Irving will only play road games this season for the Nets because he refuses to be vaccinated; New York City requires adults 12 and older to show proof of vaccination to be at indoor events.

Irving missed the first 35 games this season after the Nets decided that Irving would sit out until either the mandate changed or Irving changed his mind about getting vaccinated. Anti-vaccination advocates even tried to enter the Barclays Center for the Nets’ home opener protesting the city mandate and the team’s approach to Irving’s decision.

But as cases piled up on Brooklyn’s roster with the omicron surge, the team changed its mind in mid-December and said Irving was allowed back — Irving then tested positive the next day and had to isolate from teammates for 10 days. Nets coach Steve Nash said last week that Irving would need “a week or two” to ramp up to playing. Irving will remain away from the team during home games for the Nets as well as games scheduled in Toronto, where a similar mandate to New York City exists.

OLYMPICS: Canadian Olympic Committee CEO Worried About Games in Beijing

The chief executive officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee has sounded alarms about the feasibility of holding the Olympic Winter Games as omicron continues to surge throughout the world on the heels of several prominent sport events being postponed over the past month while several major stars have also missed events after testing positive for COVID-19.

“We’re worried,” David Shoemaker told the CBC over the weekend. “We’re confident that these Games can still be scheduled safely. But we’re taking it day by day and wake up every morning to make sure that is how we still feel about it.”

Staff members attend a rehearsal for a victory ceremony at the Beijing Medals Plaza of the Winter Olympics in Beijing on January 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

China on Tuesday opened its bubble ahead of the Games but this week has also seen omicron seep into several cities in the country, forcing widespread lockdowns.

China announced 95 new covid cases on Tuesday in Xi’an city, the capital Shaanxi province, taking Xi’an’s total to over 1,600 cases in the past month. Xi’an has been locked down since December 13 with residents all but completely confined to their homes. The city of Yuzhou in the Henan province went into lockdown on Monday after three asymptomatic cases in three days.

U.S. skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin tested positive for COVID last week before announcing on Monday that she had been cleared to resume racing. More than a dozen athletes and staff members from Canada’s bobsled team were placed in protocols last week.

The men’s hockey competition will be not nearly as interesting now that the NHL will not have players heading to Beijing. Other winter sports including alpine skiing, bobsled and curling have experienced disruptions. The Games itself will be the first time that foreign visitors enter China without having to endure a mandatory hotel quarantine.

There also came Monday’s news that the U.S. long-track speedskating trials in Milwaukee will be held without fans in attendance after “early results from its testing of athletes and the high COVID infection rates in Milwaukee,” the Pettit Center said in an email.

Shoemaker told the CBC that Canada would pull its team from Beijing if it believes athlete safety is compromised. Canada made the same announcement in March 2020 before the International Olympic Committee eventually postponed the Summer Games in Tokyo to 2021.

“We have yet to have a conversation with the IOC (International Olympic Committee) about postponement but we’re having conversations on a very frequent basis with the participating winter sport nations and it may well come up,” said Shoemaker.

So much of the talk about the potential postponement for Beijing brings Groundhog Day-style memories of the pre-Tokyo talk leading to the IOC’s eventual postponement from 2020 to 2021. But there are a few significant differences between the two Games.

There is a difference between the transmissibility of the omicron variant, especially indoors in Beijing compared to outdoor venues at Tokyo. There is also the IOC’s financial motivations in making sure that the Games go on rather than have it postponed on a shorter notice than the decision it made for Tokyo.

But the biggest difference may be the will of Beijing to get the Games on as scheduled compared to Tokyo. Longtime IOC member Dick Pound of Canada told USA Today on Monday chances of the Games being postponed or canceled are “very slim. … It’s a possibility that can’t be wholly discounted but it’s not at the level of whole countries saying we should not be going there at all. … I don’t think these things are postponeable.”

What could develop over the next month, depending on the pressure that is placed on the local organizers, is the potential for breakthrough positives within Beijing’s closed-loop system. To enter China, all participants must twice test negative within 96 hours of leaving for Beijing regardless of if they have recently tested positive but since recovered from COVID.

“Medical experts agree, and the consensus point of view is that it may well be that the safest place from Omicron in February will be the Olympic bubble in Beijing,” said Shoemaker. “The real challenge for us over the next 30 days is how do we make sure that Canadian participants can get to Beijing without contracting the virus and therefore become able to test negative to get into that scenario.”

OLYMPICS: U.S. Speedskating Trials Going Without Fans

Posted: Monday, January 3

The U.S. Olympic Team Trials for long-track speedskating, starting this week in Milwaukee, will be held without fans in attendance after “early results from its testing of athletes and the high COVID infection rates in Milwaukee,” the host venue said in an email on Sunday.

“All of us, including ticket holders and Pettit staff, who have worked tirelessly to prepare the venue, plus volunteers, are very disappointed with this change but respect right of USOPC and US Speedskating to make such a decision in order to give the best chance for athletes to compete safely in the Trials and fulfill their dreams to compete for a spot on the 2022 U.S. Olympic Team,” the Pettit Center said in an email published Sunday afternoon.

Skaters compete during women’s mass start race at the World Cup speedskating event at the Utah Olympic Oval on December 5, 2021, in Kearns, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

“It’s vital that we continue to keep a strong focus on the health and welfare of our athletes,” said US Speedskating Executive Director Ted Morris on Monday. “Our ability to create a competition bubble provides us with the best situation to protect our athletes while providing them with the opportunity to qualify for the Beijing team at the Olympic Trials. We appreciate the understanding of parents, fans and media so that we can provide the best environment possible for our athletes.”

The venue said those who have already bought tickets will be processed refunds. “An alternative is to ask you to make your ticket purchase a charitable donation to Pettit Center to help offset the costs we have incurred,” said Randy Dean, executive director of the Pettit Center. “We would be grateful for such consideration.”

The short-track trials were held recently at the Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City, Utah, with fans in attendance.

“On behalf of the Pettit Center, I thank you for your understanding and special consideration,” Dean said. “This is the most difficult action I have had to take in my thirteen years as Executive Director.”

The Beijing Olympics open February 4. While the CDC said last week that the isolation period for those who have tested positive for COVID but are asymptomatic should be shortened to five days from 10, the Beijing organizers have so far not changed its policy.

To enter China, all participants must twice test negative within 96 hours of leaving for Beijing regardless of if they have recently tested positive but since recovered from COVID. In Beijing’s playbook for athletes, for a question if one of two pre-departure tests comes back positive and the other negative, organizers write: “Any positive PCR test of COVID-19 within 96 hours of the departure of your flight to China will prevent you from traveling to China.”

Unless Beijing organizers modify its policy, any athlete who contracts COVID between now and the start of the Games could be at risk of not being allowed in China, a scenario that USOPC Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Finnoff told the Wall Street Journal could happen.

Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, told the Journal in the same story that “I do think China needs to revisit its COVID-zero policy because that’s not a sustainable approach. It’s one that’s going to be overcome by events pretty quickly.”

The Deputy Director of Epidemic Prevention and Control Office of Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee, Huang Chun, said before Christmas that China is prepared for possible COVID inside the Games’ bubble, admitting the Games could bring “COVID-19 cases or small clusters of infections.”

Huang said should somebody test positive, they would be sent to either a hospital or isolation facility depending on if a person has symptoms. For those with symptoms, they would be released after testing negative twice within a 24-hour period along with having a normal body temperature and breathing pattern. Asymptomatic patients would be tested every 24 hours in an isolation facility and released if they present negative results twice within 24 hours.

SWIMMING: Opening USA Swimming Event of Year Postponed

Posted: Monday, January 3

USA Swimming has announced that it will cancel its first TYR Pro Swim Series event of the year scheduled for Knoxville, Tennessee, from January 12-15.

“With the new Olympic quadrennial only just beginning and the current COVID-19 conditions across the country, USA Swimming, with the support of event host Tennessee Aquatics and Visit Knoxville, made the decision to prioritize the health and safety of the athletes, staff and event volunteers,” the NGB said in a statement on Monday.
The start to the national-level season will now begin in March with the currently scheduled TYR Pro Swim Series in Des Moines, Iowa.

TENNIS: Djokovic still uncertain over Australian Open

Posted: Monday, January 3

Novak Djokovic may still skip the first Grand Slam of the season — and a chance to break the all-time Grand Slam singles record — over his lack of being vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Australian Open mandates vaccination for all competing players, although Australian Open chief Craig Tiley said several unvaccinated players have been granted exemptions to play so far. He did not comment on if Djokovic has asked for an exemption, with Djokovic repeatedly refusing to reveal his vaccination status after months of avoiding the questions and being known to have an anti-vaccine stance.

“Every athlete coming into Australia has to be vaccinated and show proof of that, or has to have made application from a medical exemption,” Tiley told Australian media over the weekend. “In the case of tennis players, that’s far more rigorous than anyone coming into Australia applying for a medical exemption. There are two medical panels that assess any application, and they assess it in a blind way. They don’t know who the applicant is. Against the guidelines, an exemption gets granted or not. The reason for granting the exemption remains private, between the panel and the applicant.”

Tiley added “Novak’s made it clear that he wouldn’t disclose his medical conditions, or whether or not he’s vaccinated. It’s his choice to do that. There’s quite a bit to play out and it will play out in the coming days.”

All spectators will have to show proof of being fully vaccinated at the first Grand Slam of the season as well.

NFL: Wentz, Cousins Show Dangers of Being Unvaccinated

Posted: Friday, December 31

While the NFL has decided to reduce the isolation time for asymptomatic players, teams around the league are taking different approaches to finish the regular season without any expanded outbreaks to go with the hundreds of players who have already tested positive for COVID-19 this month.

Green Bay, Washington, Baltimore, Cleveland, Chicago and New Orleans have played without starting quarterbacks due to COVID-19 this season. The New York Jets and Cleveland Browns have both played games without their head coaches as well.

The NFL has not canceled games during the pandemic but has rescheduled multiple games, including three games two weeks ago. The league has had 521 players go onto the COVID list this month; it had 428 players all of last season.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) throws during a NFL training camp Friday, July 30, 2021, in Eagan, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

With that as the backdrop, the league and NFL Players Association revised protocols on Tuesday, reducing isolation time for players who test positive and are asymptomatic, including unvaccinated players, to five days. The league also implemented restrictions on players eating together, limited number of occupants in the weight room to 15, and is requiring masks be worn by all players and staff indoors.

The Denver Broncos, who started a wide receiver at quarterback last season due to COVID-19, are isolating practice squad quarterback Anthony Gordon. The Philadelphia Eagles, in the midst of a playoff race, have taken the step of having quarterbacks in separate rooms while meeting virtually in the team facility to keep from having anybody go on the COVID list.

“We’re going to definitely make even more adjustments than what we need to just keep everybody safe,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “The quarterbacks will be in separate rooms. We’re going to be even more safe with them being in separate rooms.”

Jalen Hurts has been the Eagles’ starter for most of the season but Gardner Minshew has played in three games as well.

“I definitely think there’s a point where as a leader you want to try and keep things together as much as you can,” Hurts said. “You understand you have a group full of grown men who make grown-men decisions, but I definitely encourage everybody to stay safe, be responsible and take precautions in this thing. You can live with it and be OK if you knew you took precaution and did everything you could.”

Hurts took over as the starting QB this season for good after the Eagles traded Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts. Wentz missed part of the preseason as a close contact who tested positive and this week went back on the COVID list after testing positive himself. Wentz, who is unvaccinated, could still play on Sunday thanks to the new CDC guidelines should he prove he is asymptomatic or demonstrates his symptoms are improving under the new protocols.

If Wentz can’t play, rookie Sam Ehlinger will start against the Raiders. Wentz was activated from the COVID list on Saturday morning.

“It’s a personal decision for me and my family,” Wentz said in September. “I respect everybody else’s decision, and I just ask that everybody does the same for me. … That’s just where I’m at on it and with the protocols and everything the way they are, really for us, it’s about understanding them clearly and making sure that we are dotting our I’s and crossing our T’s.”

The Colts, winners of eight of their past 10 games, can lock up a playoff spot with a victory over the Raiders on Sunday. Only one game separates the fifth and 11th seed in the AFC.

“This is what we prepare for, for hitting adversity like this, things you don’t expect but this is probably in the category of something that we could expect and that it would just be a matter of time before it was going to hit us,” Colts coach Frank Reich said.

And then Friday morning brought the news of another starting quarterback who will miss a game this weekend after testing positive: Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins, also famously unvaccinated and having missed part of the preseason. Cousins also bizarrely suggested the Vikings quarterbacks would have position meetings outside all season — the current temperature on Friday morning in Minneapolis was near zero and Saturday’s high is scheduled to be 1 degree.

NFL Schedule
All Times Eastern
Sunday’s Games
L.A. Rams at Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Atlanta at Buffalo, 1 p.m. (fans must show proof of vaccination to attend)
N.Y. Giants at Chicago, 1 p.m.
Kansas City at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Las Vegas at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
Jacksonville at New England, 1 p.m.
Tampa Bay at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.
Miami at Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Philadelphia at Washington, 1 p.m.
Denver at L.A. Chargers, 4:05 p.m. (fans must show proof of vaccination or negative test to attend)
Houston at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m.
Arizona at Dallas, 4:25 p.m.
Carolina at New Orleans, 4:25 p.m.
Detroit at Seattle, 4:25 p.m. (fans must show proof of vaccination or negative test to attend)
Minnesota at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m.
Monday’s Game
Cleveland at Pittsburgh, 8:15 p.m.

SPORTS: Raptors, Maple Leafs Go Without Home Fans

The Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs will play without home fans for at least the next three weeks after the province of Ontario announced indoor crowd restrictions.
The province announced indoor capacity on Thursday for venues including Scotiabank Arena to either 1,000 people or 50 percent capacity, depending on which one was lower.

The last Montreal Canadiens home game before the NHL paused its season on the week of Christmas was held without home fans. The NHL has since resumed its season but has postponed four Montreal home games as well as two Winnipeg home games and one home game for Toronto, Ottawa and Calgray because of COVID-19 attendance restrictions in those cities.

The league says the home games will be moved to yet-to-be-determined dates later this season when “restrictions may be eased or lifted.”

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic on Thursday that “it’s important from a revenue perspective, an HRR (hockey related revenue) perspective, to play before fans and to generate gate revenue.” But Daly admitted should restrictions continue long term, “there’s no way we can make up all those games or move or shift all those games. Like everything else, it’ll be a balancing act. As I said, the league and the other league partners are willing to be as cooperative as we can possibly be.”

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: NCAA Says No Bubbles in March

Posted: Thursday, December 30

The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tournaments will be held as planned in March and there are no intentions of going to a bubble environment like this past March in Indianapolis or San Antonio, the organization said on Wednesday afternoon.

Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president in charge of basketball, said there has been no discussion of bubble environments to hold March Madness compared to the 2021 events because of mitigation aspects to combat the COVID-19, highlighted by vaccines and boosters.

The men’s Final Four is scheduled to be held in New Orleans while the women’s Final Four is slated for Minneapolis.

Baylor players and coaches celebrate after winning the championship game against Gonzaga in the men’s Final Four on April 5, 2021, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Baylor won 86-70. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

“At this point, we are continuing the planning for the NCAA basketball championships with the normal format, schedule and multiple host sites,’’ said Gavitt. “We are certainly closely monitoring the unfortunate and sudden COVID spike and will consider any adjustments as necessary for the health, safety and success of the championships. However, despite the current challenges we’re experiencing in college basketball, the solutions to these problems during this phase of the pandemic are likely quite different than the dramatic championship format changes we had to adopt last year.”

The NCAA said that it will discuss later in January at the NCAA Convention in Indianapolis about whether the minimum number of games for a team to be eligible for this season’s tournament should change. Last year, the number was changed to 13; most teams have reached that number or are near that number as conference play approaches.

“I feel badly for the many teams that have been impacted with a pause and disrupted games so suddenly in just the last two weeks, yet the health and safety of student-athletes and coaches is rightly the primary concern,’’ Gavitt said. “It seems likely that we will continue to experience game postponements for the next couple of weeks due to the Omicron variant. The conferences and institutions are exercising their authority over the management of the regular season, which largely consists of conference games.

“The silver lining in the timing of this spike is that the vast majority of the non-conference schedule has concluded and teams on average have played 12 Division I games to date,’’ said Gavitt. “The championship and oversight committees are monitoring the ramifications of games lost to cancellation in the context of championship eligibility, which is within their authority and will be discussed during their January meetings.”

SPORTS: Westminster Dog Show Postponed

Posted: Thursday, December 30

The Westminster Kennel Club annual dog show has been postponed to a later date, the latest event to be postponed or canceled in New York City. The postponement comes less than two weeks after more than 8,500 canines, owners and handlers met for the American Kennel Club National Championship in Orlando, Florida.

“The health and safety of all participants in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show are paramount,” the club’s board of governors said in a statement. “We appreciate the community’s continued interest and support as we delay the show to a time when we can safely convene.”

The Westminster dog show attracts thousands of competitors and is normally held in February, with semifinal and final rounds at Madison Square Garden. Last year, it was moved to June and held outdoors in suburban Tarrytown with no fans.

HOCKEY: World Junior Event Canceled

Posted: Wednesday, January 29

The World Junior Hockey Championship for boys was canceled on Wednesday less than a week into group play because of a rising number of COVID-19 cases among players.

The International Ice Hockey Federation made the announcement after a Tuesday forfeit by the United States after two players tested positive, followed by forfeits on Wednesday by the Czech Republic and Russia. While the tournament took steps to keep players in a bubble-like atmosphere, teams in Red Deer shared the hotel with the general public, including a large wedding party with unmasked people in the lobby checking in throughout the tournament’s first week.

IIHF President Luc Tardif said the tournament could resume this summer. That the tournament was ongoing at all was a source of controvery after the IIHF went ahead with the boys event but canceled the girls event.

NBA: Protocols Change with Shorter Quarantine Periods

Posted: Tuesday, December 28

With an increasing number of players testing positive for COVID-19 every day, the NBA has adjusted its health and safety protocols with those who test positive able to return after six days.

Players and coaches could miss up to 10 days under the old rules once they tested positive. The league has more than 170 players and coaches in protocols over the past two-plus weeks; Portland’s Chauncey Billups and Phoenix’s Monty Williams were put in protocols on Monday, increasing the number of coaches in protocols to four; six coaches and 205 players have been in protocols over the whole season.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant is defended by Detroit Pistons forward Saddiq Bey during the second half of an NBA game in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

The NBA’s policy was followed hours later by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending COVID-19 quarantine be cut to five days from 10 days for asymptomatic individuals. After last night’s games, there have been 541 players who have been in at least one game this season, the most ever.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN before Christmas that the league will not pause the season, compared to the NHL. He added that at that point, around 90 percent of the cases in the league were the omicron variant but that they did not allow asymptomatic players to play.

“We looked at the options and, quite frankly, we’re struggling to come up with the logic to pause,” said Silver, not following up with the obvious reason for not to pause the season — the league, having lost hundreds of millions already in the pandemic with not having full crowds at the start of last season, cannot afford to lose more games this season.

The league could reasonably expect for the numbers to only increase given that daily testing will be implemented for all teams after Christmas. Monday saw stars including Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Phoenix’s DeAndre Ayton went into the protocols after testing positive. Christmas Day’s games already had stars missing such as Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant and James Harden, plus Dallas’ Luka Doncic.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Bowl Cancellations Continue to Rise

Posted: Monday, December 27

The college football bowl season, a year after more than a dozen games were cancelled because of COVID-19, has seen this year’s number of cancellations rise over the weekend with one game trying to find an opponent on short notice.

The Sun Bowl, scheduled for New Year’s Eve in El Paso, Texas, lost the University of Miami on Sunday afternoon because of an outbreak of breakthrough positives among the Hurricanes program. The team had reportedly had several positives last week but admitted on Sunday that the number had increased.

Miami wide receiver Mike Harley (3) tries to break a tackle attempt by Duke safety Jalen Alexander (32) during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, in Durham, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

“We are extremely disappointed that our football team will be unable to participate in the 2021 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl,” Miami Athletic Director Jennifer Strawley said in a statement. “This team worked hard all season to earn a bowl invitation and my heart goes out to our student-athletes, especially our seniors. … We regret the impact this has on the Washington State program and their postseason experience.”

Speaking of the Cougars, shortly after Miami’s withdrawl, WSU coach Jake Dickert went on Twitter and offered to play “any opponent” while Washington State announced it was working with the Pac-12 and the Sun Bowl Association to find an opponent. Washington State late Monday announced it would play in the Sun Bowl against Central Michigan after CMU’s game, the Arizona Bowl, was canceled because of an outbreak on the Boise State roster.

Miami’s withdrawl came less than 24 hours after two other bowls scheduled for this week were canceled, the Military Bowl and Fenway Bowl. Both were canceled last year as well; the Fenway Bowl is still waiting for its inaugural game to take place. And the Hawaii Bowl was canceled the night before Christmas as Hawaii did not have enough players to play Memphis.

Boston College had to withdraw from the Military Bowl instead of playing East Carolina while Virginia had to withdrawal from its Fenway Bowl matchup with SMU.

“We want to thank the Fenway Bowl and its staff for their preparation to host the game and for their communication with us over the past few days,” Virginia Athletic Director Carla Williams said. “We appreciate all of the hard work by our team and coaching staff. They earned this bowl invitation, and it is unfortunate they will not be able to compete in the game to complete the season. We regret how this also impacts our fans who were planning on attending the game as well as the SMU program and its fans.”

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Duke Postpones Two Games

Posted: Monday, December 27

The ACC has postponed the next two scheduled Duke men’s basketball games because of COVID-19 issues within the Blue Devils program. The team, ranked No. 2 last week, was scheduled to play against Clemson and Notre Dame.

Duke is 11-1 in Mike Krzyzewski’s final season highlighted by a win over then-No. 1 Gonzaga in November. Duke’s next scheduled game is January 4 against Georgia Tech. Krzyzewski said last week that he supported a return to daily testing among the protocols for this season with the spread of the omicron variant.

The ACC changed its policies last week as a result of omicron and reverted to last season’s protocols with games postponed instead of immediately considered forfeits. If a new date cannot be found for Duke’s two games, they will be considered no contests.

NFL, in bid to continue season, changes COVID testing protocols

Posted: Friday, December 24

The National Football League, dealing with more than 300 positive cases of COVID-19 among players within the past two weeks that has endangered games and with multiple weeks of the expanded regular season still to get played on time, has changed its policies including an end to testing vaccinated players who may be asymptomatic and would not know if they have contracted COVID.

NFL Chief Medical Officer Allen Sills said the league’s data shows asymptomatic individuals are not spreading the disease and the league is focusing on “symptom recognition and prompt testing.”

“I think all of our concern about [asymptomatic spread] has been going down based on what we’ve been seeing throughout the past several months,” Sills told ESPN on Thursday. “We’ve got our hands full with symptomatic people. Can I tell you tonight that there has never been a case when someone without symptoms passed it on to someone else? No, of course I can’t say that. But what I can say to you is that I think it’s a very, very tiny fraction of the overall problem, if it exists at all.”

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley (11) is tackled by Tampa Bay’s Ross Cockrell on December 12, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. Beasley, a vocal anti-vaccination player, tested positive for COVID this week. (AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)

Sills comments is a departure from the stance of public health authorities for much of the pandemic when it comes to the ability of asymptomatic individuals transmitting COVID to others. The belief that players would self-report symptoms and potentially miss games has drawn criticism from some, pointing out self-reporting injuries is not common throughout the league; that criticism then drew criticism that there is a difference between reporting an injury (which does not spread) to reporting symptoms of an infectious disease (which does).

“If omicron is borne out to be much more transmissible but less severe, that’s a win-win for everyone,” Asaf Bitton, executive director of Ariadne Labs and associate professor of health-care policy at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told the Washington Post about the change in testing strategy. “In the short term, that’s a lot of ifs and this strategy carries a risk of unintended consequences in the short term, even if it’s in the right direction long term.”

While the league says that 94 percent of its players are fully vaccinated — far outperforming the country in vaccination rates — there have been 154 positive tests this week and more than 300 in the past two weeks, showing the ease in which omicron is transmitted even among vaccinated individuals. Unvaccinated players must isolate for 10 days after a positive test; the new protocols give vaccinated players a chance to return to sooner based on a combination of negative tests and control threshold readings which would show the level of virus load they have and could potentially transmit to teammates.

The modified protocols come after the NFL came closer to canceling games than perhaps it ever did last season in the heart of the pandemic and before vaccines became widely available. NFLPA President JC Tretter, a center for the Browns, said the NFL wanted to cancel three games last week involving his team, Washington and the Los Angeles Rams.

The Raiders at Browns game was moved from Saturday to Monday. Seattle at the Rams and Washington at the Eagles went from Sunday to Tuesday night. The Rams were the only team that had their game moved and were able to win on the rescheduled date.

Two Raiders players before the game hinted on Twitter that their game against Cleveland was moved because Tretter is the NFLPA president rather than concerns over the Browns’ COVID status. Tretter — who tested positive on Thursday and will miss this weekend’s game — said he was focused on the NFL’s announcement before the season that should games be canceled, players would not be paid.

“The NFL’s position last week was that those three games were going to be canceled,” Tretter said Wednesday. “They weren’t going to be played, and if they weren’t played then nobody on either team was going to be paid. That’s obviously an issue for us as a union. Over 18 percent of our player population was at risk of not getting paid last week. Our position was we need to make sure all games are played in order for our guys to get paid.”

Last year there were 15 rescheduled games in the NFL season but no cancellations. There has been no talk of games this weekend being canceled and the NFL is determined to push ahead with the regular season as scheduled no matter the number of cases among teams, with several still having close to or over 20 players on the COVID list.

There is no denying that playing the rest of the season with the number of COVID-positive players rising is not ideal from a competitive standpoint. The New Orleans Saints, in the heart of the NFC wild-card race, will be starting rookie quarterback Ian Book because its top two QBs have tested positive; the New York Jets, in the midst of a race to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, may “have” an advantage with 20 players out, including two starting lineman and coach Robert Salah.

The Baltimore Ravens, in the heart of a tight AFC Central race, had only 13 healthy defensive players at practice on Thursday. And you have outliers in the league such as the Cincinnati Bengals with only one player on the COVID list (cornerback Chidobe Awuzie), leading quarterback Joe Burrow to half-jokingly say the team benefits from “there’s not a ton to do in Cincinnati. Nobody is going out to clubs and bars and getting COVID every weekend.”

Then there is the case of Buffalo’s Cole Beasley, who has fought seemingly anybody and everybody, including his own teammates, on social media about COVID testing all season and once said he would buy tickets for unvaccinated fans at road games because of Erie County’s policy of mandating vaccinations for entry to Bills games. Beasley, regardless of the NFL’s modified policies, is in the midst of a 10-day isolation after testing positive this week. He is, to no one’s surprise, unvaccinated.

NFL Schedule
All Times Eastern
Thursday’s Game
San Francisco at Tennessee, 8:20 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
Cleveland at Green Bay, 4:30 p.m.
Indianapolis at Arizona, 8:15 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Detroit at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Baltimore at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
L.A. Rams at Minnesota, 1 p.m.
Buffalo at New England, 1 p.m.
Jacksonville at N.Y. Jets,1 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Carolina, 1 p.m.
L.A. Chargers at Houston, 1 p.m.
Chicago at Seattle, 4:05 p.m. (proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required to attend)
Pittsburgh at Kansas City, 4:25 p.m.
Denver at Las Vegas, 4:25 p.m. (proof of vaccination required to attend)
Washington at Dallas, 8:20 p.m.
Monday’s Game
Miami at New Orleans, 8:15 p.m.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: CFP Released Outbreak Guidelines for Teams

Posted: Thursday, December 23

College football’s national champion could be decided away from the playing field if COVID has anything to do with it.

Ahead of the College Football Playoff semifinals on New Year’s Eve, the CFP management committee released its guidelines for this year’s event as the omicron variant continues surging throughout the country. The new policy allows for the chance that a team could win the national championship by default — as well as the potential for no champion to be recognized.

Under the guidelines, should one team not be able to play in its semifinal game, its opponent would win by forfeit. If two teams are unable to play, the two who are eligible will play for the national championship. And should a team reach the national championship and are unable to play on the original or a rescheduled date, its opponent would win the title by default.

Alabama coach Nick Saban, right, talks with Daniel Wright as he walks off the field during the second half against Missouri on September 26, 2020, in Columbia, Missouri. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

No. 1 Alabama faces No. 4 Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl while No. 2 Michigan plays No. 3 Georgia in the Orange Bowl on December 31. The January 10 national championship game in Indianapolis could be pushed back no later than January 14. If both teams can’t play on the original or rescheduled title game date, the national championship will be vacated.

Before the CFP could even announce its guidelines, Alabama announced that two of its offensive coaches, coordinator Bill O’Brien and line coach Doug Marrone, had tested positive. The Crimson Tide’s roster is more than 90 percent fully vaccinated, head coach Nick Saban said this week. Cincinnati, Michigan and Georgia’s rosters are all at least 90 percent fully vaccinated.

“As we prepare for the playoff, it’s wise and necessary to put into place additional precautions to protect those who will play and coach the games,” CFP executive director Bill Hancock said in a statement. “These policies will better protect our students and staffs while providing clarity in the event worst-case scenarios result.”

The news for the CFP guidelines comes on the same day that the first team had to withdraw from a bowl game. Texas A&M, scheduled to play Wake Forest in the Gator Bowl, announced it would not be able to play in the game on December 31 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Texas A&M Athletic Director Ross Bjork told ESPN the Aggies were down to 38 scholarship position players, of which 20 were offensive and defensive linemen. Sixteen bowl games weren’t played as scheduled after the 2020 season because of COVID-19. The Gator Bowl is searching for a replacement opponent, with multiple reports indicating that either Rutgers or Illinois may fill in for the Aggies.

HOCKEY: NHL Withdraws From Beijing Olympics

Posted: Wednesday, December 22

What was expected to be one of the spotlight events of the Olympic Winter Games will still take place but with a lot less star power, as the National Hockey League and players union have agreed to withdraw from its planned participation in Beijing.

The official announcement came Wednesday as NHL has dealt with a surge of breakthrough positive COVID-19 cases that has forced more than a quarter of the teams to pause their seasons in the past two weeks alone. Just over 16 percent of the league’s players are in health protocols as of Monday.

Canada forward Sidney Crosby scores a goal on Sweden goaltender Henrik Lundqvist during the second period of the men’s gold medal ice hockey game at the 2014 Winter Olympics. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, Pool)

“The National Hockey League respects and admires the desire of NHL Players to represent their countries and participate in a ‘best on best’ tournament. Accordingly, we have waited as long as possible to make this decision while exploring every available option to enable our Players to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “Unfortunately, given the profound disruption to the NHL’s regular-season schedule caused by recent COVID-related events — 50 games already have been postponed through Dec. 23 — Olympic participation is no longer feasible. We certainly acknowledge and appreciate the efforts made by the International Olympic Committee, the International Ice Hockey Federation and the Beijing Organizing Committee to host NHL Players but current circumstances have made it impossible for us to proceed despite everyone’s best efforts. We look forward to Olympic participation in 2026.”

The NHL, with only one unvaccinated player at the start of the season, was cruising through its schedule until mid-December; there were two teams put on pauses, the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders, but the five games that were postponed had been rescheduled. But as the omicron variant began spreading throughout the world, the league in quick succession had to put the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets on pause.

Cross-border games between Canadian and U.S. teams were also paused for nearly a full week. The league and union also announced the resumption of daily testing and other enhanced protocols through New Year’s Day. Heading into the Christmas break, the league’s number of postponed games had risen to 42, 37 of those in the past week.

ESPN reported that an issue with rescheduling currently postponed games or moving up games that are scheduled for later in the season is that many buildings that are home to NHL teams already have booked concerts and other events during the planned Olympic break in an attempt to make up for lost revenue from 2020 and early 2021.

The NHL planned to take a three-week break after All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas for players to participate in the Olympics, which was agreed to as part of the latest collective bargaining agreement. The league had a withdrawal deadline of January 10 without financial penalty after negotiations with the International Ice Hockey Federation and International Olympic Committee.

The rising cases are the main driver behind the decision to withdraw but another key factor was the realization that — according to China’s latest edition of the Games playbooks — anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 in China could be forced to quarantine for up to five weeks. The belief that China would not give any exemptions to the NHL got the attention of players who, this season, will not be paid for any games missed because of a positive test.

“Obviously, it’s unsettling if that were to be the case when you go over there.” Edmonton Oilers and Canadian superstar Connor McDavid said last week. “I’m still a guy that’s wanting to go play in the Olympics. But we also want to make sure it’s safe for everybody. For all the athletes, not just for hockey players.”

While multiple players had said they wanted more answers about protocols, only two players — Vegas Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner and San Jose defenseman Erik Karlsson —said they would not go to Beijing.

“I think it’ll be good to have some clarity on the COVID protocols over there,” Chicago Blackhawks goalie Marc-Andre Fleury told NBCSN Chicago earlier this month. “If you go to the tournament and stay between four walls for 4-5 weeks by yourself over there, not come back to your team, not play for a month or so and not see your family, too, I think it’s something you have to take into consideration.”

Players also will miss out on the chance to broaden their name recognition. While they have had successful careers, players such as since-retired Ryan Miller and T.J. Oshie are best known for their Olympic accomplishments rather than what they have achieved in the NHL.

“I think everyone looks at the Olympics as a best-on-best tournament,” Oshie said during an Olympic media summit earlier in the season. “To have the NHL players have the chance to get back in the Olympics, I think is so important for our game. For a lot of young players that might not had the chance to play at the last Olympics, I think it’s very important that they get an opportunity to do that, to represent their country and see what it feels like to have the honor of doing that.”

“You grow up as a kid and you want to play in the NHL, but I think the Olympics is the biggest stage, with the best hockey players in the world playing against each other,” Chicago’s Seth Jones added. “I know the guys weren’t happy in ’18 not being able to compete, so I’m sure everyone is ecstatic that we would be able to go to Beijing this year.”

For the powerhouse Canada team, while Sidney Crosby has multiple Stanley Cups to his name, his legend is burnished by his gold-medal winning overtime goal in the 2010 Games in Vancouver to beat the United States.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of two [Olympics],” Crosby said. “I definitely feel for the guys who have missed numerous opportunities. It’s not something where it’s the next year or you push it a couple of months. These are experiences of a lifetime that you don’t get very many of as an athlete.”

And while the NHL would not have been able to do things such as use Olympic highlights because of copyright issues — a sore spot for Bettman, who kept players from competing at the 2018 Games in South Korea — the league also now will miss on the chance to make a mark in one of the biggest foreign markets in the world and get casual sports fans watching hockey.

“When you have 300 million people at your back, cheering for you and watching you, instead of certain cities around the league, it really brings the best out of you, and obviously is such a good way to grow the game,” Chicago’s Patrick Kane said in October. “It’s great for hockey in the United States, great for hockey around the world and especially going to a market like China, it’s a great way to grow the game.”

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Dozens of Programs on Pause With Outbreaks

Posted: Tuesday, December 21

While professional sports leagues have been working to postpone games, rather than cancel or award forfeits, there have been forfeits creeping into the college basketball season with more than three dozen programs now on pause because of COVID-19 positives.

Seton Hall and DePaul in the Big East Conference have had to take forfeit losses in the past week, joining Washington, which forfeited a game to UCLA earlier in December. And Tuesday morning came the first ACC cancellation of the season with Wake Forest awarded a forfeit win because of issues in Boston College’s program with COVID ahead of a game scheduled for Wednesday. While noted in the conference standings, the NCAA Tournament selection committee will not officially recognize the games as forfeits so when evaluating teams for potential at-large bids, those games will not show up on their team sheets.

Most college basketball conferences set up policies instituting forfeits in the preseason, thinking that it would be incentivize teams to become fully vaccinated. But the spread of omicron may give some leagues pause or make them re-consider those decisions given the spate of cancellations and postponements over the past week.

More than 50 games have been impacted in the first six weeks this season with overtones of last season, including games being scheduled on few hours’ notice. A showcase doubleheader in Las Vegas scheduled for this past Saturday with North Carolina against UCLA and Ohio State against Kentucky was adjusted when both UCLA and Ohio State had to pause action; instead, the Tar Heels and Wildcats played on national television.

Kentucky’s biggest rivalry game, against Louisville and scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed. Should the teams not be able to find a rescheduled date, it would be the first time in 40 years that the teams did not tip off.

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski reacts to an official during the second half of a game against North Carolina in Durham, North Carolina, in March 2020. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, in his final season, said Saturday ahead of ACC play that he believes mandatory testing should return to league schools. Duke played Elon on Saturday, winning by 31 points, after two previous matchups against Cleveland State and Loyola (Maryland) fell through because those schools paused play.

“I don’t know why we can’t do that,” Krzyzewski said after the game, adding “I don’t like the forfeit thing and I don’t like the fact that the two teams are not tested the day before, the night before like we did last year.”

Last year’s college basketball season finished in an Indianapolis bubble environment and while nobody this season has suggested that plans be brought back for a repeat, some have already expressed concern about the current NCAA rules that require teams to play 25 games to be eligible for the postseason — a mark that few hit because of the limits on non-conference play.

NCAA Executive Vice President Dan Gavitt told The Athletic over the weekend that should circumstances worsen as the season goes on, the rule could be modified. Last year’s minimum games played was 13.

“It’s not something we need to do right now but if we get into mid to late January and it’s an ongoing problem, it’s something we might have to look into,” Gavitt said.

NHL: League Plans Pause over Christmas Period

Posted: Monday, December 20

The National Hockey League will start its Christmas break two days earlier with the league being shut down Wednesday as more than 15 percent of league’s players are in COVID protocols and more than one quarter of the league’s teams already shut down.

Players will report back to their clubs on December 26 for testing, practice and/or travel only. Upon return to team facilities, no individual in the team’s traveling party shall enter the facility other than for testing purposes until they have a negative test result. The season will resume on December 27.

Players are set to report back December 26 with games resuming December 27. Only two games will be played on Tuesday; even before the pause, the Wednesday schedule was entirely wiped out by team pauses.

The league has already enhanced its protocols in a return to last season’s measures, including daily testing, and postponed all games through Christmas that involved cross-border travel between Canada and the U.S. The league and players association have recommended that players get a COVID booster but it is not mandated; vaccination was not mandated this season but only one player, Detroit’s Tyler Bertuzzi, has not gotten his shots.

With nearly 50 games postponed so far this season, the majority of those this week, the probability of the NHL taking a three-week break for players to go to Beijing and compete in the Olympic Winter Games decreases by the day. The NHL and NHLPA said it will announce a decision in the coming days on participation in the Games, which begin February 4; the league can withdraw without financial penalty no later than January 10, a scenario that looks more likely with each passing day.

Even before the postponements, given the strict protocols that China has said it will enforce for all athletes who test positive while in Beijing, there was a growing sense of unease among NHL players. An athlete who tests positive for COVID-19 in Beijing will need to produce two negative results 24 hours apart or face a quarantine period that could last up to five weeks.

“Obviously, it’s unsettling if that were to be the case when you go over there.” Edmonton Oilers and Canadian superstar Connor McDavid said last week. “I’m still a guy that’s wanting to go play in the Olympics. But we also want to make sure it’s safe for everybody. For all the athletes, not just for hockey players.”

NBA: League Plans to Play Through Outbreaks

Posted: Monday, December 20

As its biggest day of the season approaches on Christmas, the NBA has soaring numbers of players in health and safety protocols with five games scheduled for this week postponed as multiple teams have had as many as 10 players test positive for COVID-19.

Three Sunday games were called off: Cleveland at Atlanta, Denver at Brooklyn and New Orleans at Philadelphia. Also shelved were Orlando’s game at Toronto on Monday and Washington’s game at Brooklyn on Tuesday. In the past week alone, stars including Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Atlanta’s Trae Young, Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant and Lakers coach Frank Vogel have tested positive. Through Sunday, there were 68 players in protocols throughout the league; the NBPA says that 97 percent of its players are vaccinated and 60 percent have received boosters as of last week.

The numbers have been shocking in the past week as omicron has surged throughout the country. The Cavaliers had five players test positive on Sunday; the Chicago Bulls just returned to action after having two games postponed with 10 players in protocols; Brooklyn currently has 10 players in protocols including Durant and Irving, who is famously unvaccinated and went into protocols less than 24 hours after the Nets announced they changed their minds and would let him join the team on a part-time basis.

Irving has not played this season because as he is unvaccinated, he does not comply with New York City’s mandate that all workers in the city have gotten their shots. Brooklyn opted to play without him to start the season instead of allowing him to take part in practices and road games — except for Toronto. The Nets announced on Friday that as its number of players testing positive was starting to rise, it would allow Irving to return on a part-time basis given that the roster was so depleted. But within 48 hours he had landed in protocols — along with Durant, one of the league’s top superstars and leading scorers this season.

The NBA has shown no signs of putting its season on a pause especially with the marquee Christmas schedule looming. ESPN reported the league and players union agreed Sunday night to new rules that allow teams to sign a replacement player for each positive COVID-19 case on its roster with that replacement player’s salary not counting toward the salary cap or a team’s luxury tax payment. The league will also allow for players on two-way contracts between the NBA and G League to play an unlimited number of NBA games; the cap entering the season had been 50 games in the NBA, at which point a player’s contract would have to be guaranteed.

NFL: Omicron Spread Puts League on Edge

Updated: Saturday, December 18

The NFL and players union have increased health and safety protocols in the wake of the omicron variant’s ever‐increasing spread throughout the United States, with three teams facing severe roster shortages heading into this weekend’s games and the league finally yielding on one thing it insisted would not happen this year — the postponement of games.

The Browns’ game scheduled for Saturday against the Las Vegas Raiders will be rescheduled for Monday night, the first time the league has rescheduled a game this season and comes near the end of what has been by far the worst week for the NFL in dealing with the pandemic this season. The NFL also will reschedule to Tuesday games between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, as well as Washington and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass during an NFL football game, Sunday, December 12, 2021 in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Matt Durisko)

Washington, Cleveland and the Rams each have more than 20 players in NFL COVID-19 protocols and there have been more than 150 players placed on the list overall in the league. All 32 teams will return to intensive protocols for at least the next two weeks with mandatory mask wearing indoors, no in‐person team or position meetings, limits on how many people can be in weight rooms at one time and no team meals at facilities. Players will also have restrictions on activities outside team buildings the next two weeks.

Saturday brought another announcement from the NFL and players union with more changes to the protocols, announcing that the frequency with which vaccinated, asymptomatic players and personnel are tested. Under the latest set of changes, players that who are vaccinated and show symptoms will be isolated but those who are not showing symptoms will be subject to “targeted testing” in which a specific group of individuals will be tested one week before a different group is tested the following week.

“I would not describe it as we’re stopping testing; we’re trying to test smarter and in a more strategic fashion,” Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, told reporters on Saturday.

The NFLPA has been asking for daily testing for all players since the preseason but the league resisted. The union again called for daily testing on Wednesday, saying “the NFL decided to take away a critical weapon in our fight against the transmission of COVID-19 despite our union’s call for daily testing months ago.”

Sills said Wednesday that he believes testing does not stop the spread of COVID. But Thursday, when announcing the updated protocols, Sills admitted this week showed the first evidence of transmission within team facilities this season.

One of the many Browns who have tested positive this week, quarterback Baker Mayfield, ripped the league on Twitter on Thursday as frustration throughout the league rose with protocols being revised on a daily basis.

“@NFL Make up your damn mind on protocols,” Mayfield tweeted. “All so you can keep the game as scheduled to make money,” adding in a later tweet “Actually caring about player safety would mean delaying the game with this continuing at the rate it is …. But to say you won’t test vaccinated players if they don’t have symptoms, then to pull this randomly. Doesn’t make any sense to me.”

The situation this season is different compared to last season when vaccines were not available. The NFL was able to get the season finished on time, but it did reschedule multiple games to get it done without having to extend the regular season.

Before the preseason started, the NFL — in an effort to incentivize vaccinations among players — said the regular season would not be extended should there be an outbreak and that games would be canceled and called forfeits should a team have to cancel a game due to an outbreak among unvaccinated players. But the announcement did not address what would happen if there was an outbreak on a team through a series of breakthrough positives among vaccinated players.

Even before this week there have been moments this season that have served as reminders that the virus never went away — Ndamukong Suh, Aaron Rodgers, Davonte Adams, Jalen Ramsey, Chandler Jones, T.J. Watt, Ben Roethlisberger and Mike McCarthy are all people who have missed at least one game this season after landing on the NFL’s reserve/COVID‐19 list.

“Here we go, we’re in the last month of the season and we’ve got a shot to make it through,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said earlier this week. “I don’t know after today what’s going to happen, but everybody has to continually be reminded. Stop griping about it. Stop griping about being healthy and helping other people be healthy. I don’t get that. That’s beyond me. It’s so far away from personal rights. I don’t get it. … It’s constant as anything we’ve ever been around. We just have to do a good job. I’ve got to do better. I have to remind guys more.”

Given the surge of positive tests throughout the sports world at large, the NFL this week told coaches, front office and team personnel who are regarded as Tier 1 or Tier 2 and have daily contact with players that they must get a COVID‐19 booster by December 27.

Another change announced Thursday will be protocols to make it easier for players who are vaccinated and asymptomatic to return to practice and games. Testing will measure a player’s viral load and it shows a player that as viral load that is considered not contagious, they would be cleared to return.

The league has experience in playing through a pandemic — it did so last year and was able to get through the season on time without adding an extra week to the regular season. But protocols were notably stricter last season — masks on sidelines have been an anomaly this fall — with vaccinations perhaps leading to overconfidence about not getting a breakthrough positive rather than remaining vigilant.

“That’s the whole issue worldwide,” Carroll said. “People get fatigued from it. We can’t let that happen. Even though everybody is human and you get worn down by the reminders. It’s stressful when you have to be continually reminded and thoughtful of something that you wouldn’t normally do. It wears on you, and we try to avoid it. We look for ways to get out of it. That’s the conversation we hear all the time, that’s the national clamor. It is about being diligent. Diligence comes from the constant reminders and the discipline that it takes to stick with it.”

NFL Schedule
All times Eastern
Thursday’s Game
Kansas City 34, L.A. Chargers 28 (OT)
Saturday’s Game
New England at Indianapolis, 8:15 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Carolina at Buffalo, 1 p.m. (fans must show proof of vaccination to attend)
Arizona at Detroit, 1 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at Miami, 1 p.m.
Dallas at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.
Tennessee at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
Houston at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Cincinnat at Denver, 4:05 p.m.
Atlanta at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m.
Green Bay at Baltimore, 4:25 p.m.
New Orleans at Tampa Bay, 8:20 p.m.
Monday’s Game
Las Vegas at Cleveland, 5 p.m.
Minnesota at Chicago, 8:20 p.m.
Tuesday’s Games
Washington at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Seattle at L.A. Rams, 7 p.m. (Fans must show proof of vaccination or negative test to attend)

NHL: Multiple Teams Shut Down Through Christmas

Posted: Friday, December 17

The National Hockey League has extended the period of game postponements for the Calgary Flames through their game previously scheduled for December 23 against Seattle as well as shutting down games involving the Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers through at least December 26.

The news comes as one of the spotlight events for the upcoming 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, the return of NHL players to the men’s hockey competition, has been overshadowed by team shutdowns and questions from several players about what China has planned for potential positive tests.

The realization that — according to China’s latest edition of the Games playbooks — that anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 in China could be forced to quarantine for up to five weeks has gotten the attention of players who, this season, will not be paid for any games missed because of a positive test.

“Clearly I think things are a little bit more uneasy than they were,” Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares told reporters Monday. “There’s going to be some hurdles and some challenges currently (where) things stand and the way they present themselves. … You talk about a five-week quarantine, if you’ve already been over there for a few weeks, that’s a really long time.”

Carolina Hurricanes’ Teuvo Teravainen (86) celebrates his goal with teammates Brendan Smith (7), Maxime Lajoie (42) and Nino Niederreiter (21) during the second period of an NHL game against the Buffalo Sabres in Raleigh, North Carolina, on December 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

Should any player test positive within Beijing’s closed loop system, a potential five-week quarantine would mean missing potentially half of the remaining 10 weeks in the regular season. There are more than 30 players in the league’s COVID protocols; along with the three team shutdowns announced on Friday, the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders had pauses earlier this season for team outbreaks.

“I think it’ll be good to have some clarity on the COVID protocols over there,” Chicago Blackhawks goalie Marc-Andre Fleury told NBCSN Chicago. “If you go to the tournament and stay between four walls for 4-5 weeks by yourself over there, not come back to your team, not play for a month or so and not see your family, too, I think it’s something you have to take into consideration.”

While multiple players have said they want more answers about protocols, to date two players — Vegas Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner and San Jose defenseman Erik Karlsson — have said they would not go to Beijing.

“There’s just too many uncertainties crossing the waters and going into a different nation and different country where we can’t get a straight answer about anything,” Karlsson told reporters on Wednesday. “There’s going to be guys that are going to test positive, and there’s going to be people that are going to have to go through whatever it is that we’re going to have to go through if that happens, which we don’t really know what that is. So, for me, having a family, I can’t take that risk.”

For its part, the NHL remains concerned about the Beijing Games.

“We have real concerns about that, even pre-COVID in terms of the impact on the season,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said last week during the owners meetings in Florida. “Our concerns have only been magnified. … we have expressed those concerns to the NHL Players Association and we’ve seen a number of players are now expressing concerns. We’ll have to see how this ultimately plays out.”

During each NHL team pausing its season, the reports have been the NHL and NHLPA could opt out of the Olympics by January 10. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly last week said that is date in which financial penalties don’t apply but the decision to withdraw could come after if needed.

“I don’t think this is going to be the ideal Olympic experience in terms of the lockdowns in the Olympic village and everything else that’s going on,” Bettman said. “But again, we made a promise to the players and we’re going to, to the best of our ability, adhere to it.’’

The NHLPA wants clarity on from IOC and IIHF officials on what happens to a player at the Olympics if he tests positive for COVID-19. Sportsnet reported Saturday that players will have a chance to ask questions about the Olympics this week after handbook detailing the exact COVID protocols at the Games was released.

“If we have ideas about how to do something better, we’re not going to be bashful about it,’’ NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr told The Athletic last week.

The NHL announced on Wednesday enhanced protocols for the next two weeks in the hopes of curtailing the rise of player positives. The protocols will be much like what players experienced last season with daily testing, face masks worn at all facilities and virtual meetings instead of in person. While the NHL does not plan to mandate boosters, the league itself only has one player who is not vaccinated, Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi.

Indoor Precautions, Daily Testing and Masks: Sports on the Brink

Updated: Wednesday, December 15

The past two days in professional sports have been dominated by off-field headlines in regard to COVID-19 and the ever-spreading Omicron variant. Just the past 36 hours alone has seen the following news;

ESPN reported the NFL had 37 positive COVID tests on Monday and the Cleveland Browns entered enhanced COVID protocols with daily testing regardless of vaccination status and mandatory masking after eight players tested positive — followed by coach Kevin Stefanski and quarterback Baker Mayfield testing positive on Wednesday morning ahead of the team’s game against the Vegas Raiders on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Rams entered enhanced protocols on Tuesday afternoon after six players were put on the COVID list including Odell Beckham Jr., who earlier this season said “I don’t think COVID can get to me. I don’t think it’s going to enter this body. I don’t want no part of it, it don’t want no parts of me. It’s a mutual respect.” Overall, the NFL has more than 70 players in the COVID protocols after positive tests this week alone.
One of the biggest names in the NBA, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, entered protocols after a positive test that may rule him out of the Bucks’ Christmas Day game against the Boston Celtics. The Brooklyn Nets had seven players enter the league’s protocols within a 24-hour span including star James Harden, leaving the team eight healthy players. The NBA postponed two Chicago Bulls games this week, the first adjustments to the schedule it has had to make this season. Over the past two weeks, 31 players in the league have entered health and safety protocols.
The NHL announced the Calgary Flames will have games through at least Thursday postponed after six players and one staff member tested positive. There are 30 players in the league’s COVID protocols and Tuesday’s game between the Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes was postponed after four Hurricanes tested positive.
Manchester United, one of the most recognizable franchises in the world, said its Premier League game scheduled for Tuesday against Brentford was postponed as the league announced 42 players tested positive this weekend. And in what could be the next step for U.S. pro leagues, the Premier League’s clubs will re-introduce daily testing for players and staffers within team facilities.
DreamHack Anaheim, announced last week for February 11–13, has been cancelled due to “increased difficulties in hosting the festival in a qualitative way.”
The Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and Ottawa Senators will be limited to 50 percent capacity at home games starting Saturday with the Ontario government saying “this measure is being taken to reduce opportunities for close contact in high-risk indoor settings with large crowds and when masks are not always worn.”

Los Angeles Rams receiver Odell Beckham Jr. hauls in a touchdown pass against Arizona Cardinals’ Marco Wilson (20) during an NFL football game Monday, Dec.13, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

So the question for these professional leagues is what happens as the winter turns even colder in the coming weeks ahead of Christmas and New Year’s Eve, which like Thanksgiving are traditional holidays where big gatherings are normal?

It is important to stress that professional sports this week has merely been mirroring the United States and world at large with cases rising like they did last winter as more people are forced to spend time indoors, where COVID is more easily transmissible. There is also something to be said for the increased number of positives in the NBA and NFL coming at a time where they have been increasing the amount of testing since Thanksgiving compared to earlier in the season; there exists the possibility that some positives before Thanksgiving may not have been known because there was less testing and players could have been asymptomatic.

The NFL has not been testing on a daily basis in spite of the NFLPA’s requests to do so, although the league did strengthen its protocols following Thanksgiving. Monday is when the NFL tests all players and personnel regardless of vaccination status; those who are fully vaccinated only have to be tested on Monday while unvaccinated players are tested daily. Some teams have been proactive; the New York Jets announced that it would be holding all team meetings virtually this week instead of in-person to reduce the risk of indoor transmission.

There also is a difference between testing positive and having symptoms. The Bulls have 10 players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols but “we’ve got a lot of guys sitting at home with no symptoms,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan told reporters Saturday. But for most of the Bulls players, their experience is not the same as Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, who did have symptoms and admitted “I really thought I wasn’t gonna make it. It was that bad.”

Whether the protocols around professional sports strengthen is up for debate — particularly in regard to masking. Masks are seldom seen on NFL sidelines this season after being strictly enforced in 2020; masks being worn by the NBA’s coaches and players, when looking up and down benches during a game, is not as visible as last season. Part of that is simple human nature of being told your status is ‘fully vaccinated’ but each passing day and week is a reminder that wearing a mask further reduces your chances of having a breakthrough positive.

Having players in all leagues return to the same masking protocols on benches like last season would not hurt competition and it would also be a good public reminder for fans, especially at indoor arenas where teams ‘encourage’ mask wearing but they are seldom worn. While the NBA has a policy that fans within 15 feet of the court must wear masks except when actively eating or drinking, a casual observer watching on TV can see that policy being ignored by a majority of attendees.

While the news of the past few days has been concerning, pro leagues have had widespread success this season overall. The NFL has not postponed any games after having to multiple times last season; the Bulls’ postponements are the first for the NBA after having 31 games canceled or postponed last season; the NHL has had multiple postponements but several of those games have been rescheduled.

Vaccination rates have been tremendous in pro sports as well especially compared to the general public. The NHL’s vaccination rate is one of the best in sports; the NBA has said 97 percent of its players are vaccinated and the NFL is over 90 percent as well. And the leagues, still mindful of the financial losses from the 2020–2021 seasons, will be highly resistant to another pause in play given the hundreds of millions at stake.

But as the saying goes: When it rains, it pours. For pro leagues this week, it has been a thunderstorm.

NBA: Breakthrough Positives Increasing Throughout League

Posted: Monday, December 13

The Chicago Bulls, in the midst of a widespread COVID outbreak that has affected 10 players on its roster, will have the next two games postponed by the NBA. ESPN first reported the news.

The Bulls will have games against the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors rescheduled for later dates. Ten Bulls players had entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols since December 1: Coby White, Javonte Green, DeMar DeRozan, Matt Thomas, Derrick Jones Jr., Ayo Dosunmu, Stanley Johnson, Zach LaVine, Troy Brown Jr. and Alize Johnson on Monday morning.

Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan dribbles in front of Orlando Magic forward Chuma Okeke during the second half of a game on November 26, 2021, in Orlando, Florida. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Because of all the positives, the Bulls would have only eight players available for the Pistons game — the league minimum. However the league considered Chicago’s situation and postponed the games since one of those players was only signed last Friday and three others have seldom been on the Bulls roster this season, spending most of the season in the G League.

The NBA postponed 31 games due to COVID-19 last season. The league’s issues with breakthrough COVID positives among vaccinated coaches and players is getting worse in the post-Thanksgiving period as testing as increased throughout the league, with multiple teams short-handed and one needing emergency roster exceptions.

The NBPA says 97 percent of the league is vaccinated and reports have indicated about 60 percent of players have received a booster shot. The NBA has not had to postpone any games to this point, while its winter pro sports counterpart, the National Hockey League, has had to postpone five games involving the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders at separate points this season due to breakthrough positives on both teams.

The issues go beyond players. Indiana Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle tested positive and missed his team’s game Friday against the Dallas Mavericks, the team he coached for more than a decade before leaving this past summer for Indiana. Carlisle is fully vaccinated and has gotten his booster, reported ESPN; the Pacers had already canceled Thursday’s practice out of “an abundance of caution” and assistant coach Lloyd Pierce is leading the Pacers in Carlisle’s absence.

Toronto Raptors Vice-Chairman and President Masai Ujiri tested positive as well last week despite being fully vaccinated and having gotten a booster. Ujiri said he was at a Giants of Africa event Sunday, then learned of “positive COVID-19 tests among our guests.” The event was held in compliance with public health guidelines. Ujiri is in self-isolation at home for 10 days.

The Charlotte Hornets have been down five players to health and safety protocols: LaMelo Ball, Jalen McDaniels, Mason Plumlee, Terry Rozier and Ish Smith. Teams beyond the Bulls and Hornets have had issues as well. Caleb Martin of the Heat went into the protocols on Saturday night, two days after a career-high 28 points in a win over the Bulls. Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, who is sideline with a knee injury, entered health and safety protocols on Wednesday.

NFL: Montez Sweat’s COVID Diagnosis a Reminder of Dangers of Vaccine Hesitancy

Posted: Friday, December 10

During the offseason, Washington defensive end Montez Sweat said he was not vaccinated against COVID-19 and would not get vaccinated, infamously saying “I haven’t caught COVID yet. I don’t see me treating COVID until I actually get COVID.”

Be careful what you wish for, then?

Sweat, who has remained unvaccinated, tested positive this week and will miss his team’s game against the Dallas Cowboys . The NFL’s protocols call for a minimum of 10 days isolation for unvaccinated players who test positive, meaning Sweat may also miss next week’s game against another division rival, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts is sacked by Washington’s Montez Sweat during a game on January 3, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Sweat, who has missed time this season with an injury before his positive test, made his anti-vaccine comments after Washington coach Ron Rivera brought in an expert to speak with players and answer any questions they may have during minicamps. Rivera did so because he was disappointed with his team’s vaccination rate at the time, especially because he is immunocompromised as a cancer survivor.

Washington plays Sunday against its biggest rival in the Cowboys, who will have head coach Mike McCarthy return after he missed the last game after testing positive for COVID. McCarthy ran team meetings virtually as Dallas beat the New Orleans Saints; he and five other staffers missed the game.

“We’re back to a pretty normal protocol,” McCarthy said as the Cowboys re-opened meetings and the cafeteria after temporary closures. “We actually expanded some of the meeting rooms just to be extra cautious. We’ve been able to have bigger rooms for our O-line and D-line is probably the only big change.”

McCarthy has been in a hotel near the team’s training complex since November 26 and will continue to do so because he has four family members who are also recovering from COVID after testing positive.

“We just want to make sure we get our home space 100% clear before we have everybody back at the house,” he said. “I’m just thankful that it is behind me and, frankly, I can get back to my job full-time. It’s a challenge not being there every day, especially with what’s right in front of us, the Washington challenge. I’ll definitely look at it as a silver lining as obviously I don’t have to deal with [testing] for the next 90 days.”

And there was more news on late Saturday night when ESPN reported that six Detroit Lions are on the COVID list with as many as a dozen more who are battling the flu, putting the team at a disadvantage against Denver. The report indicated a scenario that has come up is delaying the game until Monday night.

NFL Schedule

All Times Eastern
Thursday’s Game
Minnesota 36, Pittsburgh 28
Sunday’s Games
Baltimore at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Jacksonville at Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Las Vegas at Kansas City, 1 p.m.
New Orleans at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.
Dallas at Washington, 1 p.m.
Atlanta at Carolina, 1 p.m.
Seattle at Houston, 1 p.m.
Detroit at Denver, 4:05 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at L.A. Chargers, 4:05 p.m. (fans must show proof of vaccination or negative test to attend)
San Francisco at Cincinnati, 4:25 p.m.
Buffalo at Tampa Bay, 4:25 p.m.
Chicago at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m.
Monday’s Game
L.A. Rams at Arizona, 8:15 p.m.

SOCCER: Premier League Returns to Emergency Protocols

Posted: Friday, December 10

The Premier League, which postponed a match scheduled for Sunday after eight players and five staffers at Tottenham Hotspur players tested positive for COVID, has told all 20 clubs to return to emergency measures including social distancing in meetings and mask wearing.

Protocols include wearing masks in indoor areas, therapy taking no longer than 15 minutes and medical staff required to be wearing full PPE when in contact with players. The measures were being used at the start of the season but some teams have since gone away from adhering to the measures.

Tottenham was forced to close its first-team training center on Wednesday ahead of Sunday’s postponement of its game against Brighton. Leicester City played in the Europa League on Thursday and is still scheduled to play its Premier League match on Sunday against Newcastle despite reportedly missing seven players with positive tests.

The league’s moves come one day after the British government announced that at any sporting event with more than 10,000 people, proof of double vaccination or a negative test is required.

SOCCER: MLS Ready for Sellout Title Game in Portland

Posted: Thursday, December 9

The dichotomy is striking for Major League Soccer — one year after its championship was played in front of a restricted number of fans in Ohio, this year’s title game will be played in front of a sellout, raucous crowd in Portland, Oregon, when the host Timbers play New York City FC.

While MLS has finished the 2021 season with big crowds at playoff matches, it did have to start the season with its three Canadian teams — Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal — playing in U.S. markets because of cross-border travel restrictions.

“We started this year with little sense as to how the pandemic would play out,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. “I certainly did not think it would be year two of a virtual State of the League, but we were able to get fans back to our stadiums in all markets for most of the year.”

Portland Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark (12) walks onto the pitch as a tifo is displayed before the MLS Western Conference final between the Timbers and Real Salt Lake on December 4, 2021, in Portland, Oregon. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

Vancouver, in particular, spent the first few months of the season playing ‘home’ games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Garber also said the league’s continuing effort to find a new owner for Real Salt Lake, which made the Western Conference title game before losing to Portland after MLS took over the team’s operations last year. Reports earlier this season indicated a group that includes Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils co-owner David Blitzer was close to a deal.

“We continue to be engaged with and in discussions with potential owners,” Garber said. “You’ve heard rumors about that. I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to get something closed. We had a timetable to get that done by the end of the year. We’ll see if that’s still achievable. That’s only a couple of weeks away. If not I’m hopeful we’ll get something done soon.”

The RSL sale would also include Rio Tinto Stadium and Zion’s Bank Stadium, two venues that fall under the team’s properties. As part of its continued building boom, three MLS teams opened stadiums this season with Lower.com Field in Columbus, TQL Stadium in Cincinnati and Q2 Stadium in Austin.

“They are absolutely spectacular,” Garber said. “Each one brought a whole new level of design, of fan amenities, of technology, and certainly of energy for their local supporters.”

One of the league’s teams that is still renting space to play games is one of Saturday’s title participants. NYCFC’s home games are typically played at Yankee Stadium although they have at times had to play at the home of its rival, New York Red Bulls, in Harrison, New Jersey.

“The situation in New York as you know continues to evolve,” Garber said. “… I harken back to getting asked this question in D.C., and it took them 20 years to build Audi Field. I’m not saying it’s going to take that long with NYCFC, but we’ve got to get it right. It’s not easy to build stadiums in large cities, and New York is the largest in our league, so I’m confident in time they’ll be able to have a stadium of their own.”

The newest addition to the league will be Charlotte FC, which will play at the Carolina Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium instead of trying to build its own stadium.

“We are very proud of the soccer stadiums that we’ve built, and in most markets that is the solution,” Garber said. “… When we looked at Charlotte we basically accepted the fact that in that market, the location of the team, the relevance of the Panthers, the new ownership group, that this could be another example of us capturing the moment and trying to get the kinds of crowds that we’re able to attract in a large stadium, albeit one that is not built specifically for the sport.”

With Charlotte coming into the league next season followed by St. Louis SC in 2023, the league’s 29th team. MLS has focused discussions on the league’s 30th team in Las Vegas and discussions with Milwaukee Bucks owner Wes Edens, although Garber said Phoenix and San Diego are at least still being discussed.

“We’re excited about the market as are all leagues here in North America,” Garber said of Las Vegas. “Wes is a guy that we all have long standing relationships with, and by the way, he had looked at other MLS clubs over the years. We’ll continue those discussions and continue to try to get something done within the next 10 months.”

NBA: Positives Among Players Rising

Posted: Tuesday, December 7

There have been no NBA games postponed this season because of COVID-19 after the league postponed nearly 30 games last season. But the number of NBA players placed in protocols has been steadily rising as the season continues with Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozen — hours after being named Eastern Conference player of the week —going into the league’s protocols.

DeRozan joined Coby White and Javonte Green as Bulls players in the protocols. DeRozan, in his first season with Chicago after joining as a free agent from San Antonio in the offseason, is fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 26.4 points per game. Matt Thomas became the fourth Bulls player in less than a week to enter the COVID protocols on Wednesday morning.

The Bulls are not the first team to be missing multiple players — or the only team currently. The Charlotte Hornets have four players in COVID protocols and the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this season had multiple players missing at the same time and two of its biggest stars, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris, both missed multiple games with breakthrough positives and symptoms.

“I really thought I wasn’t going to make it,” Embiid said after missing nine games. “It was that bad. So, I’m just thankful to be sitting here. I struggled with it, but I’m just glad I got over it and I’m just here.”

Embiid said he had trouble breathing and had “headaches worse than migraines … the whole body was just done, I guess. It was not a good time.”

For his part, Harris told reporters upon his return, “I just thought I had allergies at first. When I got back home (after testing positive), that night was rough — fever, body aches, the whole nine. From there, it was tough.”

If a player has a positive test, the NBA mandates a minimum of 10 days of isolation. After that period, a player must undergo a cardiac screening and reconditioning to return. A player could clear the protocols by returning two negative PCR tests within a 24-hour period.

The most high-profile player to have gone into protocols was Lakers superstar LeBron James, who missed one game after first testing negative ahead of a game last Tuesday at Sacramento, then testing positive. James returned two negative PCR tests within a 24-hour period per league rules and was able to return to the team but admitted after Thursday’s game against the Clippers that he thought “it was just handled very poorly.”

“Usually when you have a positive test, they’ll test you right away to make sure,” James said. “There was not a follow-up test after my positive test. It was straight to isolation and you’ve been put into protocol. That’s the part that kind of angered me. I had to figure out a way to get home from Sacramento by myself. They wouldn’t allow anyone to travel with me, no security, no anything, when I traveled back from Sacramento. And then I had to put my kids in isolation for the time being, the people in my household in isolation for the time being, so it was just a big-time inconvenience. That was the anger part.”

The Athletic has reported that players who have not received a booster will be subject to game-day testing starting December 17 and team personnel who have yet to receive the booster shot will no longer be permitted to interact with players or travel with their team. James was asked if he had received a booster and if not, whether he would.

“We’ve all been doing exactly what the protocols have told us to do and taking the tests and things of that nature,” James said. “It’s unfortunate when you get a false positive and you get put right into isolation. That’s just the unfortunate part. But we’ll see what happens.”

OLYMPICS: U.S. to Enact Diplomatic Boycott of Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games

Posted: Monday, December 6

The U.S. government has officially announced it will enact a diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Winter and Paralympic Games in response to China’s human rights record, a move that will prevent government officials from attending in an official capacity but that will allow Team USA athletes to compete.

The announcement from the White House, a decision made by President Joe Biden, had been expected for weeks after calls from within the U.S. government to take a stand on China’s record.

“This is just an indication that it cannot be business as usual,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. “That does not mean that is the end of the concerns we will raise about human rights abuses. … We feel this sends a clear message.”

In a statement, USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said the government will still support the U.S. athletic delegation, a move that differs from the last U.S. boycott in 1980 that kept U.S. athletes from competing at the Summer Olympic Games when they were held in Moscow.
“We greatly appreciate the unwavering support of the President and his administration and we know they will be cheering us on from home this winter,” Hirshland said in a statement. “Competing on behalf of the United States is an honor and a privilege, and Team USA is excited and ready to make the nation proud.”

The expected move, however, has been met with criticism by the hosts. China threatened on Monday “firm countermeasures” should the U.S. proceed with the diplomatic boycott of the Games. “Without being invited, American politicians keep hyping the so-called diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which is purely wishful thinking and grandstanding,” China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters at a daily briefing. “If the U.S. side is bent on going its own way, China will take firm countermeasures,” he added.

A police officer wearing a face mask and goggles to protect against COVID-19, stands near a poster of a skier on the wall at a train station in Zhangjiakou in northern China’s Hebei Province, Friday, Nov. 26, 2021. Zhangjiakou will host the FIS Ski Cross and Snowboard Cross World Cups this weekend as part of a series of test events leading up to the 2022 Winter Olympics. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

The diplomatic boycott also opens the doors for other U.S. Olympic dignitaries to attend. In a press conference updating Salt Lake City’s plans to bid for the 2030 or 2034 Games, bid President and CEO Fraser Bullock said he and a contingent from Salt Lake City intend to be in China. “Our focus is strictly on our Games that we are endeavoring to host,” he said. “Our focus is not on any diplomatic boycott or any political dynamics.”

While the boycott may present diplomatic challenges, the leadup to another Olympic and Paralympic Games has been dominated by talk of a new variant of COVID-19. But organizers for the Beijing Winter Games are holding firm that the event will go on as scheduled — similar to statements made by Tokyo organizers in the spring of 2020 in the weeks leading up to an eventual postponement.

At a daily briefing last Tuesday, Zhoa said Omicron would “certainly bring some challenges in terms of prevention and control” but added “I’m fully confident that the Winter Olympics will be held as scheduled, smoothly and successfully.”

While Beijing remains confident the Games will be staged as planned, organizers in Tokyo and within the IOC were similarly resolute in the weeks leading to when the Summer Games were scheduled to be held in 2020. But in the span of three weeks in March 2020, organizers went from saying preparations were “continuing as planned” to announcing a one-year postponement. And the Hong Kong Marathon organizers have already delayed the 2022 race, scheduled for February, back to November.

Beijing’s run-up to the Games has been dominated by anything except the competition that is planned to start in early February. The idea of having a Winter Games in the Chinese capital was met with criticism when the announcement was originally made years ago since Beijing was one of only two potential hosts left in the competition; the country’s alleged treatment of Turkic Muslim Uyghurs and the IOC’s refusal to acknowledge it has led to international criticism; and most recently, tennis star Peng Shuai’s accusation of sexual assault against a former top leader of the ruling Communist Party and the resulting question of her safety and well-being.

China plans some of the world’s strictest restrictions against freedom of movement for athletes and anybody coming from outside of the country to be at the Games — the hosts saying it is to limit potential transmission of COVID and critics hinting it is a convenient excuse to obstruct other reasons. Overseas spectators will not be allowed and the overall count of foreign visitors for the Games (an estimated 20,000) will be severely restricted compared to Tokyo’s protocols, when an estimated 50,000 attended. Athletes, staff and journalists will be confined to bubbles for the duration of the Games.

The level to which China restricts movement in and out of the country for COVID-related reasons was reiterated in mid-November when a Polish luge athlete, Mateusz Sochowicz, fractured his leg on November 8 during a training run and was hospitalized near Beijing. When Poland’s luge federation tried to get him home on a commercial flight, China told them that it would first require a two-week quarantine; Sochowicz traveled on an Air China cargo plane from Beijing to Milan instead before taking another flight to Warsaw, the Poland luge federation said, saying the cargo plane’s interior was like that of a passenger jet and “very comfortable.”

Against all of this is the backdrop of Switzerland’s new quarantine rules that threaten multiple World Cup winter sports events that athletes would be competing in to prepare for Beijing. Olympic officials in Switzerland urged the federal government to exempt international athletes and officials from mandatory 10-day quarantine periods from an ever-increasing number of countries on Switzerland’s red list, including Canada, where the most recent World Cup women’s races were held. World Cup champions Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States and Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland are scheduled to travel to Switzerland for two super-G races.

“If travel restrictions and quarantine rules are maintained, the organization of international sporting events in Switzerland will be in danger, if not impossible,” said Jürg Stahl, the president of Switzerland’s national Olympic committee.

Switzerland is also due to host events in cross-country skiing, ski jumping and ski cross in the next three weeks. The government on Monday canceled the 2021 World University Winter Games based at Lucerne with less than two weeks’ notice shortly before hundreds of athletes, coaches, officials and event staff were due to arrive.

FOOTBALL: New Variant Won’t Slow Big Game Attendance

Posted: Friday, December 3

The state of Michigan is the hottest spot for COVID-19 in the United States this week, leading the country in cases per 100,000 and with only 54 percent of the state’s population fully vaccinated, behind the U.S. average of 59 percent of all ages.

And last Saturday, more than 111,000 fans were shoulder to shoulder in Michigan Stadium to watch the Wolverines beat No. 2 Ohio State and move into the top four of the College Football Playoff rankings.

That was not the only enormous crowd during the final weekend of the regular season in college football;

LSU’s final home game under Ed Orgeron had 91,595 on hand to see the Tigers upset Texas A&M
A battle between two sub-.500 teams, Florida State at Florida, drew 88,491
Alabama’s dramatic comeback win over Auburn in double overtime was watched by 87,451
Clemson’s continued domination of in-state rival South Carolina had 79,897 in attendance
Tennessee attracted 77,349 to its victory against Vanderbilt
Texas finally winning at home, against Kansas State, drew 75,072

All told, those seven games were attended by over 611,000 people. If there was concern from some colleges that COVID would disrupt football attendance for the second year in a row, the numbers certainly have shown the concern was not needed. And after a 2020 season in which dozens of games were postponed or outright cancelled, only one FBS game this season was postponed with that game, Cal at Southern California, being played this weekend.

TV viewers can expect the same when watching conference championship games this weekend. While the Las Vegas Raiders have a vaccination mandate for its games at Allegiant Stadium, the Pac-12 Conference will not for its title matchup between Oregon and Utah on Friday night. Tickets for both the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis (Michigan vs. Iowa) and the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta (Georgia vs. Alabama) may be the most expensive on record for both events.

There also have not been any documented outbreaks stemming from fans heading to NFL games this season. The NFL’s official attendance total through 12 weeks is more than 12 million fans though the caveat must be noted that those numbers reflect tickets sold, not necessarily tickets used.

This weekend’s conference championship games for college football leaves the bowl season and College Football Playoff left before organizers can call an end to another season held throughout a pandemic. Should any games outside the CFP not be held because of a new variant, they will be a loss for the destinations that host, along with players and programs … but will not affect the overall season. That cannot be said for the NFL, however, with several weeks left to play in the regular season before the playoffs are even held. The NFL increased its health and safety protocols for Thanksgiving with increased testing and mandatory mask-wearing within team facilities, but the Dallas Cowboys were still without its head coach for Thursday’s game against New Orleans and Tuesday saw five players put on the reserve/COVID-19 list for positive tests.

The question then becomes whether the league will further strengthen its protocols in the midst of a new variant that could reach the United States as well as the overall winter season with some warning signs about increased positive numbers throughout the country. At this time, the league has not indicated if it will make any changes.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Two Teams Cancel Games

Posted: Friday, December 3

A week after playing at the Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, both the University of Washington and Nevada men’s basketball teams have had to postpone or cancel games because of COVID outbreaks within their programs.

Washington’s game scheduled for Thursday against Arizona was postponed and the Huskies’ game this weekend against UCLA is to be determined. Nevada’s game on Saturday against North Texas will not be played after Nevada coach Steve Alford tested positive earlier this week; Nevada said it has a 100 percent vaccination rate among its players, coaches and staff.

Washington and Nevada played each other on November 24 in the Crossover Classic, an event that included South Dakota State and George Mason — whose coach, Kim English, told CBS Sports on Thursday that he has one positive test from a vaccinated player within the team.

NFL: Antonio Brown, Two Others Suspended for Fake Vaccine Cards

Posted: Thursday, December 2

The National Football League announced has suspended three players without pay for three games apiece, most notably Tampa Bay’s Antonio Brown, for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols.

Tampa Bay’s Brown and Mike Edwards have each been suspended without pay for the next three games. Free agent John Franklin III, if signed by a club, is also ineligible to play in the next three games. All three players have accepted the discipline and waived their right of appeal. The suspensions are effective immediately after a review found that the three players violated the protocols.

The NFL and NFLPA said in a joint statement: “The health and safety of players and personnel is our top priority. The protocols were jointly developed working with our respective experts to ensure that we are practicing and playing football as safely as possible during the ongoing pandemic. The NFL-NFLPA jointly reinforce their commitment and further emphasize the importance of strict adherence to the protocols to protect the well-being of everyone associated with the NFL.”

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown in action during an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The NFL believed Brown was vaccinated before the Tampa Bay Times reported that Steven Ruiz, a former personal chef for Brown, said the player had his girlfriend reach out to Ruiz over the summer to obtain a fake vaccination card, offering $500. Ruiz said he was unable to acquire a fake card but Brown later showed him one that he said he had purchased. Responding to the Times story, the Buccaneers released a statement saying they had “received completed vaccination cards from all Tampa Bay Buccaneers players.”

On the heels of a two-game losing streak that has seen its NFC East division lead shrink to two games, the Dallas Cowboys will head into tonight’s game at the New Orleans Saints without head coach Mike McCarthy and five others because of COVID-19 protocols.

McCarthy, who is vaccinated, tested positive in a breakthrough case this week. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will serve as the Cowboys’ interim coach.

The Cowboys had a COVID-19 outbreak in the preseason and early part of the regular season. There was a lull for about a month before cases ticked up again, starting with kicker Greg Zuerlein in November. Offensive line coach Joe Philbin and his assistant, Jeff Blasko, are out along with offensive assistant Scott Tolzien and right tackle Terence Steele.

Another disruption was when star wide receiver Amari Cooper — who is unvaccinated — tested positive two weeks ago and missed games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders. Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones seemed to send a veiled message to Cooper, saying his positive test while being unvaccinated “is a classic case of how it can impact a team. At the end of the day, this is team. You cannot win anything individually.”

But after those comments, Jones drew his own criticism this week when saying during his radio hit on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas that the Cowboys no longer have to follow the stricter COVID rules with every player “having (gotten) vaccinated or having gotten the COVID.”

Thursday night will be the third time this season an NFL coach is missing a game because of health and safety protocols, McCarthy joining Kliff Kingsbury of the Arizona Cardinals and Matt Nagy of the Chicago Bears. McCarthy said other members of his family have also tested positive.

Top 25 Schedule

All Times Eastern
Friday’s Games
Western Kentucky at No. 22 UTSA, 7 p.m.
No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 19 Utah at Las Vegas, 8 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
No. 8 Baylor vs. No. 7 Oklahoma St. at Arlington, Texas, Noon
Utah State vs. No. 21 San Diego State at Carson, California, 3 p.m.
No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 3 Alabama at Atlanta, 4 p.m.
No. 24 Houston at No. 4 Cincinnati, 4 p.m.
No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 16 Iowa at Indianapolis, 8 p.m.
No. 17 Pittsburgh vs. No. 18 Wake Forest at Charlotte, 8 p.m.

NFL Schedule

All Times Eastern
Thursday’s Game
Dallas at New Orleans, 8:20 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Tampa Bay at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Arizona at Chicago, 1 p.m.
L.A. Chargers at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Minnesota at Detroit, 1 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at Miami, 1 p.m.
Philadelphia at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.
Indianapolis at Houston, 1 p.m.
Washington at Las Vegas, 4:05 p.m. (Fans must show proof of vaccination to attend)
Jacksonville at L.A. Rams, 4:05 p.m. (Fans must show proof of vaccination to attend)
Baltimore at Pittsburgh, 4:25 p.m.
San Francisco at Seattle, 4:25 p.m.
Denver at Kansas City, 8:20 p.m.
Monday’s Game
New England at Buffalo, 8:15 p.m. (Fans must show proof of vaccination to attend)

NBA: Lakers’ LeBron James in COVID Health and Safety Protocols

Posted: Tuesday, November 30

The biggest name in the NBA has become the biggest name to miss games this season because of COVID-19.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James entered NBA health and safety protocols and missed Tuesday’s game against the Kings with reports indicating that he will miss several games. If a player tests positive for COVID-19, the NBA mandates 10 days of isolation before a cardiac screening and reconditioning before being cleared to return. A player who tests positive could also be allowed to play after returning two negative PCR tests within a 24-hour period.

James said in late September that he had received the COVID-19 vaccine, admitting “I know that I was very skeptical about it all. But after doing my research and things of that nature, I felt like it was best suited, not only for me but for my family and my friends. And that’s why I decided to do it.”

James has missed half of the season so far for the struggling Lakers although that was because of injuries and a one-game suspension after an ejection against the Detroit Pistons. When he is in action, James is averaging 25.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game this season.

“Obviously it’s a huge loss,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said before the game. “It’s disappointing. We just want the best for him right now.” Vogel added that the team found out James was going into protocols in the morning and made sure he got home to Los Angeles from Sacramento, where the Lakers were playing on Tuesday night.

The news of James’ entry into protocols comes hours after ESPN reported the NBA completed a study on preseason antibody test results of 2,300 players and staff, finding that Moderna and Pfizer vaccines created higher levels of antibodies compared to Johnson and Johnson.

The ESPN report said the NBA has had 34 fully vaccinated players or team staff test positive for a breakthrough case through November 19. The report added that the NBA has a 97 percent vaccination rate among players and is using the report to encourage either vaccinated players to get a booster shot in-season or have players who are unvaccinated — Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving most notably among them — to get their initial shots.

Vogel said he and Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka met with Lakers players to emphasize the NBA’s recommendation “just to encourage and recommend the booster shot and the values that come with it.”

SPORTS: Omicron Variant Puts Sports World on Edge

Posted: Tuesday, November 30

Multiple sports events throughout Europe and Africa have been affected this week by the new COVID-19 variant while the first meeting between members of the Salt Lake City-Utah Bid Committee exploring a bid for the 2030 or 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and the International Olympic Committee in Switzerland has been delayed until next week at the earliest.

A group of representatives from the SLC Bid Committee and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee including Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Committee Chief Executive Officer Fraser Bullock and USOPC Board Chair Susanne Lyons were on a call with the IOC Future Host Committee last month, according to a report in the Deseret News. Switzerland has a 10-day quarantine for several countries throughout Europe but not the United States, although the conditions are changing on a daily basis.

SLC bid dignitaries were planning to use the in-person meeting to lay out plans for a future Games at the meeting.

Elsewhere in international sports, European golfers were attempting to leave South Africa ahead of a DP World Tour event in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Organizers of golf’s Joburg Open, which started last Thursday, reduced the event to a three-round tournament ending on Saturday after at least 23 mostly European players pulled out in the hours after health authorities announced they had detected the new variant. This week’s South African Open will only be a South African event and the Alfred Dunhill Championship set for December 9–12 was canceled.

Irish golfer Paul Dunne, one of those to withdraw from the Joburg Open, told RTE Radio that he found some flights but they went via Ethiopia, where a yearlong conflict now threatens to reach the capital, Addis Ababa. Scottish golfer David Drysdale decided to keep playing and then stay in South Africa with his wife, who is also his caddy, and make a vacation of it.

“Most of the British players have all decided to head home and that’s totally understandable if you’ve got a wife and kids at home,” Drysdale told the Scotsman newspaper. “There wasn’t a (plane) seat to be had by the time we found out what had happened. A lot of the guys were panicking, but we thought, ‘what’s the point?’ We are staying with a mate in Joburg and our plan is to still stay until Christmas then return home. Hopefully this variant is not as bad as they are fearing … it’s not even been 24 hours since we heard about this.”

Meanwhile, visiting cricket and rugby teams were also altering plans after their matches were postponed “due to the sudden developments.” Rugby games in South Africa in a new European-South African tournament were postponed and a tour to South Africa by India’s cricket team next month was likely to be reconsidered. The Dutch cricket team, already in South Africa for a series, was considering whether to return home early but the Royal Netherlands Cricket Federation said it was “unlikely” to be able to find flights at short notice.

The Winter Universiade in Lucerne, Switzerland, has also been canceled. The multi-sport event had been due to take place from December 11–21 but the decision to cancel was made following meetings between the executive committee of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and the board of directors of the local organizing committee.

Lucerne had been due to stage the event in January but it was postponed to December due to the pandemic. Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Israel and the Czech Republic are currently affected by Switzerland’s 10-day quarantine, with other countries likely to be added.

The Swiss action has caused problems for Manchester United, who are scheduled to host Young Boys of Bern in the Champions League next week. Under UEFA rules, if a match cannot be staged in the designated country then it falls to the host club to find a neutral venue.

More than just the events that are scheduled this month, concern over the new variant is already putting future world events at risk. The African Cup of Nations, Africa’s premier soccer tournament, is over a month away after having already been postponed for a year because of the pandemic. The 24-team tournament will be played in Cameroon but the event will be hard-hit if European countries extend travel restrictions across Africa. Top European soccer teams have previously prevented their African players from playing for their countries because of the quarantine periods imposed on them when they return.

Dortmund players celebrate in the empty stadium at the end of the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, May 16, 2020. The German Bundesliga becomes the world’s first major soccer league to resume after a two-month suspension because of the coronavirus pandemic. Dortmund won 4-0. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, Pool)

And the German government has suggested crowds at sports events should be reduced after a weekend that featured one empty-stadium Bundesliga game and another with a crowd of 50,000. Germany has left the policy on sports events to the state governments this season up to this point; around the country, entry is typically restricted to people with proof of vaccination or proof they recently recovered from a coronavirus infection.

European countries have taken different approaches to allowing crowds at sports events. The English Premier League has played in front of full houses all season so far with no vaccination or testing requirements for fans. The Netherlands moved to empty stadiums for sports events this month.

NHL: Islanders Become Second Shutdown Team of the Season

Posted: Monday, November 29

The NHL’s second outbreak of the season to the point that a team has had games paused as revived the question of if the league will have to reverse its decision to let players go to the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing later this season.

The league paused the New York Islanders’ season on Saturday, less than 24 hours ahead of a game against the rival New York Rangers. Casey Cizikas on Saturday was the eighth Islanders player to test positive, prompting the NHL’s move. Anders Lee, Josh Bailey, Ross Johnston, Kieffer Bellows, Adam Pelech, Andy Greene and Zdeno Chara have all tested positive.

The shutdown comes as the Islanders have lost eight games in a row, including the first four games played at their new UBS Arena. Islanders President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello said Saturday that three non-playing members of the organization also have tested positive.

UBS Arena’s opening ends a long-awaited drought for New York Islanders fans who were waiting for a new home. Photo by Jason Gewirtz

“We certainly have spoken to our trainers and our medical staff and everything is on an individual basis,” Lamoriello said when asked about the infected players’ stamina once they return to the ice. “This virus has affected people in all different ways. It certainly has affected our own players. So, we won’t have any answers to those questions until we get each and every one of them on the ice and see how they feel and see how they look.”

The Islanders could restart the season on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks, who earlier this season played a game while missing three coaches and seven players due to a COVID outbreak. The Islanders’ shutdown is the second of the season for the NHL, which earlier postponed games for the Ottawa Senators when 10 players and an assistant coach were in COVID protocols.

When the NHL announced before the season that it would pause the season to allow players to participate in the Olympic Winter Games, it was greeted with relief and joy from players who had been waiting for the opportunity — the NHL will hold All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas on February 4–5 before players fly to China for the Olympics that open February 9.

But the league also said that if it had enough games to reschedule, that it would consider pulling out from the Games. The NHL and Players Association has a January 10 deadline to withdraw.

No Thanksgiving Postponements for NFL But Attendance Issues Persist

Posted: Wednesday, November 24

Aaron Rodgers’ relationship with the truth was debated again as the NFL heads into its Thanksgiving Day weekend of games.

The Green Bay Packers star, who missed one game and sat out 10 days because he was unvaccinated — having told reporters in the preseason that he was “immunized” — said after Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings that he has been dealing with a painful toe injury that is worse than turf toe. Rodgers then went on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday and said he had no lingering effects from his illness “other than the COVID toe,” which has sent Google Search into a frenzy.

COVID toe is a condition that causes symptoms such as discoloration and lesions that can be extremely painful and turn the toes purple. Rodgers also mentioned on the show that the injury was a bone issue, which is not what COVID toe affects. The difference in description is what has led to debate over what the actual injury is.

Rodgers may have been made aware of the online debate before his Wednesday meeting with the media, disclosing that there is not COVID toe but a fractured toe and criticizing reports from others, saying “I can’t believe I again have to come on the air and talk about my medical information. But yeah. I have a fractured toe, I’ve never heard of COVID toe before.”

Quarterbacks have been in the spotlight all season when it comes to COVID and the NFL. Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins and Indianapolis’ Carson Wentz had to sit out during the preseason with both admitting they are unvaccinated. Rodgers’ saga has been well-told; Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, who is vaccinated, had to miss one game after testing positive and this week the New York Jets had backup Mike White test positive, which also knocked out the unvaccinated Joe Flacco as a close contact. The Tennessee Titans put backup QB Logan Woodside on the COVID list on Wednesday; Titans starting QB Ryan Tannehill said before the season he only became vaccinated because of the NFL’s strict protocols for unvaccinated players.

While COVID has remained part of the NFL season, the league is in much better shape that it was at this time last season. The NFL had already rescheduled multiple games ahead of Thanksgiving last season but has not had to do so this year. It was also at this time last season that the NFL infamously had to postpone its prime-time Thanksgiving Day game between Pittsburgh and Baltimore until the following Sunday after an outbreak within the Ravens complex. The league later admitted after the season was finished that it was that game and the outbreak within Baltimore that was the closest it had come to having to add an extra week to the regular season, a step that did not end up needing to be taken.

The Thanksgiving Day games in Detroit and Dallas, along with a rotating prime-time game that this year will be in New Orleans, traditionally bring in sellout crowds. But that may be in doubt in Detroit, where the Lions are winless and have had some of the lowest crowds in Ford Field history this season. It’s been one data point in a larger trend of what could be lower actual attendance numbers for the NFL this season even if the paid attendance numbers are still strong.

The league’s overall attendance has been strong this season, in part because of big crowds in Las Vegas (93.9 percent capacity) in the Raiders’ inaugural season with fans in the market along with fans being allowed at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for the first time to see the Rams (99.6 percent capacity) and Chargers (98.2 percent capacity).

One place where paid or actual attendance has been an issue is in Washington, where the team has an average paid attendance of 51,291 through five games this season — 62.6 percent capacity at FedEx Field. Washington is the only team that has not announced attendance at least at 80 percent capacity; the Lions are next-worst at 80.7 percent. The Saints are 30^th but that is a big asterisk for the team given it played its first game in Jacksonville, Florida; the Jets are 29^th at 88.1 percent.

There is a disclaimer for Washington, Detroit and New York, which are among the teams called out within the NFL for having low attendance numbers; the crowds may have some hesitancy because of COVID but each of those franchise have been, to put it charitably, underperforming on the field for several years. But as the NFL offers a rosy picture on tickets, there are seven teams below 90 percent capacity overall compared to three in 2019 before the pandemic.

“I think the narrative that everything is back to normal, which I continue to see, is just a head scratcher,” Legends VP for Business Operations Tim Statezni told Sportico recently. “There’s not a team I’ve talked to that has not had challenges with moving tickets.”

TicketManager CEO Tony Knopp told Sportico that in 2019, a ticket scan rate around 70 percent was typical in 2019 but sometimes for events dips below 40 percent: “That’s how we know demand is soft. A lot of the teams are playing the Aaron Rodgers game, like, I’m immunized, where they’re saying we distributed 16,000 tickets tonight and 6,000 people showed.”

Regardless of fan attendance, one thing that has not been reported all fall is any outbreaks from capacity (or near-capacity) crowds at NFL or college football games. There also has not been any documented spread of COVID from one player to another and last month, a study published in JAMA Network Open said that researchers from Texas A&M tracked nearly 1,200 SEC players between September 26 and December 19, 2020 with no cross-contamination between teams.

The players had wearable sensors that could determine what kind of contact they had during the game with three PCR Covid-19 tests each week. The study said players had 109,762 opponent interactions over 64 regular season games; 138 tested positive during the season with 18 testing positive within 48 hours of playing. The researchers said in their study that regular testing along with strict isolation and quarantine rules kept the majority of players who got sick off the field.

AP Top 25 Schedule
All Times EDT
Thursday’s Game
No. 12 Ole Miss at No. 25 Mississippi State, 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s Games
Boise State at No. 19 San Diego State, Noon
No. 17 Iowa at Nebraska, 1:30 p.m.
No. 5 Cincinnati at East Carolina, 3:30 p.m.
Missouri at No. 21 Arkansas, 3:30 p.m.
Colorado at No. 23 Utah, 4 p.m.
North Carolina at No. 20 North Carolina State, 7 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
No. 1 Georgia at Georgia Tech, Noon
No. 4 Ohio State at No. 6 Michigan, Noon
No. 10 Wake Forest at Boston College, Noon
Texas Tech at No. 11, Noon
No. 24 Houston at UConn, Noon
No. 22 UTSA at North Texas, 2 p.m.
No. 2 Alabama at Auburn, 3:30 p.m.
Oregon State at No. 3 Oregon, 3:30 p.m.
Penn State at No. 7 Michigan State, 3:30 p.m.
No. 15 Wisconsin at Minnesota, 4 p.m.
No. 16 Texas A&M at LSU, 7 p.m.
No. 13 Oklahoma at No. 9 Oklahoma State, 7:30 p.m.
No. 18 Pittsburgh at Syracuse, 7:30 p.m.
No. 8 Notre Dame at Stanford, 8 p.m.
No. 14 BYU at USC, 10:30 p.m.

NFL Schedule
All Times EDT
Thursday’s Games
Chicago at Detroit, 12:30 p.m.
Las Vegas at Dallas, 4:30 p.m.
Buffalo at New Orleans, 8:20 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
Carolina at Miami, 1 p.m.
Tennessee at New England, 1 p.m.
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.
Atlanta at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at Houston, 1 p.m.
L.A. Chargers at Denver, 4:05 p.m.
L.A. Rams at Green Bay, 4:25 p.m.
Minnesota at San Francisco, 4:25 p.m.
Cleveland at Baltimore, 8:20 p.m.
Monday’s Game
Seattle at Washington, 8:15 p.m.

Canada Mandates Vaccination for Visiting MLB, NBA Players

Posted: Tuesday, November 23

While both the National Hockey League and National Basketball Association say athletes in its leagues are nearly 100 percent vaccinated, the relative few who are not will not be able to participate in any cross-border competition starting January 15.

Unvaccinated professional or amateur athletes will no longer be able to enter Canada on that date, said minister of public safety Marco Mendicino on Friday. While the NHL already bars unvaccinated players from playing in Canada, NBA players have been able to go to Toronto under an exemption made in September.

The decision by Mendocino and the Canadian government is based on the availability of vaccines throughout the world. The new rule, unless lifted in the spring, will also affect Major League Baseball teams that visit the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) grabs a rebound between Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) and forward Marvin Bagley III (35) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. The Raptors won 108-89. (AP Photo/José Luis Villegas)

Mendocino said there will be no exemption for individuals attempting to reunite with family, international students over 18, cross-border essential workers, and more, all in an attempt to increase vaccination rates in Canada and North America.

Canada’s decision is the latest in another series of moves within the sports world to ramp up vaccination rates as the winter approaches and fears of another surge are growing. Earlier last week, the International Olympic Committee announced that Pfizer and BioNTech SE will donate doses of the vaccine to participants in the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing.

Athletes heading to the 2022 Games must be fully vaccinated according to the requirements of their respective home countries at least 14 days prior to departure for China to be allowed into the closed loop system without quarantine. Anyone not fully vaccinated will need to quarantine for 21 days upon arrival in Beijing. Exceptions may be granted for athletes and team officials on a case-by-case basis, based on medical reasons.

But while Canada and the IOC are ramping up vaccination mandates and incentives, one NBA team will be dropping its fan requirement of providing proof of a negative test for entry. The Oklahoma City Thunder announced that beginning December 1, fans will be able to attend without proof of vaccination or a negative test.

“We have decided to lift our vaccination/testing requirements,” the team said Monday. “Since we announced the protocols in September, the Oklahoma Department of Health reports the percentage of Oklahoma County residents 12 and older who are fully or partially vaccinated has risen to 85%. The number of COVID cases statewide has dropped approximately 60% and hospitalizations have declined at similar rates.”

The requirements remain in place for games scheduled for Wednesday and Friday.

And then there is growing drama within one of the biggest clubs in world soccer, Germany’s Bayern Munich. The leaders of the Bundesliga lost on Friday, a rare occurrence for the powerhouse — which was without five players who are unvaccinated after a club official tested positive. Local health regulations stipulate a 10-day quarantine for contacts of people who have either unvaccinated or not recovered from COVID-19 in the past six months.

The five players will also miss a Champions League game at Dynamo Kyiv and potentially a December 4 game against second-place Borussia Dortmund. Bayern sent an internal announcement last week that it would withhold pay from anyone missing training or games due to being unvaccinated after labor law regulations in Germany changed November 1.

TENNIS: Aussie Open Vaccine Mandate Puts Ball in Djokovic’s Court

Posted: Monday, November 22

The Australian Open has made clear its policy of all players being vaccinated to be allowed to participate in the year’s first Grand Slam, leaving defending champion Novak Djokovic with his own decision to make.

Australian Open chief Craig Tiley confirmed Saturday that the state of Victoria will have the mandate for all players and fans. Djokovic, who is tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the most Grand Slam titles in men’s tennis history with 20, has refused to say if he is vaccinated and has previously declared doubts over the vaccine.

Novak Djokovic hits a backhand return to Milos Raonic during their fourth round match on Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, on February 14, 2021.(AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

“We’ll have to wait and see,” Djokovic said losing to Alexander Zverev in the semifinals of the ATP Finals on Saturday. “I was just waiting to hear what the news is going to be and now that I know we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Tiley said he had been in contact with Djokovic.

“I know that he wants to play, he’s clearly indicated that, and he knows the conditions that he would have to undergo in order to be eligible to play,” Tiley said. “Entry in here will be determined by around early to the middle of December on the entry deadline, so you’ll know when a player’s entered an event. … So in the next couple of weeks, you will have a really good indication of where everyone’s at because at that point there’s an official list of who’s going to be here.”

The vaccination policy for fans means there will be full crowds for the tournament. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews has been consistent in saying vaccines would be mandatory for players and fans but Australian federal authorities at one point indicated that unvaccinated players might be able to compete after a 14-day quarantine period.

The tournament starts January 17. Djokovic has won the tournament nine times in the past.

It will be the first Grand Slam where players have a vaccine mandate; events on the WTA and ATP Tours did not have one last year nor did any majors, including the U.S. Open — which did have a mandate for fans to either be vaccinated or show proof of a negative test to attend.

“Everyone on site, the fans, all the staff, the players, will need to be vaccinated,” Tiley said at the tournament’s official launch. “There’s been a lot of speculation about Novak’s position, he’s said it’s a private matter.”

NFL: League Steps Up Protocols As Thanksgiving Approaches

Posted: Friday, November 19

One of the moments where the National Football League last season was closest to canceling a game and instituting an extra week to the regular season came over the Thanksgiving holiday, when the Baltimore Ravens had a widespread outbreak within the team facility that forced the postponement of its game against the Pittsburgh Steelers to the following Monday.

With Thanksgiving approaching and cases rising across the country — the New York Times reported the U.S.’ 14-day average has increased 23 percent — the NFL has told all teams that there will be two days of mandatory testing after Thanksgiving, an increase from usual this season, along with mandatory mask wearing for all players and staff inside team facilities through December 1. Multiple outlets reported this week that the NFL is also requiring teams to have video cameras installed in all weight rooms and cafeterias to monitor mask wearing of players.

Teams currently test vaccinated players and staff once per week. Unvaccinated players are still tested on a daily basis and those results must come back negative before they are allowing into team facilities.

While the protocols have been increased for players and staff, no NFL team has increased fan protocols ahead of the holiday. The Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills are the only teams to require fans to show proof of vaccination to attend games; the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours of kickoff.

Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, said the case increases and traditional family holiday gatherings is the motivation behind the increased protocols, especially with many medical professionals worried about a winter surge despite the widespread availability of vaccination.

“I know sometimes people see cases and say, ‘Well, if they are positive cases, the vaccines must not be working’” Sills said. “We have to always be reminded that the vaccines are designed to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death. And they continue to do an outstanding job with that. In addition to that, unvaccinated players have consistently tested players at a much higher rate than vaccinated players. … It’s clear that the vaccines are providing substantial benefits — milder illness, shorter duration and a lack of spread around the building.”

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on November 5 that he didn’t believe the NFL’s rules were based on science, two days after he tested positive and eventually missed a game. Sills disputed that belief this week.

“They’re always based on science,” Sills said. “The science that at best we understand for public health, but also our own data. We are constantly looking at our own data in every way possible, to see where we might still be vulnerable and what parts of our protocols we think are particularly effective. So, we’re very comfortable with what we’ve put in place being driven by our data and is working.”

COVID has not messed with any NFL games on the schedule but teams on a near-weekly basis have been affected by players coming on and off the COVID-19/reserve list. Sunday night’s game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers may have two big-name players with Chargers defensive lineman Joey Bosa and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the league’s protocols this week.

Bosa’s vaccination status is unknown while Roethlisberger is vaccinated. One player who the NFL believes to be vaccinated is Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown, although the Tampa Bay Times reported on Thursday that Steven Ruiz, a former personal chef for Brown, said the player had his girlfriend reach out to Ruiz over the summer to obtain a fake vaccination card, offering $500.

Ruiz said he was unable to acquire a fake card but Brown later showed him one that he said he had purchased. Responding to the Times story, the Buccaneers released a statement saying they had “received completed vaccination cards from all Tampa Bay Buccaneers players.”

AP Top 25 Schedule

All Times EST
Friday’s Games
No. 17 Houston vs. Memphis, 9 p.m.
No. 23 San Diego St. at UNLV, 11:30 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
No. 1 Georgia vs. Charleston Southern, Noon
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 21 Arkansas, 3:30 p.m.
No. 3 Cincinnati, vs. SMU, 3:30 p.m.
No. 4 Oregon at No. 24 Utah, 7:30 p.m.
No. 5 Ohio St. vs. No. 7 Michigan St., Noon
No. 6 Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech, 2:30 p.m.
No. 8 Michigan at Maryland, 3:30 p.m.
No. 9 Oklahoma St. at Texas Tech, 8 p.m.
No. 10 Mississippi vs. Vanderbilt, 7:30 p.m.
No. 11 Baylor at Kansas St., 5:30 p.m.
No. 12 Oklahoma vs. Iowa St., Noon
No. 13 Wake Forest at Clemson, Noon
No. 14 BYU at Georgia Southern, 4 p.m.
No. 15 UTSA vs. UAB, 3:30 p.m.
No. 16 Texas A&M vs. Prairie View, Noon
No. 18 Iowa vs. Illinois, 2 p.m.
No. 19 Wisconsin vs. Nebraska, 3:30 p.m.
No. 20 Pittsburgh vs. Virginia, 3:30 p.m.
No. 22 Louisiana-Lafayette at Liberty, 4 p.m.
No. 25 NC State vs. Syracuse, 4 p.m.

NFL Schedule

All Times EST
Thursday’s Game
New England at Atlanta, 8:20 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Indianapolis at Buffalo,1 p.m. (fans must show proof of vaccination to enter)
Baltimore at Chicago, 1 p.m.
Detroit at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Houston at Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Green Bay at Minnesota, 1 p.m.
Miami at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.
New Orleans at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Washington at Carolina, 1 p.m.
San Francisco at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Cincinnati at Las Vegas, 4:05 p.m. (fans must show proof of vaccination to enter)
Dallas at Kansas City, 4:25 p.m.
Arizona at Seattle, 4:25 p.m. (fans must show proof of vaccination or negative COVID test to enter)
Pittsburgh at L.A. Chargers, 8:20 p.m. (fans must show proof of vaccination or negative COVID test to enter)
Monday’s Game
N.Y. Giants at Tampa Bay, 8:15 p.m.

Paraguay defender Maria Martinez (2) battles against United States forward Mallory Pugh (11) during an international friendly on September 21, 2021, in Cincinnati. The United States won 8-0. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)

SOCCER: NWSL Star May Miss Final Because of Protocols

Posted: Thursday, November 18

Ahead of the biggest game in the National Women’s Soccer League season, the league’s runner-up for Most Valuable Player could miss the game because of COVID-19 protocols.

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Pugh, along with defender Kayla Sharples, entered protocols before the Stars’ 2-0 upset win over the Portland Thorns last weekend. Chicago is scheduled to play the Washington Spirit in the NWSL championship game on Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky.

A NWSL player who tests positive for COVID-19 must clear a 10-day isolation period before returning and must be symptom-free for at least seven days. The date of Pugh’s positive test is not known, which puts her status in doubt.

Red Stars coach Rory Dames earlier this week was uncertain about the status of both Pugh and Sharples, who tweeted Sunday she is fully vaccinated and had gotten the booster shot.

Pugh’s vaccination status is in doubt. She was one of two players — Washington’s Trinity Rodman is the other — who opted out of the U.S. women’s national team camp that will be held after the NWSL title game in Australia with two games against the Australian national team as part of the trip. Vaccination is mandatory for those entering Australia and U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski said “everybody that travels to Australia will be fully vaccinated,” which naturally led to debate over both Pugh and Rodman’s statuses.

The other team in Saturday’s championship game, the Spirit, had their own issues with COVID this season. The team had to forfeit a match in the regular season against OL Reign for “breaches of the league’s medical protocols” in early September. The team also had a match at Portland postponed until later in the season after four players tested positive for COVID

The NWSL said this season that nearly 90 percent of players and almost all staff members were vaccinated.

NHL: Ottawa Postponements May Affect 2022 Olympics

Posted: Tuesday, November 16

The biggest outbreak for a professional sports league so far this fall could have far-reaching implications for the upcoming 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

The National Hockey League has postponed three Ottawa Senators for the next week among a COVID-19 outbreak on the team that has affected 10 players, the first time any North American major professional sports league has been hit by rescheduling this fall because of the coronavirus.

Games scheduled for Tuesday at New Jersey, at home Thursday against Nashville and at home Saturday against the New York Rangers were postponed. The NHL was still looking at when to reschedule the three games. The Senators are currently in last place in the Atlantic Division with a 4-10-1 record.

“The Senators organization has, and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of its players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, provincial and national agencies,” the league said in a statement.

Ottawa’s team is fully vaccinated, which is the norm in the NHL — the league has less than 10 unvaccinated players overall. Besides the 10 players, associate coach Jack Capuano also is in protocol. The Athletic reported that the Senators lobbied to have a three-game homestead last week postponed, but the league denied the request. Before Monday’s announcement, the team played four games in six nights.

“The health and safety of the local community, the venue’s patrons and the organization’s staff and players is Senators Sports & Entertainment’s highest priority,” the team said.

Neither the NFL nor the NBA has had to postpone a game. Major League Baseball had nine postponements after 45 last year. The NHL postponed 51 games during its last regular season.

A handful of other NHL teams have been hit this season, including Pittsburgh and San Jose. Penguins star Sidney Crosby returned Sunday after an absence of more than 10 days because of the virus. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon also missed time last month after testing positive, though he was asymptomatic. The NHL’s season protocols say players who test positive must be symptom-free 10 days after that initial positive result. Any player who tests positive and experiences symptoms must be cleared by a cardiologist.

The NHL had been planning all season to have a break for the Olympics so that its players would be able to participate in Beijing, an event that players have been openly wanting to play in. But the NHL’s agreement to let players go to Beijing included a clause that the league and Players Association have until January 10 to withdraw if circumstances force the cancellation of enough games that a nearly three-week break in February is not feasible.

FOOTBALL: Cases Stack Up Over Weekend, Sideline NFL Stars

Posted: November 15, 2021

The National Football League’s ability to get through the first 10 weeks of the season without any canceled games is in stark contrast to last season, in which the league had to reshuffle games on a near-weekly basis.

But that has not stopped this season from having to deal with multiple COVID positives affecting games including the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose three-game winning streak was stopped in a 16-16 tie with the winless Detroit Lions one day after quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger prepares to throw against the Chicago Bears on November 8, 2021, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Roethlisberger previously told “The Dan Patrick Show” that he is vaccinated, which by the NFL’s health and safety protocols means he could return for next Sunday night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. A vaccinated player who tests positive must have two negative tests at least 24 hours apart and remain asymptomatic in order to return.

Roethlisberger is the first Steelers player to be put on the COVID-19 list this season. Last season the Steelers had multiple games moved not because of positives on their team but because of the other team dealing with COVID outbreaks, notably the Baltimore Ravens in a scheduled Thanksgiving Day game.

While one star quarterback was missing on Sunday because of COVID, another QB returned — Aaron Rodgers started for the Green Bay Packers in its xx-x win over the Seattle Seahawks one day after coming off the COVID list. Rodgers infamously tested positive last week and is unvaccinated after making misleading comments about his status earlier in the season.

The Buffalo Bills also had to make a gameday adjustment and placed defensive tackle Star Lotulelei on the reserve/COVID-19 list hours before the team’s 45-17 victory against the New York Jets. Lotulelei was the fifth Bills player to be placed on the COVID-19 list in the last week and a half. Another team dealing with virus-related issues is the Minnesota Vikings, who saw vaccinated offensive lineman Dakota Dozier admitted to the hospital for treatment against the virus during the week before he was released on Sunday.

FOOTBALL: NFL Cases Show League is Playing a Long Game with COVID-19

Posted: November 12, 2021

In a week that saw fines levied against the Green Bay Packers for the team’s handling of Aaron Rodgers’ COVID-19 protocols — as well as fines against the star quarterback stemming from his admittedly misleading comments about his vaccination status before testing positive earlier in the week — the seriousness of the virus continues to be felt across the league.

The latest team dealing with virus-related issues is the Minnesota Vikings, who saw vaccinated offensive lineman Dakota Dozier admitted to the hospital for treatment against the virus.

“One of our players that was vaccinated, he had to go to the ER last night because of COVID,” Coach Mike Zimmer told reporters on Wednesday. “It’s serious stuff. Like 29 guys are getting tested because of close contact, including myself.”

Of those that were deemed to be close contacts, the vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine in accordance with the NFL’s coronavirus policy. But Dozier’s case is the latest to affect the team, who travels to Los Angeles on Sunday to play the Chargers.

The Vikings on Monday placed linebacker Ryan Connelly and offensive lineman Tim Parris, on the reserve/COVID-19 list, bringing the teams’ total at the time to five players on the list.

Vaccinated center Garrett Bradbury also missed the team’s game last week against Baltimore after being placed on the list.

The Vikings outbreak comes days after the NFL stepped in the Rodgers morass, fining the team, Rodgers and Allen Lazard. Rodgers and Lazard were each fined $14,650 for attending a Halloween party where video showed players without masks. The Packers, meanwhile, were levied a $300,000 fine for not properly enforcing safety protocols, including for instances where Rodgers did not wear a mask at press conferences. The team was also fined for not disciplining him and Lazard even though team officials knew about the party where the unvaccinated players were maskless — a violation of league policy.

“We respect the league’s findings and we recognize the importance of adherence to the COVID protocols to keep our team and organization safe and healthy,” Packers President Mark Murphy said in a statement. “We will continue to educate the team regarding the importance of the protocols and remain committed to operating within the protocols.”

As the situation shows in Minnesota as well, despite a tighter lid on the league’s protocols this season, the long game against the virus continues to be a daunting one.

This Weekend’s Games

All times in ET

College Football Top 25

Thursday, Nov. 11
No. 21 Pitt 30, North Carolina 23

Friday, November 12
No. 5 Cincinnati at South Florida | 6 p.m. | ESPN2

Saturday, Nov. 13
No. 1 Georgia at Tennessee | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
No. 2 Alabama vs. New Mexico State | 12 p.m. | SEC Network
No. 3 Oregon vs. Washington State | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN
No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 19 Purdue | 3:30 p.m. | ABC
No. 6 Michigan at Penn State | 12 p.m. | ABC
No. 7 Michigan State vs. Maryland | 4 p.m. | FOX
No. 8 Oklahoma at No. 13 Baylor | 12 p.m. | FOX
No. 9 Notre Dame at Virginia | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
No. 10 Oklahoma State vs. TCU | 8 p.m. | FOX
No. 11 Texas A&M at No. 15 Ole Miss | 7 p.m. | ESPN
No. 12 Wake Forest vs. No. 16 NC State | 7:30 p.m. | ACC Network
No. 14 BYU — No game
No. 17 Auburn vs. Mississippi State | 12 p.m. | ESPN
No. 18 Wisconsin vs. Northwestern | 12 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 20 Iowa vs. Minnesota | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
No. 22 San Diego State vs. Nevada | 10:30 p.m. | CBSSN
No. 23 UTSA vs. Southern Miss | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
No. 24 Utah at Arizona | 2 p.m. | Pac-12 Network
No. 25 Arkansas at LSU | 7:30 p.m. | SEC Network

NFL Schedule Week 10

Thursday, November 11
Ravens 10, Dolphins 22

Sunday, November 14
Bills at Jets, 1 p.m. ET
Buccaneers at Washington, 1 p.m.
Falcons at Cowboys, 1 p.m.
Saints at Titans, 1 p.m.
Jaguars at Colts 1 p.m.
Lions at Steelers, 1 p.m.
Browns at Patriots, 4:05 p.m.
Panthers at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m.
Eagles at Broncos, 4:25 p.m.
Seahawks at Packers, 4:25 p.m.
Chiefs at Raiders, 8:20 p.m.

Monday, November 15
Rams at 49ers, 8:15 p.m.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Cal and USC Postpone Game Over COVID-19 Outbreak

Posted: November 10, 2021

Flash back for a moment to the tumultuous 2020 college football season, where game cancellations due to COVID-19 were a regular part of the weekend schedule. Virtually no teams and leagues were spared the will-they-or-won’t-they-play scenario as games disappeared from the schedule.

By that standard, the 2021 season can be viewed as nothing short of success. But the fall wave of COVID cases around the country has finally caught up to college football. On Tuesday, the Pac-12 became the first conference hit, announcing that the Cal-USC game scheduled for this Saturday will be postponed after an outbreak in the Cal football program.

Before the season, the Pac-12 along with other major conferences announced that any team that couldn’t field a team for COVID purposes would have to forfeit their game — a change from the previous season when such canceled games simply didn’t count on a team’s record.

California running back Christopher Brooks (34) runs for a touchdown against Oregon State during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Berkeley, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

But after contacting the Pac-12 about the situation, Cal and USC agreed to postpone the game to December 4 — the day after the Pac-12 Championship Game. For USC, whose overall record is 4-5, the game offers a chance to reach potential bowl eligibility (At 3-4 in the conference, they are out of the running for the championship game). Cal’s record sits at 3-6 with a shot at the Pac-12 title game already out of reach.

“It was a difficult decision to postpone this Saturday’s game against USC,” Cal Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton said. “We know how important every one of our games is to our student-athletes, especially our seniors who have been incredible representatives of the program, but it was the right thing to do. Due to additional impact on specific position groups, we have decided to postpone Saturday’s game. We have had multiple COVID-19 positives within our program, and we are taking every step we can to mitigate the spread and protect the greater community.”

USC Interim Coach Donte Williams said his team’s preference was to play the game.

“We want to play the game, and a forfeit is not the way to go, and that’s not the way you want to qualify for a bowl game,” he said. “Our whole thing is fighting on and competing, right, that’s our biggest thing is competing and I’m pretty sure they want to compete against us so we look forward to the opportunity.”

Cal played its game last week at Arizona, losing 10-3 to the previously winless Arizona team. Cal played without starting quarterback Chase Garbers and six other starters because of positive tests that took 24 players and assistant coaches out of play. The school had not been regularly testing asymptomatic players throughout the season but began testing close contacts and eventually the entire team, which led to the two dozen positive tests.

Garbers was critical of how Cal has handled the process of testing saying in a Twitter post on Monday night that the school had not been transparent about whether COVID tests were recommended or mandated, suggesting that those that have not developed symptoms should not be forced to be tested.

“We have worked too hard to have someone take this all away from us. It is wrong,” Garbers wrote. “We deserve answers and transparent communication.”

BASKETBALL: NBA, Players Association, Encourage Boosters

Posted: November 9, 2021

As the professional sports leagues in North America continue their seasons, leagues continue to remind their athletes that the threats of COVID-19 remain. That is the case in the NBA, where the league and the National Basketball Players Association have advised players, coaches and referees that they should receive booster shots when they are eligible, according to a report from the Associate Press, or soon face game-day testing.

The league also noted a particular urgency for those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than two months ago, suggesting that those players especially receive a booster. The sides also encouraged players who received the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines more than six months ago to get a booster shot.

Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid looks into the stands in an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls no November 6. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Depending on when they received their last vaccination dose, some players will begin being subject to game-day testing until they receive a booster, according to the report. An estimated 97 percent of NBA players were believed to be vaccinated when the season began.

Even before the recent messaging, some teams were staring to plan for players to receive booster shots when available. Those moves come as several players — including those that were previously vaccinated — are being put into league protocols for testing positive or being exposed to those who had.

One of the biggest names on that list is Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, who returned a positive test for COVID-19 on Monday morning, according to ESPN. Embiid missed Monday’s game against the New York Knicks and will be required to sit for at least 10 days according to the league’s protocols. Embiid is the fourth member of the team in the health and safety protocols, joining forward Tobias Harris and guards Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe.

RUNNING: Marathons Make Return to New York, Los Angeles

Posted: November 8, 2021

One of the hardest hit segments of the sports-events industry during the pandemic was mass participation races. But big city marathons are back, and in New York and Los Angeles on Sunday, runners took back to the street in big numbers, weeks after similar large-scale races were staged in Chicago and Boston.

To be sure, the fields for the TCS New York City Marathon and the Los Angeles Marathon were down from their 2019 and 2020 numbers, by design. New York, which was unable to race in 2020, saw an estimated 33,000 runners, down from a high of more than 50,000, for what was the 50th running of the race that covers all five city boroughs. In Los Angeles, an estimated 13,000 runners hit the streets, down from a 2020 field of 27,000.

“Our operations team has always been planning for a reduced field size in order to safely host the marathon and provide for adequate social distancing at the start line and on the course,” Dan Cruz, the Los Angeles Marathon’s head of communications, told City News Service.

The fact that both races were staged on the same day was a function of the pandemic. The 2020 Los Angeles race was held just weeks before society started to shut down in March 2020. The 2021 race was pushed back on the calendar, although the 2022 race is expected to return to its traditional March dates.

Runners make their way at the start of NYC marathon on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)

The 2021 version of the Los Angeles race also saw a new route for racers in its 36th edition: A start at Dodger Stadium that wove its way through downtown Los Angeles, Echo Park, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Century City, Westwood and Brentwood before returning through Westwood to its finish in Century City. The “Stadium to the Stars” route was used for the first time and was re-routed after marathon organizers failed to reach an agreement over increased costs by the city of Santa Monica, which for years has served as the finishing point.

The Los Angeles race saw its smallest field since its start in 1986, but organizers reported that they were happy with the turnout, whose field was limited on purpose to avoid further crowding.

In New York, fans lined the streets for what has become a tradition over 50 years in early November. The 2021 version, however, had notable differences from any past race. The field was limited to about 40 percent of capacity and runners had to be vaccinated or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of the race. (Los Angeles had the same requiment of racers.) Spectators were encouraged to maintain social distancing, and some ancillary events were scaled back to abide by the rules. A fifth starting wave was also added in an effort to further distance participants.

The classic line of, ‘We’ve always done it that way,’ that wasn’t going to be an option,” race director Ted Metellus said.

FOOTBALL: Aaron Rodgers Case Shows COVID Vaccines Still an Issue

Posted: November 5, 2021

One of the biggest names in the National Football League has turned into one of the biggest stories in sports this week after testing positive for COVID-19 — and subsequently being reported as unvaccinated.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will not play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday after testing positive, becoming the biggest name in the NFL to have a positive test this season and miss a game.

The NFL’s protocols say that unvaccinated players such as Rodgers must isolate a minimum of 10 days if they test positive even without symptoms. If Rodgers had been vaccinated, he would have been able to return once he produced two negative tests with 24 hours in between.

The attention focused around Rodgers is not only his stature within the game but because of his now-infamous comments before the season that he had been “immunized” adding “there’s guys on the team that haven’t been vaccinated. I think it’s a personal decision. I’m not going to judge those guys. There are guys that’ve been vaccinated that have contracted COVID. It’s an interesting issue that I think we’re going to see played out the entire season.”

While at the time it was taken as an affirmation that he had been vaccinated, both ESPN and the NFL Network reported that the NFL has considered Rodgers as unvaccinated all season. ESPN reported that Rodgers requested the NFL to approve “an alternate treatment” he underwent in the offseason, a request that was denied. NFL Network reported that Rodgers received “homeopathic treatment from his personal doctor” to raise his antibody levels.

Attention has also been focused on Rodgers’ multiple media appearances while not wearing a mask — which for unvaccinated players is not supposed to happen. The NFL released a statement on Wednesday afternoon noting “the primary responsibility” for enforcing protocols is with the team and noted that teams have been disciplined in the past for protocol violations.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur was asked whether Rodgers’ preseason comments were misleading, replying “It’s a great question for Aaron, I’m not going to comment on it.”

Rodgers is the Packers’ second star to test positive this season. Receiver Davante Adams was out last week because of a positive test and missed a win over the previously unbeaten Arizona Cardinals; ESPN said Rodgers follows masking protocols while interacting with players and coaches at the team’s headquarters.

Rodgers will be away from the Packers until at least November 13, the day before Green Bay is scheduled to face the Seattle Seahawks.

AP Top 25 Schedule

All Times EDT

Thursday’s Game

No. 24 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Georgia St., 7:30 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

No. 1 Georgia vs. Missouri, Noon
No. 2 Cincinnati vs. Tulsa, 3:30 p.m.
No. 3 Alabama vs. LSU, 7 p.m.
No. 5 Michigan St. at Purdue, 3:30 p.m.
No. 6 Ohio St. at Nebraska, Noon
No. 7 Oregon at Washington, 7:30 p.m. (fans must show proof of vaccination or negative COVID test within 72 hours of kickoff)
No. 8 Notre Dame vs. Navy, 3:30 p.m.
No. 9 Michigan vs. Indiana, 7:30 p.m.
No. 10 Wake Forest at North Carolina, Noon
No. 11 Oklahoma St. at West Virginia, 3:30 p.m.
No. 12 Auburn at No. 13 Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m.
No. 14 Baylor at TCU, 3:30 p.m.
No. 15 Mississippi vs. Liberty, Noon
No. 16 UTSA at UTEP, 10:15 p.m.
No. 17 BYU vs. Idaho St., 3 p.m.
No. 18 Kentucky vs. Tennessee, 7 p.m.
No. 19 Iowa at Northwestern, 7 p.m.
No. 20 Houston at South Florida, 7:30 p.m.
No. 21 Coastal Carolina at Georgia Southern, 6 p.m.
No. 22 Penn St. at Maryland, 3:30 p.m.
No. 23 SMU at Memphis, Noon
No. 25 Fresno St. vs. Boise St., 7 p.m.

NFL Schedule
All Times EDT

Thursday’s Game

N.Y. Jets at Indianapolis, 8:20 p.m.

Sunday’s Games

Cleveland at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Denver at Dallas, 1 p.m.
Houston at Miami, 1 p.m.
Atlanta at New Orleans, 1 p.m.
Las Vegas at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.
New England at Carolina, 1 p.m.
Buffalo at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Minnesota at Baltimore, 1 p.m.
L.A. Chargers at Philadelphia, 4:05 p.m.
Green Bay at Kansas City, 4:25 p.m.
Arizona at San Francisco, 4:25 p.m.
Tennessee at L.A. Rams, 8:20 p.m.

Monday’s Game

Chicago at Pittsburgh, 8:15 p.m.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEC Pleased With Non-COVID Affected Start to Season

Posted: Thursday, November 4

Heading into the weekend off the announcement that Georgia and Alabama are Nos. 1-2 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, one of the biggest reliefs so far for Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey is not the CFP standings — if anything, that would be expected for what has been the dominant conference in college football for several years now.

The real bright spot is that so far this season, the SEC has had no issues with COVID within any of its programs. Two games last season were canceled and declared no-contests and several others were shuffled throughout the 2020 season; at one point, four out of seven games were postponed in one weekend.

“You don’t get to lose focus,” Sankey said on this week’s SportsTravel Podcast. “Last year, we had great momentum built up, three weeks of uninterrupted football competition and then it was a constant cycle of disruption. And I really thought when we moved to the end of November that it would get easier and it became harder.”

“So I take the same approach here,” he continued. “We can’t lose focus, we have to encourage healthy behavior. We’ve been close — not in football but in some other sports with having to not play games which would become forfeits. I’m encouraged, I’m hopeful, I don’t lose focus and I’m still on edge. Maybe not quite as on edge as I was last year because we’re not seeing the positive test results. We have to stay vigilant and then as we go indoors for men’s and women’s basketball in particular, our level of attention has to exponentially increase and we’re going to have to be intentional about communicating healthy behaviors both for our teams and for our fans who seek to attend.”

With last season in mind — and while trying to encourage vaccination by players and coaches knowing it cannot mandate them as a conference — the SEC announced at the start of the year that if a team was not able to participate in a game because of “unavailability issues” the game would be forfeited.

“We haven’t mandated the vaccine but we have worked to educate people,” Sankey said. “… We are active in states that have anti-vaccine mandates, that’s just a reality. We have to follow the law, the state laws around vaccination. Interestingly enough, we’re now having universities facing federal contract requirements that mandate vaccinations so you’re seeing announcements at a number of our campuses.”

That comment is in reference to the recent news at Auburn University that all employees, including coaches, must be vaccinated by December 8. Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin tested positive for COVID on August 20 and missed 10 days of preseason practice; he has repeatedly declined to share his vaccination status, including when asked after Auburn’s announcement of a mandate.

Sankey also touched on other issues on the podcast, including;

The SEC’s philosophy on conference championship settings. While the league has events that have been traditional stops such as baseball in Hoover, Alabama, and football in Atlanta, other events have rotated around member campuses and for basketball, sometimes in Greenville, South Carolina, which is driving distance for multiple schools including nominal host South Carolina. “We have a neutral site in baseball, there’s been a facility investment by the city of Hoover, but we’re on campus for softball (and) that seems disparate,” Sankey said. “(But) what we know is on our campuses for softball, we have the best facilities in the country, bar none. We have had investments of multiple tens of millions of dollars in softball facilities that meet that national championship caliber expectations. … As we’ve looked across our region, going to a park and playing in what is a nice softball facility but is not world class is not how we’re going to support our student-athletes. … Basketball, we used to move it around a lot, we’ve been in men’s basketball primarily in Nashville, in women’s basketball primarily in Greenville, South Carolina. That flips this year but after the coming season, we’ll be in Nashville for the next decade. We do that because we learned the constant movement didn’t give us the feel, the buzz around our event that we want.”

Gender equity within college sports and the SEC. “We have been very intentional about how we support our championships well in advance of some of the challenges the NCAA has faced,” Sankey said, “but we’ve even undertaken within our staff a review looking at the equity between and among our sports, … making sure that our commitment is consistent with our aspirations to support national championship caliber competitions for men and women. We were all embarrassed by what was identified in San Antonio, I think in many ways it’s inexcusable and it’s a failure from an operational standpoint and a management standpoint. I don’t think we needed a law firm to tell us what was wrong but the NCAA leadership and its board of governors chose that route.”I read with interest the first phase … I’m concerned that we have to validate those opinions. Those are opinions from an outside firm. That doesn’t negate the observations but that doesn’t mean they are automatically correct. … I know how to run championships, my staff knows how to run championships, the NCAA staff knows how to run championships. When we fall down, we owe it to the young people in our program to look deeply at ourselves and the fact that there’s an outside review should encourage us to look deeply at ourselves, not simply substitute our own professional judgement on how to change.”

PRO SPORTS: Several NBA, NHL Stars Test Positive

Posted: Thursday, November 4

Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris is in the NBA’s health and safety protocols after testing positive for COVID, one in a series of big-name players in the NBA and NHL to have tested positive in the past week.

Harris averages 19.8 points and nine rebounds per game with the 76ers. A player who tests positive has to sit out a minimum of 10 days.

“He’s doing OK but not great, honestly,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said before Philadelphia’s game on Wednesday. “That’s the most I’m gonna say about it. But it hit him, for sure. A lot of guys have had this and they are mad like, ‘What the hell? I’m fine.’ Tobias is not in that category right now.”

Three other notable players in the NBA have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week, including Cleveland Cavaliers teammates Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen as well as Milwaukee Bucks star Khris Middleton, who missed a game Sunday with what was then called a non-COVID illness.

“We thought he just had a head cold or some type of non-COVID illness,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “And then, [he] didn’t feel good again the next day. Got tested and has come back positive.”

And one of the biggest names in the NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, has tested positive in a breakthrough case. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said Crosby is showing mild symptoms and is the NHL’s protocols, which means he will be self-isolating for 10 days after symptoms first appear; or at least 24 hours since the last recorded fever.

Pittsburgh defensemen Chad Ruhwedel and Marcus Pettersson remain in protocols after testing positive and having mild symptoms. Another defender, Brian Dumoulin, missed practice after testing positive but is asymptomatic, which means he can return after two negative tests that are 24 hours apart. The Penguins’ COVID issues come a few days after the San Jose Sharks had to put seven players and their coach in the league protocols for positive tests.

RUNNING: Boston Marathon to Enforce Vaccine Mandate

Posted: Wednesday, November 3

One of the biggest mass-participation events in the country will be restored to its traditional date — with a vaccine mandate and participation cap for 2022.

The Boston Athletic Association announced Tuesday that the field size for the 126th Boston Marathon on April 18, 2022, has been established as 30,000 participants who must be fully vaccinated to participate. The race will return to Patriots’ Day for the first time since 2019 after the 2020 event was held virtually and the 2021 event was held on October 11.

Runners head out onto the course at the Boston Marathon. (Stew Milne/AP Images)

“As we look to return to the traditional Patriots’ Day date for the first time since 2019 and allow for as many athletes to participate as safely as possible, we know that a fully vaccinated field is the appropriate requirement to implement,” said Tom Grilk, president and chief executive officer of the B.A.A. “We had a 93% vaccination rate among our 125th Boston Marathon participants and want to do our part to continue to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 as we continue our return to racing.”

Participants will need to provide proof of vaccination prior to participating in the race while requests for a medical exemption will be reviewed individually. Achieving the qualifying standard does not guarantee acceptance into the Boston Marathon due to field size limitations. Those who are fastest among the pool of applicants in their age and gender group will be accepted.

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS: Events in China, Abu Dhabi Rescheduled

Posted: Wednesday, November 3

World Athletics and the local organising committee for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Yangzhou 2022 have agreed to postpone the championships, which were scheduled to be held in China, on 27 March 27 and will now take place on November 13. The postponement is due to the biosecurity measures and travel restrictions currently in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in China.

“World Athletics and the LOC in Yangzhou are committed to the responsible planning and delivery of the half marathon championships, which includes ensuring that athletes from all international federations are able to participate and enjoy an experience that is befitting a World Athletics Series event,” the organization said in an announcement.

The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation has also announced the rescheduling of its 2021 World Championships to Abu Dhabi, January 24–29, after the earlier cancellation of the event to be originally held in Kazakhstan. The senior and junior nations tournaments will take place at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena in Zayed Sports City, near UFC Fight Island. The annual event in 2019 attracted around 450 athletes from 49 nations, before COVID-19 put a stop to IMMAF championships in 2020, making this the first IMMAF Worlds in two years.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: CFP Expansion Hits Next Stage of Negotiations

Posted: Wednesday, November 3

Commissioners from the 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences, along with Notre Dame, will arrive today in Dallas for the latest meeting about the potential for expansion of the College Football Playoff that could potentially bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in new income to a collegiate sports scene that continues to determine the financial ramifications of the pandemic.

The entire process surrounding the expansion talk comes from the first summer announcement that it was being considered — an announcement, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey told the SportsTravel Podcast this week, was intentional.

“That was done with the understanding that if we started to pursue this 12-team format behind the scenes, it would leak,” Sankey said. “Rather than just deal with a bunch of leaks of information, let’s just take it straight on. But even at that time, there was no certainty that that would be the model that all 11 of the entities in the decision-making body would say yes” because all parties involved must approve any decision.

Confetti falls as Alabama wins in overtime against Georgia in the 2018 CFP national championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Photo by Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

The official proposal floated in the summer was expansion from four teams to 12, comprised of the six highest-ranked conference champions and six at-large teams determined by a 13-member selection committee. The first round of the games would be played on campus sites with the top four seeds receiving byes. A meeting in September did not come to any resolutions.

And with the Big 10, ACC and Pac-12 now in an informal “Alliance” after the decision by Texas and Oklahoma to leave the Big 12 for the SEC, which has set off a chain reaction of conference realignment announcements, getting unanimous consent will take some doing.

“It’s clear the majority of participants support this proposed expansion but we still have some work to do with others and we’ll see what that means,” Sankey said. “For the Southeastern Conference in particular, we’re open to expansion. We’re not the ones called for the change to the format. We think the four-team format has worked and is working well, and it can continue to work well. But we have a responsibility to look broadly at the future of college football and that’s created at least for our part the willingness to explore this new 12-team expansion.”

Even the composition of a potential first-round has become the focus of some lobbying by Bowl Season, the group that oversees the operation of the 43 postseason games. ESPN reported last week that it has sent a letter to over 100 people involved in college football asking that the bowl games be hosts for the first round rather than campus sites, saying “the bowls would provide a neutral, competitively fair setting for these games as they have throughout their history. To exclude bowl games from any round of an expanded playoff would be harmful to Bowl Season, individual bowls and their host communities, and post-season college football in general.”

NBA: Nets Owner Joe Tsai Says Team is More Important than Kyrie

Posted: Tuesday, November 2

So much of the NBA’s off-court attention in the early part of the season has been the ongoing Kyrie Irving saga with Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai telling ESPN over the weekend that he hopes the guard gets vaccinated soon without holding out too much hope at the same time.

Tsai told ESPN he has not spoken to Irving since the announced before the season that Irving would not be the team until he complies with New York City’s COVID-19 mandate of getting at least one vaccination shot. Irving said on Instagram Live on October 13 that he isn’t pro- or anti-vaccine.

“Kyrie has his own belief so I respect that,” Tsai said. “But we have to make a team decision. This is not a decision about him. This is a decision about where we go as a team. And it is just not tenable for us to have a team with a player that comes in and out, no home games, only away games.”

Irving said on his Instagram Live that he was trying to be a voice for the voiceless, a comment that has drawn heavy criticism — especially in light of protestors who were very much in full voice outside the Barclays Center for the Nets’ home opener in October. Security at one point before the game had to stop protestors from trying to storm the arena doors.

“I just think that it’s cavalier for people to hijack something like this when life and death is at stake,” Tsai told ESPN. “… These guys are not basketball fans. They could care less whether someone is on the court playing or not. They’re hijacking the issue, but it’s dangerous because we have a life-and-death situation. The fact is, if you are not vaccinated and you catch COVID, you have a much higher probability of getting very, very sick and end up in the ICU and possibly die. That’s the consequence.”

The NBA put two notable players into the health and safety protocols on Monday, Cleveland’s Kevin Love and Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris. It is unclear how long both players will be out as of this time.

One player who was in the protocols in the preseason was Boston’s Jaylen Brown, who was able to return in time for the team’s season opener and has not missed any games. But after dealing with COVID, Brown said last week that sometimes he feels like he played three games after one night.

“I’ve noticed in the last couple of days — what, four games for me now? — my body hasn’t recovered the same in a sense. I’ve been talking to our medical staff about that,” he told NBC Sports Boston. “Like, I feel great. And then it feels like instead of playing one game, it kind of feels like I played three. I’m used to my body responding and recovering a lot faster. I know I just turned 25, but this can’t be what it looks like on the other side.”

Brown tested positive on October 8 and sat 10 days. He scored 46 points in 46 minutes in a season-opening, double overtime loss to the New York Knicks on October 20 but has had an inconsistent start to the season; he scored 30 points last Monday against the Charlotte Hornets, then made only eight shots in the next two games while dealing with joint pain and breathing issues; Brown now uses an inhaler when not in games.

“Some days I feel fantastic and then it’s like two, three days, it takes my body too long to feel fantastic again,” Brown said. “That’s an issue for me.”

NHL: Short-Handed Sharks Win Despite Team Outbreak

Posted: Monday, November 1

The San Jose Sharks’ overtime victory against the Winnipeg Jets, even so early in the 2021–2022 National Hockey League season, will likely end up as one of the most impressive by the time the season is over for what the Sharks went through ahead of the game.

San Jose coach Bob Boughner and seven players were put in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol only 25 minutes before the start of the game on Saturday in California. Forwards Andrew Cogliano, Jonathan Dahlen and Matt Nieto, and defensemen Erik Karlsson, Jake Middleton, Radim Simek and Marc-Edouard Vlasic missed the game while in the protocol.

San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier, center, is mobbed by his teammates after his overtime goal against the Winnipeg Jets in an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, in San Jose, Calif. The Sharks won 2-1. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron)

“That’s what adversity does, right? It forces you to depend on each other and bring out the best in each other,” Sharks goalie James Reimer said.

The team had announced that there were “some positives” within the organization five hours before the game but did not reveal the official list until shortly before the opening faceoff, calling in five players from the AHL San Jose Barracuda. The game was delayed 30 minutes because of waiting for the test results.

“It was a crazy day but a big game for us. … I’m proud of every guy in the room right now,” Tomas Hertl said.

Sharks assistant coach John MacLean assumed head coaching duties and development coach Mike Ricci also joined the bench. Both the Sharks and Barracuda rosters are fully vaccinated.

“It was a tremendous effort,” MacLean said. “(We) had great energy and they all knew they had to play. … The bench was lively. They were pretty much coaching themselves. They were excited to get out there and play, so that’s always fun to see.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Auburn Coach Faces Vaccine Mandate

Posted: Friday, October 29

Shortly after Washington State fired its head coach in midseason with a winning record for his refusal to comply with a statewide vaccination mandate, one of the biggest schools in the Southeastern Conference may soon face the same situation.

Auburn University last week mandated that all university employees must be fully vaccinated by December 8 and so far, Tigers football coach Bryan Harsin has declined to say whether or not he has been — or will get — vaccinated.

Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin watches a replay during the second half of a game against Georgia on October 9, 2021, in Auburn, Alabama. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Harsin refused to discuss his vaccination status at SEC media days in July and said it was a personal decision. But questions over his vaccination status have resurfaced after Auburn’s announcement.

“I’m aware of the new policy and appreciate you have to ask the question and understand it, but it doesn’t change — the executive order and all those things — that I’m not going to discuss any individual’s decision or status on the vaccine or anyone else’s, including my own,” said Harsin, who just moved to Auburn before this season after a tenure at Boise State. “I’ve made it clear that wasn’t something I was going to talk about or discuss and wasn’t going to go down that road. I don’t feel like right now that’s any different.”

The spotlight on Harsin’s status comes at — from a football standpoint — the worst time possible for Auburn, which has won three of its past four games and risen to No. 18 in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings ahead of Saturday’s home game against No. 10 Ole Miss.

“We’re focused on Ole Miss. We’re focused on the things we have to do to get prepared for this week,” Harsin said. “… We’ve had those conversations [about the vaccine], but that doesn’t change what I’ve said before.”

Auburn’s policy has limited circumstances where an employee is entitled to a medical or religious accommodation. Harsin tested positive for COVID-19 in August and had to step away from preseason for several days.

Harsin’s ambivalence in talking about his vaccination status stands in contrast to Auburn’s biggest rival, Alabama, where coach Nick Saban has done public service announcements encouraging vaccination.

Auburn is not the only SEC school where a vaccine mandate has recently been installed. Mississippi’s Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees voted this week to require those employed by colleges and universities to be vaccinated by Dec. 8. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said his team and staff was 100 percent vaccinated right before the season started, and Kiffin missed only one game after testing positive in a breakthrough case. Mississippi State head football coach Mike Leach has declined to discuss his vaccination status.

“The whole COVID vaccine thing bounces all over the place,” Leach said this week. “It would be like commenting on each hit in a tennis match, so I don’t have any comment.”

Washington State fired Nick Rolovich and four assistants after they refused to comply with a mandate that required all state employees to be vaccinated. Rolovich is suing Washington State for illegal termination. ESPN this week released a story inside the final months of Rolovich’s tenure, including details in which the school set up a meeting for him with a Washington State immunologist to answer vaccine questions.

Dr. Guy Palmer told ESPN that Rolovich never mentioned religious concerns, instead asking anti-vaccine questions: “Is Bill Gates involved with the vaccines? Does [Gates] hold a patent on the vaccines?” Palmer told ESPN. “He asked whether SV40 is in the vaccines and whether that could be a dangerous thing. And the answer to that is no.”

AP Top 25 Schedule
All Times Eastern
Thursday’s Games
No. 24 Coastal Carolina vs. Troy, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
No. 1 Georgia vs. Florida at Jacksonville, Fla., 3:30 p.m.
No. 2 Cincinnati at Tulane, Noon
No. 4 Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech, 3:30 p.m.
No. 5 Ohio St. vs. No. 20 Penn St., 7:30 p.m.
No. 6 Michigan at No. 8 Michigan St., Noon
No. 7 Oregon vs. Colorado, 3:30 p.m. (Fans must show proof of vaccination or negative COVID test)
No. 9 Iowa at Wisconsin, Noon
No. 10 Mississippi at No. 18 Auburn, 7 p.m.
No. 11 Notre Dame vs. North Carolina, 7:30 p.m.
No. 12 Kentucky at Mississippi St., 7 p.m.
No. 13 Wake Forest vs. Duke, 4 p.m.
No. 15 Oklahoma St. vs. Kansas, 7 p.m.
No. 16 Baylor vs. Texas, Noon
No. 17 Pittsburgh vs. Miami, Noon
No. 19 SMU at Houston, 7 p.m.
No. 21 San Diego St. vs. Fresno St., 10:30 p.m.
No. 22 Iowa St. at West Virginia, 2 p.m.
No. 25 BYU vs. Virginia, 10:15 p.m.

NFL Schedule
All Times Eastern
Thursday’s Game
Green Bay at Arizona, 8:20 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Carolina at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Miami at Buffalo, 1 p.m. (Fans must show proof of full vaccination)
San Francisco at Chicago, 1 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Philadelphia at Detroit, 1 p.m.
Tennessee at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
Cincinnati at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.
L.A. Rams at Houston, 1 p.m.
New England at L.A. Chargers, 4:05 p.m.
Jacksonville at Seattle, 4:05 p.m. (Fans must show proof of vaccination or negative COVID test)
Washington at Denver, 4:25 p.m.
Tampa Bay at New Orleans, 4:25 p.m.
Dallas at Minnesota, 8:20 p.m.
Monday’s Game
N.Y. Giants at Kansas City, 8:15 p.m.

NFL: Packers Short-Handed on Stars Ahead of Marquee Game

Posted: Wednesday, October 27

The biggest game so far this NFL season is going to see the Green Bay Packers without one of their stars because of COVID-19.

The Green Bay Packers could potentially be without wide receiver Davante Adams after he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday ahead of Thursday night’s game against the unbeaten Arizona Cardinals. ESPN reported that Adams tested positive but is vaccinated.

Adams leads the Packers in catches (52) and receiving yards (744). Allen Lazard is also out of the game because he has been ruled an unvaccinated close contact of Adams; a third wide receiver will miss the game with an injury.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams tries to avoid Washington cornerback Kendall Fuller during an NFL game October 24, 2021, in Green Bay, Wisconsin (Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini)

ESPN reported that Lazard tried to persuade the league that he was not a close contact to Adams and had tested negative, which should allow him to play. The NFL declined Lazard’s case because of its health and safety protocols, making the receiver eligible to play starting Friday instead of Thursday night.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur also said the team is expected to be without defensive coordinator Joe Barry for Thursday’s game. Green Bay has entered enhanced mitigation protocols that call for daily testing of all personnel and for masks to be worn at the facility ahead of a game which matches up two of the best teams in the league.

“Any time that you have any cases, you’re always a little bit concerned about that,” LaFleur said. “But the majority of our guys are vaccinated, so there’s a little bit different protocol with that. I don’t think in terms of being at close contact with any of our players, I don’t think that’s a real concern of ours right now. But we’re still waiting to hear back from the league before we get clearance on anything.”

Barry will also require two negative tests 24 hours apart before he could return. Barry is the second member of the Packers’ defensive coaching staff to test positive this season after defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery missed a Week 2 game against the Detroit Lions.

Without Barry around, LaFleur said running the defense will be a “collective effort with everybody involved and having an input.”

While Green Bay is dealing with active COVID cases, the Cardinals appear to be past their issues with the virus. The team activated defensive end Chandler Jones and defensive lineman Zach Allen from the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday.

Jones had missed the past two games for the team since testing positive. The Cardinals won both, including at the Cleveland Browns two weeks ago while also missing head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who tested positive and was away from the team for eight days. Kingsbury returned ahead of this past Sunday’s win over the Houston Texans but admitted to some rustiness after being away.

“It just felt funky,” Kingsbury said. “Usually, I’ve called those plays over and over throughout the week. [Quarterback Kyler Murray] and I have had that dialogue. That was the first time we’d even gone over them was out there. So, it just didn’t feel like the same type of rhythm, same type of comfort level. I just felt more on edge than I normally do after six days of preparation.”

Kingsbury, who like all coaches is fully vaccinated, first tested positive on October 15 and needed two negative tests 24 hours apart to be able to return, which did not happen until 6:30 a.m. Sunday.

TENNIS: Quarantine, Not Vaccination, May Be Option at Australian Open

Posted: Tuesday, October 26

After hints from Australia that made it appear as if players would have to be vaccinated to play, throwing the status of ATP Tour No. 1 Novak Djokovic and many others on the ATP and WTA Tours who have been COVID skeptics, now it appears that there may have been a change of serve.

Those who are not vaccinated could still play in the first Grand Slam of the tennis season after two weeks of quarantine, the WTA Tour has reportedly told players. The Australian Open is scheduled to start January 17.

An email obtained by freelance tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg from the WTA Tour to players said it wanted “clear up false and misleading information” about the Australian Open’s plans. The email would also contradict Australia’s immigration minister, who said last week players would need to be fully vaccinated to compete.

The WTA said the information came from Tennis Australia, who had requested players keep it confidential. Neither the ATP or WTA Tour has said what percentage of players are vaccinated recently; both estimated around 50 percent of the tour was vaccinated at the U.S. Open in September.

“We are optimistic that we can hold the Australian Open as close to pre-pandemic conditions as possible,” the governing body said in a statement to Reuters.

All players had to undergo two weeks of quarantine after arriving for the 2021 Australian Open, although most were allowed to leave their hotels to practice. Starting November 1, fully vaccinated citizens along permanent residents and their overseas-based family members who arrive in Sydney and Melbourne will no longer need to quarantine.

NBA: Anti-Vaxxers Try to Storm Nets Game In Support of Kyrie Irving

Posted: Sunday, October 25

Brooklyn Nets star guard Kyrie Irving, on an Instagram Live post explaining why he would rather sit out the NBA season than be vaccinated against COVID-19, said he was doing it to give a voice for the voiceless.

Sunday before the team’s home opener at the Barclays Center, people who very much have a voice nearly stormed the arena while protesting New York City’s vaccine mandate, chanting “Let Kyrie Play!”

A small group broke through barriers and got to the front entrance of the building, forcing arena officials to close the doors while fans were trying to get in ahead of Sunday afternoon’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

Protesters rallying against COVID-19 vaccination mandates and in support of Kyrie Irving gather outside the Barclays Center before an NBA game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Charlotte Hornets on October 24, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

“Barclays Center briefly closed its doors today in order to clear protestors from the main doors on the plaza and ensure guests could safely enter the arena,” an arena spokeswoman said. “Only ticketed guests were able to enter the building and the game proceeded according to schedule.”

A New York mandate requires professional athletes playing for a team in the city be vaccinated in order to play or practice in public venues. Irving is the lone Nets or Knicks player to refuse vaccination and could have played in road games, but the Nets decided that he was not all-in, he would be told to stay out.

Protester Curtis Orwell told The Associated Press he was fighting for “bodily autonomy and sovereignty.” Orwell said he was not vaccinated and knew some people who lost jobs because they weren’t.

NFL: How the Cardinals Stayed Unbeaten Amid Team Outbreak

Updated: Sunday, October 24

The Arizona Cardinals are the lone unbeaten in the National Football League and last weekend, the team stayed perfect while coming closer than any NFL team in having a COVID outbreak throughout the locker room.

The Cardinals are the first team that has had to work under intensive protocols this season with frequent testing after three players, plus head coach Kliff Kingsbury, quarterbacks coach Cam Turner and general manager Steve Keim, each tested positive over the last week.

Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt congratulates wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins after beating the Cleveland Browns on October 17, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Kirk Irwin)

Star pass rusher Chandler Jones tested positive on Tuesday last week, followed by defensive lineman Zach Allen on Friday afternoon and defensive lineman Corey Peters on Sunday.

“Once you get four or five (positive) tests in a week, they make everyone on Tier One and Two test daily,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. “Until you get through a four- or five-day period. It’s been more stressful, but hopefully, after a week, things will return to normal protocols.”

Kingsbury was away from the team but made sure to stay in touch with the team and coaching staff. He was cleared to rejoin the team ahead of Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans after a negative test on Saturday morning and another on early Sunday.

Kingsbury was the first head coach to miss a game due to a positive test. Joseph split head coach duties Sunday with assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers in last weekend’s 37-14 win over the Cleveland Browns in which burgeoning star quarterback Kyler Murray threw for 239 yards and four touchdowns.

“Once we got the news, it was just an opportunity and kind of exciting to go out and prove ourselves on the road against a great team,” Murray said. “I think with the guys, you could feel the energy all week at practice. It was a great week. Coming on the road, us versus them, it was a good game.”

Kingsbury can return once he has either back-to-back negative tests or 10 days away from the team facility, whichever comes first. Kingsbury is still leading virtual meetings over Zoom with his staff.

“It’s still his plan,” Joseph said. “He’s still involved with everything. So nothing has changed as far as who is building the game plan.”

Top 25 College Football Schedule
Wednesday’s Game
Appalachian State 30, No. 14 Coastal Carolina 27
Thursday’s Game
No. 21 SMU 55, Tulane 26
Saturday’s Games
No. 2 Cincinnati at Navy, Noon
No. 3 Oklahoma at Kansas, Noon
No. 4 Alabama vs. Tennessee, 7 p.m.
No. 5 Ohio State at Indiana, 7:30 p.m.
No. 6 Michigan vs. Northwestern, 12 p.m.
No. 7 Penn State vs. Illinois, 12 p.m.
No. 8 Oklahoma State at Iowa State, 3:30 p.m.
No. 10 Oregon at UCLA, 3:30 p.m. (Fans must be fully vaccinated or have negative test within 72 hours)
No. 12 Ole Miss vs. LSU, 3:30 p.m.
No. 13 Notre Dame vs. USC, 7:30 p.m.
No. 16 Wake Forest at Army, 12 p.m.
No. 18 NC State at Miami, 7:30 p.m.
No. 22 San Diego State at Air Force, 7 p.m.
No. 23 Pitt vs. Clemson, 3:30 p.m.
No. 24 UTSA at Louisiana Tech, 7 p.m.
No. 25 Purdue vs. Wisconsin, 3 p.m.

NFL Schedule
Thursday’s Game
Cleveland 17, Denver 14
Sunday’s Games
Cincinnati at Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Washington at Green Bay, 1 p.m.
Atlanta at Miami, 1 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at New England, 1 p.m.
Carolina at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.
Kansas City at Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Detroit at L.A. Rams, 4:05 p.m. (Fans must be fully vaccinated or have negative test within 72 hours)
Philadelphia at Las Vegas, 4:05 p.m. (Fans must be fully vaccinated to attend)
Houston at Arizona, 4:25 p.m.
Chicago at Tampa Bay, 4:25 p.m.
Indianapolis at San Francisco, 8:20 p.m.
Monday’s Game
New Orleans at Seattle, 8:15 p.m.

TENNIS: Novak Djokovic will need to be vaccinated to play Australian Open

Posted: Thursday, October 21

One match from the first men’s Grand Slam in nearly five decades, Novak Djokovic may miss the first Slam of 2022 for his apparent reluctance to get vaccinated.

Players on the ATP and WTA Tours who are not fully vaccinated are unlikely to get a visa for the Australian Open in Melbourne in January, according to Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews.

“I don’t think any unvaccinated tennis player is going to get a visa to come into this country,” Andrews said late last week. “If they did get a visa, they’d probably have to quarantine for a couple of weeks when no other players will have to.”

Djokovic has previously said that he was opposed to a mandate. Djokovic did not reveal his status on Monday when talking to Serbian newspaper Blic, saying “it is a private matter and an inappropriate inquiry.” He added “things being as they are, I still don’t know if I will go to Melbourne.”

Last year’s opening Grand Slam of the season did not have a vaccine mandate because the vaccine had not been approved. Players had to quarantine for two weeks but most were allowed a limited time to practice, but any who tested positive or were a close contact of a positive case were not allowed to leave their hotel rooms.

To be fair to Djokovic, his stand against vaccination is not unique in the tennis world; before the U.S. Open, roughly half of the elite male and female players were vaccinated. Several other of the ATP Tour’s top 10 players in the world have made bizarre statements, Stefanos Tsitsipas earlier this year said he believed the vaccine had side effects, earning a rebuke from Greece’s health minister; Tsitsipas said in late September that he had changed his mind and would get vaccinated.

Of the so-called Big Four in men’s tennis — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray — only Djokovic has not made his vaccination status know. Murray has endorsed the ATP Tour making vaccination mandatory.

At the U.S. Open, spectators were told less than 72 hours before the tournament started that they had to show proof of at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to attend matches, although players weren’t required to get a shot. Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion said during the tournament it was “a bit bizarre that fans have to be vaccinated and players are not.”

The Australian Open did have fans last year, but not at full capacity with a few days being closed off after positive case numbers started to rise. Australia is preparing to re-open its borders next month in a state-by-state process that depends on vaccination rates. Fully vaccinated people will have fewer restrictions than those who are not.

NBA: Kyrie Irving’s Vaccine Refusal Stands Out Among 96 Percent League Vaccinated Rate

Posted: Wednesday, October 20

The Brooklyn Nets entered this NBA season as one of the title favorites before having a reality check on Tuesday night, losing 127-104 to the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks in the league’s season opener.

The Nets will remain one of the most-discussed teams all season long no matter what its record is because of one reason: Kyrie Irving, one of the team’s three stars but a player who has been told by the team to stay away because of his refusal to get vaccinated.

Irving’s refusal to get the COVID vaccine means he is ineligible to play at home games in the Barclays Center along with games at Madison Square Garden, home of the Knicks, because of New York City’s health department requirements of employees at indoor venues.

The NBA announced on Monday that 96 percent of the league’s players are vaccinated but due to Irving’s status as one of the game’s best players when available, his refusal to get vaccinated has drawn outsized attention.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the stalemate is “between Kyrie and New York City right now” and “is not a league issue.” The NBA has mandated vaccination for referees, coaches, trainers and media members who come into direct contact with players.

Irving said last week Instagram that he still hopes to play this season for the Nets but did not commit to getting vaccinated should that be the only pathway back to playing all season long.

“What is being mad going to do,” Nets teammate Kevin Durant said last week. “We are not going to change his mind, know what I’m saying?”

“Definitely want Kyrie to be around,” Durant added. “I wish none of this stuff would happen, but this is the situation that we are in. Kyrie made his decision on what he wanted to do and he chose to do what he wanted to do, and the team did the same.”

Unvaccinated players undergo daily testing and face restrictions designed to limit close contact with teammates away from the court. New York and San Francisco have local mandates that mean unvaccinated players are banned from playing in their home markets, even if visiting players are exempt from the mandate; the Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins resisted getting vaccinated until his request for a religious exemption from the city of San Francisco was denied, at which point he got his shot.

The Warriors did not have fans for most of last season, a season in which only the Oklahoma City Thunder did not have home fans for the entire 2020–2021 campaign. This year every arena will be at full capacity to start the season with many having some type of protocol for fans to enter.

The ability to have fans at all games will help the NBA’s bottom line; Silver said last season, between limited attendance in most markets and only 72 games instead of the regular 82, saw the league’s revenue take a 35 percent dive. The commissioner said the league projects $10 billion in revenues this season should it held without any COVID interruptions.

“It’s our hope that this season will look a lot more like normal,” Silver said. “The one thing I’ve learned over the last year-and-a-half is to be very cautious about making any predictions, including what will happen with this virus. … Once we see what’s happening one way or the other with the virus, we’ll be making some [protocol] modifications. But I think we’re in good shape right now.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Washington State Fires Nick Rolovich For Refusing to Get Vaccinated

Posted: Tuesday, October 19

The Washington State Cougars held off Stanford on Saturday night, winning their third consecutive game and improving to over .500 and getting within two games of bowl eligibility.

The team celebrated like it had won the Pac-12 title, dumping Gatorade on its coach and doing everything but carrying him off the field. Why would they do that for a midseason game by going over .500? It wasn’t because the team has never had success, but because it was the final game for coach Nick Rolovich, who after the game seemed resigned that he would be fired.

The reason? Rolovich’s refusal to get vaccinated after having his request for a religious exemption denied ahead of Monday’s state employee deadline, leading to his firing — for cause. Along with Rolovich, assistant coaches Ricky Logo, John Richardson, Craig Stutzmann and Mark Weber were fired for refusing to be vaccinated.

Washington State coach Nick Rolovich walks on the field after the team’s college football game against Stanford on October 16 2021, in Pullman, Wash. Washington State won 34-31. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)

“While much has been made of the relatively small number of university employees who are not complying with the Governor’s mandate, we are immensely gratified that nearly 90 percent of WSU employees and 97 percent of our students are now vaccinated,” Washington State President Kirk Schultz said in a statement announcing the firings. “WSU students, faculty, and staff understand the importance of getting vaccinated and wearing masks so that we can safely return to in-person learning and activities. I am proud of all those members of our community who have set the example and taken the steps to protect not just themselves, but their fellow Cougs.”

Rolovich was the highest-paid state employee, making about $3 million. Rolovich said he would comply with the state mandate all preseason and into the regular season but never got vaccinated, instead hoping he would be given an exemption. When asked why he needed an exemption over the past two weeks, Rolovich declined to explain. A Washington State University committee is assigned to examining requests; the committee does not know who files the requests because it is a blind process.

Athletic Director Pat Chun said at a Monday night press conference that Rolovich’s “accommodation request” was denied, which leads to believe the religious exemption was granted. The second step of Washington State’s process if a religious exemption was granted would be for the supervisor to decide if accommodations could be made. Chun saying Rolovich’s accommodation request was denied indicates an evaluation was made beyond the initial exemption.

Rolovich’s vaccination status has overshadowed on-field performances by the Cougars all season. Rolovich was also the only Pac-12 coach to not show up at the conference’s media days in July in Los Angeles, instead connecting virtually. Washington State will host BYU on Saturday.

“The noncompliance with this requirement renders [Rolovich] ineligible to be employed at Washington State University and therefore can no longer fulfill the duties as a head coach of our football program effective immediately,” Chun said during a Monday night news conference. “It is disheartening to be here today. Our football team is hurting. Our WSU community is fractured. Today will have a lasting impact on the young men on our team and the remaining coaches and staff.”

NHL: Sharks Forward Suspended for Fake Vaccine Card

Posted: Tuesday, October 19

The National Hockey League suspended San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane for 21 games after he submitted a fake COVID-19 vaccination card in an attempt to avoid getting his shots.

The suspension is without pay, meaning Kane will forfeit about $1.68 million with the money going to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said before the season started that only four players had not been vaccinated.

“I would like to apologize to my teammates, the San Jose Sharks organization, and all Sharks fans for violating the NHL COVID protocols,” Kane said in a statement. “I made a mistake, one I sincerely regret and take responsibility for.”

The Sharks have not said what Kane’s status will be once he is eligible to play at the end of November. Using a fake vaccination card is illegal in both the United States and Canada, as well as against NHL rules.

“We are extremely disappointed by his disregard for the health and safety protocols put in place by the NHL and the NHLPA,” San Jose said in a statement. “We will not be commenting further on Evander’s status prior to the conclusion of the NHL’s mandated suspension.”

OLYMPICS: USOPC Confident in Vaccine Requirement and COVID Countermeasures

Posted: Monday, October 18

When Team USA heads to Beijing in February, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee officials say they will be the most prepared team to deal with the uncertainties of COVID-19 that will make for a second consecutive Olympic and Paralympic Games staged under strict virus countermeasures.

Members of the U.S. team as well as coaches, administrators and support staff will be required to be fully vaccinated to compete, a more strict policy than the USOPC held during the recent Tokyo Games, where vaccines were encouraged. The only exemptions will be for those who can prove they have a medical restriction from getting a vaccine, based on measures already announced by Beijing 2022. In those cases, athletes will be required by Beijing organizers to quarantine for 21 days upon arrival to China before they can resume training or competing.

USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland urged Americans to enjoy the Olympic Games despite the challenges faced in organizing the event.

At the start of a two-day media summit in advance of the Games, USOPC Chief Executive Officer Sarah Hirshland said lessons learned from Tokyo will be carried over to Beijing. “We’re strong, we’re focused and if this summer is any indication, we’ll be the most prepared (National Olympic Committee) and (National Paralympic Committee) in Beijing.”

The U.S. expects to bring a delegation of more than 240 Olympians and 65 Paralympians to compete in Beijing, as well as an unknown number of coaches, support staff and administrators. There will be 187 medal events contested in Beijing, including new disciplines of women’s monobob, big air skiing and several new mixed-gender events.

Addressing another major expected storyline of the Games, Hirshland said the USOPC will be focused on giving Team USA athletes a chance to compete despite expected political protests or diplomatic boycotts of the Beijing Games over human rights issues in China.

“The athletes of Team USA and the athletes of the world have been preparing for the Games for years,” she said. “The opportunity to compete for the United States is a special one and a singular event for the great majority of Olympic and Paralympic athletes. We are focused on protecting that opportunity.”

A trio of USOPC medical experts also addressed the challenges ahead in Beijing both in terms of COVID mitigation and how athletes will adjust to the unknowns ahead from a mental health perspective as well.

Dr. Jonathan Finnoff, the USOPC’s chief medical officer, said the vaccine requirements that the USOPC and Beijing 2022 have put in place will make athletes safer and come from lessons learned in Tokyo. “These are challenging times but the vaccination policy we’ve put in place and China has put in place will make the Games as safe as possible,” he said.

Sean McCann, the senior sport psychologist for Team USA who will mark his 14th Games in Beijing with Team USA, said winter athletes may be better positioned to adjust to the potential isolation without family members in Beijing, who will be banned from attending just as they were in Tokyo. All foreign spectators have been banned from the upcoming Games, although spectators from China are expected to be allowed to attend.

“Winter sport athletes from the United States have a specific challenge in that most of their competition happen in Europe,” he said. “They are very familiar with being away from support systems, sometimes spouses, or kids in some cases, five months of the year. That’s always a challenge. In some ways I would argue our winter sport athletes are a little bit better prepared from being cut off from their support systems.”

FOOTBALL: Capacity Crowds Without COVID Outbreaks So Far This Season

Posted: Friday, October 15

When Texas A&M upset top-ranked Alabama last weekend, it was more than just a fantastic college football game — it was set in front of a raucous crowd in College Station, Texas, with just under 107,000 screaming Aggies fans on hand making it a hot topic on social media.

Last weekend’s college schedule, one that featured multiple upsets and wild finishes, brought out fans in some markets like seldom before this season. Kentucky had a season high 61,690 in its win over LSU to remain unbeaten and both BYU (63,470) and Iowa (69,250) had sellouts for its games. Auburn drew 87,451 in its rivalry game loss to Georgia, a season-high as well.

Fans cheer in the stands after a Florida touchdown during the first half of a college football game against Vanderbilt on October 9, 2021, in Gainesville, Florida. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

And despite concern about packed college football stadiums this fall, most college towns have not seen upticks in COVID-19 cases. University of Florida epidemiologist Cindy Prins, Ph.D., who tracks coronavirus trends nationwide, said “when we see these full stadiums, it makes people feel nervous because we’ve been avoiding crowds for such a long time. But some of these outdoor events really are not the super spreader events that people have worried they’re going to be.”

Prins said there are a variety of factors that go into not having localized spikes. The biggest is that the games are outdoors, where transmission has a much lower risk compared to what could happen in the winter with basketball and hockey games being held indoors.

“I would never say no one’s ever going to get COVID-19 at a football game, but I wasn’t very concerned about football games because of the outdoor factor,” Prins said. “A lot of epidemiologists have expressed some concern, and again, it just comes from the idea that you do have a lot of people gathering together.”

That all said, Prins still recommends people get vaccinated and “I would definitely wear a mask. I would certainly wear it while I’m waiting to get into the stadium with other people, I’d wear it when I was going to the concession stand. For me, I would still wear it during the game. Some people may feel more comfortable if they’re seated and they know that people around them are vaccinated, but otherwise, keep that mask in place and be vaccinated.”

The lack of outbreaks attributable to large football crowds has not meant that some colleges are stopping programs to increase vaccination among its fans. Notre Dame announced this week that it is partnering with the St. Joseph County (Indiana) Department of Health to offer free tickets for two games later this year upon getting their first dose of the vaccine and scheduling a second.

Individuals can choose to get tickets to either the November 6 game against Navy or the November 20 game against Georgia Tech.

“Notre Dame continues to look for ways to encourage members of our community — including our local fans — to get vaccinated against COVID-19,” said Notre Dame Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick. “We hope that the opportunity to secure complimentary tickets to a Notre Dame football game will provide an additional reason for residents of our broader community to become vaccinated.”

Capacity at Notre Dame Stadium is 77,622; the Irish had a sellout crowd for its last home game, a loss to Cincinnati, and were close to a sellout against Purdue on September 18. The team’s home opener on September 11 against Toledo drew 62,009, the smallest home crowd since the stadium expanded 25 years ago.

But capacity crowds have been commonplace in the NFL. Heading into the weekend, only two teams — New Orleans and Washington — have home attendance averages under 85 percent. New Orleans is at 74.1 percent but that is easily explainable because of having its home opener in Jacksonville, Florida, instead of the Caesars Superdome after a hurricane hit Louisiana. Washington is the lowest in the NFL, playing to 62.2 percent capacity at home, which has more to do with widespread fan apathy rather than anything else.

Meanwhile, there are 13 teams that have averaged at least 99 percent capacity this season with eight teams at or over 100 percent, led by the San Francisco 49ers playing to 101.3 percent of capacity through its first two home games.

The Arizona Cardinals are scheduled to play at the Cleveland Browns and its rowdy fans on Sunday afternoon and the Cardinals will likely have to do so with a less than full strength roster: Cardinals star defensive end Chandler Jones was put on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday after testing positive and showing symptoms in spite of being vaccinated. The team itself has two other positives among the coaching staff, meaning the team is one positive test from going into intensive protocols that would mean increased testing.

“Guys just try to mask up and we have the test to make sure that guys are good to go,” Cardinals offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum said. “We just try to do everything to make sure we’re safe. It’s unfortunate to have somebody of (Jones’) caliber test positive at this junction in the season, having the type of season that he’s having but as a team we’ve just got to find a way to stay safe and make sure that we don’t have any spreading going on in the locker room and in the building.”

Top 25 College Football Schedule

All Times EDT; Most Schools Encourage Mask Wearing by Fans
Friday’s Games
California at No. 9 Oregon, 10:30 p.m. (proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required for entry)
No. 24 San Diego State at San Jose State, 10:30 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
No. 11 Kentucky at No. 1 Georgia, 3:30 p.m.
Purdue at No. 2 Iowa, 3:30 p.m.
UCF at No. 3 Cincinnati, Noon
TCU at No. 4 Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m.
No. 5 Alabama at Mississippi State, 7 p.m.
No. 10 Michigan State at Indiana, 12 p.m.
No. 12 Oklahoma State at No. 25 Texas, 12 p.m.
No. 13 Mississippi at Tennessee, 7:30 p.m.
Auburn at No. 17 Arkansas, 12 p.m.
No. 18 Arizona State at Utah, 10 p.m.
No. 19 BYU at Baylor, 3:30 p.m.
No. 20 Florida at LSU, 12 p.m.
No. 21 Texas A&M at Missouri, 12 p.m.
No. 22 N.C. State at Boston College, 7:30 p.m.
NFL Schedule
All Times EDT; Most Teams Encourage Mask Wearing by Fans
Thursday’s Game
Tampa Bay at Philadelphia, 8:20 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Miami vs. Jacksonville at London, 9:30 a.m.
Minnesota at Carolina, 1 p.m.
L.A. Chargers at Baltimore, 1 p.m.
L.A. Rams at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.
Houston at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
Kansas City at Washington, 1 p.m.
Green Bay at Chicago, 1 p.m.
Cincinnati at Detroit, 1 p.m.
Arizona at Cleveland, 4:05 p.m.
Dallas at New England, 4:25 p.m.
Las Vegas at Denver, 4:25 p.m.
Seattle at Pittsburgh, 8:20 p.m.
Monday’s Game
Buffalo at Tennessee, 8:15 p.m.

NHL: Only Four Players Unvaccinated as Season Opens

Posted: Wednesday, October 13

The National Hockey League has perhaps the strictest conditions, per team, of any professional league when it comes to fans attending games this season — nearly half the league requires either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend games.

That emphasis on fan safety extends to the players and officials on the ice, as NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said on Tuesday night prior to the league’s season opener against Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh that only four players are unvaccinated as the season is underway.

“Our vaccination rate is incredible,” Bettman said. “Four players, not four percent of players. All of our officials are vaccinated. All of the personnel that come into contact with the players are vaccinated.”

The reminders of what it will take still to get a full season without disruption came Tuesday when Seattle Kraken players Jared McCann, Jamie Oleksiak, Joonas Donskoi and Calle Jarnkrok along with Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon went into COVID-19 protocol. The Kraken had five players in the protocols ahead of their first game in franchise history on Tuesday at Las Vegas.

Even with the players in protocol, having only four unvaccinated players is a testament to the league’s strict regulations for those unvaccinated players that they will have to live by this season.

Those four players will not be able to go anywhere on the road except for the team hotel, practice facility and arena. When at a hotel, those players cannot have teammates or anybody else in their room and cannot eat at a hotel restaurant. Teams can also dock unvaccinated players one day’s pay for each day they would miss if they contract the virus and they must have daily testing compared to every third day for vaccinated players.

“Throughout all of this, we had great collaboration and cooperation with the players and Players’ Association,” Bettman said. “This doesn’t happen to get to this point without that collaboration and cooperation.”

NBA: Nets Tell Kyrie Irving to Stay Away Until He Gets Vaccinated

Posted: Tuesday, October 12

The Brooklyn Nets have told Kyrie Irving, the NBA’s most prominent anti-vaccination player, that he will not play or practice this season until he gets vaccinated. The move came after days of the team trying to figure out a solution, including the possibility that Irving could play away games since New York City mandates require home players to be vaccinated.

“Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose,” Nets General Manager Sean Marks said in a statement. “Currently the choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team, and we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability. It is imperative that we continue to build chemistry as a team and remain true to our long-established values of togetherness and sacrifice.”

The Nets are scheduled to open the home campaign on October 24. Irving would also miss any games the Nets are scheduled to play at the Toronto Raptors since Canada does not allow unvaccinated travelers to enter the country.

“It’s not something that I’ve experienced before,” Nets forward Blake Griffin said. “Whatever he decides, whatever the team decides, whatever agreement we come to or whatever happens, we’re just gonna support him. And when he’s here, we can use him. He’s amazing.”

The NBA and players association in September agreed that unvaccinated players will be fined 1/91.6^th of their salary for each game they miss at home because of local health mandates, meaning Irving would lose tens of millions if he does not play this season.

The NBA Players Association has said that approximately 95 percent of players are vaccinated as the season openers approach. But that overwhelming majority has meant that the few who refuse to get vaccines, such as Irving and Orlando’s Jonathan Isaac, are taking up most of the attention. Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins previously was public about not wanting to get vaccinated but once his application for a religious exemption was denied in San Francisco, he got vaccinated.

The city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate prevented Irving from taking part in the team’s media day in late September. Irving ended up participating via videoconference from his home, constantly saying he wanted privacy about his status.

“I’m envisioning Kyrie being a part of our team,” said Kevin Durant, one of the Nets’ other big stars, on Wednesday. “Maybe I’m just naïve, but that is just how I feel. But I think everybody here has that confidence in themselves, in our group, that if we keep building, we can do something special.”

NHL: Kraken Without Five Players for Franchise Debut

Posted: Tuesday, October 12

The Seattle Kraken, ahead of its franchise debut on national television Tuesday night at the Vegas Golden Knights to kick off the NHL season, will be without five players because of COVID-19 protocols.

Forwards Jared McCann, Joonas Donskoi and Marcus Johansson, and defenseman Jamie Oleksiak were placed on the league’s COVID-19 protocol list on Monday. Forward Calle Jarnkrok has been in the protocol since late last week. Seattle general manager Ron Francis said at the start of training camp that the entire roster had been vaccinated.

“Things happen quickly and sometimes at inopportune times,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “There’s different challenges as you go throughout the season and this is one of them for us early on.”

WNBA: Changes May Be On The Horizon For League

Posted: Monday, October 11

The crowd was loud and hyped, but it did not matter for the Chicago Sky in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals in a nationally broadcast win over the host Phoenix Mercury on Sunday afternoon. The Finals are being held to finish a season in which the WNBA led professional sports by becoming the most vaccinated league in the world at 99 percent of its players.

The playoffs also come after a regular season that saw viewership increase 51 percent, the most watched WNBA season since 2008. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert said the league is in the middle of a “five-year business transformation plan” with the growth of fan engagement as a key piece.

One of the other key pieces is expanding the league, a topic of intense focus among WNBA fans and something they have been wanting the league to do for years. COVID has delayed some of the planning with expansion; Englebert said on Sunday the league is doing a data analysis for expansion that is ongoing and involves approximately 15 separate market metrics.

Chicago Sky forward Candace Parker is pressured by Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, left, during the first half of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on October 10, 2021, in Phoenix.(AP Photo/Ralph Freso)

“The data looks like it’s going to read out some interesting information for us to start having exploratory discussions with certain cities and make sure that we can find great ownership groups to support a WNBA team and great fan bases,” she said, without committing to a future number of markets to expand to or what season expansion would happen.

Englebert’s state of the league address before Game 1 on Sunday was lots of words and little firm commitments to what the future will hold. One of the top topics was the playoff format itself — the WNBA’s first two rounds since 2016 have been single elimination before the best-of-three semifinals and best-of-five finals.

Changing the format has been discussed, Englebert said, “and we are looking at finalizing a decision on updates to the playoff format at our upcoming postseason meetings.” But it appears clear from the player perspective that they would like to see changes.

“From the players’ standpoint we all would like the single elimination to be gone,” Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart said Sunday. “You work all season for an opportunity and to have one game just kind of makes it over really quickly. Yeah, it’s the format for college, but this isn’t college. This is the WNBA. Also, I think extending the playoffs and making series out of all the rounds just makes for more viewers, more eyes to watch us and more people to be a part of it.”

With a potentially extended playoffs will also come into play potentially more issues with arena availability for WNBA teams. The Mercury had to play a single-elimination game against the New York Liberty at nearby Grand Canyon University with no WNBA branding on the court, and one of its semifinal series games against the Las Vegas Aces was held at Arizona State University instead of its regular home, the Footprint Center. Both times, the venue had already booked entertainment events on that day.

Engelbert said “it’s not a new issue for the WNBA and something we need to work on. We will work on it in the offseason, I assure you.”

NFL: Cole Beasley Says Bills Fans Boo Him For Anti-Vax Stance

Posted: Friday, October 8

The Buffalo Bills have won three consecutive games in dominant fashion, are leading the AFC East Division standings and remain one of the conference favorites to reach the Super Bowl after a spot in last year’s AFC Championship Game.

But the biggest news early this week after a 40-0 win over the Houston Texans was wide receiver Cole Beasley, known for his anti-vaccination views, claiming that fans are booing him because of his stance. Buffalo fans must be at least partially vaccinated to attend home games right now with full vaccination being the requirement starting October 31.

“Only place I get boo’d is at our home stadium. I thought bills fans were the best in the world? Where’d they go? If the vaccine works then why do vaxxed people need to be protected from unvaxxed? #letemin,” Beasley said on Twitter on Monday.

Beasley earlier this season told unvaccinated Bills fans that if they went to an away game, he would buy their ticket. Beasley’s feelings about COVID and vaccination run opposite of what the NFL has been trying to do with players — who they cannot mandate to get vaccinated — as well as team staffers and coaches, who they are (and did) mandate to become vaccinated. Last month the NFL released a public service announcement stressing the importance of symptom reporting to prevent the spread of COVID-19 featuring coaches Pete Carroll, Andy Reid, John Harbaugh and Ron Rivera. More than 93 percent of players are vaccinated.

Fans cheer during the second half of an NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Orchard Park, New York, on September 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)

The Bills are one of two NFL teams along with the Raiders to mandate proof of vaccination as a condition of going to games. The Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints allow fans to attend if they are not vaccinated but have proof of a negative COVID test within 72 hours of kickoff.

While he was vocal both on Twitter and in training camp press conferences about his anti-vaccination views, Beasley has been relatively quiet since the regular season got underway — until this week. The Bills play at Kansas City on Sunday night in one of the marquee games of the week.

The NFL this week has the first game outside of the U.S. in more than a year, with the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons playing at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. After steadily increasing the number of games played abroad before the pandemic not only in London but with an annual game in Mexico City, that strategy was scrapped in 2020 and two London games are on this year’s schedule. After the Falcons face the Jets on Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars play the Miami Dolphins a week later.

The NFL did approve a resolution for up to four games per season starting in 2022 in the United Kingdom, Mexico and potentially Germany. Brett Gosper, NFL Head of UK and Europe, told The Associated Press that the league is finalizing a shortlist of German cities to host a game as early as next season. Eight cities expressed interest in becoming a partner city to host a regular-season game, he said.

The NFL played 28 regular-season games in London from 2007-19 and seven years remain on Tottenham’s 10-year contract to host two NFL games annually, Gosper said. After Germany, NFL analysis has shown that France would be the next logical European host, Gosper told the AP.

Whether in London — where the Jets and Falcons play on Sunday — or Germany or in their home markets, NFL coaches have to be vaccinated per league rules. That type of rule is not standardized throughout college football, although several prominent coaches have been vaccinated and have come out boasting about their teams’ collective vaccination rates.

And then there’s Washington State coach Nick Rolovich.

Rolovich did not show up at Pac-12 Media Days this summer in Los Angeles because he said that he was not vaccinated, the only coach in the league not to have gotten his shots. Throughout the preseason and into the early part of the season for the Cougars, the coach has repeatedly refused to engage with reporters about his vaccination status or if he plans to get the vaccine.

But there is a looming deadline that Rolovich faces that has implications for his employment. Monday was the last day for state employees such as Rolovich who are subject to Gov. Jay Inslee’s vaccine mandate to get their shot in order to be considered fully vaccinated by the October 18 deadline.

Yet, this week, Rolovich has deflected questions about the vaccine. When asked Monday whether he had gotten the shot, Rolovich replied, “I’m still following the process that’s been laid out. I’m going to leave it right there.”

Rolovich, who said personal reasons were the reason he was not vaccinated, is the highest paid employee in the state of Washington with his salary last year being $3,195,500.

Washington State has a policy that fans must either provide proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter games. Another school that has the same approach, the Southeastern Conference’s LSU Tigers, did so until today. The Tigers announced that with a reduction in the number of infections, it will do away with entrance-related procedures. All guests will still be required to wear masks in the indoor areas of the stadium.

“The COVID-19 rates in Louisiana have dropped dramatically across the state over the last couple of weeks, and today, the state has a positivity rate below five percent,” Dr. Catherine O’Neal, chief medical officer at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge and a member of the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force, said in a statement. “Because of this success, we are able to lift the vaccine and testing requirements for entry into Tiger Stadium. By balancing mitigation efforts and risk in the ongoing fight to end the pandemic, we can protect our community and safely celebrate the traditions that bring us together.”

Top 25 Schedule

All Times EDT; Most Schools Encourage Mask Wearing by Fans
Thursday’s Game
No. 15 Coastal Carolina at Arkansas St., 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s Game
No. 5 Cincinnati vs. Temple, 7 p.m.
No. 22 Arizona St. vs. Stanford, 10:30 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
No. 1 Alabama at Texas A&M, 8 p.m.
No. 2 Georgia at No. 18 Auburn, 3:30 p.m.
No. 3 Iowa vs. No. 4 Penn St., 4 p.m.
No. 6 Oklahoma at No. 21 Texas, Noon
No. 7 Ohio State vs. Maryland, Noon
No. 9 Michigan at Nebraska, 7:30 p.m.
No. 10 BYU vs. Boise St., 3:30 p.m.
No. 11 Michigan St. at Rutgers, Noon
No. 13 Arkansas at No. 17 Mississippi, Noon
No. 14 Notre Dame at Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m.
No. 16 Kentucky vs. LSU, 7:30 p.m.
No. 19 Wake Forest at Syracuse, 3:30 p.m.
No. 20 Florida vs. Vanderbilt, Noon
No. 24 SMU at Navy, 3:30 p.m.
No. 25 San Diego St. vs. New Mexico, 9 p.m.

NFL Schedule

All Times EDT; Most Teams Encourage Mask Wearing by Fans
Thursday’s Game
L.A. Rams at Seattle, 8:20 p.m. (Fans must provide proof of vaccination or negative COVID test)
Sunday’s Games
N.Y. Jets vs. Atlanta at London, 9:30 a.m.
Denver at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
Detroit at Minnesota, 1 p.m.
Green Bay at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Miami at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
New England at Houston, 1 p.m.
New Orleans at Washington, 1 p.m.
Philadelphia at Carolina, 1 p.m.
Tennessee at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Chicago at Las Vegas, 4:05 p.m. (Fans must provide proof of vaccination)
Cleveland at L.A. Chargers, 4:05 p.m. (Fans must provide proof of vaccination or negative COVID test)
N.Y. Giants at Dallas, 4:25 p.m.
San Francisco at Arizona, 4:25 p.m.
Buffalo at Kansas City, 8:20 p.m.
Monday’s Game
Indianapolis at Baltimore, 8:15 p.m.

NBA: Los Angeles Vaccine Mandate to Affect Lakers, Clippers, Kings Games

Posted: Thursday, October 7

Already knowing that three NBA teams would be facing mandates to have players vaccinated because of local health regulations, the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers may be up next after the Los Angeles City Council announced sweeping measures that are some of the strictest mandates in the country.

The City Council voted in favor of an ordinance that will require proof of full vaccination for anybody entering indoor venues such as the Staples Center in downtown starting November 4. While it will impact fans going to NHL or NBA games, the Lakers and Clippers organizations have both said their teams will be fully vaccinated by the start of the season and the NHL is closing in on having its entire league fully vaccinated.

Los Angeles County’s own vaccine rules — which apply both in the city of Los Angeles and in surrounding communities — are less sweeping. The council decision comes with an eye toward the winter after the nation’s second-most populous city faced a huge rise in infections and hospitalizations last year over the holiday season.

The NBA said last month local laws do apply to players. Laws in New York City and San Francisco that require proof of vaccination for workers and customers impact the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks but not teams that play road games in those markets.

The Knicks have already announced that its roster is fully vaccinated and the Warriors say they will be soon after Andrew Wiggins, who initially refused to get vaccinated, received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The Nets, however, are a different issue with one of its trio of stars, Kyrie Irving, not disclosing his vaccination status — but also not with the team right now as it has started practicing in New York City, a sign that he is not vaccinated. ESPN reported on Tuesday night that the Nets are not clear on what Irving’s intentions are and whether it will allow him to participate as a part-time player this season.

“I’m envisioning Kyrie being a part of our team,” Kevin Durant told reporters after Wednesday’s practice. “Maybe I’m just naïve, but that is just how I feel. But I think everybody here has that confidence in themselves, in our group, that if we keep building, we can do something special.”

NHL: Fake Vaccine Card Investigated

Posted: Thursday, October 7

San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane is being investigated by the National Hockey League about potentially submitting a fake vaccination card to the league, reported Front Office Sports.

ESPN also reported the league is looking into if Kane submitted a fake vaccination card, which is against league rules let alone illegal in the United States and Canada.

Kane is remaining away from the team and its facility as the regular season nears. He was investigated in the offseason after allegations that he bet on games, including his own team’s. Kane is three seasons into a $49 million, seven-year contract.

NBA: Nets Not Worried While Minus Kyrie Irving Because of Vaccine Mandate

Posted: Wednesday, October 6

Kyrie Irving was the lone Brooklyn Nets player not to attend the team’s first practice on Tuesday in New York City, another reminder of his unvaccinated status during a standoff that for now the Nets are playing cool.

New York has a mandate requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for athletes who play in or practice in the city. Irving has avoided questions on his vaccination status, instead asking for privacy when pressed during the team’s media day on September 27 that he attended virtually instead of in person like every other Nets player.

“We support him, we’re here for him. When things change and there’s a resolution, we’re here for him,” Nets coach Steve Nash said.

Players in New York and San Francisco, which has a similar mandate soon going into effect, won’t be paid for the games they miss. The New York Knicks are 100 percent vaccinated and Andrew Wiggins recently became the last of the Golden State Warriors to get a shot.

The Nets open the NBA 2021–2022 season in two weeks at the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks. Nash said the team will not hold practice outside the city even if it would ensure the entire roster would be available.

“This is our home and this is where we’re going to practice and we have almost the whole group,” Nash said. “So that’s a positive and we’re just working at getting better every day and focusing on the things we can control.”

OLYMPICS: Russian Vaccines Approved

Posted: Wednesday, October 6

Athletes who have been vaccinated with shots originating in Russia will have those vaccination records accepted for the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, the 2022 organizing committee announced.

Four coronavirus vaccines have been registered in Russia but none are recognized by the World Health Organization. Unvaccinated athletes going to Beijing will be required to spend 21 days in quarantine before competition as part of the plans unveiled by organizers last week that includes a ban on foreign fans.

“All vaccines recognized by the World Health Organization, relevant international organizations, as well as officially approved by countries or regions, will be accepted, so Russian vaccines are acceptable,” Beijing 2022 said.

The move by Beijing organizers come around the same time as news that local fans may be able to attend test events, according to the director of Beijing 2022’s Venue Management Department, Yao Hui, “if conditions allow.”

Beijing is scheduled to host a series of 10 international competitions in the coming weeks in a number of winter sports with an estimated 2,000 overseas athletes, team officials, technical officials and timing and scoring personnel coming to China.

Beijing’s previously announced “closed loop management system” will be used at the events. Huang Chun, deputy director of Beijing 2022’s COVID-19 Prevention and Control Office said, the number of overseas attendees “will undoubtedly and clearly increase the risk of the import and spread of COVID-19.”

TENNIS: Australian Open May Mandate Vaccination, Leaving Novak Djokovic With a Choice to Make

Posted: Tuesday, October 5

Novak Djokovic had one of the great individual seasons in men’s Open tennis history, falling one win short of the first Grand Slam on the ATP Tour in decades and also reaching the semifinals at the Olympic Summer Games men’s tennis tournament.

When Djokovic lost in the U.S. Open final, the question naturally would be if he could achieve the feat next year starting with the Australian Open — a tournament he has won nine times already, including the past three years. But now the question may be whether he plays in the tournament at all, and not because of injury.

The state of Victoria, home for the first Grand Slam of 2022, said that professional athletes must be fully vaccinated by the end of November to participate in the tournament after a breakout in the Delta variant of Covid-19 in the southern state. Along with the Australian Open, the measure pertains to the Ashes cricket event that is scheduled to start December 8.

“I think it is highly unlikely that the Commonwealth government will be letting anybody into this country that has not been double-vaxxed, certainly in the medium term,” Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said last week. “That might change over time.”

Djokovic has drawn controversy over the past year for his stance about COVID and vaccination. When the ATP Tour was first shut down during the pandemic, Djokovic said on a live stream with other Serbian athletes that would not want to be forced to get vaccinated. He organized his own tournament while the tour was shut down and later contracted COVID, as did his wife.

He has remained a skeptic about vaccination throughout the year, including the U.S. Open where at least partial proof of vaccination was required for fans to attend.

History would be on the line for Djokovic in Australia. He is tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nada for the most Grand Slams in men’s tennis history at 20.

“It’s Novak’s decision if he wants to get vaccinated. It’s his choice to participate in the Open if there is a mandate,” said Australian tennis coach Craig O’Shannessy, who was a part of Djokovic’s staff from 2017 to 2019.

Djokovic is not the only player on either tour that will have to face a choice about vaccination to play in the Grand Slam. During the U.S. Open, reports emerged that — at best — half of the players on the ATP and WTA Tours were vaccinated, far below any other major professional league. While Federer and Nadal have been pro-vaccine, many younger players have followed Djokovic’s lead and been publicly dismissive of getting their shots.

Australia’s strict restrictions will also again require adjustments to the way players qualify for the event. Tennis Australia is planning to hold its qualifying events in Dubai and Doha for the second year in a row before the main draw starts in mid-January. Players and their coaches and support teams will possibly have to spend two weeks in a bubble again.

“There’s a lot of time between now and when we get going but, at this point in time, we’re planning on having a two-week bubble, where the players will be able to move freely between the hotel and the courts,” Tennis Australia’s Craig Tiley said at a recent event.

NBA: Vaccinations Remain Topic of the Day

Posted: Monday, October 4

The Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins asked for a religious exemption to stay unvaccinated before the team started training camp, which was denied. During his first appearance with the media at training camp, Wiggins reiterated his opposition to being vaccinated, even at the cost of losing half his salary.

“I’m just going to keep fighting for what I believe,” Wiggins said last Monday.

On Sunday, the Warriors announced that Wiggins had gotten vaccinated.

“Andrew got vaccinated,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He just told me today that he was fine with us acknowledging it and that will be the end of it. I’m not going to answer any questions beyond that.”

Local laws in San Francisco and New York mean that players for the Warriors, Nets and New York Knicks have to be fully vaccinated to play home games, hence the rapid change in Wiggins’ stance. The spotlight will now shine even brighter on Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving, who still refuses to be clear about his status and keeps asking for his privacy to be respected.

Phoenix’s Devin Booker is already in the league’s health and safety protocols, which indicates a testing or contact-tracing issue. Add to that Washington’s Bradley Beal saying he is unvaccinated and because the NBA’s vaccination rate is around 95 percent, according to multiple reports, the attention is mostly paid to those who have not gotten their shots rather than those who have.

The Spurs have a fully vaccinated roster, coach Gregg Popovich said, adding that he’s also received his booster shot. The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers along with Utah, Portland, Houston and Charlotte said they were at the 100% mark. The Associated Press said Toronto, Atlanta and Miami will be by the season openers.

Given the high vaccination numbers, the tension is rising for those who have not gotten their shots, according to an ESPN article last week detailing the risks that are now involved for team staffers who as part of their jobs have to interact with potentially unvaccinated players.

“Everyone who is vaccinated should be pissed at those who aren’t,” one assistant coach told ESPN. “Not requiring NBA players to be vaccinated is (expletive).”

Assistant coaches are not the only ones unhappy with the few remaining players who are unvaccinated. Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued speaking his mind, telling Yahoo Sports “the ignorance that has been perpetrated and the misinformation that has been spread around everywhere has made it impossible for people to get an understanding of what is going on. People who say they haven’t finished doing the research yet, really haven’t done any research.”

Another Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal, targeted criticism toward Irving and his actions — or lack of — during his own podcast: “I try not to belittle another man’s opinion. However, let me tell you what I think…. Once you sign up for this life, there is no privacy, and you have to accept it. … if you’re on my team and you can’t play home games, I don’t want you around. … Get your ass up outta here.”

OLYMPICS: Foreign Fans Banned by Beijing Organizers

Posted: Thursday, September 30

The organizers for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing have announced that no foreign fans will be allowed, a move long expected by observers of the Games, while also saying that unvaccinated athletes must quarantine for 21 days upon arrive into China.

“Beijing 2022 informed the (Executive Board) of the principles that will help deliver safe and successful Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games as scheduled,” the International Olympic Committee said in a statement. “Considering the above objective, the IOC and IPC fully respect the principles established by Beijing 2022.”

Chinese residents will still be able to attend events at the Games, which start February 4.

A crew member leaps to fix a logo for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics before a launch ceremony to reveal the motto for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics on September 17, 2021. Organizers announced “Together for a Shared Future” as the motto. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

“This will facilitate the growth of winter sports in China … as well as bringing a favorable atmosphere to the venues,” the IOC said.

Among the Beijing safety principles are a “closed-loop management system” immediately upon arrival, within which vaccinated athletes will move freely. It covers all Games-related areas and stadiums as well as accommodation, food and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, served by a dedicated transport system. There will still be daily testing for all athletes.

The move last week by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee to mandate vaccination for all athletes and members of a potential delegation to 2022 or any future Games was reinforced by Beijing’s announcement of an extensive quarantine should unvaccinated athletes arrive in China, although Beijing said athletes “who can provide a justified medical exemption will have their cases considered.”

“While the pandemic is far from over, I would like to reassure you that together with our Chinese partners and friends, we are sparing no effort to make these Olympic Winter Games safe and secure for everyone,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in an open letter earlier in September. “As we did in Tokyo, we are putting in place rigorous COVID-19 countermeasures to ensure the health and safety of all Olympic participants in Beijing.”

Bach’s letter referred to “the athletes of these Olympic Games that will send this message of the unifying power of sport to the world,” but critics noted that it did not acknowledge global concerns about human rights issues in China. Activists have tried to brand it the “Genocide Games” because of China’s detention of Muslim minority Uyghur people in prison camps in Xinjiang province and the decision to ban foreign fans, for some Olympic observers, is as much about controlling the visuals of the Games than it is about health and safety.

The IOC included human rights requirements several years ago in the host city contract for the 2024 Paris Olympics, but it did not include the U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for Beijing. Bach has consistently said the IOC is a politically neutral sports organization and has declined several recent calls to move the Olympics out of Beijing. His letter was published on the day Beijing organizers unveiled their Games slogan “Together for a Shared Future.”

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Duke Ready to Place Fan Restrictions on Games

Posted: Wednesday, September 29

One of the biggest programs in college basketball is reportedly on the verge of putting in COVID-related mandates for fans to attend games this season.

Duke University, ahead of Mike Krzyzewski’s final season as head coach, plans to mandate either proof of full vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours of the start of the event. The Durham Herald-Sun first reported the development on Monday and said an official announcement would be imminent.

“I think there’s a really great opportunity here for letting people in who are vaccinated,” Dr. Cameron Wolfe, a Duke infectious disease specialist who chairs the ACC’s Medical Advisory Group, told the school’s Academic Council during its meeting last Thursday. “We should lead in that regard.”

Duke opens the season on November 12 against Army. It played all last season without fans at games at Cameron Indoor Stadium, normally one of the most raucous settings in basketball.

Duke will require vaccination for employment at the university starting October 1; vaccines are already mandated for the school’s students, faculty and staff. The school has a a mask mandate in place for all indoor spaces on campus, which includes volleyball games at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Befitting his stature within the college basketball coaching industry, Krzyzewski started last season seemingly reluctant for the Blue Devils to be playing. “I don’t think it feels right to anybody,” he said after a loss to Illinois early in the season. “I mean, everyone is concerned. … I would just like for the safety, the mental and physical health of players and staff to assess where we’re at.”

Krzyzewski later missed an ACC game on January 6 against Boston College due to COVID-19 quarantine protocol after a family member tested positive for COVID-19. Krzyzewski was vaccinated in early March.

NBA: Beal Backtracks Slightly on Vaccine as LeBron Confirms Vaccination

Posted: Wednesday, September 29

Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal says he still may get vaccinated, one day after he was heavily criticized for his viewpoints on not getting the vaccine to this point.

“I’m still considering getting the vaccine, so one thing I want to make clear is that I’m not sitting up here advocating that you shouldn’t get the vaccine,” Beal said Tuesday, adding that it was recommended he not get vaccinated yet because he is still within 60 days of having contracted COVID and missing the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo.

The comments Tuesday contrasted with what Beal said Monday when admitting that he was not vaccinated, did not feel pressured to and said “I would like an explanation to people with vaccines, why are they still getting COVID? If that is something that [vaccinated individuals] are supposed be highly protected from, like it’s funny that it only reduces your chances of going to the hospital. Doesn’t eliminate anybody from getting COVID. Right?”

Beal said when he contracted COVID, “I didn’t get sick at all. I lost my smell but that was it for me.”

While Monday brought a storm of comments from Beal, Andrew Wiggins and Kyrie Irving casting doubt on vaccine effectiveness and avoiding questions about their feelings on vaccination, the biggest name in the NBA — LeBron James — confirmed that he is vaccinated.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, and forward Anthony Davis wear masks and watch teammates play during the first half against the Los Angeles Clippers in Los Angeles on December 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

“You’re always trying to figure out ways that you can just be available and protect one another and put yourself in the best possible chance where you are available to your teammates, available to what we need to do on the floor,” the Lakers superstar said Tuesday.

James had previously been evasive when asked about his vaccination status, saying in March “that’s all family talk.” On Tuesday, he admitted being “very skeptical” when vaccines were first available. Asked if he felt compelled to be a public advocate for vaccination against coronavirus, James said, “That’s not my job.”

NBA: Kyrie Irving, Andrew Wiggins Caught up in Vaccination Controversies

Published: Monday, September 27

With training camps starting this week in earnest in the NBA, the biggest question that each team will face will be what their player vaccination rate is — and while the NBPA says that approximately 90 percent of the league’s players are fully vaccinated, there are several high-profile names that are stealing the attention for their refusal to take the shot.

The biggest name is Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, whose vaccination status — or lack of — has been widely whispered in NBA circles. A piece published Saturday by Rolling Stone describes Irving — who has promoted the theory that world is flat — has been liking social media posts regarding “secret societies” that are “implanting vaccines in a plot to connect Black people to a master computer for ‘a plan of Satan.’”

Irving, attending the Nets’ media day remotely from Los Angeles, said Monday “I would love to keep (his vaccination status) private and handle that the right way with my team. Obviously I’m not able to be present there today.”

Nets General Manager Sean Marks said during the team’s preseason news conference last week that if practice was held this week in Brooklyn, “there would obviously be a couple people missing from that picture.” The Nets’ first preseason game in Brooklyn is October 8. The regular season home opener is October 24.

“That’s on Kyrie and that’s his personal decision,” Nets star Kevin Durant said Monday. “What he does is not on us to speculate what may happen. We trust in Kyrie and I expect us to have our whole team at some point.”

Along with the Brooklyn Nets, players on the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors must be fully vaccinated to play in home games because of local health requirements; the orders do not apply to visiting players. The Knicks said Friday that their team is fully vaccinated.

Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving holds his leg after being injured during the first half of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals game against the Milwaukee Bucks on June 13, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

“I think it’s a credit to our players, in particular, that they took this thing very seriously and took the responsibility to get that done,” Knicks General Manger Scott Perry said. “So, we’re very proud of that fact and we’re gonna move forward.”

Both the cities of New York City and San Francisco require people over the age of 12 to show proof of vaccination to enter arenas and other indoor venues. The Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz have already announced that fans to attend games must show proof of full vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours of tipoff.

The San Francisco order goes further and says there will be no exemptions granted at large indoor gatherings. One player for the Warriors, Andrew Wiggins, applied for a religious exemption but was denied by the NBA. San Francisco’s mandate does not take effect until the middle of October, so Wiggins has a short window of time to get vaccinated and be eligible to play and practice with his teammates.

Players are just about the only part of a NBA game that do not have a mandate for vaccination. Referees, coaches, stat-crew workers and anyone else who will be in close proximity to players on or off the court in arenas must be vaccinated.

In addition to Irvin, another All-Star, Phoenix’s Devin Booker, will miss the start of training camp after being placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. The 24-year-old Booker helped lead the Suns to the NBA Finals last season, averaging 25.6 points per game before joining the U.S. team that won Olympic gold in Tokyo this summer.

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac told Rolling Stone that he is unvaccinated because “at the end of the day, it’s people,” Isaac says of the scientists developing vaccines, “and you can’t always put your trust completely in people.”

All the discussion around unvaccinated players has made one Hall of Famer very angry. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has done commercials promoting vaccination for the NBA, did not hold back to Rolling Stone:

“The NBA should insist that all players and staff are vaccinated or remove them from the team,” Abdul-Jabbar told the magazine. “There is no room for players who are willing to risk the health and lives of their teammates, the staff and the fans simply because they are unable to grasp the seriousness of the situation or do the necessary research.”

FOOTBALL: Gameday staffing an early-season issue for some college teams

Posted: Friday, September 24

As football season is underway and fans are coming back in the tens of thousands, one issue that some colleges and universities are running into is a shortage in gameday staffing that traditionally is filled by part-time workers that have not come back in the same numbers as before the pandemic.

A sign notifies fans of Notre Dame’s mobile ticket only policy before Toledo played Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, on September 11, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

One school that got attention for the wrong reasons was Virginia Tech, where the stadium’s wireless network had issues that led to long lines for entry into the stadium and students sitting in the wrong seats. People visiting concession stands discovered Virginia Tech had switched to cashless purchases, but staffing problems contributed to the long waits; the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch reported that the concession stands were only at 40 percent of its normal staffing.

Officials at Virginia Tech have apologized for the issues and said it would add beverage-only concession stands to relieve long lines for food, plus reduce the number of menu items.

Fred Demarest, N.C. State’s senior associate AD for communications and brand management, told the Winston-Salem Journal that his school learned last Thursday that its Saturday home game against Furman would be understaffed regarding ticket takers. The athletics department went public with the issue so fans would be encouraged to come early.

Attendance early this season has gone down compared to seasons past for Oregon and Oregon State, schools which both require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for entry. Oregon State Athletic Director Scott Barnes told The Oregonian that the school gave either credits or refunded approximately 650 season tickets and resale market volume has dropped significantly.

“We are getting direct feedback that it’s the vaccine,” Barnes said, adding that the school has had part-time workers for games not showing “in the hundreds.” Reser Stadium’s capacity is 43,363; the team’s announced attendance for two games this season has averaged 27,279.

A big difference between college and pro football this season is not just in game staffing around the arenas but the vaccination policies; while schools are able to mandate it for all students, including football players, the NFL has to collectively bargain with the NFLPA and vaccination remains optional for players who agree to adhere to strict protocols reminiscent of last season.

But it also appears that some NFL players are taking a page from the broader society and looking to find a way to fake proof of vaccination. Defector this week published a story saying that while the NFL claims 93.5 percent of players were fully vaccinated by the season opener, there are whispers that some have been using fake vaccination cards.

“I think [fake cards are] a lot more common than people realize,” one agent told the website. Another agent texted Defector that “was told by a player tonight that a big-name guy on his team has a fake card. Players know.”

Defector also reported that two NFL agents had players that they represent ask for help in getting a fake card, which both agents declined.

Under this year’s NFL protocols, a game would be forfeited if a COVID-19 breakout occurs among unvaccinated players on a team. Only unvaccinated players are subject to being quarantined if they are deemed close contacts of those who test positive. Vaccinated players test once every seven days compared to daily testing for unvaccinated players. Unvaccinated players must wear masks when working out at team facilities and must adhere to social distancing in team cafeterias, among other guidelines.

The Athletic this week talked with Denzel Perryman, who said in July before Carolina Panthers training camp that he would not get vaccinated and was OK handling the league’s protocols. After being traded to Las Vegas in early September, after nearly two months of protocols, Perryman got vaccinated.

“I ain’t gonna lie,” Perryman told The Athletic. “Too many restrictions going on. Can’t even eat with my fellow brothers. I don’t like being an outcast.”

Top 25 college football schedule
All times Eastern; most campuses ‘encourage’ mask wearing by fans
Friday’s Game
No. 22 Fresno State vs. UNLV, 10 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
No. 1 Alabama vs. Southern Miss, 7:30 p.m.
No. 2 Georgia at Vanderbilt, 12 p.m.
No. 3 Oregon vs. Arizona, 10:30 p.m. (proof of vaccination of negative test required)
No. 4 Oklahoma vs. West Virginia, 7:30 p.m.
No. 5 Iowa vs. Colorado State, 3:30 p.m.
No. 6 Penn State vs. Villanova, 12 p.m.
No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 16 Arkansas at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, 3:30 p.m.
No. 9 Clemson at NC State, 3:30 p.m.
No. 10 Ohio State vs. Akron, 7:30 p.m.
No. 11 Florida vs. Tennessee, 7 p.m.
No. 12 Notre Dame vs. No. 18 Wisconsin at Soldier Field in Chicago, 12 p.m.
No. 14 Iowa State at Baylor, 3:30 p.m.
No. 15 BYU vs. South Florida, 10:15 p.m.
No. 17 Coastal Carolina vs. UMass, 1 p.m.
No. 19 Michigan vs. Rutgers, 3:30 p.m.
No. 20 Michigan State vs. Nebraska, 7 p.m.
No. 21 North Carolina vs. Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
No. 23 Auburn vs. Georgia State, 4 p.m.
No. 24 UCLA at Stanford, 6 p.m.
No. 25 Kansas State at Oklahoma State, 7 p.m.

NFL Schedule
All Times Eastern
Thursday’s Game
Carolina at Houston
Sunday’s Games
Washington at Buffalo, 1 p.m. (fans must show proof of at least partial vaccination)
Chicago at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Baltimore at Detroit, 1 p.m.
Indianapolis at Tennessee, 1 p.m.
L.A. Chargers at Kansas City, 1 p.m.
New Orleans at New England, 1 p.m.
Atlanta at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
Arizona at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at Denver, 4 p.m.
Miami at Las Vegas, 4 p.m. (fans must show proof of full vaccination)
Tampa Bay at L.A. Rams, 4:25 p.m.
Seattle at Minnesota, 4:25 p.m.
Green Bay at San Francisco, 8:20 p.m.
Monday’s Game
Philadelphia at Dallas, 8:15 p.m.

ENDURANCE SPORTS: Ironman Moving World Championships from Hawaii to Utah

Posted: Friday, September 24

Ironman will be moving its world championship event out of Hawai’i for the first time in the 40-plus year history of the event, relocating it to St. George, Utah, on May 7, 2022, because of COVID restrictions and accessibility to the state of Hawaii.

“We are fortunate to have built such a strong and trusted relationship with our friends in the greater St. George region over the past 10-plus years,” said Andrew Messick, president and chief executive officer for The Ironman Group. “St. George stepped up to ensure Ironman athletes will have a 2021 world championship, even if delayed into 2022. We all just witnessed why this special place has been dubbed the ‘Land of Endurance’ and we are confident that we will have an outstanding championship in May.”

The World Championship is the longest running and most distinguished endurance event in the world, but due to Covid-19 restrictions in Hawai’I, the event has not been held since 2019. The 2020 race was cancelled and the 2021 event, scheduled for October 9, was postponed.

“I think we understand the weight and responsibility we now have to carry forward the cherished significance of Kona and we don’t take that responsibility lightly,” said Kevin Lewis, director of the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office. “We have the deepest respect for the Ironman legacy and all that has gone on before … We now have the opportunity to truly honor that legacy in a place where the land holds a familiar spirit and the people comprehend what it all really means.”

The St. George area has become a regular stop for Ironman events. It is already scheduled to host the 70.3 North American championships in 2023 and 2025 plus the North American championship in 2024.

“Hosting the Ironman World Championship is yet another example of the Utah Sports Commission’s sport and Olympic legacy efforts that showcase globally why Utah is known as the State of Sport,” said Utah Sports Commission President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Robbins. “Together with our partners, we look forward to welcoming the world to Utah.”

The 2022 World Championship is slated to return to Kona in October 2022 as an expanded two-day event with women racing on October 6 and the men on October 8.

“Hawaii Island and Kona in particular have had a wonderful 40-plus year relationship with Ironman and its origins,” said Ross Birch, Island of Hawai’i Visitors Bureau Executive Director. “While the iconic event has provided long-lasting economic benefits to our island, what’s sometimes missed is the transformation of Kona as a lifestyle destination because of Ironman. We are in full support of Ironman’s change to host a two-day race format that enables the opportunity for all qualifying athletes from the past two-plus years to compete as well as giving the local economy a chance to benefit and recoup lost tourism opportunities.”

OLYMPICS: USOPC to Mandate Vaccination for Athletes

Posted: Thursday, September 23

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee will mandate full vaccination for athletes, staff and those using USOPC training facilities by December 1 ahead of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

USOPC Chief Executive Officer’s Sarah Hirshland’s letter to athletes and others was obtained by The Associated Press that, starting November 1, the USOPC will require staff, athletes and others utilizing training centers and other USOPC facilities to be vaccinated. The requirement “will also apply to our full Team USA delegation at future Olympic and Paralympic Games,” the letter reads in part.

Hirshland said in the letter that there would be a process for athletes to apply for an exemption. The United States is expected to send around 240 athletes to the Winter Olympics, though the mandate will many more.

The USOPC differs from other professional sports organizations such as the NFL, NHL and NBA because those leagues have to negotiate collective bargaining agreements with their respective player unions. The NHL has an agreement to allow some of its players to compete in the Olympics; NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said he expects the league to be close to 100 percent vaccinated by the time the season starts in mid-October.

The USOPC said before the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo that out of more than 600 athletes who qualified for vaccination ahead of the Games, around 83 percent of them got their shots. The International Olympic Committee did not require vacccination for athletes who competed in the recent Games in Tokyo, which was held under strict health and safety protocols. The IOC’s first playbook with health-related and other guidance for the Winter Games, is due next month and it is expected that Beijing’s protocols will be — at minimum — as strict as those in Tokyo, if not stricter.

“The stark reality is that this pandemic is far from over,” Hirshland wrote. “This step will increase our ability to create a safe and productive environment for Team USA athletes and staff, and allow us to restore consistency in planning, preparation and service to athletes.”

NBA: Nets Not Worried About Vaccine Mandate

Posted: Thursday, September 23

The Brooklyn Nets will start training camp in San Diego before coming back home to New York — where players will face a vaccination mandate that supersedes the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement with its players.

Along with the Nets, players on the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors must be fully vaccinated to play in home games because of local health requirements; the orders do not apply to visiting players, however. The New York executive order went into effect on September 13 covers anyone over the age of 12 unless there is an approved medical or religious exemption.

Both New York City and San Francisco require people over the age of 12 to show proof of vaccination to enter arenas and other indoor venues. The Nets have already announced that team employees and fans must show proof of at least partial vaccination to attend games this season while the Warriors fans must show proof of full vaccination to attend games.

The Boston Celtics announced on Wednesday, along with the Boston Bruins, that fans wanting to get into TD Garden for games must present proof of full vaccination or a qualifying negative COVID-19 test per a City of Boston health order; the order also says that all fans “over the age of 2 are required to wear a mask except while actively eating or drinking as permitted.”

“A two-strike policy will be strictly enforced for all guests who attend events at TD Garden in relation to mask wearing,” TD Garden said in a statement announcing the protocols on Wednesday. “Guests failing to adhere to this policy will be subject to disciplinary measures including ejection.”

Nets General Manager Sean Marks said during the team’s preseason news conference that if practice was held this week in Brooklyn, “there would obviously be a couple people missing from that picture.” The Nets’ first preseason game in Brooklyn is October 8. The regular season home opener is October 24.

“We are supporting getting the vaccination,” Marks said, adding that he believes the team will have no issues by the time the regular season starts. “… we don’t see these — whether it’s a city-wide mandate or a league mandate to follow — being any sort of hindrance to us putting out a team.”

The NBA does not have a vaccine mandate for players; NBPA President Michele Roberts told Yahoo Sports in early July that the player vaccination rate was “at 90 percent, which I, frankly, think is much, much more than I would have predicted a couple of months ago.”

This season’s NBA health and safety protocols for players include testing for COVID at least once on game day, plus on days that a team either travels or practices.

OLYMPICS: Strict Protocols Expected in Beijing, IOC Says

Posted: Wednesday, September 22

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, in an open letter published by the IOC, said that those competing and attending the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing should expect the same level of COVID-19 health and safety protocols in place as were this past summer in Tokyo for the rescheduled 2021 Olympic Summer Games.

“While the pandemic is far from over, I would like to reassure you that together with our Chinese partners and friends, we are sparing no effort to make these Olympic Winter Games safe and secure for everyone,” Bach said about the Games in Beijing, which are scheduled for February 4–20. “As we did in Tokyo, we are putting in place rigorous COVID-19 countermeasures to ensure the health and safety of all Olympic participants in Beijing.”

Bach urged those who will be heading to Beijing to get vaccinated. Olympic teams were urged by the IOC to request more vaccines ahead of the 2022 Winter Games as about 100 countries are likely to compete in Beijing compared to 205 countries in Tokyo. Vaccination is encouraged but not mandatory for Beijing.

“I would like to encourage those National Olympic Committees who require additional vaccine doses … to inform our NOC relations department as soon as possible so that we can put the necessary arrangements in place,” Bach said in Friday’s letter.

Human rights groups representing minorities in China have sent out a letter of its own — asking NBC and other worldwide broadcasters to cancel plans to cover and broadcast the Games in Beijing, telling broadcasters that they risk “being complicit” in the “worsening human rights abuses” in China.

The letter, obtained by the Associated Press, was sent to NBC Universal chief executive officer Jeff Shell and other international broadcast executives. NBC is paying $7.75 billion for the rights to the next six Olympics, which is estimated to account for up to 40% of the IOC’s total income.

SPORTS: Sellout crowds leave medical professionals uncomfortable

Posted: Tuesday, September 21

Protocols or not, attendance in the NFL has returned to pre-pandemic strengths — whether it be sellout crowds in Indianapolis, Cleveland, Miami and Kansas City in addition to near-sellouts for both the New York Jets and New York Giants with more than 74,000 tickets sold.

When TV cameras cut to fan reactions this season, few people are shown wearing masks — if any at all. There is no vaccine requirement for fans at all but two NFL stadiums, something President Joe Biden has urged sports and entertainment venues to impose. And as the fall continues and football games at both the pro and college level continue, the question of what the risk of going to a game is debated by health officials.

Fans wave Terrible Towels during the second half of a game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Las Vegas Raiders in Pittsburgh on September 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

The risk of catching COVID greatly depends on where the stadium is and whether the game is outdoors, among other factors. Outdoor games are universally considered safer but epidemiologist Ryan Demmer of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health told The Associated Press there remains an “extremely high chance” an unvaccinated, unmasked fan could get COVID-19 if they sit next to an infected person for three hours or so.

“At any sort of large event like at a football stadium, without question there will be many infected people there,” Demmer said, who advises fans to not wander around the stadium or stand in lines that are long so that once inside the stadium, you minimize contact with people as much as possible.

Demmer told the AP there is no question that crowded stadiums this fall will lead to more infections, adding “I just wish everyone would get vaccinated and then we can really move past this once and for all.”

The number of venues that are requiring at least proof of a negative COVID test are increasing, seemingly by the week. Two NFL teams — the Las Vegas Raiders currently, and soon the Buffalo Bills — will require proof of full vaccination for entry into home games. Nearly half the National Hockey League will be at that level once the 2021–2022 season starts. Last week, a poll from Pew Research Center showed that 56 percent of America favor requiring vaccination as a condition of going to sporting events or entertainment venues.

“If you have a stadium full of people and many of them are vaccinated, they will be protected and others will be protected from serious illness,” Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, one of the creators of the Moderna vaccine, told USA Today Sports recently.

The one NFL team that is underperforming attendance-wise is Washington Football Team, which is averaging 51,435 in two home games (62.7 percent capacity). That figure could also come with a caveat with the low capacity possibly being more about the team’s struggles and fan dissatisfaction with ownership than any on-field performance.

Only two other NFL teams that have played true home games this season and drawn under 90 percent capacity; Cincinnati at 86.3 percent (56,525) and Jacksonville at 86.2 percent (58,461). New Orleans’ home opener was actually in Jacksonville, Florida, because of hurricane damage in Louisiana, making its ‘home capacity’ of 51.9 easily explainable. Including the Saints, six teams are yet to have played a home game this season.

But while the NFL has shown no signs of markedly decreased crowds early on, there have been Major League Baseball teams with significant declines in attendance this season. The Athletic recently reported that MLB overall attendance is down 36 percent from 2019 with six teams having drops of more than 50 percent: Philadelphia, Minnesota, St. Louis, San Francisco, Boston and the New York Yankees. Of those teams, only the Twins are not in the playoff race heading into the final two weeks of the season.

MLB will counter — and with some truth behind its stance — that attendance figures this year will be distorted because while each team has had fans at every game this season, many of them operated early in the season with capacity restrictions. Which is true: Each MLB ballpark was not at 100 percent capacity until sometime in mid-July. Its figures next season will be more of a truer comparison before and after the pandemic; the bigger test will be to see what NBA and NHL teams draw in the winter between the number of NHL arenas requiring full vaccination and depending on vaccination rates throughout the United States, given what happened last winter pre-vaccine with cases skyrocketing throughout the country.

RUNNING: Tokyo Marathon Postponed to 2022

Posted: Tuesday, September 21

The Tokyo Marathon scheduled for October 17 will not be on March 6, 2022, with the 2022 edition canceled due to the COVID-19 state of emergency in Japan’s capital, the Tokyo Marathon Foundation said. This is the second straight year the event has been affected by the pandemic, with last year’s marathon limited to elite runners.

“I would like to sincerely apologize not only to our runners and volunteers, but to everyone who has been looking forward to our event,” Race Director Tadaaki Hayano said in a statement.

NHL: Player Vaccination Rate Nears 100 Percent Before Preseason

Posted: Monday, September 20

When the National Hockey League released its health and safety protocols for the upcoming 2021–2022 season, it laid clear the incentives both financially and beyond for players to become vaccinated.

Those incentives have clearly made a difference with NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly saying on Thursday that there may be as few as 10 players overall — out of 736 in the league — that would not be fully vaccinated by the time the season starts October 12.

“That is subject to change, obviously, because it’s dependent on who makes the roster and who doesn’t make the roster and what the status of those players are, so it’s really a projection at this point,” Daly said at the NHL/NHL Players’ Association North American Player Media Tour. “But I think we’re safe in saying that it’s going to be less than 15 [players].”

Up to 25 of the league’s 32 teams could be fully vaccinated when the season opens, Daly added.

The 2019–2020 season was disrupted by the pandemic, with the season finishing in two secure bubble environments in Toronto and Edmonton with less than the full league participating; the 2021 season was shortened to 56 games and did not start until mid-January. The 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs did not end until July 7, pushing the start of the 2021–2022 season back about a week. The season will also have a break for the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in February.

The NHL’s protocols this season include the ability to suspend unvaccinated players without pay if they cannot participate in hockey activities, while fully vaccinated players will have any COVID-19 positives treated as injuries and still be paid. Unvaccinated players also will undergo regular testing and have their movements restricted when on the road.

“We weren’t really trying to convince each other one way or the other,” Los Angeles defenseman Drew Doughty said. “But then I think when the NHL released that statement that you lose pay and stuff like that, that kind of changed some guys’ minds.”

There are 14 NHL teams that will have fan policies ranging from either full vaccination required to attend games to either having proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test within 72 hours of the game. Team coaches and staffers must be vaccinated as a condition of employment; Columbus replaced assistant coach Sylvain Lefebvre because he declined to be vaccinated.

“We’re hopeful and expect to get an 82-game season in, we expect to play a full Stanley Cup Playoffs and we expect to finish close to kind of a normal calendar for the first time in three years,” Daly said. “And that all will be an accomplishment, and we’ll do that hopefully in an environment where we have full buildings in most of our cities, so we’re excited about that. But COVID continues to be a challenge.”

MULTI-SPORT: 2022 Gay Games Postponed to 2023

Posted: Monday, September 20

The 2022 Gay Games, scheduled for Hong Kong, will be postponed to November 2023 after the local organizing committee held talks with the Federation of Gay Games.

Gay Games 11, originally planned for November 11–19, 2022, will be held for the first time in Asia in 2023. The event is expecting 12,000 participants, 75,000 spectators and 3,000 volunteers from 100 countries competing in 36 events.

“The unpredictable progression of COVID variants and corresponding travel restrictions continue to make it challenging for participants from around the world to make plans to travel to Hong Kong,” said Dennis Phillipse, co-chair of the local organizing committee. “… With many parts of the world, including many across Asia, still struggling to contain the virus and facing uneven access to vaccines, we felt that delaying the Games until November 2023 will enhance the likelihood of delivering on our promise to have the Hong Kong Games serve as a beacon of hope for the wider community across the region.”

NFL: Bills Make Full Vaccination Mandatory for Fans

Posted: Friday, September 17

Another National Football League team has announced that all fans must be fully vaccinated to attend games this season, days after images showed a mask policy for indoor spaces was seldom adhered to and not enforced.

The Buffalo Bills and Erie County require all fans to be at least partially vaccinated to attend games at Highmark Stadium beginning with the September 26 game against the Washington Football Team. All fans 12 and over must be fully vaccinated starting with the October 31 game vs. the Miami Dolphins.

The move was also announced days after the Erie County Department of Health sanitarians cited eight food facilities for lack of mask wearing during Sunday’s home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Scenes inside the concourses at the stadium showed most fans not abiding by an indoor mask rule. New York State Senator Sean Ryan retweeted a photo of himself not wearing a mask saying, ‘Yup that’s me with my mask in my hand about to put it back on.’

“If you do not want to get vaccinated … that does not give you a right to go to a football game or a hockey game,” Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz said. “If you want to go to the games, get vaccinated.”

Poloncarz floated the idea of having a fully vaccinated requirement for Bills fans in the spring but decided against it in the summer as Erie County cases began to decrease. With the region having its highest number of cases in April this past week and the photos that came out from the season opener, Poloncarz decided that going back to the original idea was needed. The policy will extend to the Buffalo Sabres’ home games later this year at the KeyBank Center.

The Bills had 69,787 fans attend their loss to the Steelers, 97.4 percent of the stadium’s capacity. The Bills join the Las Vegas Raiders as the only teams that mandate full vaccination to attend games; the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks also allow fans to attend if they have proof of a negative test within 72 hours of kickoff.

Masks will no longer be required for ages 12 and over once the new policy is in place. A physical vaccination card, New York state Excelsior Pass, clear digital vaccine cards and government digital vaccine proof from outside New York will all be accepted.

Fans are back as COVID-19 surges because of the delta variant, but President Joe Biden has encouraged sporting venues as well as other entertainment venues to require either vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test. While the NFL trumpeted having a million-plus fans at games for the opening weekend, it is worth noting that only three of the games were sold out (Kansas City, New England and Indianapolis).

Most of the home teams for Week 1 were more than 90 percent capacity except for the Saints, which is understandable having played at a neutral site. Outside of that, the Washington Football Team’s home opener was in front of 52,753 fans — only 64.3 percent of capacity at FedEx Field. Both the New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals had 89.9 and 86.3 percent of capacity, respectively.

The Raiders had 61,756 for its Monday Night overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens, which is 95 percent of capacity. Almost at full capacity was SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, where the L.A. Rams drew 70,445 (98.5 percent) for its win over the Chicago Bears. The L.A. Chargers host their first game with fans at the stadium on Sunday when they host the Dallas Cowboys; the stadium falls under a plan by L.A. County to require proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours for attendees and workers beginning October 7.

Then there are the teams that play the games — and one in particular is already dealing with multiple COVID positive cases within the organization.

The New Orleans Saints have six offensive assistant coaches, plus a staff member and one player who have tested positive in the past week ahead of Sunday’s game at the Carolina Panthers. Positive cases are the latest in a series of off-field issues that the Saints have had to deal with since the preseason started; Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans hard, forcing the team to relocate practices to Texas before its season opener last weekend against the Green Bay Packers was moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where the Saints were able to put together an impressive 38-3 win.

“I said to [offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr., quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry and assistant offensive line coach Zach Strief], it’s like ‘Ted Lasso,’ the three or four of us,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “The rest of ’em are all up in their hotel rooms and they’re doing the best they can with preparation. … Pete and I and Ronald has been here and Zach. Obviously we’ve got some young coaching assistants. We’re missing an O-line coach, a receiver coach, a running back coach, a tight end coach, the other tight end coach.”

Payton would not say who the player that tested positive was; the Saints did put star wide receiver Michael Thomas on the reserve/COVID list on Tuesday. Thomas is rehabbing an injury and not able to return to practice until at least week 7 of the season but is with the team at TCU’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Saints are using the NFL’s enhanced mitigation protocols with mandatory masking inside facilities, daily testing, no in-person meetings and grab-and-go meals. Payton said during the summer that the team’s coaching and personnel staffs were 100% vaccinated.

Top 25 College Football Schedule (times EST)
(most schools’ policy ‘encourage’ wearing face masks at games)
No. 1 Alabama at No. 11 Florida, 3:30 p.m.
No. 2 Georgia vs. South Carolina, 7 p.m.
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. Nebraska, Noon
No. 4 Oregon vs. Stony Brook, 7:30 p.m. (proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required)
No. 5 Iowa vs. Kent St., 3:30 p.m.
No. 6 Clemson vs. Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m.
No. 7 Texas A&M vs. New Mexico, Noon
No. 8 Cincinnati at Indiana, Noon
No. 9 Ohio State vs. Tulsa, 3:30 p.m.
No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 22 Auburn, 7:30 p.m.
No. 12 Notre Dame vs. Purdue, 2:30 p.m. (Non-vaccinated attendees are “expected” to wear masks at all times)
No. 13 UCLA vs. Fresno St., 10:45 p.m. (face masks required except when eating or drinking)
No. 14 Iowa State at UNLV, 10:30 p.m. (face masks required except when eating or drinking)
No. 15 Virginia Tech at West Virginia, Noon
No. 16 Coastal Carolina at Buffalo, Noon (face masks required except when eating or drinking)
No. 17 Mississippi vs. Tulane, 8 p.m.
No. 19 Arizona State at No. 23 BYU, 10:15 p.m.
No. 20 Arkansas vs. Georgia Southern, 4 p.m.
No. 21 North Carolina vs. Virginia, 7:30 p.m.
No. 24 Miami vs. Michigan St., Noon
No. 25 Michigan vs. N. Illinois, Noon

NFL Week 2 Schedule (times EST)
(teams ‘encourage’ wearing face masks at games)
Thursday’s Game
N.Y. Giants at Washington
Sunday’s Games
Las Vegas at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
San Francisco at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Houston at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Denver at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
New Orleans at Carolina, 1 p.m.
L.A. Rams at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
Buffalo at Miami, 1 p.m.
New England at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.
Cincinnati at Chicago, 1 p.m.
Atlanta at Tampa Bay, 4 p.m.
Minnesota at Arizona, 4 p.m.
Tennessee at Seattle, 4:25 p.m. (proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required)
Dallas at L.A. Chargers, 4:25 p.m.
Kansas City at Baltimore, 8:20 p.m.
Monday’s Game
Detroit at Green Bay, 8:15 p.m.

NHL: Predators Latest to Announce Fan Mandates

Posted: Thursday, September 16

Nearly half the National Hockey League’s teams have already announced policies that will at minimum require proof of a negative COVID-19 test, if not proof of full vaccination, to attend games this season.

The Nashville Predators became the 14^th team to announce its policies this week, saying ages 12 and older must show either proof of full vaccination of a negative PCR or antigen test administered within 72 hours prior to the event.

Bridgestone Arena, home for the Predators, said the policy is effective October 2 and will remain in place at least through November 15. An announcement will be made at the beginning of each month reaffirming or altering procedures and protocols, the Predators said in a statement.

“Just two months ago, we believed that we were returning to a sense of normalcy, but unfortunately, with the impact of the delta variant, that has not been the case,” said Sean Henry, president and chief executive officer of Bridgestone Arena and the Nashville Predators. “We are united with health care professionals in our belief that the only way to end this pandemic is to get more people vaccinated. To that end, we want to do our part with these policies to make sure that our game and event attendees are as safe as possible and, at the same time, we will use our public platform to amplify the message of the importance of vaccines in hopes of encouraging more people to get vaccinated.”

The Predators will continue to partner with the Metro Public Health Department to offer free COVID-19 vaccinations at Bridgestone Arena in connection with every event.

ESPORTS: DreamHack Atlanta Postponed

Posted: Thursday, September 16

DreamHack Atlanta, scheduled for November 12–14, has been postponed “in light of the current situation surrounding Covid-19 and the rapid spread of the Delta variant,” the esports festival organizers said in a statement.

“DreamHack creates an arena where you can come to connect, explore, win, play a part, and be yourself through a gaming lifestyle experience, so to postpone Atlanta was not an easy decision,” said Marcus Lindmark, the president of Dreamhack. “Gaming brought and kept us together over the last year and a half and it will continue to do so until we return.”

A full schedule of global DreamHack festivals for 2022 is slated to be announced on December 9.

ATHLETICS: 2022 Cross Country Event Already Postponed

Posted: Thursday, September 16

The World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia, will be postponed from February 2022 to February 2023 “due to the biosecurity measures and travel restrictions currently in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Australia,” according to a release from the local organizing committee and World Athletics.

The statement added that “while it is acknowledged that international events are currently scheduled for early 2022 in Australia, the 14-day quarantine requirements for international visitors to Australia are not practical for a one-day event.”

“Athletics Australia and the LOC are delighted that World Athletics and its partners have agreed to the postponement, which allows us to plan and deliver a world-class celebration of cross country running in February 2023,” said LOC Co-Chair and Athletics Australia Board Member Jill Davies.

The World Athletics Cross Country Championships, when held in 2023, will have more than 550 athletes from more than 60 countries. The event will comprise the U20 men’s (8km) and women’s (6km) races, the universal mixed relay (8km) and the senior individual men’s and women’s races (10km).

TAEKWONDO: Grand Prix Final Postponed to 2022

Posted: Thursday, September 16

USA Taekwondo will postpone the U.S. Grand Prix Final in Palm Beach, Florida, originally scheduled for October, with the hopes of having it in late January of 2022.

“With the delay of the World Taekwondo Championships due to Covid-19, rising infection rates in the United States and uncertainty surrounding the duration of the efficacy of the vaccines, USATKD has an opportunity to be cautious and has decided that it is the safest option not to take any risks with the health and safety of its participants right now and will take the time needed to stage this important event safely,” the National Governing Body said in a release.

NBA: No Vaccine Mandate for Players, Report Says

Posted: Wednesday, September 15

The NBA’s referees have agreed to a vaccine mandate and most NBA staff and team employees will be vaccinated as well ahead of the 2021–2022 season, but the league’s players themselves will not be mandated to get COVID-19 shots ahead of the season.

The ESPN report on Tuesday said that the league and Players Association are still working on the rest of the upcoming season’s health and safety protocols. An NBA spokesman told ESPN that approximately 85 percent of the league’s players are vaccinated already; the league has been running several public service announcements since the spring showcasing players throughout the league getting their vaccinations as well as many of the league’s legends including Julius Erving and Bill Russell.

Even if the league and NBPA do not come to an agreement on a vaccine mandate, there are three teams — the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors — whose players must be vaccinated because of vaccine requirements in their respective cities unless they have an approved medical or religious exemption.

The NBA at least knows that the Toronto Raptors will be back at Scotiabank Arena after they played the entire 2020-21 season at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Florida, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions between the US and Canada. It is unclear how many fans will be permitted for games. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the Raptors and the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, said in August that fans would be required to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test result to enter its venues.

Raptors boss Masai Ujiri said when detailing his return to the franchise that the team is excited about playing at home again.

“We can’t wait to get back to Toronto here. We can’t wait to get back to playing. We can’t wait to get back to basketball, life,” Ujiri said in August. “We thank Tampa. They were incredible accommodating us in their arena. But man, it’s time to come home. It’s time to come home to these fans and everyone here.”

HOCKEY: PHF Makes Full Vaccination Mandatory for Players

Posted: Wednesday, September 15

The Premier Hockey Federation, which recently rebranded from the previous NWHL moniker, has announced that all players, coaches, officials and staff in both full- and part-time capacities must be fully vaccinated to participate in the upcoming season.

The league’s policy also applies to volunteers and rink partners who may meet each other on a daily or weekly basis. All signed athletes were notified about the policy in early September and had until last Friday to opt-in or opt-out of their contracts. Players who decide to opt out of the season will forfeit their salary. Medical and religious exemptions to vaccination were considered on an individual basis by the commissioner’s office.

“The health and safety of everyone associated with the PHF is a top priority,” said PHF Commissioner Tyler Tumminia. “In consultation with global healthcare leaders, vaccination for COVID-19 continues to be a critical component in promoting and protecting the health and safety of all players, staff, and their families.”

Additional protocols include weekly PCR testing during the preseason, regular season and postseason; temperature checks at home before coming to practice and game facilities and daily health surveys; and where social distancing cannot be maintained, all members will be required to wear a mask outdoors and in indoor settings except when actively participating in on-ice activities or other strenuous or high-intensity training.

The PHF season begins November 6. COVID-19 protocols pertaining to fan attendance will be announced later; the PHF has teams based in Boston; Toronto; Monmouth Junction, New Jersey; St. Paul, Minnesota; Danbury, Connecticut; and Buffalo, New York.

SOCCER: NWSL Team Forfeits Game for Protocol Breach

Posted: Tuesday, September 14

While the National Women’s Soccer League says that nearly 90 percent of the league’s players are vaccinated against COVID-19 and nearly all the staff members are throughout the league’s eight teams, one team had to forfeit a match over the weekend for “breaches of the league’s medical protocols,” the league announced.

The Washington Spirit were forced to forfeit its home game scheduled for Saturday against the OL Reign, which will go in the record books as a 3-0 Reign victory. A person familiar with the situation told The Washington Post that the breaches included at least one player violating isolation requirements.

Racing Louisville FC defender Emily Fox (11) and Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman (2) battle for the ball during an NWSL Challenge Cup match on April 15, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Will Newton)

Spirit president Ben Olsen — hired less than two weeks ago — released a statement saying, “Although we are disappointed in the NWSL’s decision to issue the Spirit a forfeit, we accept their decision. We apologize to our fans who we know are disappointed in us. Making this situation right and preparing for our remaining matches are the club’s highest priorities.”

According to NWSL protocols, a major infraction “directly risks the health or safety of personnel by increasing the risk of covid-19 exposure.” The Post’s report said that several Spirit players are unvaccinated. Vaccinated players are tested weekly and unvaccinated players are tested twice per week.

The Spirit has not played since August 29 after their game at Portland was postponed because of multiple Washington players testing positive. The league has not set a rescheduled date or said if a forfeit would be assessed for that game. Washington is not scheduled to play again until September 26 against Kansas City.

WINTER SPORTS: China Event Cancelled

Posted: Tuesday, September 14

The International Skating Union announced Monday that its Four Continents Championship scheduled for January 17–22 in Tianjin, China, was being canceled by the Chinese Figure Skating Association.

“Considering the complicated epidemic situation involving travel restrictions, quarantine requirements, safety concerns and logistical challenges, the organization of the event was extremely challenging,” the ISU said in a statement.

The ISU said it will meet on October 1 and consider late applications from interested destinations to host the event on its originally planned date.

BASEBALL: Red Sox Rocked by Another Positive Test in Middle of Wild Card Race

Posted: Monday, September 13

The Boston Red Sox are in a tight race for the American League wild card, heading into Monday’s games tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for the two spots with the rival New York Yankees only a game behind with less than 25 games to go before the end of the regular season.

The Red Sox are also the one team in Major League Baseball that has been hit harder than any other recently when it comes to players being on the COVID-19 list, having to put pitcher Chris Sale on the list the day before he was scheduled to start on Friday night against the Chicago White Sox.

Boston did find one silver lining, knowing that because Sale did not get on the team charter to Chicago once his initial positive was discovered, there was no spread throughout the rest of the active roster. From August 27 through September 5, the Red Sox placed 11 players on the COVID-19 injured list.

“At this point, nothing shocks me, to be honest with you,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “On a daily basis, we go through our process and we just hope for good news. This is where we’re at. It’s unfortunate, but (Sale will) be back. He feels good. He actually feels great and hopefully he can come back right away when his ‘X’ amount of days are done.”

Boston Red Sox’s Hunter Renfroe celebrates his three-run home run that also drove in Rafael Devers during the fourth inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins on August 24, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Sale is 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 25 innings in five starts this season, having missed most of the campaign after recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Red Sox are under the 85 percent vaccination threshold and with the spate of players going onto the COVID list, it certainly raised eyebrows when outfielder Hunter Renfroe said on Thursday on Boston local radio that MLB had told Boston not to test for COVID anymore.

“MLB basically told us to stop the testing and just treat the symptoms,” Renfroe said on WEEI’s “Merloni and Fauria” show. “And we were like, ‘No, we’re going to figure out what’s going on and keep trying to keep this thing under control.'”

Host Lou Merloni asked if Renfroe was saying MLB asked the Red Sox to stop testing and Renfroe said “yes.”

Renfroe’s comments were shortly refuted by his own team, with the Red Sox saying “we have been following MLB’s COVID-19 protocols all season long. We have consulted closely with them on everything we’ve done and continue to test and their medical staff has been very supportive.”

NHL: Another Team Makes Fan Vaccination Mandatory

Posted: Monday, September 13

The Ottawa Senators will mandate fans be vaccinated to attend games in the 2021–2022 NHL season, with the province of Ottawa and Ottawa Public Health agreeing that with the policy in place, the team will be allowed to have full capacity at games.

Opening night at Canadian Tire Centre is October 14 when the Senators host Toronto. The Senators said the arena will require proof of full vaccination plus masks worn except when eating or drinking at events starting September 18.

FOOTBALL: Daily Testing a Point of Contention Between NFL, Players Association

Posted: Friday, September 10

The idea of daily testing this season has been panned by the NFL other than for unvaccinated players. But as the season gets fully underway this weekend, the NFL Players Association has asked for it to be re-instituted and the union president, Cleveland Browns offensive lineman J.C. Tretter, reiterated the union’s contention that “at the moment, we are in a worse spot this year than last year because the NFL has backed off a key component of our previous success.”

Tretter, in his letter to players this week, made the case that without daily testing for all players, “when we don’t have our finger on the pulse of what is going on inside our buildings, we set ourselves up for failure.” He said that the Tennessee Titans had 14 positives between players and coaches at one point during training camp “and the team was 97% vaccinated at that time. It’s not hard to realize how devastating that would be during a week of the regular season.”

The letter referenced the NFL’s plans for this season when it comes to a potential outbreak within a team’s facility. The NFL says this season, unlike last year, a team unable to play on its scheduled date would forfeit the game.

“If a game gets cancelled, nobody gets paid – including the owners – for the revenues lost from that game,” Tretter said. “The players lose out, the fans lose out, and the owners lose out. It’s the worst-case scenario that we should all be actively working to avoid – and the fact that we aren’t continues to be a source of frustration for our union.

“… We have been warned by our experts that, because of our current testing cadence, we are at more risk of missed games this season than last season,” Tretter’s letter concluded. “If we continue to go down this path, I need everyone in the football community to be aware of what lies ahead.”

Days after Tretter’s letter was published came the revelation that as part of its preparations to try and get through the 2020 season, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had league schedule maker Howard Katz devise a contingency plan that called for a 10-game season that started on Thanksgiving Day with the Super Bowl pushed to the end of February because of concerns that the season would not be able to start on time because COVID-19.

“We didn’t want people to think that we were thinking about anything but starting on time,” Goodell told The Los Angeles Times. “I didn’t even reveal it to our clubs, because then they would have started talking about it and thinking about it.”

The story also recounts first-hand experiences of how the league had to scramble when it became clear the day before Thanksgiving Day that the game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers had to be postponed to the following Wednesday night with NFL executives that morning counting the number of available players on a white board to make sure the rescheduled game could be held.

It also describes how that game was postponed while a game that same week involving the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints was held as scheduled even though the Broncos had no eligible quarterbacks; the Broncos asked to have the game rescheduled but the league refused, making Denver play the game with a scout team wide receiver playing QB because video from the team facility showed the quarterbacks removed their contact-tracing devices and put them in the four corners of the meeting room, then sat together to watch film.

Those four QBs were ruled out as close contacts, a potential that still exists this season. The NFL protocols require unvaccinated players to quarantine for five days if they have close contact with an infected individual, which increases to 10 days should they then test positive. Multiple quarterbacks in the league have been in the spotlight during training camp for refusing to get vaccinated;

Indianapolis Colts starter Carson Wentz and Minnesota Vikings starter Kirk Cousins had quarantine during training camp and the preseason. Lamar Jackson, the 2019 league MVP for the Baltimore Ravens, tested positive for the second time in eight months, then said that he remained uncertain about vaccination. Cam Newton missed five days with the New England Patriots because of what the team called a misunderstanding about the protocols before Newton was waived as the Patriots finalized their 53-man roster.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz throws during practice at the team’s training camp in Westfield, Indiana, on August 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

“It’s a personal decision for me and my family,” Wentz said last week. “I respect everybody else’s decision, and I just ask that everybody does the same for me.”

Let alone a stadium full of players, the idea of having stadiums — college and pro — filled with fans has been almost universally panned by infectious disease experts. Dr. Anthony Fauci was on CNN this week, when asked about opening weekend crowds at college football games, said “I don’t think it’s smart. Outdoors is always better than indoors, but even when you have such a congregate setting of people close together, you should be vaccinated. And when you do have congregate settings, particularly indoors, you should be wearing a mask.”

One of the spotlight games of the opening college football weekend was Notre Dame’s overtime win at Florida State, where fans were asked to wear a mask at the games while Doak Campbell Stadium was at 100 percent capacity. While only 68,316 showed up to the game, about 10,000 under capacity, mask wearing was almost invisible during crowd reaction shots on television throughout the game.

“We were disappointed with the fact that a very low percentage of the fans, particularly our students, chose to wear masks,” Associate Athletics Director for Communications Rob Wilson said in a statement to the Tallahassee Democrat on Tuesday. “We will continue to work to educate our fans regarding the expectation that masks will be worn on campus and for all athletic events.”

According to the Democrat, Florida State reported 145 students and five employees testing positive out of 1,755 tests conducted for the week from August 30 through September 5, a positivity rate of 8.55 percent; the number of student positives was the highest total recorded since August 2020.

Several college football programs including the University of Washington, Washington State University, Tulane University and Syracuse University have policies that require fans to show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours of kickoff. The University of Pennsylvania and College of the Holy Cross have gone a step further, requiring full vaccination for fans attending fall sports contests.

Within the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints will be requiring either proof of full vaccination or a negative test. The Las Vegas Raiders remain the only NFL team to require proof of full vaccination for all fans ages 12 and older.

FOOTBALL: NFL Embarks on Second Virus-Affected Season in a Row

Posted: Thursday, September 9

Ready or not — and it insists it is ready — the National Football League will kick off the 2021 regular season with sold-out stadiums and teams that are mostly vaccinated but still with breakthrough cases that already have sidelined at least one Dallas Cowboys starter ahead of tonight’s game against the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Dallas offensive lineman Zack Martin will miss the season opener after he tested positive on Sunday and landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Martin is vaccinated but per the NFL’s updated protocols this season, he has to wait for five days before returning to his team if he does not have symptoms following two negative tests separated by 24 hours.

The Cowboys have had nine players on the COVID-19 list so far since the start of training camp compared to last season when six players combined to miss seven games. Martin is the only Cowboys starter that will miss Thursday’s game.

“I’m not going to generalize them all, but I think some of the symptoms have been more like a general cold,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “I think our guys have done a great job. … As soon as someone feels something, we’ve been getting tested, so I feel our process is in order.”

Dallas’ players went through testing on Sunday and held meetings virtually on Sunday and Monday as well per the league’s protocols.

“The numbers are up in our society, so I think we understand what we need to do,” McCarthy said, “and I think we’re more rehearsed in the protocols and the adjustments, like we make an adjustment today with the team, it was pretty seamless.”

As the league fully opens the season on Sunday, only the Las Vegas Raiders are mandating proof of full vaccination for fans 12 and older. The Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints are mandating either proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours of kickoff. No NFL stadium will be open to less than full capacity this season in contrast to last season, where several teams did not have fans at all.

The NFL player vaccination rate has increased since the start of training camp and The Athletic reported Wednesday that 93.5 percent of players are vaccinated with 17 teams above 95 percent and no teams below 80 percent. While the numbers are impressive, the NFLPA has pushed for the resumption of daily testing given the number of breakthrough cases in training camp — unvaccinated players remain subject to daily testing this season but vaccinated players will be tested on a weekly basis.

The NFL said last month it would like to have a mandate for vaccines among all players which the NFLPA did not agree to. The league has mandated vaccination for coaches and Tier 1 personnel on each team who interact with players on a regular season.

“Our challenge right now … is certainly that we are in a major surge,” Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, told The Washington Post recently. “It’s no secret to any of you, nor is it a secret to any of us in medicine, with the impact that the delta variant is having.”

Given the protocols and seeing already how a positive test can rule a player out of a game this season, players around the league have been open about the idea of acting like last year’s protocols are still in place when it comes to not going outside a team’s training facility or their family home much, if at all. And with fans on hand this year in greater numbers than at any point in the pandemic, the theme of personal responsibility was emphasized over Labor Day weekend by Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady — who admitted that he contracted COVID shortly after Tampa Bay’s win in the Super Bowl and subsequent boat parade.

“I actually think it’s going to play more of a factor this year than last year, just because of the way what we’re doing now and what the stadium is going to look like and what the travel is going to look like and the people in the building and the fans,” said Brady, whose Buccaneers team is one of two in the league with a 100 percent player vaccination rate. “It’s not like last year, although we’re getting tested like last year. It’s going to be, I definitely think guys are going to be out at different points and we’ve just got to deal with it.”

NHL: Protocols Significantly Stronger for Unvaccinated Players

Posted: Wednesday, September 8

The National Hockey League already has five teams mandating vaccinations for fans to attend games this season — and now players know what the protocols for the 2021–2022 season will be based upon their vaccination status.

Players who are not vaccinated, according to ESPN and The Athletic, will not be able to go anywhere on the road other than the hotel, practices or arenas for games. Even when at the hotel, players who are not vaccinated cannot use the bar, restaurant, gym or pool and must not allow anybody in their rooms. They must quarantine for seven days before training camp and undergo daily testing; during the season, unvaccinated players are “encouraged” not to eat or drink on team flights, go to bars or eat indoors with people outside their families.

Montreal Canadians goaltender Carey Price(31) makes a save on a shot from Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews(34) during an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, in Toronto, Canada. (AP Photo/Peter Power)

Teams can suspend unvaccinated players who are “unable to participate in club activities,” and those players will surrender a day’s pay for each day they miss.

The San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets have all said that fans must be fully vaccinated to attend games. The Montreal Canadiens said Wednesday that not only will fans have to be fully vaccinated to attend games, the capacity for home games to start the season will be limited to 7,500. The NHL’s 2021–22 season, back to a full 82 games, starts October 12. The league will let players opt out of the season for health concerns by October 1.

The league’s protocols say any person whose job or access requires them to be within 12 feet of players must be vaccinated. It would allow fully vaccinated and masked media members into the locker room for pre- and post-game interviews, the first professional league to make that distinction.

The NHL’s virus protocols last week came while the league and NHLPA announced an agreement that will, as scheduled, allow NHL players to participate in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. The league’s 2021–2022 schedule had included an Olympic break when announced, but the league had maintained that no agreement had been officially made between it, the NHLPA, the International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic Committee.

ESPN did report that the NHL and NHLPA can pull out of the Games as late as January should COVID conditions worsen. If the league does not invoke the clause, 2022 would be the first time the NHL allows players to be in the Olympics since 2014 after skipping 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

COVID protocols had been a big point in negotiations; all players who go to Beijing must be vaccinated. But that was not the only sticking point, with the league wanting to have increased rights to media and advertising including the NHL having the ability to use Games highlights on its social media channels. But ESPN’s report said the IIHF and IOC held firm against the request, knowing that many NHL stars were vocal about playing in the Games along with the NHL losing a key partner in NBC, which broadcasts the Games but a network that the NHL did not renew its broadcast deal with ahead of this season, leaving the network for ESPN and Turner Sports.

NFL: Seahawks Require Fans to Show Proof of Vaccination or Negative Test

Posted: Tuesday, September 7

The Seattle Seahawks will require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to kickoff for entry to home games at Lumen Field, the team announced on Tuesday morning, saying it is taking the measures in collaboration with state and local public health and government officials.

The Seahawks will begin enforcing the policy starting with the team’s home opener on September 19 against the Tennessee Titans. Fans and staff will be required to wear masks at all times except while actively eating or drinking, regardless of vaccination status.

Fans call for autographs after an NFL preseason game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Chargers on August 28, 2021, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 27-0. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Guests must be fully vaccinated for entry which is defined as a minimum of two weeks following the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or a minimum of two weeks following the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Those who have only received one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or are not yet beyond the two week fully vaccinated window must provide a negative COVID-19 test result for entry.

“The health and safety of our guests, players and staff is always our top priority and we remain committed to doing what we can to keep our community safe,” said Chuck Arnold, president of the Seattle Seahawks and First & Goal Inc. “These measures will allow us to continue with plans to host a full stadium of fans, while still providing a safe and fun experience for our guests. We urge everyone who is eligible to please get vaccinated.”

To verify COVID-19 vaccination, fans age 12 and older will be required to display one of the following before entry into the stadium:

An official CDC-issued (or foreign country equivalent) vaccination card with your name and dates of doses, including the date the last dose was administered printed on the card.
A photo or digital version of an official CDC-issued (or foreign country equivalent) vaccination card with your name and dates of doses, including the date the last dose was administered printed on the card.
Fans can also upload proof of vaccination to CLEAR Health Pass in the CLEAR app for verification.

Unvaccinated fans must bring a printed or digital version of a negative test taken within 72 hours prior to kickoff that includes name, the date of the test and the lab location where the test was taken. At-home, self-administered tests will not be accepted.

The Las Vegas Raiders are requiring proof of vaccination for fans to be at Allegiant Stadium this season. Multiple teams including the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers are encouraging fans to wear masks but are not requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test for entry. L.A. Rams and L.A. Chargers fans must wear masks because of county health regulations.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Georgia Coach Worried About COVID Spike

Published: Tuesday, September 7

The University of Georgia turned in a dominant defensive effort in college football’s most highly-anticipated season opener on Saturday night, shutting down Clemson in a 10-3 win at a raucous Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The win puts the Bulldogs, already ranked No. 5 at the start of the season, on track to go even higher in the rankings after one week and ahead of the team’s home opener against the University of Alabama-Birmingham. But with Georgia ready to host a sold-out crowd at Sanford Stadium, the team itself will be less than full capacity.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart said on Monday that up to four players are sidelined with COVID-19. The team’s sports medicine director, Ron Courson, was not with the program during Saturday’s win because he tested positive as well.

Smart said during the SEC Media Days that more than 90 percent of Georgia’s players, coaches and staff members had been vaccinated. On Monday, his tone was even more serious.

“I’m as concerned as I’ve ever been, because we have three or four guys out with COVID and we have a couple staff members that have been out with COVID here recently,” Smart said on Monday. “People are talking about vaccinations, well these are people that are vaccinated. We’re talking about breakthroughs and so that concerns you not only for the players on your team that are unvaccinated, that are playing and not playing, because we want everybody to be safe. But it concerns me for the players that are vaccinated that we could lose them.”

Smart filmed a video for the Georgia Department of Public Health urging fans to “say yes” to getting vaccinated. Georgia is not requiring fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to attend games at Sanford Stadium, which has a capacity of 92,746.

“This is the highest we’ve been since fall camp right now,” Smart said. “I think there’s this relief that you guys feel like everything’s back to normal, well it’s really just not for us right now.”

SPORTS VENUES: Workers Strike Over COVID Concerns

Posted: Tuesday, September 7

A group of concession workers at Oracle Park, home to Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants, have voted to strike in part because of COVID-19 safety concerns that have lingered this season.

UNITE HERE Local 2 claims at least 20 concessions workers have contracted COVID-19 this season and that 96.7 percent of active stadium workers voted to strike. While the vote was announced on Saturday, a strike could happen at any time, the union said. The workers are employed by Bon Appetit, a company that is contracted by the Giants.

“Bon Appétit Management Company and Local 2 are currently engaged in collective bargaining negotiations,” the Giants told ABC7 News. “We encourage both sides to work productively to reach an agreement as soon as possible. The Giants make the health and safety of everyone working and visiting Oracle Park a top priority. We operate our venue in compliance with local and state health requirements.”

NFL: Player Cuts Renew Vaccination Debate

Posted: Friday, September 3

Player vaccination has been a hot topic again in the National Football League as team rosters had to be cut down to 53 active players with Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer saying on Monday that vaccination status was considered by his staff on determining the 53-man roster — which is supposed to be against the rules, prompting a NFLPA investigation.

At the same time, Meyer may have only slipped in saying publicly what many coaches are thinking privately. One coach, though, steadfastly refused to say if vaccinations had any part to play in roster cuts and that one is to nobody’s surprise — Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who faced questions after releasing Cam Newton on Wednesday, one week after the quarterback was out for five days due to NFL health and safety protocols over what was termed a “misunderstanding” that led many to believe that Newton is not vaccinated.

Belichick said one word — “no” — when asked if vaccination status was a factor in Newton’s release. After another question, Belichick then said “your implication that the vaccination solves every problem … has not been substantiated. The number of players and coaches and staff members who have been infected with COVID after being vaccinated is a pretty high number. I wouldn’t lose sight of that,” although his answer was quickly fact-checked by NFL reporters.

Another team under the COVID microscope, the Indianapolis Colts, had three players including quarterback Carson Wentz come off the reserve/COVID list on Thursday after missing five days as a close contact, which per NFL protocols is an indication they are not vaccinated; the only way a vaccinated player would be put on the list is if they test positive themselves.

The Colts have had multiple players go on and off the list throughout training camp and while the team’s general manager refused to say what the active roster’s vaccination rate is, he made it clear those who are unvaccinated are a source of frustration.

“There’s consequences to not being vaccinated,” GM Chris Ballard said. “Do I think everybody should be vaccinated? Absolutely. I’m for the vaccine. [Coach] Frank [Reich] is for the vaccine. We have a lot of guys on our team who are for the vaccine. Is it 100% perfect? No. But it’s a good thing. It can help you from ending up in the hospital in a critical situation. And it helps stop some of the spread and those are positive things. But for the guys who have chosen to not get vaccinated, they still understand they’re still part of this team, it’s their decision, but they’re still part of our team and they have to take care of the team.”

The Colts reportedly have one of the lower team vaccination rates in the NFL, but Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said his team is 100 percent vaccinated, joining the Atlanta Falcons as the only teams at that mark.

BASEBALL: Red Sox Trying to Play Through Outbreak

Posted: Friday, September 3

Eleven players and coaches on the Boston Red Sox are currently out because of either testing positive for COVID-19 or being a close contact, but the team says there are no plans yet to postpone games while in the thick of a wild-card race.

Boston is two games ahead of Oakland for the final wild card spot entering the last month of the regular season. The first in a series of positive tests was last Friday and highlighted by star shortstop Xander Bogaerts getting pulled from Tuesday night’s game against the Rays after the first inning.

“I’m just tired, to be honest with you,” said Boston manager Alex Cora, whose team is now wearing masks in the dugout. “You know, to be thinking about it the whole time and have to deal with this before a game and during the game and all that. Honestly, that’s how I feel right now. The season part and all that stuff, that’s the easy part for me. But to have to deal with everything that has to do with this — it’s not easy. It’s not easy.”

Boston’s Chief Baseball Officer, Chaim Bloom, admitted the Red Sox are below the MLB threshold of 85 percent vaccinated. Some of the players currently in protocols have been vaccinated; Bloom said Red Sox staffers are required to be vaccinated.

“I wish everyone in our organization was vaccinated,” Bloom said. “Everyone in this organization that isn’t vaccinated pains me.”

Boston’s issues in the dugout come on the same week that a longtime former MLB player and manager has reportedly resigned from his front-office role with the Washington Nationals rather than be vaccinated. ESPN reported Wednesday that Vice president Bob Boone will not comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all non-uniformed employees.

The Nationals’ policy went into effect August 12. Boone was a player for three teams in an 18-year career and managed the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds from 1995 through 2003. He is the father of New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who said in March that he was vaccinated and whose team has had to deal with multiple outbreaks since the All-Star break.

SOCCER: Capacity Increases Approved in Spain

Posted: Friday, September 3

La Liga teams in Spain will be able to increase capacity at home games to 60 percent after the country’s greater population reached 70 percent vaccinated. Teams were limited to 40 percent capacity before this week, although some teams did not even reach that number — even Barcelona, one of the most popular teams in the world, had two home games that fell short of its 29,800 cap with attendances of 20,384 and 26,453.

Those attending games must continue to wear masks, with compliance to be monitored. Restrictions on the sale of food and beverages on match days remain in force, with the consumption of tobacco and related products also banned.

NBA: Three Teams Must Have Vaccinated Players, Says League

Posted: Thursday, September 2

With less than 50 days before the 2021–2022 NBA season starts, three teams’ worth of players will have to be vaccinated to play home games this season according to a league memo on Wednesday.

In a memo obtained by CNBC and multiple other outlets, the NBA told its teams that players on the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors must be fully vaccinated to play in home games unless they are able to get an exemption for medical or religious reasons — but players on visiting teams will not face the same requirement.

Two of the teams mentioned in the memo have already released strict health and safety protocols for fans this season. The Warriors said fans 12 and older must show proof of vaccination for games this season at the Chase Center in San Francisco and the Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets, will require employees and fans age 12 and up to be vaccinated.

Fans watch from a general view of Chase Center during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers in San Francisco, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Training camps for NBA teams start on September 28 for the 75th anniversary season starting October 19 with the Nets playing at the Milwaukee Bucks and the Warriors playing at the Los Angeles Lakers. The memo said players on the three teams may face fines or suspensions if they refuse to get vaccinated without a valid exemption.

The cities of New York and San Francisco have been strict about vaccine and masking requirements in the past several weeks as COVID-19 cases throughout the country have spiked because of the delta variant. New York requires proof of at least partial vaccination to enter indoor businesses while San Francisco asks for proof of full vaccination. In New York, a change in COVID protocols forced the U.S. Open to mandate proof of at least partial vaccination for all fans attending the event with the announcement made less than four days before the final Grand Slam of the tennis season started.

The NBA last week agreed to a deal with the National Basketball Referees Association that requires all referees to be vaccinated this season, and those working games will receive booster shots once they become recommended.

“This agreement was a win-win,” the NBRA said in a statement. “It will support the NBA’s objective of creating a safer on-court environment and continuity of play while protecting the health and well-being of the referees.”

The NBA also has told its teams that anyone within proximity of players and referees will also have to be vaccinated. That mandate covers coaches, support staff traveling with teams, locker room attendants and those working at official scorer’s tables in NBA arenas. Player vaccination, with the apparent exception of the three teams mentioned in Wednesday’s memo, is collectively bargained between the league and NBPA, whose executive director, Michelle Roberts, told Yahoo Sports during the NBA Finals that the league’s player vaccination rate was around 90 percent.

The NBA, for its part, has proposed strict protocols for unvaccinated players in a memo to the NBPA, according to ESPN on Thursday morning. Within the memo is a proposal for unvaccinated players to be separated from their teammates in the locker room as well has having separate areas for eating, flying and taking buses on road trips. Unvaccinated players would have to be tested the morning of practices and games while vaccinated players would only be tested if they have symptoms or are exposed to someone who has tested positive. ESPN also reported that in the proposal, an unvaccinated player deemed a close contact would have to quarantine for seven days but vaccinated players would not quarantine as long as they do not test positive.

VENUES: United Center Implements Vaccination Policy

Posted: Thursday, September 2

Vaccinations — or a negative test within 48 hours of tipoff — will be required for fans to attend either Chicago Bulls or Chicago Blackhawks games at the United Center, the venue announced on Thursday morning.

The decision is part of a “continued commitment to providing the best environment for a safe return for all fans and employees.” Arena and team employees will also have to be fully vaccinated, the venue said: “As final NBA and NHL health and safety guidelines have yet to be announced, these protocols are still subject to potential league requirements, and the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks may communicate additional details to their fans as the season approaches.”

TENNIS: Player Vaccination a Topic of Debate

Posted: Thursday, September 2

While fans must show proof of partial vaccination to attend the U.S. Open, reports before the Grand Slam indicated that between the ATP and WTA Tours, player vaccination was hovering in the region of 50 percent — shockingly low compared to many other professional sports.

Some of the biggest names in the men’s tennis world — Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal — are not at the Open because of injuries but throughout the year have endorsed vaccination to return to normal life. Another big name on the ATP Tour, Andy Murray, also is pro-vaccine, saying this week “I guess the reason why all of us are getting vaccinated is to look out for the wider public. We have a responsibility as players that are traveling across the world to look out for everyone else as well. I’m happy that I’m vaccinated. I’m hoping that more players choose to have it in the coming months.”

But for each men’s player endorsing vaccination, there have been other high-profile players vocal in their questioning of vaccination including top-five seeds Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev. The number one seed on the men’s side, Novak Djokovic, has been a notable vaccine skeptic, refusing to say if he has been vaccinated; Djokovic tested positive for coronavirus last year after an exhibition event he organized in Croatia during the height of the pandemic.

While the women’s side has not had as much public back-and-forth about vaccination, former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka did speak out after her second-round victory on Wednesday, saying it was “bizarre” that fans have to be vaccinated while players do not and adding she believes it will soon be mandatory for players to be vaccinated.

“I don’t see the point of stalling it, because we all want to be safe, we all want to continue doing our jobs, and I know there is a lot of discussions about it,” she said. “If you actually have decent knowledge and looked into research and have your facts and stats and research, that’s a different conversation. But I feel that that part of conversation that, really, you need to be knowledgeable to what you’re saying is missing in a lot of players.”

NFL: Titans Coach Back to Work After Quarantine

Posted: Thursday, September 2

Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel was allowed to return to his team’s facility after 10 days of self-isolating from a positive COVID test, while the team itself still has nine players on the NFL’s reserve COVID list including starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Tennessee opens the season on September 12 against Arizona. The Titans practiced Monday but Vrabel scrapped scheduled practices Wednesday and Thursday to focus on meetings, conditioning work and weightlifting instead.

“The more I thought about it I think that this is going to be best for our football team and then be able to take a few days off this weekend, come back Monday and really focus in and have a great week,” Vrabel said. “But it’s a long week. And we have plenty of time.”

CYCLING: New Mexico Cycling Race Postponed Again

Posted: Wednesday, September 1

The Tour of the Gila, one of two UCI stage races scheduled to be in the United States this year, has been cancelled because of the number of rising COVID-19 cases in the state of New Mexico.

The event was scheduled to be held from September 29 to October 3 in and around Silver City, New Mexico. The other UCI stage race this year in the U.S. is the Joe Martin Stage Race that is being held this week in Arkansas.

Riders take off on the second stage from the 2019 Tour of the Gila. Photos courtesy Tour of the Gila

“I am saddened and emotional about making this decision, but I know it is the right decision,” Race Director Jack Brennan said. “The health and welfare of our participants and community is paramount. With the rise in COVID and our area being ranked at the highest transmission rate, it would not be wise to continue.”

The Tour of the Gila organizers were forced to call off their events last spring due to the outbreak of COVID-19. This year’s event was rescheduled for a later date in the hopes of the pandemic being past the region.

“With the serious rise in cases again, the decision I made about cancelling is really a community decision,” Brennan said. “In early August, when the Delta Variant started infecting parts of our country, I reached out to our medical and health care community and asked for assistance. At that time Grant County was doing well. Our positivity rate and the case per 100,000 were low and we were ranked by the state of New Mexico as low transmission status. However, things have changed in the past few weeks. Infection rates are increasing throughout New Mexico and in Grant County. Our county is now ranked at the highest transmission status.”

Brennan said that the 2022 race is scheduled to start April 27 and he will be contacting each person who registered for this year’s event to offer either a spot in the 2022 event or a refund.

“Wherever you are, please support your medical and health care professionals,” Brennan said. “… We sincerely hope that you will appreciate our careful decision to cancel this event due to the changing situation with COVID.

BASEBALL: U-12 World Cup Rescheduled

Posted: Wednesday, September 1

The World Baseball Softball Confederation will reschedule the U-12 Baseball World Cup in Tainan, Taiwan to the summer of 2022. Originally scheduled for the summer of 2021, the youth world championship was first postponed to later this year due to the ongoing pandemic. There will be no exception to the age bracket and players born in 2010 and 2011 will be eligible to be selected onto their respective national teams. Tainan will host the next four editions of the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup at Tainan Asia-Pacific International Baseball Stadium.

NFL: Another Starting QB Heads to COVID Reserve List

Posted: Tuesday, August 31

Another big name in the NFL is in contact tracing protocols and will miss five days of practice and team activities as the regular season looms in less than two weeks. Indianapolis quarterback Carson Wentz was one of three Colts players added to the reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday just as he was about to make his return to practice after foot surgery at the beginning of August.

Wentz is the third high-profile quarterback to run into COVID contact tracing issues this preseason. Minnesota starting QB Kirk Cousins had to miss five days at the start of August after coming into contact with a Vikings staffer who tested positive and New England’s Cam Newton had to miss five days after a “misunderstanding” of COVID protocols after he left training camp for a team-approved medical appointment that was away from the team facility; Newton was waived by the Patriots on Tuesday morning.

A five-day absence and being put on the COVID list as a close contact is a sign that a player has not been vaccinated; vaccinated players would only be placed on the list for a positive test result.

Along with Wentz, Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly and receiver Zach Pascal are on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the team announced. Indianapolis’ camp has been marred by COVID issues. Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson came off the COVID list on Monday after he was a close contact of somebody who tested positive. Five other players have spent time on the list during camp and both head coach Frank Reich and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus tested positive in August.

The Colts reportedly have one of the league’s lower percentages of vaccinated players. When asked earlier in camp if he was vaccinated, Wentz replied “That’s a personal decision.”

Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay, however, made his frustrations known before camp even started.

“You get vaccinated. It’s the best choice,” Irsay said. “… you could take this topic to Harvard and Yale debate club, and whoever got the side of arguing that vaccination is the most intelligent and logical thing to do at this point, I don’t think you could argue against that. There is always risk in everything in life, but getting vaccinated is the right thing to do.”

The NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to increase testing for fully vaccinated players from every 14 days to every seven days, a concession made by the league although the NFLPA has asked for daily testing to resume as was the case last season. Fully vaccinated players will be offered the option of testing twice a week if they choose.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: No Masks Needed at Chick-fil-A Game

Posted: Tuesday, August 31

The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Saturday between No. 1 Alabama and No. 14 Miami, as well as the Labor Day game between Louisville and Mississippi, will take place under an open roof at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which means officials will not require masks in the seating bowl, concourses and suites with doors to the open air.

Mask wearing is “strongly encouraged” throughout the stadium and will be required in any enclosed spaces including club spaces, press box, retail store and other enclosed rooms. Mercedes-Benz Stadium will provide contactless payment options at all concessions and retail locations and stadium staff will be required to wear masks at all times.

“Our policy decisions were made after careful consideration and discussions with Mercedes-Benz Stadium and our participating teams,” said Gary Stokan, chief executive officer and president of Peach Bowl, Inc. “These protocols are consistent with all other recent events hosted at the stadium, and fan response has been very positive.”

NBA: Refs, Others Must Be Vaccinated

Posted: Monday, August 30

The NBA has struck a deal with the National Basketball Referees Association that requires all referees to be vaccinated this season, and those working games will receive booster shots once they become recommended.

The NBA’s agreement with the referees was revealed one day after the league told its teams that anyone within proximity of players and referees will also have to be vaccinated. That mandate covers coaches, support staff traveling with teams, locker room attendants and those working at official scorer’s tables in NBA arenas. Team employees and referees who have a documented medical or religious reason to not be vaccinated may seek an exemption.

Two teams’ fans will have to be vaccinated to attend games for the 2021—2022 season. The Golden State Warriors said fans 12 and older must show proof of vaccination for games this season at the Chase Center in San Francisco and the Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets, will require employees and fans age 12 and up to be vaccinated.

Players are not required to be fully vaccinated, though many were last season after the league agreed to relax some health and safety protocols for those who were including fewer mandated tests, no quarantine requirements following contact tracing issues and more freedoms on road trips.

HOCKEY: Another Team Makes Fan Vaccination Mandatory

Posted: Monday, August 30

Another NHL team has announced that fans will have to show proof of vaccination to attend games for the 2021—2022 season.

San Jose Sharks fans will need to show proof of vaccination at the SAP Center this season, the venue and team have jointly announced. The protocol will extend to any event at SAP Center, including the upcoming Gold Over America Tour Starring Simone Biles on September 26. Guests under the age of 12 will not be subject to the policy.

The policy was announced after new health and safety directive from the San Jose City Council. The Sharks are partnering with CLEAR, the identity-verification program, so fans can show proof of full vaccination via the Clear Health Pass Account. Fans could also show physical proof of vaccination before entering the venue for games.

The Sharks are the first U.S.-based team to announce a mandatory vaccination policy, following similar announcements by the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets.

COLLEGE SPORTS: Penn Mandates Fan Vaccination

Posted: Monday, August 30

The University of Pennsylvania will require all fans ages 12 and up to provide proof of vaccination to attend any home fall sport competition, whether indoors or outdoors.

All spectators must also register their contact information in the event of a COVID exposure where follow-up from contact tracers is needed. Face coverings are required for all fans at all indoor and outdoor venues. The school also asks spectators to RSVP, attest to vaccination requirements, and perform a daily symptom check the day of their intended attendance at non-ticketed fall sport competition.

When available at Penn athletic events, concessions will be wrapped in individual containers and only available for purchase to spectators at ticketed events. Fans are permitted to bring their own food and beverages into all other athletic facilities but are asked to physically distance themselves from others when removing face coverings to eat and drink.

TENNIS: U.S. Open Protocols Changed as Fans Need Vaccination Proof

Posted: Sunday, August 29

While there has been a rise in the past two weeks for sports venues requiring fans to show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test, the last Grand Slam of the tennis season had decided not to do that — before a late change of plans only four days before the tournament’s first serve.

U.S. Open spectators must show proof of at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to attend matches, a change announced by the U.S. Tennis Association on Friday after the New York City mayor’s office decided to require proof of vaccination to go into Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main arena at the National Tennis Center. The USTA then opted to extend that rule to cover all ticket holders who are 12 and older and enter the grounds during the two-week Grand Slam tournament that begins Monday.

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, left, returns a shot to Dominic Thiem, of Austria, during the men’s singles final of the U.S. Open with no fans on hand on Sunday, September 13, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The tournament’s organizers had said during a Wednesday conference call that they were comfortable with the health and safety protocols in place after they were signed off by the New York City’s department of health.

“The goal is not to prevent all cases of COVID. The goal, really, is to be certain that we don’t have an outbreak of COVID that’s going to be unusual or that we would regret,” Dr. Brian Hainline, a USTA vice president and member of its medical advisory group, said on a conference call with reporters on Wednesday.

The protocols are in contrast to the strict bubble environment under which the 2020 event was organized. Players faced possible fines and expulsion if they exited the tournament bubble without written consent as they were kept largely sequestered. This year, they will be able to dine at restaurants and move freely outside their hotel rooms.

“We are absolutely confident in the 2021 COVID protocols that have been developed,” tournament director Stacey Allaster said. “We have that confidence because here in New York City, because of New Yorkers, how they have managed the virus, the vaccination rate in this community is almost at 70 percent. We heard loud and clear the athletes’ mental health through these last 12 months, the isolation in the bubbles, was important, that they could have some flexibility.”

Mike Dowse, the USTA’s chief executive officer and executive director, said last year’s bubble environment included 14,000 COVID tests with 99.97 percent coming back negative. “Hands down it was run in a very, very safe way,” he said, adding that the decision to have the event without fans last year left the USTA with a $180 million budget deficit for 2020.

Organizers were also questioned about player vaccination and testing. This year, players and support team members will be tested upon arrival, and then every four days after that during the tournament. Allaster said no matter what round — whether it be the first or a championship match — “in the event that an athlete tests positive, that athlete will be taken out of the competition.”

The U.S. Open will not have an on-site vaccination spot for players or fans because of the number of locations in New York City that vaccines can be administered. Several high-profile players have been vaccine-resistent during the past year-plus, most notably Novak Djokovic; the third-ranked player on the ATP Tour, Stefanos Tsitsipas, said that he hasn’t gotten the vaccine in part because there is no reason for a person in his age group to get it.

The weekend brought reports that as few as 50 percent of players on the ATP and WTA Tours have been vaccinated.

Hainline said if given the chance to talk with Tsitsipas, he would recommend he get the vaccine and pointed to his collegiate background: “When we go across the NCAA, we’re at close to 85 percent vaccination. … There’s a major push to get our young individuals vaccinated. I would strongly encourage that. And I have been with all athletes.”

After the U.S. Open is completed, the next Grand Slam will be the 2022 Australian Open in late January. Craig Tiley, the tournament director, has said that players are unlikely to have as strict a quarantine as they did in 2021 but they still have to be in a two-week bubble while crowds are also expected.

“At this point in time we’re planning on having a two-week bubble, where the players will be able to move freely between the hotel and the courts,” Tiley said at a TV event. “They’re protected, they’re kept safe among themselves and safe from the community as well. And after those two weeks, they’ll come out and be able to compete in the Australian Open in front of crowds.”

NFL: More Players Landing on COVID List Before Season Kickoff

Posted: Friday, August 27

The NFL team that had the first sustained outbreak during the 2020 season, necessitating that two of its games be rescheduled, is having an outbreak before the 2021 regular season even gets underway.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill is among seven players who have been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week in addition to head coach Mike Vrabel, who tested positive over the weekend. Other Titans on the COVID list include Justin March-Lillard, Geoff Swaim, Jeremy McNichols, Anthony Rush, Harold Landry and Nick Dzubnar.

Tennessee General Manager Jon Robinson said the Titans have a 97 percent vaccination rate among players. Tannehill is fully vaccinated and per NFL rules will need two consecutive negative PCR tests over a 24-hour period in order to rejoin the team as long as he is asymptomatic.

After a Tennessee Titans practice, quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) spends time with his son Steel, and daughter Stella on July 31, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)

The Titans finish the preseason on Saturday against the Chicago Bears. The NFL Network reported that the Titans have done “widespread testing” over the week and held meetings virtually on Wednesday. When the Titans’ season was disrupted by an outbreak last year, the team had to close its facility at one point and the team later was fined $350,000 for violations of NFL COVID-19 protocols.

The NFL’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, told reporters on Thursday afternoon that nearly 93 percent of the league’s players are vaccinated and that after more than 7,000 tests since August 1, there have been 68 positives. He also said that the NFL’s testing shows seven times more positive tests among unvaccinated players compared to vaccinated.

Questions about the frequency of testing and vaccine mandates have been debated for months within pro football. The NFLPA has asked that all players and personnel be tested daily just like last year, while the league is proposing vaccinated players and personnel be tested once per week, an increase from the current once every 14 days. The NFL has proposed increasing testing cadence for vaccinated players to every seven days while unvaccinated players are tested daily.

The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday that the league has sent written warnings to more than 100 players around the league for not wearing a mask or tracking devices in team facilities — with those who continue to not follow the rules after a written warning find $14,650. Buffalo wide receiver Cole Beasley, outspoken about his refusal to be vaccinated, was fined for a violation caught on video Tuesday and teammate Isaiah McKenzie was fined on Thursday, tweeting “They got me! @NFL you win!” after he was seen violating protocols this week NFL officials in Buffalo to give a presentation on — you guessed it — the league’s COVID-19 rules.

Beasley also went on Twitter about his fine, saying he wore a mask the whole day and then took it off “literally 5 steps” from the entry door to the locker room. Beasley has been told to stay away from Buffalo’s facility for five days after being one of six players deemed a close contact of a staff member who tested positive.

Another player who has become famous in the preseason for avoiding vaccination is Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins chooses “to keep my medical history private,” and was deemed a high-risk close contact when rookie QB Kellen Mond tested positive earlier this month. That designation, per NFL policy, is reserved for unvaccinated players. Cousins said after returning that he would go so far as to set up Plexiglass around himself for team meetings or ask that all meetings be held outdoors, which would be quite the scene during Minnesota winters.

Vikings Coach Mike Zimmer has advocated for the vaccine and been vocal about his displeasure with unvaccinated players. The team brought in Dr. Michael Osterholm, a renowned epidemiologist, Monday to educate players about the vaccine. When asked about the meeting, Cousins replied: “Informative. It was what it was.”

NASCAR: Vaccination is a Dirty Word for Some Cup Series Drivers

Posted: Thursday, August 26

With less than two weeks until the NASCAR playoffs begin, the talk around the garage has expanded from who may get in and what drivers would potentially switch teams in the offseason to include the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases around the country and what would happen if another Corey LaJoie situation occurs.

LaJoie missed last Sunday’s race at Michigan because the rules state that competitors who have not gotten vaccinated but are exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 must quarantine for seven days. With the playoffs approaching, a title-contending driver could see his chances end simply by being exposed to a person with COVID. LaJoie said on Sirius XM NASCAR radio that a person inside the studio where he tapes his weekly podcast tested positive, which was enough to force him out Sunday.

Tyler Reddick leads the field past fans in the Turn 1 grandstands during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2021, in Darlington, South Carolina. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

The winner at Michigan, Joey Logano, said that he canceled three public appearances this week and got his first COVID vaccination to take every precaution.

“There’s one thing I learned when we won (the championship): it affects so many people’s lives with bonuses and other stuff,” he said. “If I get COVID and miss the race, then I’m taking away food from other people’s families.”

“Under normal circumstances, I don’t think I’d ever miss a race, but definitely the Corey LaJoie piece, how he’s not sick and he’s not here today, is very, very frightening,” said Christopher Bell, who is on the cusp of beginning his first championship bid.

William Byron confirmed he got vaccinated earlier this year in part because he wanted to prevent putting his mother, Dana, at risk while she is treated for a brain tumor. But for many drivers, the protocols are an annoyance — and so is being asked whether they are vaccinated.

“That’s like me asking you if you’ve had a vasectomy,” said Aric Almirola when asked last weekend about his vaccination status. Added Martin Truex Jr.: “There’s no real facts that say vaccinating or unvaccinated is really any different these days. I’m really happy that they haven’t went down the mandatory road (of vaccinations) because I don’t think that’s fair from any perspective at all.”

“I look at all of that stuff as very personal, very choice-driven and nobody needs to know what people’s choices are,” two-time Cup champ Kyle Busch said. “But now everybody’s asking for vaccination status cards and everything and where you go, so I guess HIPAA doesn’t exist anymore,” he said, referring to the federal law restricting release of medical information which many athletes have consistently misunderstood when evading questions about vaccinations.

NASCAR does not have a vaccine mandate for its competitors. While it had strict protocols to resume competition three months into the pandemic last year, officials started loosening those restrictions this season and fully reopened garages to guests in late May with nearly every race held under capacity crowd conditions.

NASCAR began retightening its rules last week as the number of virus cases has surged. Reporters were required to wear masks everywhere when interviewing drivers and the series’ hauler limited inside occupancy to four people because of social distancing.

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS: Junior Pan Am Games Allowing Fans

Posted: Thursday, August 26

The inaugural Junior Pan American Games, scheduled to be held in Cali, Colombia, has announced that with three months to go before the opening ceremony, it will allow fans from across the world to attend, becoming the first multisport event in the world to allow fans in stadiums since the pandemic began.

“We have decided together with the Colombian authorities to allow 50 percent capacity in the sports venues,” said Panam Sports President Neven Ilic. “However, those who enter must comply with a series of biosecurity measures such as vaccination certificates, mandatory use of face masks, social distancing and hand washing, among other things.”

More than 3,800 athletes from 41 countries will compete in 39 sports across 10 days.

“We will require a vaccination card to enter, but this will once again give athletes the true sense of sport and being encouraged by their families, friends and the general public,” added the Governor of Valle del Cauca, Clara Luz Roldan. “It will be a great sports festival, I have no doubt.”

SOCCER: Standoff Looms Over World Cup Qualifiers

Posted: Thursday, August 26

FIFA is facing a backlash in England over its decision to squeeze in more World Cup qualifiers in the coming weeks while no longer allowing exemptions for players to opt out of the trips if they are forced to quarantine on their return to countries to resume club duties.

The Premier League announced that no players will be released to play for countries on England’s “red list” which also features several South American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru. Nearly 60 players from 19 Premier League clubs were due to travel to 26 red-zone countries. Shortly after the Premier League’s statement, Spain’s La Liga announced a similar decision.

It is the biggest and most recent skirmish in the growing clash between club teams and national federations. More than ever before, club teams hate the idea of losing players for international duty given the distances that some of them travel in the global game; the more nuanced view of the Premier League’s decision is laid bare further down in its statement, when it points out the quarantine players would have to undergo would mean missing up to four games.

CONMEBOL is trying to complete most of qualifying in time for the planned draw in April for the men’s World Cup in Qatar next year and was granted approval for the triple-headers by FIFA earlier this month. FIFA not only organizes the World Cup, which generates most of the governing body’s revenue of $6 billion in the four-year cycle, but it also regulates the game globally and oversees the international calendar. On top of that, South American countries have been granted three additional days with players by FIFA in both September and October so three qualifiers can be played in each window.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: LSU Announces Stringent Fan Policy

Posted: Tuesday, August 24

Only a few days after two Pac-12 schools, Oregon and Oregon State, announced that local health orders would mandate either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend football, the home to one of the Southeastern Conference’s most rabid fan bases has done the same.

LSU announced Tuesday morning that it will require all Tiger Stadium guests 12 years of age and older to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to entry. The school says the decision comes after consultation with Governor John Bel Edwards, LSU President William F. Tate IV, LSU’s Board of Supervisors, Tiger Athletic Foundation and Director of Athletics Scott Woodward.

“As the flagship institution of the state of Louisiana, our foremost responsibility is to ensure the safety of our students, our supporters, and our community,” Tate said. “While we are aware of the diverse perspectives across the nation regarding masks and vaccinations, we must take all reasonable measures to protect our campus and community, not only on gamedays, but long after guests have left Tiger Stadium. The current threat to our lives, our health, and to our medical systems due to COVID-19 is overburdening our hospitals, and we must do our part to stop the spread.”

A limited number of fans, seated according to COVID-19 restrictions requiring social distancing and masks, watch in the first half a college football game between LSU and Mississippi State in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on September 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Tate earlier this month said all LSU students will have to show proof of COVID-19 vaccines or get tested for the virus once the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the vaccine, which happened on Monday. New Orleans was the first southern city to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all outdoor gatherings and indoor venues of more than 500 people, including games for Tulane football and the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome.

LSU coach Ed Orgeron said earlier this month that the Tigers were fully vaccinated as a coaching staff and “I think we’re down to one (player), and he may have gotten vaccinated.”

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said during the conference’s football media day that if a school cannot field a team because of COVID-19 for games this season, they will forfeit.

“It’s a competitive advantage that we have to get vaccinated,” Orgeron said. “If we don’t, we’ll forfeit. Our guys know that.”

LSU, ranked No. 13 in The Associated Press preseason Top 25, opens the season September 4 at the Rose Bowl against UCLA before its home opener on September 11 against McNeese State.

“We have the best fans in college football, and we are doing everything we can to ensure their experience in Tiger Stadium this fall is safe and enjoyable,” Woodward said. “When our fans arrive on Saturdays to cheer on the Tigers, they will have confidence that we have taken measures to mitigate their health risks. Our football team has reached 99.1% vaccination, and we are incredibly proud of them for doing their part to protect their team and their community. We are confident our fans will do the same, and I encourage all Tiger fans to receive vaccinations today.”

NFL: More Cowboys Added to COVID-19 List

Posted: Tuesday, August 24

The Dallas Cowboys have added three players to the COVID-19 list and went to a virtual format over the weekend after two other people, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and defensive tackle Carlos Watkins, tested positive and were sent home before the team’s Saturday preseason game against Houston.

Among the three new additions on the COVID list is second-year wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys say 93 percent of their players are fully vaccinated, which would account for 80 of 86 players on the roster.

“I think just like most things we do, we’re just being cautious and want to make sure we contain this outbreak and just be smart with that,” Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said.

The entire coaching staff and support staff needed to be fully vaccinated before the start of training camp per the NFL’s rules for team employees, which are different than those collectively bargained with the NFL Players Association.

McCarthy said the Cowboys planned to practice Tuesday and Wednesday before Sunday’s preseason game against Jacksonville.

“We all understand the protocols,” McCarthy said. “I addressed it in the locker room after the game. We have everybody going through the proper testing both yesterday and today and we’ll do so again tomorrow.”

NHL: Two more teams mandate fan vaccination

Posted: Tuesday, August 24

Two more Canadian teams announced mandates for fan vaccinations ahead of the 2021–2022 NHL season, making for a total of four out of the country’s six NHL teams that have announced plans.

British Columbia’s COVID-19 proof of vaccination program was endorsed by Canucks Sports & Entertainment, owner of the Vancouver Canucks. Guests, employees and event staff must provide proof of full vaccination prior to entry to Rogers Arena for NHL games and Abbotsford Centre, where Vancouver’s American Hockey League affiliate will play.

The announcement in Vancouver camehours after Calgary Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Calgary Flames, the Western Hockey League Hitmen and the Canadian Football League Stampeders, said fans, staff and employees will also have to be fully vaccinated starting September 15.

The owners of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets previously announced plans to require proof of full vaccination for fans ahead of this season. The only Canadian teams that have not announced similar plans as of yet are the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators.

NFL: Cam Newton to miss time because of COVID protocols

Posted: Monday, August 23

Quarterback Cam Newton must stay away from the New England Patriots for five days this week after traveling to a team-approved, out of town medical appointment over the weekend that the team has termed a “misunderstanding about tests conducted away from NFL facilities.”

The team said in a statement Monday that Newton went to the appointment Saturday and tested negative each day for COVID-19. But due to required by NFL and NFLPA protocols, he has been subjected to a five-day, re-entry cadence before he can return to the Patriots’ team facilities.

According to the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols that were most recently updated on July 27, only unvaccinated players are subject to the five-day re-entry cadence that requires daily testing. Fully vaccinated players are required to test once every 14 days.

Asked this month whether he has been vaccinated for COVID-19, Newton said “I think it’s too personal for each and every person to kind of discuss it, and I’ll just keep it at that.”

Newton missed a game early last season after a COVID-19 diagnosis. He is trying to retain the starter’s position this season after the Patriots drafted Alabama quarterback Mac Jones in the first round of this spring’s draft.

Newton’s news came the day after a former Patriot turned head coach, Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans, said he had tested positive and was quarantined. The Titans beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-3 in a preseason game Saturday night. They traveled to Florida on Tuesday and practiced jointly with the Buccaneers on Wednesday and Thursday.

“This isn’t the first time that we’ve gone through this, so whatever the protocols are we’ll follow them exactly how they’re laid out,” said Vrabel.

Under NFL protocols, Vrabel must have two negative test results within 48 hours to go back to work or remain in quarantine for 10 days. The Titans open the season at. Home on September 12 against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Titans had the first COVID-19 outbreak during the NFL season last year, forcing the postponement of two games. The team was later fined $350,000 when it was discovered that during the outbreak, several players organized voluntary practices away from the team’s training facilities. Vrabel said this spring that he had been vaccinated.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Two Schools Require Fan Vaccination, Another Goes Fan-less Entirely

Posted: Monday, August 23

The University of Oregon will require fans ages 12 and older to provide proof of being fully vaccinated or having a negative test taken within three days of games. Acceptable proof of vaccination includes a vaccination card, a photocopy of the card or a photo of the card on a mobile device. The university said it reached its decision after consulting with the local public health authority. All fans must wear masks at indoor games as well.

“The health and safety of you, our student-athletes and our staff will always be the top priority for Oregon Athletics,” the school said in an open letter to fans. “… These changes include new health and safety protocols developed in consultation with local health authorities, as well as the use of new technologies that will improve the gameday experience.”

Shortly after Oregon made its announcement, Oregon State followed suit and said all fans ages 5 and up must wear masks at games through the end of September even if they are fully vaccinated. Benton County’s board of commissioners issued the order mandating masks at any outdoor event where six feet of distance cannot be maintained. The order stipulates spectators must wear the mask even while seated.

Oregon State begins its home schedule at Reser Stadium on September 11 against Hawaii — whose fans, regardless of vaccination status, will not be able to attend home games. The Rainbow Warriors said that at minimum, the team’s home opener September 4 against Portland State will be held without fans after instructions from city and county officials because of the recent rise in cases and overwhelmed hospital capacities on the islands.

Hawaii is playing home games this season at the 9,000-seat Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex as construction continues at the Aloha Stadium Entertainment District. The school says that the decision will be re-evaluated in the “coming weeks” whether fans will be able to attend future home games.

“We are disappointed because we were looking forward to playing in front of our fans again,” Hawaii Athletic Director David Matlin said. “However we understand the decision was made in the best interest of public safety and can only hope the restrictions will be lifted when the time is right.”

While Oregon, Oregon State and Hawaii are not in the Big Ten, that league is the latest conference ahead of the season to announce that a team will forfeit games if it does not have the minimum number of available players because of COVID-19. If both teams are unable to compete on the date of a scheduled conference game because of COVID-19, and the game can’t be rescheduled, it will be considered a “no contest.”

The Power Five conferences appear headed toward having similar forfeit policies, except the ACC is charging both teams with a forfeit if neither can play because of the virus. The SEC has not released its policy, but Commissioner Greg Sankey has warned that teams that can’t play will forfeit and games will not be rescheduled.

SOCCER: FIFA May be on World Cup Collision Course with Olympic Games

Posted: Monday, August 23

Because it did not have a World Cup scheduled during the pandemic, FIFA’s finances are in much better shape than most sports organizations. It projects total revenues of $6.44 billion from 2019 through 2022 ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

But just because it did not take a massive financial hit does not mean that FIFA would not turn down the chance to make more money. As FIFA President Gianni Infantino himself said at a recent FIFA Congress, “You don’t need to be an Einstein to know that if you have the World Cup every two years you double the revenue.”

And that is why, after nearly a century of tradition, there is a movement to play the men’s World Cup every other year instead of every four years — with the women’s World Cup in years there is not a men’s tournament.

The idea could win support if taken to a vote of FIFA’s 211 members — that is how the men’s World Cup was expanded from 32 to 48 teams starting with the 2026 event in North America, which will assuredly mean hundreds of millions more in revenue but likely be not nearly as competitive as tournament’s past. Similarly, the Women’s World Cup will expand to 32 from 24 teams when it is co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand in 2023 — while FIFA promoted the decision as giving more opportunities to female players, they did not deny that financial motivations were also front of mind.

Fans cheer and take cell phone pictures during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Photo: Eduardo Verdugo/AP Images

Saudi Arabia’s national federation asked at the May congress to explore World Cups being staged every two years. The South American confederation, CONMEBOL, and France have promoted the idea. Countries from the Confederation of African Football, CAF, have been trying to get public sentiment toward expansion as well.

“With the World Cup being played every four years the opportunity to have this experience is too rare and spread over too great a time,” Nigeria Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick said. “Whole generations of players miss out, sometimes because of one match, potentially decided on one incident.”

Revenue is one thing, but the potential decision would also have major international sports implications. Doubling the number of World Cups between men and women would guarantee that the sport goes head-to-head every four years with the Olympic Summer Games, which would set up some intriguing meetings at the International Olympic Committee — with Infantino, among several others, being IOC members while potentially guiding FIFA into the Games’ calendar.

Pinnick has downgraded the conflict, calling the decision to avoid competing at the same time as the Olympics as “absurd.” In his view, “we can add one more month every four years to organize the most beautiful competition in the world and find ways to protect the players, clubs, leagues, federations and Confederation’s interests and this is neither irrational nor absurd.”

While he believes that adding another month to the tournament is no big deal, there are plenty of club managers in world soccer that would recoil at the idea. Player health will be a key topic, no matter whether that matters compared to the chance to double FIFA’s revenue. Spanish teenager Pedri played 77 games in 314 days as he went through the entire 2020–2021 La Liga season for Barcelona, then went and played for Spain in the Euro 2020 tournament, then went to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic Summer Games, and then back to the 2021–2022 La Liga season that just started. After playing in Saturday’s second league game of the season for Barcelona, the team said the teenager would be given a two-week break for exhaustion.

Speaking of Euro 2020, it was at that event in which restricted numbers of fans were allowed to attend every game and in London, the number of fans increased exponentially as the tournament went on, which led to a near-capacity crowd as Italy beat the hosts in penalty kicks to win the championship. Now two months later, Public Health England said 2,295 people were likely to have been infectious with a further 3,404 people potentially acquiring infection at the July 11 championship match.

Overall, more than 9,000 COVID infections were linked to Euro 2020 games monitored for the government’s mass events test scheme and while the report’s authors did not describe it as such, many newspapers in England pointed out those numbers amount to the tournament having been a superspreader event.

“The Euro 2020 tournament and England’s progress to the Euro final generated a significant risk to public health across the UK even when England played overseas,” the report stated. “This risk arose not just from individuals attending the event itself, but included activities undertaken during travel and associated social activities.”

The study said spectators became less compliant on masks as the tournament progressed while the final was marked by mass disorder, including ticketless fans storming the gates and filling the stairways to watch the game. The study was a sobering moment for those who follow the game in England since the Premier League has had full capacity crowds since it started earlier this month; many of the teams are requiring proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID test within 48 hours of kickoff.

OLYMPICS: Beijing Plans Strict Protocols for 2022 Games

Posted: Friday, August 20

Given the drawn-out process that resulted in no spectators in Tokyo this summer for the rescheduled Olympic Summer Games, the quick turnaround to the upcoming Winter Games — along with a multitude of issues, both health-related and political — could likely result in the banning of all foreign spectators for a second consecutive Olympics.

Beijing’s top official promised strict anti-coronavirus measures at next year’s Winter Olympics, now less than 200 days away with a growing multitude of sponsors and people around the Olympic world expecting there to be another ban on foreign spectators. China’s emphasis on the Games is “simple, safe and exciting,” Cai Qi, the city’s Communist Party chief and president of the Beijing organizing committee was quoted as saying by state media.

Cai emphasized strict measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during a tour of venues this week and said each must adopt their own specific measures. Cai did not say whether general spectators would be permitted in the stands; while the decision for Tokyo organizers was made after months of drawn-out leaks and postponed announcements, there is widespread anticipation that any decision would be made swiftly by Beijing organizers.

People wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19 walk past a display showing a countdown clock to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on August 18, 2021. Beijing’s top official is reiterating the need for strict anti-coronavirus measures at next year’s Winter Olympics, now less than 200 days away. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

There are significant health concerns around whether there will be any movement or interaction between journalists, IOC VIPs and athletes in Beijing. Cases have risen in multiple parts of the world and depending on vaccination rates and the delta variant, memories are not short when it comes to the worldwide jump in COVID cases last winter.

The New York Times detailed earlier in August some of the measures that Beijing organizers are already planning. The story said that Beijing plans to allow fewer than 30,000 people, including accredited participants, into China compared to the 42,000 that were allowed into Tokyo for the Summer Games. The Times also reported the following:

“For the Winter Games, to be held from Feb. 4 to 20, the authorities intend to wall off China’s 1.4 billion people from essentially all athletes, judges, drivers, guides, journalists and others associated with the event. … When the Games end, practically everyone involved will be required to leave China or endure several weeks of total isolation in government-run quarantine centers, undergoing numerous medical tests, according to people familiar with Beijing’s preparations. … That will include thousands of Chinese staff, who will have to live in the bubble throughout the Games and then “re-enter” the rest of China after a lengthy quarantine. No decision has been announced on vaccination requirements for participation in the Games, or on the shorter quarantines for people arriving for the Olympics from overseas. … No information has been released about Olympic quarantine facilities. But, in general, China’s top medical experts have concluded that hotels, while comfortable, do not provide sufficient infection control. So they have invented new approaches. For example, nearly 2,000 prefabricated, stackable metal containers for individual quarantines were built during an outbreak early this year in Shijiazhuang, about a four-hour drive south of Beijing. … Britain plans to send a group of its sliders to Beijing as early as October. They have been told to expect to stay there for more than a month in conditions described as a “severe lockdown.”

While China has not announced its formal policy yet on spectators, it is all but certain that foreign journalists will face restrictions as strict — if not stricter — with their movements around the Games as there were in Tokyo. That, however, is as much because of political reasons as it would be for health reasons.

The peril for journalists was evident earlier this month when foreign reporters covering floods in central China were targeted. The Communist Youth League, an arm of the Chinese Communist Party, asked social media followers to locate and report a BBC reporter on assignment. That expanded into broader accusations against foreign reporters for “slandering” China with coverage that could be seen as critical rather than focusing on government rescue efforts. China last year expelled more than a dozen American reporters working for The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.

“China demands complete adherence to its position on a number of issues,” Oriana Skylar Mastro, who researches China security issues at Stanford University, told The Associated Press recently. “It demands this from governments, but also corporations, media, and individuals … So, do I think China is going to go after anyone, including sports reporters during the Olympics, that deviate from the ‘acceptable’ script? Yes, I absolutely do.”

The IOC has declined several recent demands to move the Olympics out of Beijing. China is accused by some foreign governments and researchers of imposing forced labor, systematic forced birth control and torture upon Uyghurs, a largely Muslim ethnic group. A vice president of Intel, one of the IOC’s top 15 sponsors, said he agreed with a U.S. State Department assessment that said China was committing genocide against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang.

China has denied committing genocide against the Uyghur people, calling such accusations “the lie of the century” and that any threatened Olympic boycott “is doomed to failure.”

In countless interviews about China and its preparations for the Winter Olympics, IOC President Thomas Bach has not mentioned the situation of the Uyghurs. Nor has he said it was a topic covered in meetings of his executive board.

“Our responsibility is to deliver the Games,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams told The Associated Press. “That is our responsibility. It is the responsibility of others — the United Nations, who have been very supportive of the Olympic Games, and governments to deal with this — and not for us.”

Vaccination Mandates Expand Throughout Sports at All Levels

Posted: Thursday, August 19

The National Football League this year has an official policy called the “Fan Health Promise,” which in part makes ticket holders agree to not attend a game if they’ve had a positive COVID test in the previous 14 days and have not been vaccinated.

But between citywide health orders that will make mask-wearing mandatory at outdoor venues in Los Angeles including SoFi Stadium, Banc of California Stadium, the Rose Bowl and Dodger Stadium, to the mandatory vaccination policy announced by the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night, vaccination incentives for fans to attend sporting events this fall are trending more toward requirements as cases continue to surge in the U.S. — regardless of whether that’s what fans want.

The other NFL team that has a stadium entrance policy, the New Orleans Saints, is not as strict as the Raiders; because of a city order, fans entering the Caesars Superdome must have either proof of a single vaccination dose (even if done on the day of a game) or a negative COVID-19 test. But even with that less-strict policy, the Saints said Thursday in a statement they have received “less than 120 requests for ticket refunds” because of fans who refuse to adhere to the policy. The Saints said they do plan to refund season tickets for fans, meaning some now face a decision: Get vaccinated, or lose tickets they’ve had for years knowing the wait list that exists to purchase tickets in the first place.

There are differences between the professional and college sports scenes, obviously. While most pro sports leagues have been able to mandate coach vaccinations, that is not the case collegiately. When Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday that all teachers and school personnel in the state must be fully vaccinated as a condition of employment, most national attention mentioned one name prominently — Washington State football coach Nick Rolovitch, who has been public about his refusal to get vaccinated to the point that he virtually attended the Pac-12 Media Days in Los Angeles since having been vaccinated was one of the conditions for in-person attendance.

That type of mandate, frankly, would never happen in the South, where four of the five states with the lowest percentage of fully vaccinated people in the United States are Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, the collective home to six of the Southeastern Conference’s 14 teams. The SEC has tried to use football as an incentive to get fans vaccinated; the conference has threatened forfeits for teams that cannot suit up the minimum required number of players this year. Commissioner Greg Sankey recently went on Twitter pleading with fans to be vaccinated and hinted at the roadblocks his conference faces legally, saying “State policies limit the SEC’s ability to establish Conference wide mandates. We need individuals — our fans — to join in accessing the vaccine, reducing COVID-19 spread, limiting the chances for more variants to emerge … and enjoying a full year ahead for college sports!”

Several of the league’s prominent coaches including Alabama’s Nick Saban, LSU’s Ed Orgeron and Mississippi’s Lane Kiffin have been publicly supporting vaccination. Kiffin made national news promoting his Rebels team as being 100 percent vaccinated in a state where only 34 percent of the population is fully vaccinated and multiple field hospitals have opened because of a surge of COVID patients. While Kiffin promotes the need for vaccines, the state medical center’s leader, LouAnn Woodward, says the situation in Mississippi is a “disaster of our own making. … We as a state, as a collective, have failed to respond in a unified way to a common threat, we have failed to use the tools that we have to protect ourselves.”

While not of legal recourse for fans, the ability for colleges to mandate vaccine requirements was boosted by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s recent denial of an emergency application to bar Indiana University from requiring faculty, staff and students be vaccinated. While it lacks the impact of a full Supreme Court ruling, should Barrett’s views reflect a majority of the justices, vaccine directives will be seen as lawful conditions. While the NCAA has issued a series of recommendations for testing, quarantine and isolation, the Division I Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference has announced that all athletes and athletic personnel in the conference must be vaccinated against COVID-19, following an earlier announcement of a similar policy by the Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Massive participatory sporting events are starting to gain momentum for vaccination requirements as well. The Chicago Marathon on October 10, organizers announced this week, will be only for registered participants able to show they are fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID test within 72 hours of participating. All attendees are required to wear face coverings at indoor event venues and participants are encouraged to wear face coverings in Grant Park prior to starting the race.

“Individuals unable to prove full vaccination or negative test will be barred from entering the Health & Fitness Expo and unable to pick up the necessary race materials that allow for participation in the event,” organizers said.

And perhaps with memories of last fall going into the winter as cases surged, and with the medical statistics showcasing the differences between vaccinated and non-vaccinated people being hospitalized with COVID-19, there appears to be no slowing the movement of vaccination requirements in sports — whether for athletes to compete and, in growing numbers, for fans to attend.

ENDURANCE SPORTS: IRONMAN Adjusts Schedule

Posted: Thursday, August 19

Travel and border restrictions are expected to prevent as many as half of the athlete field from being able to attend the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare Ironman 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission in St. George, Utah, meaning the event will shift to a one-day event on September 18 for both men and women.

Additionally, the 2022 Ironman 70.3 World Championship that was set to be held in Taupō, New Zealand will be held in St. George, giving the travel-restricted athlete community an opportunity to race with a two-day format from October 28-29, 2022.

“We have continued to monitor border and travel restrictions closely, and it is increasingly clear that these restrictions are not likely to be relaxed in time for most international athletes to be able to race in St. George,” said Andrew Messick, president and chief executive officer for The Ironman Group. “We have a special host partner in St. George and its surrounding communities, and we are looking forward to being able to host a full international two-day race in 2022.”

“Navigating the twists and turns of a global pandemic has been daunting, but at every turn our community has been able to look around the corner and find a positive path to a brighter horizon,” said Kevin Lewis, director of the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office. “The dedication and commitment that the Ironman team has made to ensure success is inspiring. Working together, we’ve put together what will be an amazing world championship event this September, and we are thrilled at the opportunity to host the world here again in 2022.”

New Zealand and Ironman officials are committed to discussing how to bring the 70.3 World Championship event to Taupō in a future year. The 2023 World Championship taking place in Lahti, Finland will continue as planned.

AUTO RACING: Japanese GP Canceled

Posted: Wednesday, August 18

Less than a month after the Olympic Summer Games were held in Japan and as the Paralympics approach in the country, Formula 1 organizers said Wednesday that the October 10 Japanese GP in Suzuka will not be held because of COVID-19 conditions.

The race in Suzuka had been scheduled between events in Turkey and Austin, Texas. Previous races scheduled in Australia and Singapore have been cancelled and the Chinese GP in Shanghai is still listed as being postponed indefinitely.

“The decision has been taken by the Japanese government to cancel the race this season due to ongoing complexities of the pandemic in the country,” F1 said in a statement. “Formula 1 is now working on the details of the revised calendar and will announce the final details in the coming weeks.”

SOCCER: Second USL Match Postponed

Posted: Wednesday, August 18

The USL Championship has postponed the second consecutive match involving San Antonio FC after “multiple covered individuals” from the club have tested positive, the league said. The team’s game August 14 at New York Red Bulls II was postponed as well as this coming Saturday’s home game against Real Monarchs. The home game will be rescheduled to September 1.

The United Soccer League announced on Monday that 987 tests were administered to players and club staff from the 31 Championship clubs between August 9 and August 15, with three individuals from three clubs testing positive.

San Antonio had a home match on May 29 this season where all fans were able to get their first of two doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as part of a promotion by local provider Livingston Med Labs, with fans also being able to then schedule their second dose after the gameday shot so that they would be fully vaccinated.

NFL: Raiders Owner Explains Why Fans Must Get Vaccinated

Posted: Wednesday, August 18

After having four major events with fans at Allegiant Stadium and trying to enforce mask policies throughout the stadium with nothing close to 100 percent success, the Las Vegas Raiders decided to take the step and become the first NFL team to require vaccination of all fans going to games this season, explaining in more detail on Tuesday what brought them to the decision.

The Raiders’ initial announcement late Monday night was the most aggressive step in an increasing number of teams and venues that are trying to incentivize vaccination among fans as the delta variant continues to spread throughout the United States, leading to a rise in COVID-19 cases.

Raiders Owner Mark Davis said on Tuesday that the team would offer either full refunds to season-ticket holders who choose to not get vaccinated or rollovers to next season. But he will not back down from his decision.

“I don’t know what else we can do for (hesitant fans),” Davis said. “When you look at it, it’s not about you. It’s about the person sitting next to you and that’s who we’re trying to protect as well.”

The Raiders are partnering with CLEAR to confirm a person’s vaccination status. Fans will have to download the CLEAR app and then upload their vaccine card, driver’s license and a picture of themselves. Then fans can open the app at Allegiant Stadium and tap the health pass digital vaccine card to display a QR code along with their photo for a stadium worker to allow entry. The app says that it has fraud protections tied to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We don’t have another game for a month, so that gives our fans time to go through the process of the CLEAR signing-up,” Davis said.

The Raiders decided on the vaccinated-only policy after an emergency directive on Monday from Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak. The mandate says that large venues with more than 4,000 fixed seats have the option of opting out of a mask mandate by requiring proof of vaccination; if they don’t, they can continue to host events, but all attendees must wear masks.

The policy will take effect for the Raiders’ home opener on September 13 against Baltimore. There is no negative COVID test option for Raiders fans as opposed to those going to Saints games at the newly rebranded Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

The Raiders will offer vaccinations at Allegiant Stadium on game days so fans can attend, although they will have to wear a mask once inside since they will not be fully vaccinated. Vaccinated fans will not need to wear masks at games; children between the ages of 2 and 11, since they are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, can attend games as long as they wear a mask.

“I support the decision that was made,” Raiders Coach Jon Gruden said after Tuesday’s practice. “I know it’s a touchy subject for a lot of people, but I do support the direction we’re heading and I encourage everybody that I know to get the vaccine and come and join us.”

Masks will be required at large outdoor events in Los Angeles County starting Thursday regardless of COVID-19 status, which will affect games at Dodger Stadium and SoFi Stadium just for starters. Fans will also have to adhere to the new guidelines at Banc of California Stadium, which hosts the Major League Soccer All-Star Game next week, as well as the Rose Bowl and L.A. Memorial Coliseum. Guests at outdoor events of more than 10,000 people or indoor events of more than 5,000 people (including the Staples Center) will have to wear the masks except while actively eating or drinking.

Policies for fans such as these are happening north of the border as well; Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment said fans will have to provide proof of vaccination of a negative COVID test to attend games. The organization owns owns Scotiabank Arena, the home of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and NBA’s Toronto Raptors, and operates BMO Field, the home of the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts and Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC.

HOCKEY: Still No Decision on NHL in Beijing

Posted: Wednesday, August 18

While the NHL has released a regular season schedule for the upcoming season and last week announced start times for all the games, the question remains of whether the schedule that was released will be the schedule that is played because of ongoing uncertainty about the league’s participation in the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

“No final agreement or decision has been made to this point regarding the possible participation of NHL Players in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics,” the NHL said last week. “Talks remain ongoing. … If, for whatever reason, there is no NHL Player participation in the Olympics, a revised Regular Season schedule will be released which, to the greatest extent possible, will adopt the dates and games reflected in the schedule contemplating Olympic participation.”

With no decision still made on the 2022 Games, teams are waiting to see what they should be doing when it comes to ticket sales since a late decision against having players in Beijing would necessitate the NHL releasing a new version of its 2021–2022 schedule. The schedule that was released includes an Olympic break from February 7—22. ESPN reported at least two NHL teams have told fans a final decision would be made by the end of August. ESPN also said no fans they surveyed have received a promotional schedule for the upcoming season because should the NHL not participate in the Games, many of those dates could potentially move in a reshuffled schedule.

The NHL has taken another step in trying to recoup revenues that were lost during the pandemic, allowing teams to have advertising on the front of team jerseys starting with the 2022—2023 season. The NHL has allowed ads on practice jerseys since 2010 and this past season allowed helmet advertising, which NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said was worth more than $100 million in revenue.

Bettman had said in June that the NHL would not dismiss the chances of having ads on jerseys in the future, a stark contrast to when he said in 2015 that “you’d have to drag me kicking and screaming” to permit them. Whether it was kicking or screaming, the fact that the NHL lost reportedly $3.6 billion in revenue during the 2020–2021 season because of attendance restrictions certainly eased Bettman’s reluctance.

NFL: Raiders Become First Team to Mandate Vaccination for Fans

Posted: Monday, August 16

The Las Vegas Raiders are the first National Football League team to announce that fans at Allegiant Stadium will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination ahead of the season opening in less than a month.

The Raiders said Monday night that fans can attend games without a mask if they can show proof of vaccination through CLEAR’s free mobile app and Health Pass feature. The policy will take effect for the season opener on September 13 against the Baltimore Ravens. The Raiders will offer the opportunity for fans to receive vaccinations at Allegiant Stadium prior to home games, permitting newly vaccinated fans to enter wearing a mask.

“Health and safety has always been our number one priority,” said Raiders owner Mark Davis. “After consultation with Governor (Steve) Sisolak and other community leaders, this policy ensures that we will be able to operate at full capacity without masks for fully vaccinated fans for the entire season,” Davis said.

The Raiders announced a policy requiring all full-time employees on the business and football staffs of the organization to be vaccinated in May. Stadium management company ASM and stadium concessionaire Levy also have implemented mandatory vaccinations for all full-time staff at Allegiant Stadium.

The New Orleans Saints on Friday announced that fans will be expected to always wear masks except when eating or drinking during games at the Superdome per new health protocols announced by the city. The Superdome is an indoor facility like the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium.

The National Football League said in the spring that it was expecting to have sellout crowds at stadiums in the fall for the 2021 season and Commissioner Roger Goodell is sticking with that belief while acknowledging that rising COVID-19 numbers throughout the United States has raised concerns that the league may have to scale back its plans.

“We’re comfortable that local regulations are going to allow us to have fans at all 32 stadiums,” Goodell said Saturday on the NFL Networks’ Inside Training Camp Live. “We’ll still be smart. We’re still going to be willing to adapt. We’re still going to do everything to make sure our fans are safe when they’re there. But we expect full stadiums.”

There were 13 preseason games over the weekend in the NFL and other than the Chicago Bears, who drew 33,069 at Soldier Field for its game against the Miami Dolphins, every game had a minimum of 47,000 fans on hand — including seven games that had announced crowds of 64,866 or higher.

“You know, the fans want to come back,” Goodell said. “That’s the No. 1 thing we hear. We’re seeing that in our ticket sales. Fans just want to be a part (of) and have that collective experience. Doing that around an NFL game is fun.”

While the Golden State Warriors have already announced that only vaccinated fans will be allowed at home games ahead of the 2021–2022 NBA season, those who want to go to a San Francisco 49ers game at Levi’s Stadium will be able to go without a mask while outdoors at home games. But indoors in club spaces and other spots, fans will be expected to have masks on regardless of vaccination status.

The 49ers announcement, along with those within the past week by the Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers and Monday’s announcement by the Raiders, increase the number of NFL stadiums where fans will be — at minimum — expected to put masks on while in indoor spaces but allowed to have them off while sitting outdoors during the game.

An email sent to Steelers season-ticket holders on Monday said: “The Steelers and Heinz Field Management are requiring that all guests, staff and vendors at Heinz Field, regardless of their vaccination status, wear a mask while visiting all indoor areas of the stadium.” It said that fans will not have to show proof of vaccination status to attend games.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium implemented an updated mask policy when the Falcons opened the preseason on Friday, requiring masks in enclosed areas such as club spaces and retail stores. Masks are “strongly encouraged” for fans and employees in all other areas of the stadium but the Falcons said “at this time, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will not go back to a limited seating capacity unless mandated by MLS or the NFL.”

The mask policy update in Atlanta comes as the Falcons told ESPN on Monday that the team is 100 percent fully vaccinated, the first NFL team to reach that benchmark.

The NFL Network reported last Friday that player vaccination rates are up to 89 percent with at least one shot and 22 of the league’s 32 clubs reaching 90 percent partially vaccinated. Along with health and safety protocols that will be updated throughout the season depending on conditions throughout the country, Goodell — while not being able to mandate players be fully vaccinated — has done whatever he can to make it near-mandatory, notably saying that teams will forfeit games this year if they have an outbreak among unvaccinated players and cannot suit up the minimum number of players.

“I think the increasing (vaccine) numbers are indicating with people getting more comfortable, understanding better that they are effective, that they are safe and that they are the best way to keep yourself and your family and everyone around you safe,” Goodell said. “… I think we’re in a place where I think we can keep our personnel safe and have limited disruptions.”

NFL: Mask Up to Cheer Saints in Superdome, Says New Orleans

Posted: Friday, August 13

As the delta variant has surged cases throughout the Southern part of the United States, the past week-plus has served as perhaps a turning point where vaccinations are not only encouraged by professional and collegiate leagues and teams, but the destinations that host them will make it mandatory to enjoy going to games again.

The number of professional sports venues that will put forth requirements for fans this season continues to rise each day. The Buffalo Bills said Wednesday that masks will be required of all people in indoor spaces at Highmark Stadium and those who do not have proof of full vaccination must wear masks outdoors as well. Chase Center in San Francisco, home of the Golden State Warriors, said Thursday on Twitter that all fans ages 12 and up must show proof of vaccination to attend games this coming season and “proof of a negative COVID-19 test will no longer serve as an accepted health pass for fans.”

A second NFL venue, the Superdome in New Orleans, will also make fans show proof of vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours of kickoff to attend games as part of Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s city-wide measure for all restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. Masks will also be required at all times except when eating or drinking.

“We are committed to doing everything we can in the current environment to protect your health and safety while at the same time providing the best game day experience in the NFL,” the Saints said in a statement. “We understand some will be frustrated, as are we, that we find ourselves in this position. We, as a community, have overcome so much in our history and come back stronger every time. … We need you in that number – both on game day and in defeating this virus.”

The team also said that it will provide vaccinations on gamedays outside of the stadium as well as non-gameday vaccination events throughout the region in the fall.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made it clear the league has leeway for team outbreaks, saying in a memo that any team could face a forfeit if it cannot play due to a COVID-19 cluster caused by unvaccinated players or staff and the league cannot reschedule the game.

“These operating principles are designed to allow us to play a full season in a safe and responsible way and address possible competitive or financial issues fairly,” Goodell wrote. “While there is no question that health conditions have improved from last year, we cannot be complacent or simply assume that we will be able to play without interruption — either due to Covid outbreaks among our clubs or outbreaks that occur within the larger community.”

The league’s incentives — although some players who are vaccine-resistent think of it in other terms — have seemed to increase the player vaccination rate markedly since the start of training camp. NFL.com’s Judy Battista said on Thursday that 15 teams have 95 percent of more vaccination rates among players and that 91.7 percent of all players are at least partially vaccinated, far exceeding the national average of 71 percent among adults.

“I would say go do it, get the vaccine, to decrease the risk of getting COVID or spreading it to someone who is going to have an adverse reaction like myself,” Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett told USA Today this week. Garrett missed two games last season after testing positive for COVID.

“Personally, it whipped my ass,” Garrett said. “It took me out. … I couldn’t smell, and what I could smell was like an iron, like a metallic sensation in my nose. It felt like it was burning. Like sometimes for 30 minutes, an hour. It made my head hurt. My eyes watered. Stuffy. Had phlegm. Felt weak.”

While player vaccination cannot be mandated because of collective bargaining, the NFL did mandate all Tier 1 employees — coaches, front-office executives, equipment managers and scouts — get vaccinated. That is not the case in college football, where things are much murkier and depend much more on what each state’s protocols are and whether the school is public or private. In the ACC, for example, six of the 14 football members have a vaccine mandate for students: Boston College, Duke, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Virginia and Virginia Tech, the latter two of which are public universities.

The SEC is an entirely different matter. While football coaches ranging from Nick Saban in Alabama to Lane Kiffin in Mississippi have been publicly encouraging for vaccinations — the Rebels announced they are 100 percent vaccinated among players and staff earlier this week and the Crimson Tide are near 100 percent — four of the five states with the lowest percentage of fully vaccinated people in the United States are Alabama (35%), Mississippi (35.2%), Arkansas (37.7%) and Louisiana (37.7%), home to six of the league’s 14 teams.

“I do hope people will see what our athletes are doing as an example to be followed,” Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin told Yahoo Sports this week. “I hope they are following what our athletes are doing, setting a great example for the rest of our communities. SEC sports play a huge role in the cultural fabric of what we do. But so many people have politicized taking the vaccine. One thing you see often is people don’t want their sports and politics to mix.”

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is trying to encourage the issue among the general public, coming out strongly for vaccination during his State of the League address earlier this month at SEC Media Days. On Tuesday, he posted on Twitter saying “State policies limit the SEC’s ability to establish Conference wide mandates. We need individuals — our fans — to join in accessing the vaccine, reducing COVID-19 spread, limiting the chances for more variants to emerge … and enjoying a full year ahead for college sports!”

Whether those words will lead to actions, though, is a different topic.

SOCCER: Premier League Requires Full Vaccination for Fan Attendance

Posted: Thursday, August 12

With the Ligue 1 in France already underway and the 2021–2022 seasons in Germany, Spain and England about to kick off on Friday, each country’s league will have to abide by health and safety protocols that are different depending on the country and region in which they play in.

The English Premier League will allow clubs to welcome full-capacity crowds for the first time since March 2020 — but fans must either be fully vaccinated or have had a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of the game. Fans were permitted in limited numbers toward the end of last season as certain COVID-19 restrictions were lifted and London’s Wembley Stadium during this summer’s Euro 2020 tournament held tens of thousands of fans at games, including a near-sellout in the championship loss to Italy.

The Premier League will also introduce a code of conduct for fans that will include wearing masks in indoor areas, avoiding close contact with people they do not know and following one-way signage around stadiums. Fans will also subject to random spot checks of their COVID-19 status in the opening few weeks of the new season with stewards asking fans to show they have been fully vaccinated or have received a negative test in the previous 48 hours, via the NHS Covid pass.

“Even though the UK is reopening, the government has made it clear that this pandemic is still far from over,” the Premier League said. “It is possible the safety measures for matches could be subject to change at short notice. Fans should continue to follow the latest public health guidance and guidance from their club. However, even in these uncertain times we are optimistic that by continuing to work together with fans, supporter groups, football stakeholders, national government and local authorities, everyone can enjoy full and vibrant stadiums while staying safe from COVID-19.”

Fans applaud as players enter the field for the Premier League match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool on December 6, 2020. (AP photo/Jon Super, Pool)

Teams in the German Bundesliga will be allowed a maximum of 25,000 for games. Germany’s 16 states will allow sports stadiums to admit fans at 50% capacity, up to a cap of 25,000 spectators. However, COVID-19 infection rates must not exceed 35 per 100,000 people over the previous seven days or a limit of 5,000 fans will be imposed. Only fans who can prove they have been vaccinated or can present a negative test will be allowed to attend.

In Spain, La Liga matches will be played in front of 40 percent capacity at all stadiums, per Spain’s Ministry of Health. One exception will be Barcelona, which will be at 30 percent instead based off the Government of Catalonia’s own health regulations. That will leave the team playing in front of a maximum of 29,803 fans when it opens on Sunday against Real Sociedad in Barcelona’s first game without Lionel Messi, the superstar who left as a free agent and will be playing with Ligue 1’s Paris Saint-Germain — a team that will for its home opener on Saturday against Strasbourg be able to play in front of a sellout crowd of 49,700 at the Parc des Princes, provided each fan provide proof of full vaccination or a negative test within 48 hours of kickoff.

It will be interesting to see if more venues, teams and even leagues in North America will emphasize a vaccination requirement for attendance. The New York Knicks, should it had advanced to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, said it was going to require proof of vaccination for fans to be at Madison Square Garden; those plans were not needed after the team’s first-round elimination at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks. The NHL’s Winnipeg Jets announced it will require proof of full vaccination of fans to attend home games at Canada Life Centre this season, saying on Wednesday that season-ticket holders canvassed for opinions said that was their preference. Fans will also be required to wear masks in the arena. The Jets also said that children ages 12 and up must be fully vaccinated to attend games as well.

But five teams in California announced jointly on Wednesday that they will require full-time employees at their offices to be vaccinated as a condition of their employment: The Los Angeles Lakers, L.A. Kings, Anaheim Ducks, L.A. Galaxy and L.A. Chargers announced its policies in a statement Wednesday from AEG, the parent company of the Kings and Galaxy and the Staples Center landlord of the Lakers. The requirement would include “limited exceptions as required by law,” and does not apply to athletes of those teams. The agreement also covers live entertainment companies and events AEG, Live Nation Entertainment, Goldenvoice, the Coachella music festival and ticket-buying platform AXS.

MLB: Unvaccinated Yankees Test Positive After Florida Trip

Posted: Tuesday, August 10

One of the first Major League Baseball teams to have reached a high threshold of vaccinated players — thereby allowing for relaxed health and safety protocols the rest of the season — has had another player hit the COVID-19 list in the second half of the regular season.

Newly acquired first baseman Anthony Rizzo positive after Saturday’s game against the Seattle Mariners. Rizzo joins catcher Gary Sanchez and starting pitchers Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery on the COVID-19 list in the past week. Rizzo, a cancer survivor, said in June he wanted to see more “data” before deciding whether to get vaccinated.

Players who test positive are sidelined for a minimum of 10 days before they are allowed to return, per MLB protocols. In addition to the four most recent positive tests, five other players including All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge have tested positive since the All-Star break.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo and designated hitter Aaron Judge celebrate after the Yankees defeated the Seattle Mariners on August 7, 2021, in New York. The Yankees won 5-4. Rizzo tested positive after the game for COVID-19 and is now isolating for a minimum of 10 days per MLB protocols. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Rizzo, acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs before the trade deadline, has three home runs and six RBIs in nine games with the Yankees. The Yankees’ latest outbreak occurred after six games against the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins in Florida, where COVID-19 cases are surging.

“I think a lot came out of Florida where we were in this wave of them,” Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s a little of you don’t know when and where it’s spreading.”

The Yankees were one of the first teams in MLB to have reached the 85 percent vaccination rate but having had several unvaccinated players contract COVID leaves the question of whether the league’s protocols will be tightened as the regular season continues.

Major League Baseball says 85.5 percent of Tier 1 individuals — players, coaches, support staff and those in direct contact of players — are vaccinated. Of the league’s 30 teams, 23 have an 85 percent vaccination rate, a number that has not increased since June.

“We constantly monitor the latest COVID developments and are in contact with the CDC and other top infectious disease experts,” a league spokesperson told The Athletic on Friday. “We adjust our protocols accordingly.”

NFL: Ravens QB, After Second COVID Fight, May Not Get Vaccinated

Posted: Monday, August 9

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has recovered this week from his second bout with COVID-19 in the past year, said Monday that he is still unsure of if he will be vaccinated before the NFL season gets underway.

Jackson, the 2019 NFL Most Valuable Player, returned to practice Monday after a 10-day quarantine the league requires for any unvaccinated player who tests positive for COVID.

“I got to talk to my team about this and see how they feel about it,” Jackson said about getting vaccinated. “Keep learning as much as I can about it. We’ll go from there. … I feel it’s a personal decision. I’m just going to keep my feelings to my family and myself. I’m focused on getting better right now. I can’t dwell on that right now … how everybody else feels. Just trying to get back to the right routine.”

Jackson says he suffered from fatigue both times he caught the virus and slept a lot. Jackson is not worried about long-term health consequences, saying he slept a lot both times he has contracted COVID. Jackson was one of 20 Ravens who spent time on the reserve/COVID-19 list last season, as the Ravens endured an outbreak during which at least one player tested positive on 10 consecutive days in November, forcing the team’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers to be postponed nearly a full week.

The league does not require players to be vaccinated but those who do not are under strict protocols and teams who cannot play due to a COVID-19 outbreak among their unvaccinated players may also have to forfeit games.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Alabama, Florida Using 2020 Virus Protocols to Avoid Outbreaks

Posted: Monday, August 9

In the Southeastern Conference, the saying goes, it just means more.

Well, two teams are going the extra mile during preseason — by trying to keep its players away from the general population to reduce the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Alabama will return to the same protocols it used in the 2020 season for at least six weeks with students returning to Tuscaloosa as the delta variant is hitting the state, Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Thursday.

Only 35 percent of Alabama’s eligible population is fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Last week’s 14-day average case rate in Tuscaloosa County was up 164 percent, according to the New York Times; students going to Alabama this fall are not required to be vaccinated when classes begin August 18.

“We’re still going to be very cautious indoors and meetings and so forth on trying not to have an issue with the COVID,” said Saban, who missed his team’s game against Auburn last season after contracting COVID.

Florida, meanwhile, will spend at least part of its training camp in a hotel as coach Dan Mullen searches for ways to avoid another outbreak within the program. Last year the Gators had two games rescheduled after Mullen, at least two assistants and approximately 30 players tested positive following a game at Texas A&M.

“We’re going to have some protocols that we put in place,” Mullen said Thursday. “… When you look at our protocols, how we’re going about it within the ability to wear a mask, when we’re wearing them, what situations, indoor compared to outdoors, how we’re managing guys that have been vaccinated compared to non-vaccinated, I think we’re just a lot more educated on how we adjust within what we’re doing to keep everybody as safe as possible.”

Alabama’s move is being made after Saban said nearly the entire roster and coaching staff have been vaccinated. Mullen says the Gators “are probably over” the 85 percent vaccination threshold the SEC requires, but admitted he wasn’t sure about the exact number. Programs reaching 85 percent vaccination rate will not require players and coaches to test regularly or wear face coverings inside team facilities.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said during his SEC media day address that the league will have teams forfeit games this fall instead of rescheduling them. The SEC had 16 games cancelled last season, including one November weekend when four out of a seven scheduled games were not played.

“COVID-19 vaccines are widely available, they’ve proven to be highly effective and when people are fully vaccinated, we all have the ability to avoid serious health risks, reduce the virus’ spread, and maximize our chances of returning to a normal college football experience and to normal life,” Sankey said. “It’s not a political football and we need to do our part to support a healthy society.”

In Mississippi, which the CDC says is last in the U.S. in percent of residents receiving at least one vaccination dose at 41.6 percent, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said Sunday there is a 100% vaccination rate among players, coaches, staff members and everybody within the program.

“It’s pretty amazing and great motivation for our fans and the state,” Kiffin told ESPN.

Georgia and Louisiana account for nearly 40 percent of all the nation’s hospitalizations. While Alabama’s vaccination rate is one of the lowest in the country, Louisiana and Georgia are not far behind with 38 percent of their populations inoculated. Florida is closer to the national rate at 49 percent.

The Crimson Tide’s first home game is September 11 against Mercer and there are no plans to limit fan capacity. Saban appeared in a PSA in May to encourage fans to get vaccinated, saying it was important to have a full stadium in the fall was his pitch.

“We’re hoping to be able to have full capacity in the stadium,” Saban said Thursday. “I’m hoping more and more people will get vaccinated so we’ll have the opportunity to do that. I know it means a lot to our players.”

There’s no doubt that in Florida, there will be no capacity restrictions for sporting events (or anything, really). Mullen last season lobbied to “pack the Swamp” and was criticized heavily for that stance, especially after he announced he had contracted COVID shortly after that statement. His stance was much more nuanced when asked about fan capacity last week; the Gators are scheduled to open September 4 against Florida Atlantic at home.

“You know, I mean, I coach football,” Mullen said. “I’ll be honest with you, that’s probably way above me. … There’s some people that would have better answers on that stuff.”

NFL: Unvaccinated QB Promises He Will Follow Protocols

Posted: Friday, August 6

As the NFL preseason heads into the first weekend of games, the debate and storyline among the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback situation due to COVID-19 will not rest.

Kirk Cousins, Nate Stanley and Kellen Mond were all sidelined last weekend, leaving only Jake Browning available for the team’s open practice in front of fans. Mond tested positive for COVID and both Cousins and Stanley were deemed high-risk close contacts and had to isolate for five days before returning to practice.

Cousins, in his first public comments about the issue on Thursday, said the size of Minnesota’s quarterback meeting room was the issue and “had we met in a larger room, I would not have missed practice. Because I was not a close contact as deemed by actually being in contact. So it was disappointing to miss practice. In my entire college and pro career, I have not missed four practices. So to miss four practices in one week and not have COVID was frustrating, disappointing.”

According to The Associated Press, about 65 percent of the team is fully vaccinated — the lowest percentage of all 32 teams in the league, per the report.

The Vikings’ reportedly low vaccination rate has become not only a concern to the coaching staff but the team ownership. Mark Wilf told The Associated Press this week “we’re very concerned,” about the low number.

When asked if he was vaccinated, Cousins said it was “a very private health matter.” Cousins also disputed a comment made by Vikings Coach Mike Zimmer, who told local radio station KFAN-100.3 FM that he had spoken with Cousins about the league’s protocols, which Zimmer said the quarterback “doesn’t believe in.”

But Cousins said “I very much believe in the protocols,” and he may set up plexiglass in the meeting room to isolate himself from other quarterbacks or insist on all meetings be held outdoors — a novel concept to do in the Minnesota winter months.

Sixty-five players and staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 since training camps opened, according to the NFLPA, including 32 vaccinated individuals. The Washington Post reported that the NFLPA told membership this week that it will propose re-tightened protocols including that vaccinated players and staffers be tested for the coronavirus each day they enter a team facility.

Under current protocols, vaccinated players and staffers are tested once every 14 days, while unvaccinated personnel are subject to daily testing. The NFLPA reportedly also is asking that the number of people allowed into the locker rooms be reduced and cited updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on masking to reduce the spread of the delta variant.

“We have consistently stated that football will go the way of our communities,” the NFLPA wrote, “and multiple cities and states are experiencing record surges in infections and hospitalizations due to the Delta variant.”

The NFL has told teams that they could be forced to forfeit games this season if they have an outbreak attributable to unvaccinated players or staffers as part of several inducements to encourage vaccinations. The league says more than 90 percent of players have either begun or concluded the vaccination process. Twenty-seven teams are above 85 percent and nine teams have more than 95 percent vaccination.

“We all have the same goal,” said Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. “Which is to create the safest possible environment for our players, coaches and staff. … As we collect that data and analyze it, if we think we need more frequent information vis-a-vis more frequent testing, then we’ll discuss that, again, with the NFLPA and make that decision jointly.”

The NFLPA proposal drew criticism from one player in particular — Chicago Bears tight end Jimmy Graham, who tweeted “Was basically forced into getting the vaccine. Now I’m just confused @NFLPA.” In a later tweet, Graham added “I’ve done everything I’ve been asked and now I feel like I’m being punished. If I miss a test that you are proposing every day I’ll be fined a max 150K! How does this make sense. How’s the punishment 100X worse than last year and I’m vaccinated now?”

At least there’s better news in Washington, where several players were on the COVID-19 list last weekend. The low rate of vaccinated players at the time irritated coach Ron Rivera greatly; since then, the jump has jumped to at least 84 percent of the team having at least one shot thanks in part of last Sunday, when the team scheduled appointments for all players who wanted a shot.

“It was a good step in the right direction, and we’re continuing to trend up,” Rivera said.

The question is if every team feels as confident.

NCAA Releases COVID-19 Guidance for Fall Sports

Posted: Thursday, August 5

After a 2020 in which fall sports looked nothing like it used to before, the 2021 fall collegiate sports season will be held under two sets of rules for athletes and officials — those who are vaccinated, and those who are not.

The NCAA released its guidance for fall training and competition amid the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday with many collegiate conferences preparing to release its own rules in the weeks to come. The NCAA 2021 Fall Training and Competition document includes testing, quarantine, isolation, and other athletic and nonathletic activity considerations for unvaccinated and fully vaccinated Tier 1 individuals such as student-athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists, medical staff, equipment staff and officials.

The NCAA recommends each school implement its own COVID-19 prevention and management strategies “in conjunction with federal, state and local public health guidance.” But at the same time, its medical teams have established guidance for testing, quarantine and isolation for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

Those who are vaccinated will not have to undergo regular testing unless they exhibit symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who tested positive. Unvaccinated individuals could be tested as many as three times per week and are expected to wear a mask and practice physical distancing while vaccinated individuals are recommended to wear masks indoors and during team travel.

“Current vaccination rates remain inadequate to provide community-level immunity,” NCAA Chief Medical Officer Brian Hainline said. “It is essential that member schools work in concert with federal, state and local public health officials to develop COVID-19 prevention and management strategies that make sense for them.”

Commissioners from the Big 12, SEC and ACC have urged vaccination rates to increase among member universities and the cities where they are located. While last year was full of postponements across college football, no conference has yet said they would have a similar policy this year, instead threatening to have teams unable to field a minimum number of players to forfeit scheduled games.

NASCAR: Masks Required in Garages

Posted: Thursday, August 5

NASCAR is adjusting its health protocols beginning with this weekend’s events at Watkins Glen International in New York as the auto racing series is requiring all personnel wear a mask in enclosed areas at all times, regardless of vaccination status.

Enclosed areas include haulers and buildings, restrooms, the infield care center, race control and suites. NASCAR said the update was being implemented on the advice of its consulting physicians and recently issued medical guidance.

Masks will not be required outdoors at NASCAR events, most of which have been held without attendance restrictions this summer. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo lifted COVID-19 restrictions in mid-June and Watkins Glen International announced three days later that its grandstands would be fully open to spectators.

RUGBY: World Cup Event Postponed

Posted: Thursday, August 5

The Rugby League World Cup has been postponed to 2022 after two of its biggest names, Australia and New Zealand, both said it would not participate in the event in England because of COVID-19.

The two nations pulled out two weeks ago, citing safety concerns amid the pandemic. New dates will need to be found for the tournament, which would be in 2022 held around the same time as the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Venues will also need to be rebooked.

The decision to postpone is set to affect the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions, all of which were due to be held in October and November. The Rugby League World Cup is an international tournament run by the International Rugby League; only Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand have ever won the event, with Australia winning 11 of the 15 tournaments all-time.

NFL: Vikings’ QB Issue Brings Back Memories of Last Year

Posted: Tuesday, August 3

One of the harshest realizations of what COVID-19 can do a National Football League team’s roster was when the Denver Broncos, without a single quarterback because of contact tracing, had to play a practice squad wide receiver at the QB position against the New Orleans Saints on short notice.

As this season starts to approach, any player that is not vaccinated can run the risk of ruling out several teammates through contact tracing. The Minnesota Vikings know that better than anyone after this past weekend’s open practice for fans turned into a showcase for QB Jake Browning — the only available player at the position after the other three quarterbacks were ruled out.

The Vikings put Kirk Cousins, Kellen Mond and Nate Stanley on the COVID-19 reserve list after Mond tested positive and Cousins and Stanley, who have not been vaccinated, were deemed close contacts. Each of them has to isolate for five days before being able to return to practice.

Quarterback Jake Browning takes a snap during Minnesota Vikings training camp on July 28, 2021, in Eagan, Minnesota. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

The situation has vexed Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, who had plenty to say about the issue on Monday.

“Going through all the things you had to do last year with masks, protocol, traveling, can’t leave for a day, can’t go out and see your family and all the things — can’t go out to dinner on the road, have to wear masks on the plane, all that stuff. It was just difficult,” Zimmer said. “I just don’t understand. … I talked to the team, and like I said before, there are quite a few guys that are just against it. I’m not going to be able to change their mind, so, it’s like half the country, I guess.”

Browning is the only Vikings QB that is currently vaccinated. Zimmer said the team may have one QB quarantine away from the team all season so that if there is another breakout within the position, at least one would be clear to play. If the team does not do that, it — like any other team — would run the risk of playing the game short-handed or maybe even have to forfeit the game per the NFL’s rules this season.

“These guys, some of them just won’t do it,” Zimmer said of players getting vaccinated. “I shouldn’t say it, but some of the things they read is just, whew, out there.”

Another team that has been in the spotlight during training camp the most for its low player vaccination rate is the Washington Football Team, which after the weekend had six players on the reserve/COVID list. The team earlier this summer had a vaccine researcher talk to the team about the safety of vaccination; it seems as if many were looking at their phones instead, which has frustrated coach Ron Rivera.

“I said ‘Here’s a what-if scenario,’” Rivera told reporters on Saturday. “’What if this had been game day Sunday for the opener?’ Even though it’s only contact tracing for some of them, that’s five days. So if this is the opener, imagine this: Open against [the Chargers], Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, playing Thursday night against the Giants. Those guys would not be eligible. So, to me it brings the reality of what the rules are, and I hope it helps.”

While the NFL cannot mandate that players get vaccinated, one prominent former NBA player turned TV analyst has endorsed it: Charles Barkley said on HBO’s “Back on the Record with Bob Costas” that any athlete that doesn’t get the shot is “selfish.”

“Every job you go to has rules,” Barkley told Costas. “I think there should be mandates to get vaccinated. And if you don’t want to live by the rules at your job, you have the right to get fired. You do have rights. But there’s certain things I can’t do at my job. There’s certain things you can’t do at your job. I think in all sports it should be mandated that you have to get vaccinated. And if people don’t like it, they have the right to walk away.”

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has said employers could mandate workers be vaccinated against COVID-19 to return to the office but any mandate must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act.

In Major League Baseball, the New York Yankees also had to deal with another positive COVID test on Monday; ace pitcher Gerrit Cole tested positive and will miss his scheduled start for Tuesday. The Yankees’ first game after the All-Star break on July 15 against Boston was postponed after six players tested positive for coronavirus, notably outfielder Aaron Judge. The Milwaukee Brewers put closer Josh Hader, outfielder Christian Yelich and three pitchers on the MLB COVID-19 injured list in the last week.

FOOTBALL: COVID Storylines Dominate NFL Training Camps

Posted: Friday, July 30

Saturday has been a date the National Football League has been looking forward to for a while. It has promoted the day as “Back Together Saturday” with all 32 teams having some sort of fan event to celebrate the return of the preseason after a year in which fans, for the most part, were kept away from NFL action because of COVID-19.

But with the surge of the Delta variant throughout the country, COVID continues to be the dominant storyline throughout the NFL for those who have started training camp this week.

The NFL announced Thursday that 87.9 percent of players have been vaccinated with at least one shot and 19 teams have a player vaccination rate better than 90 percent. Those who have been vaccinated will have far more individual freedoms both in and out of team facilities during the season.

Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill wears a mask as walks off the field after practice on July 29, 2021, in Owings Mills, Maryland.(AP Photo/Gail Burton)

One of the teams with a lower rate of vaccinated players is Washington — the team has more than 50 percent but that number is not high enough for coach Ron Rivera, a cancer survivor who said the team’s rate leaves him “beyond frustrated.”

Rivera underwent treatment last August for a form of skin cancer and said he is immunodeficient.

“When I’m in a group and the group’s not vaccinated or there’s a mixture, I put the mask on, and I do that for health reasons because nobody really knows,” Rivera said. “I have to do that. And I just wish and I hope that our guys can understand that.”

Washington is not doing anything to identify players who are or are not vaccinated, but the way that some teams are — reportedly — has become a topic of discussion this week.

NFLPA president JC Tretter ripped teams forcing unvaccinated players to wear wristbands after a report was published on Monday that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were having players wear red wristbands or not based upon their status.

“It’s a nonsensical idea,” said Tretter, a Cleveland Browns center. “They say they need a differentiator between vaccinated and unvaccinated players. We already have a differentiator. The unvaccinated players need to wear masks. No other sports league uses any sort of scarlet marking or helmet decal or wristband, because they know it’s not necessary and the teams know who’s vaccinated, who’s not vaccinated. So what it really comes down to is the NFL wanted to put a policy in place to try to shame unvaccinated players publicly about their status and make that known to everyone on the field.”

On his end, Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians was just as angry with the report — saying it was not true … emphatically.

“If I give you some information, at least know the (expletive) rules before you put it in the press,” Arians said. “Red and yellow bands — they don’t have to wear them at practice. That’s for indoors. I’ve gotta read (expletive) that we should be fined for red and yellow bands because they ain’t got them on at practice. That’s (expletive). If you’re gonna report (expletive), make sure it’s (expletive) right.”

No team has been able to escape the topic of COVID-19. Among the highlights this week;

Raiders coach Jon Gruden said his team is almost completely vaccinated, along with the coaching staff. The Raiders were fined a combined $1.215 million for breaking protocols last season and were stripped of a draft pick. Gruden was part of those fines, getting docked $100,000 for not wearing a mask properly in a home game. The team also was fined after several players appeared at a benefit event last season without wearing masks.
Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill said that he’s getting vaccinated but did not sound happy about the rules the NFL and NFLPA have agreed upon. Tennessee has a 90 percent team vaccination rate, said General Manager Jon Robinson, but Tannehill said “If you don’t fall in line, (the NFL is) going to try and make your life miserable because of the protocol. I wouldn’t have gotten the vaccine without the protocols that they are enforcing on us. I think it’s a personal decision for each of us. They are trying to force our hands and ultimately have forced a lot of hands by the protocols. It is what it is.”
Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson is out of training camp after testing positive for COVID for the second time in eight months. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said Jackson tested negative for five straight days before a positive result Tuesday. Jackson was one of 20 Baltimore players who spent time on the reserve/COVID-19 list last season, as the Ravens endured an outbreak that postponed its Thanksgiving Day game against Pittsburgh until nearly a week later.
And then there’s Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley, who has spent the entire offseason criticizing the NFL’s COVID policies in multiple Twitter threads. Last month he tweeted that he was not vaccinated and would “live my one life like I want.” This week, he said he believes the NFL is withholding information about vaccinations from players, adding “I’m not anti- or pro-vax — I’m pro-choice.”

SOCCER: MLS teams return to Canada permanently

Posted: Friday, July 30

Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps, Toronto FC and CF Montreal will be able to play home games in Canada for the rest of the season after the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Minister of Immigration approved a National Interest Exemption that outlines stringent health and safety protocols allowing for all MLS players to participate in cross-border matches.

As part of the agreement, all traveling players and staff will continue COVID-19 testing prior to and upon arrival into Canada, regardless of vaccination status. Those who are not fully vaccinated will be required to observe a modified quarantine and only participate in work activities such as practices or games.

Until a few weeks ago, Toronto had been playing in Orlando, Florida, while Montreal was in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Vancouver was playing in Sandy, Utah.

MLS also announced that 96 percent of all Tier 1 individuals, including players and club staff members that work closely with the teams, are fully vaccinated.

BASEBALL: Cardinals Reinstate Mask Mandate

Posted: Friday, July 30

The St. Louis Cardinals have reinstated a mask mandate for all indoor spaces at Busch Stadium after local regulations were implemented.

All fans will be asked to wear a mask when entering or circulating five indoor ticketed club areas, plus the team stores. Fans do not have to wear masks when actively eating or drinking inside the clubs or in the outdoor seating portions of those clubs. Fans will also be asked to wear masks in all indoor public spaces at Ballpark Village.

BASEBALL: Nationals Outbreak Postpones Game against Phillies

Posted: Thursday, July 29

The nine Major League Baseball game of the season was postponed because of COVID-19 on Wednesday night and the second in two weeks as the Washington Nationals had four players and eight staffers test positive, forcing the postponement of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The postponement comes one day after Nationals star Trea Turner exited Tuesday’s game against Philadelphia in the first inning following a positive test for the virus. The matchup is scheduled to be made up as a straight doubleheader on Thursday afternoon.

Washington manager Dave Martinez said 11 of the 12 combined positives come from people who have been vaccinated but none have major symptoms.

“I encourage people to get vaccinated,” Martinez said. “It does help. I’m seeing it firsthand. It’s basically a small head cold, but they’re doing fine.”

The Nationals’ season-opening series at home against the New York Mets was called off after four players tested positive. The team was one of the first in MLB to have reached the 85 percent vaccination threshold, which allows for some of MLB’s coronavirus protocols to be relaxed.

BASKETBALL: NBA Sets Next Season’s Schedule

Posted: Thursday, July 29

The NBA’s 2021–2022 season will look more normal than in the past two years after the league released its calendar for the upcoming season.

While the offseason will be condensed with the draft taking place Thursday night before summer league begins in Las Vegas on August 8, once the Vegas competition finishes on August 17, the league will essentially go dark until training camps begin on September 28. The regular season will begin October 19.

Among the big moves for the 2021–22 season is the return of the much-discussed Play-In Tournament, which will follow the same format as this past season. The teams that finish the regular season with the seventh-highest through the 10th-highest winning percentages in each conference will compete to fill the seventh and eighth playoff seeds in each conference — while Lakers superstar LeBron James was critical of the idea, the TV ratings for the games were solid.

With the play-in, that now means the regular season ends April 10, 2022. The play-in tournament will be April 12—15 before the playoffs begin April 16. The NBA Finals are scheduled to start June 2 — its customary starting spot but not since 2019 because of COVID — while the latest possible date for Game 7 of the Finals would be June 19, four days ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft.

The Board of Governors also approved several changes to roster-related rules about the use of two-way players during the regular season and the maximum number of players that a team may carry on its active list for a game. The changes, agreed to by the NBPA, continues the roster flexibility that was put in place before the start of last season in light of potential ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19.

The 2019–2020 season was interrupted by COVID-19 on March 11, 2020, before it resumed in a bubble environment at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Florida, on July 30. Instead of all 30 teams, only 22 went into the bubble and the Finals ended on October 11, 2020, 355 days after the season started. After a 72-day turnaround from the end of the Finals, the 2020–21 season started on December 22 with the season reduced to 72 games from 82 before the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA title on July 20.

SOCCER: Premier League may require vaccinations by fans

Posted: Thursday, July 29

The British government has discussed with the Premier League whether fans must be vaccinated to attend matches this season with the idea being that it would allow teams to have sold-out games after two-plus years of revenue declines from having either no fans or a severely limited number of fans in attendance.

No final decision has been made on the topic, which was raised on if the government would require vaccine passports to be introduced for any event that has a capacity of 20,000 people or more.

Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said domestic passports are “the right way to go” for venues so “people can be confident that those who are attending those events are less likely to be carriers of the virus”, specifically referring to Premier League matches. He added if businesses “required a certain level of safety” from customers, then people who refused to get vaccinated should not be surprised if they were not allowed to attend.

At least one Premier League team has already announced that fans must either be fully vaccinated or show a negative COVID test. Chelsea FC, the reigning Champions League winners, made the announcement this week. Fans will either have to be 14 days out from their second COVID shot or have tested negative for the virus within 48 hours of kickoff.

NHL: League Prepares for Olympic Break, But Nothing Official Yet

Posted: Tuesday, July 27

The National Hockey League’s 2021—22 schedule has multiple notable games but perhaps what stands out the most is the stretch where the league has no games scheduled at all.

The schedule released on Thursday includes a break for the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing from February 5–22, 2022, also the league maintains that its participation is not yet guaranteed. The Opening Ceremony in Beijing is scheduled for February 4 with men’s ice hockey preliminary round games starting February 9. The 2022 All-Star Weekend will be February 4—5 in Las Vegas and will be the last on-ice event before the Olympic break.

A return to the Olympics in 2022 and 2026 was agreed upon as part of an extension of the NHL and NHLPA’s collective bargaining agreement — as long as the two groups, along with the IOC and International Ice Hockey Federation, were also able to come to an agreement. But NHL Comissioner Gary Bettman last month expressed hesitancy at having players go to Beijing because of health and safety concerns relating to COVID-19

“No final agreement or decision has been made to this point regarding the possible participation of NHL Players in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics,” the NHL said on Thursday. “Talks remain ongoing.”

The league said if there is no NHL player participation in the Olympics, a revised regular season schedule will be released.

The NHL’s 2021-22 regular season starts October 12 with a doubleheader of the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning against Pittsburgh, followed by the debut of the Seattle Kraken’s first NHL game ever at the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Kraken will play their first home game on October 23 when they host to the Vancouver Canucks at Climate Pledge Arena. After closing Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum last season, the New York Islanders will open UBS Arena on November 20 against the Calgary Flames.

The Winter Classic will feature the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild at Target Field in Minneapolis on Jan. 1, 2022 and the Stadium Series will feature the Nashville Predators and Lightning at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

NFL: Goodell Incentivizes Vaccinations With Forfeit Threat

Posted: Friday, July 23

The NFL took perhaps its strongest step yet in all but forcing players to become vaccinated on Thursday, telling teams that games will not be rescheduled this season due to a team outbreak and a club that cannot play because of players with COVID-19 will forfeit the game.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the news on Thursday. The league moved multiple games last season because of COVID outbreaks on teams, most notably moving a game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans scheduled for week 4 back to week 7 because of an outbreak on the Titans. An outbreak on the Baltimore Ravens forced the team’s spotlight Thanksgiving Day game against the Steelers to be postponed nearly a full week as well.

Several other games throughout the season were rescheduled because of the Week 4 outbreak on the Titans. A few others were delayed one or two days because of outbreaks but not more than a week. Other games at the end of the season were played despite teams having weakened rosters; the Denver Broncos memorably lost at home to the New Orleans Saints while not having any quarterbacks eligible to play, forcing a practice-squad wide receiver under center, while the Cleveland Browns lost at the New York Jets with almost its entire wide receiver corps out because of positive tests and contact tracing.

But this year, the league told teams, “if a club cannot play due to a Covid spike in vaccinated individuals, we will attempt to minimize the competitive and economic burden on both participating teams,” and the game will be registered as a forfeit. The memo was sent two days after the Southeastern Conference said that it would have games forfeited by teams who are unable to have the minimum number of eligible players available as well.

Notably for the NFL compared to college football, “if a game is cancelled and cannot be rescheduled within the current 18-week scheduled due to a Covid outbreak, neither team’s players will receive their weekly paragraph 5 salary,” the NFL’s memo said, adding that the team responsible for the cancelled game due to unvaccinated players will cover financial losses and be subject to potential discipline from the commissioner’s office.

While the league cannot mandate players to get vaccinated, Thursday’s memo is the latest in a series of moves to incentivize vaccination — almost to the point of mandating it. The NFL and NFL Players Association have already agreed on updated health and safety protocols for this season as training camps are about to open over the next week. Fully vaccinated players do not have to wear masks or undergo daily testing. Players not fully vaccinated will have a daily COVID-19 test, wear masks, continue social distancing and will not be allowed to leave the team hotel when on the road.

The NFL has told those who are classified as Tier 1 or Tier 2 employees of teams that they must be vaccinated or they cannot interact with players. Thursday’s memo says vaccinated players or staff who test positive and are asymptomatic can return after two negative tests 24 hours apart. Non-vaccinated players or staffers who are positive must isolate for 10 days.

NFL Network’s Judy Battista reported Thursday that more than 78 percent of players have had at least one shot and 14 clubs have at least 85 percent of players vaccinated.

NFL: Jerry Jones ‘Satisfied’ With Cowboys Vaccination Rate

Posted: Thursday, July 22

When the Dallas Cowboys reported to training camp in Oxnard, California, on Wednesday, the team had not reached the NFL’s 85 percent team vaccination threshold that would allow for an easing of COVID-19 restrictions — something that disappoints Cowboys Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin.

“You’re not thinking right,” Irvin said at the opening of the Dallas chapter of Merging Vets & Players, which brings together combat veterans and former pro athletes. “If you’re not one of them teams [at the threshold], are you really thinking about winning a championship?”

The Associated Press reported as of last Friday that Washington and Indianapolis were under 50 percent vaccinated among their players while 13 teams are above 85 percent threshold. Nearly three-quarters of the league’s players have gotten at least one shot.

The San Francisco 49ers play the Dallas Cowboys in the second half of an NFL football game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Roger Steinman)

Dallas Owner Jerry Jones said Wednesday as few as five Cowboys have not made a pledge to get vaccinated at present, and a portion of players are “in the pipeline” toward becoming fully vaccinated. To hit the league’s 85 percent threshold and with 90 players on a training camp roster, 77 need to be vaccinated per team for restrictions to be eased.

The Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers reported Wednesday since they play the Hall of Fame Game on August 5. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can report as early as Saturday due to them playing in the regular-season opener on September 9 against Dallas. Teams are already releasing plans for fan events and league-wide practices later this month to build anticipation for the regular season, for which every team has been given approval to have their stadiums open 100 percent.

The NFL and NFLPA agreed to updated COVID-19 protocols for training camp, with fully vaccinated players are given vast freedoms compared to non-vaccinated teammates, including not having to wear masks or undergo daily testing.

But one team, the Kansas City Chiefs, has said this week that fans will not be allowed to interact with players at training camp even when attending practices. Dr. Paul Schroeppel, the team’s head orthopedic surgeon, said Monday that interacting with players is not allowed under the NFL’s protocols.

“The league has very strict protocols,” Schroeppel said. “I think they’ve done everything they can to control transmission in those situations. Of course, when you get a crowd together, it’s going to be very difficult, particularly for those unvaccinated.”

Schroeppel added the Chiefs’ ability to have full capacity at Arrowhead Stadium may also be adjusted should cases continue to rise in Missouri, where the seven-day rolling average for cases has more than doubled since July 1.

Given that the NFL has said rescheduling games will not be an option this season should a team have an outbreak — the opposite of last season’s approach — Irvin said from a strictly competitive standpoint, getting fully vaccinated gives a team an advantage over a team that does not.

“Somebody in that damn locker room [should say], ‘Hey man, we’re going to have a chance, are you vaccinated?'” Irvin said. “Let’s go through this because this could be a two-week healthy dude missing games, and in this league, this ain’t the NBA. In this league that could be it for you. The right person misses two weeks, that’s it.”

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield at his youth football camp Wednesday did not confirm that he has been vaccinated, but certainly sounded that way when describing why — like Irvin — being vaccinated puts a player in an advantageous position.

“It definitely poses a competitive advantage for higher vaccine rates on your team just because of the close contact [rules] and what happens if somebody does unfortunately get COVID, what can happen to the rest of the building,” Mayfield said. “It’s a competitive advantage but it’s also way more than that. It’s about safety and just general health and well-being of human life. So I’d leave it at that.”

RUGBY: Australia, New Zealand pull out of World Cup

Posted: July 22, 2021

Australia and New Zealand will not compete at the Rugby League World Cup in England due to player welfare and safety concerns linked to COVID-19, with both country’s governing bodies for the sport requesting a postponement of the event to 2022.

The decision comes after organizers of the World Cup confirmed last week that the event would go ahead as scheduled starting October 23. Australia is the defending champion.

Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter V’landys said: “Not participating in this year’s World Cup is not a decision the Commission has taken lightly, but we must put the best interests of our players and officials first. Protecting them is our absolute priority. In the current environment, the risks to the safety, health and wellbeing of the players and officials travelling from Australia to participate in the tournament this year are insurmountable.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEC and ACC Commissioners Encourage Vaccination by Players, Fans

Posted: Wednesday, July 21

College football season is not yet underway and already two of college sports’ most prominent conference commissioners are sounding the siren on increasing vaccinations and hinting at the consequences of campuses and athletic departments not doing more to encourage vaccination rates among athletes.

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said during his opening address on Monday’s media day that six of the league’s 14 football teams have reached 80 percent vaccinated rates, but “that number needs to grow and grow rapidly,” hinting that forfeits will happen this fall instead of rescheduling games like last fall.

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby made similar pleas during his league’s kickoff event last week. Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips said Wednesday to start his league’s preseason media event that more than half the teams in the conference have exceeded 85 percent vaccinatied but there is no decision on whether games affected by COVID-19 will be rescheduled or forfeited.

In total, 139 college football games were either postponed or cancelled; 16 of them involved SEC teams, including four out of seven scheduled games on one weekend in November alone.

The message to schools is “you’re expected to play as scheduled,” Sankey said. “Your team needs to be healthy to compete and if not, that game won’t be rescheduled.”

Florida had two games in October postponed until later in the 2020 season and Gators Coach Dan Mullen, who at one point last fall urged the school to allow full capacity for more of a home-field advantage, then missed time after testing positive for COVID himself. Mullen said his team is not yet at 85 percent vaccinated but “we’re getting close.”

Georgia had two games postponed in 2020 against Missouri and Vanderbilt; the latter game was eventually canceled. Georgia Coach Kirby Smart said his team is one of the six over 85 percent vaccinated “but we’re not stopping there. It’s not about a number, it’s not about a threshold. … What it’s really about is being able to save our season, being able to keep our players safe. We want to keep our players safe. We want to keep our coaches and staff safe. We want to keep our family members safe and that comes through vaccinations.”

Alabama Coach Nick Saban, who missed a game against Auburn last year after testing positive for COVID, said on Wednesday that his team is “close to 90 percent” vaccinated, adding themselves to Georgia, LSU and Arkansas as the four SEC teams publicly saying they are over the threshold.

“Players have to understand that you are putting your teammates in a circumstance and situation,” Saban said. “We can control what you do in our building. We cannot control what you do on campus and when you go around town, who you’re around, who you’re associated with and what you bring into our building.

“… So every player has a personal decision to make to evaluate the risk of COVID relative to vaccine, and then they have a competitive decision to make on how it impacts their ability to play in games, because with the vaccine you probably have a better chance. Without it, you have a lesser chance that something could happen, a bigger chance that something could happen that may keep you from being on the field, which doesn’t enhance your personal development.”

Sankey’s plea for increased vaccinations was not just to each of the league’s schools but their respective fan bases. While the SEC last season had some of the larger crowds for the college football season, none of its stadiums allowed more than 25 percent capacity overall. COVID-19 vaccination rates throughout states where the SEC’s schools reside are among the lowest in the United States.

“The delta variant is changing how we approach the fall,” says Chris Klenck, the head team physician at Tennessee, told Sports Illustrated this week. “The emerging variant of delta and how much more contagious and how ill it’s making people has made us re-evaluate our strategies.”

While no FBS conferences have said they will mandate player vaccinations, one Division II conference announced that it will — the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference said all players and coaches must be vaccinated along with officials, band members and cheerleaders. The league did say that players with medical or religious reasons for not being vaccinated will be given exemptions but have to undergo regular COVID-19 testing.

“Within the context of rising COVID-19 infection rates, student-athletes are a particularly vulnerable stakeholder group who, as a result of their athletic participation, are required to travel off-campus and compete against and interact with student-athletes on other campuses,” SIAC Commissioner Gregory Moore said in a statement. “The SIAC policy decision establishing vaccination as prerequisite to intercollegiate athletic competition participation is guided by the overarching interest to protect the health and safety of SIAC student-athletes and was decided in the light of overwhelming data and evidence which has demonstrated the effectiveness of authorized COVID-19 vaccines combating coronavirus as well as its delta variant.”

Other than Central State University of Ohio, the SIAC consists mostly of HBCU schools in the Southern United States with five teams in Georgia, three in Alabama, two in Tennessee and South Carolina along with one in Kentucky.

NBA: Teams Race to Finish Finals Without Disruption

Posted: Tuesday, July 20

As the Milwaukee Bucks prepare to potentially win its first NBA championship since 1974, the NBA is hoping that regardless of when the Finals end — either tonight in Game 6 or, should the Phoenix Suns rally, in Game 7 on Thursday night — that they are able to complete the season without any more potential COVID disruptions.

Bucks guard Thanasis Antetokounmpo entered the health and safety protocols a few hours before Saturday night’s Game 5 win for his team in Phoenix — led by his superstar brother, Giannis. Milwaukee was also missing assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer while NBA announced a little more than an hour before tipoff of Game 5 that referee Sean Wright would also miss the game.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, top, dunks over Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul during Game 5 of the NBA Finals on July 17, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

“There’s a real push to stay safe, to stay healthy, to be vigilant,” Bucks Coach Mike Budenholzer said. “Both teams, we’re very, very close to the finish.”

The NBA protocols include daily testing. Budenholzer said over the weekend the Bucks were one of the NBA teams who had at least 80 percent of players and staffers receive vaccinations.

“We live in this world — whether it’s all 50 states going up or things that are happening closer to us at home,” Budenholzer said. “I think all the players, I think they’re locked in, being safe, being healthy. Hoping for the best for everybody around us and our country.”

Phoenix advanced to the Finals even after missing point guard Chris Paul for the first two games of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Clippers because he was in health and safety protocols.

“I pay attention to it just like everybody else,” Paul said. “Try to control what I can control. Stay in the moment with the Finals, but health is a huge concern not just for my family but for everybody.”

Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, along with Phoenix’s Devin Booker, are all scheduled to leave for Tokyo once the Finals are done and join Team USA, which had problems with COVID testing during its Las Vegas training camp. Wizards guard Bradley Beal will miss the Games and Bulls guard Zach Levine was put into health and safety protocols on Monday afternoon, though he may still be able to join the team later in Japan.

Team USA’s 3×3 women’s team also had a player pull out after a positive COVID-19 test. Katie Lou Samuelson will not compete in the tournament, USA Basketball announced Monday; Samuelson, a member of the Seattle Storm, will be replaced by Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young, who joins Kelsey Plum (Aces), Allisha Gray (Dallas Wings) and Stefanie Dolson (Chicago Sky)

Samuelson said on Instagram she is part of the 99 percent of WNBA players who are fully vaccinated.

FOOTBALL: College Season May Still Face Disruptions, Warns Big 12 Commissioner

Posted: Monday, July 19

The rise of COVID cases among non-vaccinated people could still threaten the college football season this fall, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby warned during the league’s media day in Dallas last week.

The dangers of not being vaccinated and having an outbreak were reinforced during the College World Series when North Carolina State’s season was ended one game from the championship series because of COVID-related issues.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever introduced a topic that was less warmly received than the revisitation of protocols,” Bowlsby said. “With the Delta variant, there are good reasons we need to be vigilant, and we will be. There’s still going to be a fair amount of testing.”

Bowlsby later added “for a student-athlete, you’re also rolling the dice on whether or not you’re going to be able to participate because you’re going to be in a testing protocol if you’re not vaccinated.”

Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley walks on the sideline in a college football game against Missouri State on September 12, 2020, in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, Pool)

While the Big 12 cannot mandate players be vaccinated, Bowlsby said, “we are certainly, as we go forward, encouraging student-athletes to get vaccinated. … anyone not getting vaccinated is taking unnecessary risk. And that’s not just student-athletes, that’s anyone in our society.”

Bowlsby said the Big 12 has not yet determined what its protocols this fall will be with roster availability should a COVID outbreak occur on a campus. He hopes that conference subgroup will have some of those issues resolved over the next month.

Bowlsby said even last year with restricted fan attendance and no vaccine, the league was able to complete 90 percent of its 2020 schedule — but the league’s revenue distribution declined about $4.5 million per school and that individual schools sustained larger losses with lower ticket revenue.

“That (financial) impact is real and it’s not likely a one-year impact,” Bowlsby said. “I think that it will be into fiscal year 2023 before some institutions fully recover.”

And given the financial impact that comes with having 100 percent capacity compared to restricted levels, it is not surprise that to this point, no FBS program has said anything other than they plan to have sellout crowds this fall. Whether that remains possible in a few months as cases rise in areas throughout the U.S. because of the Delta variant is uncertain.

“I think some quarters are pressing to get back to full stadiums, and there are probably people that are pressing to be very cautious about it,” Bowlsby said. “I think all of our schools are relying on local health officials and doctors that serve on our conference medical committee. So we are drawing upon the best information that we can. … if we get to a point where public assembly is ill-advised because of a spike in the variant, it’s not inconceivable we would go back and try and revisit those things on an institutional basis or collectively.

“But do we want to return to some semblance of normalcy? Yes, we do,” he said said. “Do we think that it could be done safely? Yeah, I think health professionals that are advising us believe that it could be done safely. Whether or not the circumstances will worsen is yet to be seen.”

FOOTBALL: Most NFL Teams Have Room to Improve on Player Vaccinations

Posted: Friday, July 16

Are you ready for some football?

If not, you better start preparing. Because believe it or not, NFL training camps will be starting within the next two weeks — July 27 to be exact, with two teams allowed to start six days earlier — and with that comes two weeks of constant reporting and attention paid to one thing: Team vaccination rates.

The Associated Press reported on Thursday, that there were seven teams at or over the 85 percent mark and that four of the teams are Pittsburgh, Miami, Carolina and Denver. It also said that Washington, Indianapolis, Arizona and the Los Angeles Chargers are the only four teams under 50 percent. The AP also reported that the NFL doesn’t plan to cancel any games this season.

The NFL Networks’ Tom Pelissero said on Friday afternoon that the number of teams at the threshold had increased to 13 with only two teams under 50 percent. He said 73.8 percent of the league’s players have at least one shot.

July 27 to start training camps is 47 days prior to Sunday of Week 1 of the regular season, as allowed by the collective bargaining agreement. The league told teams to plan for fan events and league-wide practices on July 31 after a 2020 in which training camps were closed off not only to fans, but just about anyone outside of players, coaches and essential staffers to try and keep COVID-19 from breaking out among teams.

The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers are eligible to report as early as July 21 since they play the Hall of Fame Game on August 5. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can report as early as July 24 due to them playing in the regular-season opener on September 9 against Dallas. Every team has been given approval to have their stadiums open 100 percent when the regular season starts.

The NFL and NFLPA agreed to updated COVID-19 protocols for training camp and the preseason in June. Fully vaccinated players are given vastly different freedoms than their non-vaccinated teammates, including not having to wear masks or undergo daily testing. Players not fully vaccinated will have a daily COVID-19 test, wear masks, continue social distancing and will not be allowed to leave the team hotel when on the road.

The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to updated COVID-19 protocols for 2021 training camp and preseason, per source.

How different will life by for vaccinated and unvaccinated players? From the memo that just went to clubs: pic.twitter.com/8yMPW0JBWZ— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 16, 2021

While vaccinations for players cannot be mandatory because of the CBA, the league has done all but require coaches and staffers from the 32 teams to get vaccinated. Those who are classified as Tier 1 or Tier 2 employees of teams must be vaccinated or they cannot interact with players. Pelissero reported in early June that assistant coaches from at least four teams at that point had refused to get vaccinated; the NFL allows unvaccinated individuals to maintain Tier 1 or Tier 2 status if they provide a valid medical or religious reason.

In a memo sent to clubs last week and obtained by the AP, the NFL and NFLPA will allow teams traveling to joint practices to have their daily maximum of Tier 1 and Tier 2 individuas to either 100 or 140, depending on the club’s vaccination percentage. Every team by the start of training camp will be required to develop a method to visually identify fully vaccinated Tier 1 and Tier 2 individuals.

BASEBALL: Yankees-Red Sox Game Postponed by COVID Issues in New York; Outbreak on Rockies’ roster

Updated: Friday, July 16

One day after the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox had to postpone a game because of an outbreak within the Yankees clubhouse, the Colorado Rockies are now missing their manager and four other players as Major League Baseball is dealing with two COVID outbreaks to start the second half of the season.

Rockies manager Bud Black, first base coach Ron Gideon and four players were not available for Colorado’s home game Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the clubs still planned to play. Thursday’s game between the Yankees and Red Sox was the first in nearly three months to be postponed because of COVID-19.

The Red Sox and Yankees played as scheduled Friday night, a day after the series opener was postponed due to New York’s six-player outbreak. Thursday’s game will be made up on Tuesday as part of a day-night doubleheader.

At least one of All-Star Aaron Judge, third baseman Gio Urshela and catcher Kyle Higashioka are not vaccinated, the Yankees said, after they added to the COVID-19 injured list Friday, joining pitchers Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr. and Wandy Peralta. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole compared the news to being struck by “an invisible, microscopic truck.”

New York was one of the first teams to reach MLB’s 85 percent threshold for vaccinated teams, which led to relaxed health and safety protocols. This is the second time the Yankees have had an outbreak since reaching the threshold; they had more than six positives among the coaching staff in May.

The outbreak news comes as the Toronto Blue Jays were finally given approval from the Canadian government to return to Canada and the Rogers Centre starting July 30 after nearly two years away from home. The Blue Jays played home games during the shortened 2020 season in Buffalo, New York, and started this season in Dunedin, Florida, before moving to Buffalo.

Canada Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said the Blue Jays’ return home plans include significant limitations on unvaccinated individuals, “who will have to undergo a modified quarantine, not be permitted to go anywhere but the hotel and stadium and have no interaction with the general public.”

BOXING: Heavyweight Title Bout Postponed

Posted: Thursday, July 15

The WBC heavyweight championship fight between champion Tyson Fury and challenger Deontay Wilder has been rescheduled for October 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas after the scheduled date, July 24, was nixed by Fury’s positive COVID-19 test.

ESPN reported that Fury tested positive on July 5 and has been in the U.S. since being cleared to return to England on Tuesday. Fury has received one vaccine shot.

Rescheduling the fight seems relatively easy compared to the lengths it took to get a third meeting between the pair on the docket. The first fight in December 2018 was a draw in which Fury was knocked down twice; Fury then scored a seventh-round TKO of Wilder in February 2020. Neither has appeared in the ring since.

“I wanted nothing more than to smash the ‘Big Dosser’ on July 24, but I guess the beating will have to wait,” Fury said. “Make no mistake, I will be back and better than ever. We will fight Oct. 9 and I will knock him spark out!”

Wilder exercised his contractual right to a third fight but the pandemic prevented promoters from staging the fight before a full audience. What started with plans to fight in October 2020 was delayed to December 2020 once college football’s season resumed and extended into the winter.

TENNIS: After a Year Away Because of Pandemic, U.S. Open Series Returns

Posted: Thursday, July 15

The U.S. Open Series returns for its 18th season in 2021 with its largest schedule since 2013 featuring nine WTA and ATP Tour events be held over six weeks, just one year after all but one tournament was cancelled because of the pandemic.

“It’s incredibly exciting and positive to see the U.S. Open Series returning with such strength after an immensely difficult year,” said Megan Rose, USTA managing director of major events. “Engaging fans and local communities with world-class tennis events is integral to the USTA’s mission of promoting and growing the game, so the collective hard work and determination of everyone at each tournament and both tours to bring a full summer season of professional tennis back to North America is invaluable.”

The full schedule began this week with the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island, the only grass-court event in the U.S. that is joining the U.S. Open Series for the first time. After that, the tournament goes to Atlanta for the Truist Open starting July 24 for the ATP Tour (with a women’s exhibition match featuring Kim Clijsters and Sloane Stephens).

The ATP and WTA Tours then head off to different regions of the country to start August, with the ATP Citi Open in Washington, D.C., headlined by Rafael Nadal and four Wimbledon quarterfinalists while the WTA Tour goes to San Jose for the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic, the world’s longest-running women’s-only pro tennis event, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The Citi Open will be limited to 50 percent capacity on attendance.

The National Bank Open will take place in Canada this year after being cancelled in 2020.

The tours then reunite — sort of — in Canada. The National Bank Open presented by Rogers has always flipped between two cities; this year starting August 7, the men will be in Toronto and the women in Montreal. The fate of the Canadian split-city stop this year had been in doubt but “Tennis Canada can confirm the option of hosting in the United States is no longer being considered as a potential alternative and the organization is focused solely on hosting the tournaments in Canada,” the organization said. “We would like to take this opportunity to thank the USTA and the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, which had emerged as our most likely destination in the United States, for their support in helping us explore this potential option.”

Cincinnati will not have two events, but it will have its joint ATP and WTA event back after last year’s tournament was held in New York City under a “bubble” environment. The tournament organizers in Mason, Ohio, said they will also have full capacity for the event that starts August 14. The two tours then split again with the men going to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and the women going to the new event in Cleveland, Tennis in the Land, before the U.S. Open starts August 30 in New York City.

The National Bank Cup in both Toronto and Montreal has not had any attendance plans approved yet — but the two Major League Soccer teams in those cities have been given clearance to play home games in front of fans, Toronto FC and CF Montreal announced on Wednesday.

Toronto play at BMO Field against Orlando City on July 17 and Montreal will host FC Cincinnati that same day in the first home games for either team since the opening weeks of the 2020 campaign. Toronto and Montreal will be permitted to have fans with 7,000 in Toronto and 5,000 in Montreal.

ESPN reported that MLS’s third Canadian team, Vancouver, will continue to play home games in Salt Lake City because of ongoing work at BC Place, the Whitecaps’ home venue. ESPN also reported that unvaccinated players will not be able to participate in cross-border matches.

GOLF: British Open Set for 32,000 Fans But Players Must Restrict Movements

Posted: Wednesday, July 14

After being cancelled last year for the first time since World War II, the British Open will get underway on Thursday morning under strict contact tracing protocols for players — but while also allowing up to 32,000 fans per day, the most of any tournament in the world since the start of the pandemic.

And that has definitely been noticed by players.

“I’m [fully] vaccinated, but unfortunately I know going over there, it doesn’t matter if you’re vaccinated or not,” said Rickie Fowler. “It seems like us as players, we’re jumping through some hurdles and dodging bullets and they’re having 32,000 fans a day at the tournament.”

Dustin Johnson looks up as he putts on the 18th green during a practice round ahead of the British Open at Royal St George’s in Sandwich, England on July 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

The policy of close contacts for players — compared to the fan attendance policy — was reinforced on Monday when Zach Johnson’s positive test came back before he boarded a charter flight to England with 16 other players plus their managers and caddies.

If Johnson had gotten on the plane, all of the players would have been disqualified as close contacts. Johnson, the 2015 Open champion, was tested following the final round of the John Deere Classic on Sunday, as were others scheduled to make the trip.

“The way I see it, quite honestly, it’s like the current situation here with the exception of the six time zones, is that I’m going to take a test here before I go, God willing it’s negative, and when I go over there, I guess I’ll be tested again,” Johnson said before Sunday. “Again, my guess is, and I think it’s a pretty fair guess, that they’re looking out for the betterment of the whole and not just us players. It’s kind of what I do each and every week anyway, and that’s fine.”

Sixteen players have either opted out or withdrawn from the major, which begins Thursday. Along with Johnson’s withdrawal, the past few days has seen Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama withdraw after a recent COVID-19 diagnosis and Bubba Watson withdraw while vaccinated after he was identified as being a close contact of someone who has tested positive.

Not only is the policy surrounding close contacts stricter for the British Open than regular PGA Tour events, the number of people that players are allowed to bring was tightly controlled. Those who compete are allowed to have a caddy and two other support personnel with them. Players are allowed to have one family member attend and that person must go through a five-day quarantine to attend the event; players do not have to quarantine but the four approved people traveling with them must show negative COVID tests.

Even within the four-person “bubble” for players, they are not allowed to be in contact with other players off the course. They will not be allowed to visit restaurants, bars or grocery stores. If players and their groups decided to stay in a hotel, it had to be approved by the R&A — which also had final approval on rental housing should players decide not to stay in a hotel.

Martin Slumbers, chief executive of tournament organizers R&A, said that while a player could be disqualified for breaking protocols, “I think players know the risks. They know what will impact. They’re all responsible. They don’t want to put their fellow players at risk. I’d like to treat them as professionals in that regard.”

Brian Harman told ESPN he considered skipping this week’s major due to the restrictions before reconsidering. This week’s protocols are in contrast to the PGA Tour, which told players that starting July 22 it will not require COVID testing for players and that vaccinated individuals will not have to undergo contact tracing.

“It’s aggravating,” Harman said. “I’m vaccinated. I got vaccinated as quick as I could, so it’s been really nice to not have to test and not have to worry about it.”

This week, that won’t be the case.

OLYMPICS: Outlying Regions Ban 2021 Olympic Fans, Following Tokyo’s Lead

Posted: Tuesday, July 13

The Japanese regions where baseball and softball events are scheduled to be held as part of the rescheduled 2020 Olympic Summer Games have joined the city of Tokyo in deciding to ban all fans from attending with 10 days before the Opening Ceremony.

Fukushima prefecture will hold its baseball and softball events, and Hokkaido will hold soccer games without fans at the Sapporo Dome. Tokyo organizers and the International Olympic Committee earlier barred all fans from venues in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures.

“Many people including children have been looking forward to the games, and I’m very sorry to take away their chance of watching baseball and softball at the stadium,” Fukushima Governor Masao Uchibori said Saturday. “It was a very tough decision to make.”

A few events being held in the outlying prefectures of Miyagi, Shizuoka and Ibaraki will go ahead with limited spectators, organizers said Saturday. Organizers hoped before the pandemic that having events in Fukushima would showcase the region’s recovery in an area devastated in 2011 by an earthquake, tsunami and the subsequent meltdown of three nuclear reactors.

A man walks by a poster promoting the Olympic Games in Tokyo on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

When compared to the rest of the world, Japan has done fairly well in limiting the pandemic: It has 15,000 deaths and 820,000 cases since March 2020. New virus cases in Tokyo were reported at 830, up from 593 one week ago. It is the 24th straight day that cases were higher than seven days previous, with the Delta variant spreading fast throughout the country. And with only 18.5 percent of the population fully vaccinated through the weekend, the fear is without a state of emergency that cases will only increase.

Polls have shown between 50 and 80 percent of the Japanese public oppose the Olympics, depending on how the question is phrased. About 40 people staged a small anti-Olympic protest outside of the five-star hotel in Tokyo where IOC President Thomas Bach is staying.

Bach still refers to Tokyo as “the best prepared Olympics ever” and while he may be meaning it as a compliment, it is fair to say that a large portion of the public feels like he is almost mocking them. While nearly 18 months ago the city unveiled the new National Stadium and seemed ready to open up to the world for the biggest sporting event held there since 1964, now there will be nearly no one in attendance and the official cost of $15.4 billion to organize the Games is seen as maybe half of what the real costs are, with all but $6.7 billion of that being public money.

“It’s a bit like a gambler who already has lost too much,” Koichi Nakano, a political scientist at Sophia University in Tokyo, told The Associated Press over the weekend. “Pulling out of it now will only confirm the huge losses made but carrying on you can still cling to the hope of winning big and taking it all back.”

And while the chances of Tokyo winning it all back continue to decrease, the number of positive tests increase. Organizers said Saturday that 18 people with Olympic accreditations have tested positive since July 1; organizers said all but two are Japanese residents and most are contractors.

Bach appeared in public on Tuesday for the first time since arriving in Tokyo last week and immediately had a major slip of the tongue when talking at the headquarters of the Tokyo Organizing Committee.

Bach’s opening remarks were, “You have managed to make Tokyo the best-ever prepared city for the Olympic Games. This is even more remarkable under the difficult circumstances we all have to face. Our common target is safe and secure games for everybody; for the athletes, for all the delegations, and most importantly also for the Chinese people — Japanese people,” Bach said, catching his mistake quickly.

Bach’s visit coincided with the official opening of the Olympic Village on Tokyo Bay. Organizers did not offer an immediate count of how many athletes were on hand.

SOCCER: CONCACAF Gold Cup Starts With Outbreaks on Two Teams

Posted: Monday, July 12

The United States men’s national soccer team started its group stage play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a closer-than-expected 1-0 victory against Haiti in Kansas City, Kansas, on Sunday night after five Haitian players and one assistant coach were isolating because of positive COVID-19 tests.

The entire delegation was required to isolate and multiple rounds of testing were carried out without any further positives emerging. Haiti’s issues are not the only ones that have already complicated the tournament; Curacao was removed from the tournament on Friday, less than 24 hours before it scheduled opener, because of “a significant number of positive results across their staff and players in the last round of testing,” CONCACAF said. Curacao was replaced in the tournament by Guatemala.

United States midfielder Gianluca Busio (6) kicks past Haiti midfielder Derrick Ettiene Jr. (10) during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup match Sunday in Kansas City, Kan. The United States won 1-0. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

While the Gold Cup dealt with COVID-related issues even before the tournament got underway, one feature of this year’s event is all of the games are being held in relatively concentrated areas of the country, specifically Texas and Florida. Part of that is because when the venues were announced, those were the states that were the most open in regard to fan capacity at games.

Canada’s national team won its opening game over Martinique, although the country’s Major League Soccer teams have not yet played at home. But one of those teams, CF Montreal, announced after last Wednesday’s game that it would be returning home to train recently for the first time since the pandemic started.

In part because of that, the club traded Erik Hurtado to the Columbus Crew SC for $200,000 after Hurtado declined the COVID-19 vaccine. Montreal Sporting Director Oliver Renard said Hurtado being unvaccinated made his situation “problematic” if the team wanted to return to Montreal to play games.

The Gold Cup started on the same weekend that the two other major international soccer tournaments, the Copa America and Euro 2020, were both completed. The Copa America was won by Argentina over host Brazil in the only game that had fans in attendance with about 6,000 allowed into the Maracanã.

The Euro 2020 final was won by Italy in penalty kicks over host England in Wembley Stadium in a match that saw — according to witnesses — hundreds of fans storm the gates before the game without tickets and forcing their way past security and into the game.

A Wembley Stadium spokesperson said during the game that “there were no security breaches of people without tickets getting inside the stadium” but a later statement acknowledged “a small group of people got into the stadium.”

The Euro event was held in 13 cities throughout the continent, which during a pandemic resulted in crowds that were in small numbers in some sites but sellout crowds in a few others. The lack of consistent standards and the amount of travel led UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin to say another continental Euro event is unlikely; UEFA is exploring whether to expand the event to 32 teams, though, in part because a larger field would mean more games and therefore greater future revenue for an event.

NBA: League ‘Weathered’ This Season Financially, Optimistic Next Season Will Be Normal

Posted: Friday, July 9

Having more than 1 million fans attend games during the NBA Playoffs has helped the league mitigate some of the still-immense losses that it has sustained during the pandemic, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said before the Finals started this week between the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks.

Silver expected the lack of gameday revenue to decrease as much as 40 percent had the league not been able to play in front of fans during the postseason. But with many teams playing in front of sellout crowds, he said the revenue dip will actually be closer to 33 percent.

“I know I heard from many people outside of basketball and even outside of sports that when the playoffs started and they saw those full arenas again, it was a signal that maybe the worst of the pandemic is behind us, and of course we’re very much hoping that’s the case,” Silver said.

Phoenix Suns fans cheer on Suns guard Chris Paul (3) after he made a 3-pointer against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on July 6, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The NBA estimated its revenue loss last season at $1.5 billion. While only a handful of teams started the 2020–2021 season with fans at games, by season’s end only the Oklahoma City Thunder had no fans in attendance at any point.

“Financially, for the season, without getting into it too specifically, we did somewhat better than we initially projected,” Silver said. “No question, the league will incur significant losses over the past two years. I will say though, I’m not here to complain about that. Just speaking for our team owners, they view it as a long-term investment in the league and something very necessary to keep these organizations going. And by the way, it was shared sacrifice by our players as well.”

While this season featured the shortest turnaround from the Finals to a regular season opener in modern history — the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers had 71 days off — this year’s NBA Finals teams, should the series go seven games, would have fewer days off. The NBA plans to have a normal 82-game season that starts in mid-October for the 2021–2022 campaign.

Phoenix leads the series 2-0 after Thursday’s win over Milwaukee, 118-108. Game 3 in Milwaukee is Sunday night.

During his State of the League address ahead of Game 1, Silver also slightly pushed back on the topic of expansion. Many believe the league will eventually add two more teams and with fees reportedly to be at least $2.5 billion, the belief is the NBA will do expansion sooner rather than later to help mitigate in part the losses from the past two seasons.

“You have 30 partners and just say hypothetically we expanded by two more teams, then you would have 32 partners,” Silver said. “You have a national television deal or global television rights, instead of it being divided 30 ways, it’s divided 32 ways. So it’s sort of cash up front, depending upon what you sell the expansion team for, but it’s not necessarily the windfall that I think people think it is. The most important considerations for us when we look at expansion is, will it ultimately grow the pie? … I think at some point it will make sense to expand, but it’s just not at the top of the agenda right now.”

Silver also touched on the status of the Toronto Raptors being able to play next season at home after spending the 2020–2021 campaign in Tampa, Florida.

“It’s unclear yet,” Silver said. “Larry Tanenbaum, who is the governor of the team and happens to be the chairman of the board of the NBA, he’s very hopeful that Ontario will open up and that they will be able to have the team back in Toronto. I know it’s incredibly meaningful to the team. I think there was that yet additional burden placed on the Raptors more than any other team by having to relocate for the season. But we are hopeful the team will be back if things continue as we’re seeing in Canada right now.”

OLYMPICS: All Fans Banned with Tokyo in Another State of Emergency

Posted: Thursday, July 8

Plans to have local fans on hand for the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo were officially shelved by the organizing committee in consult with the International Olympic Committee after the city entered another state of emergency — due to a spike of COVID-19 cases — that will last throughout the world’s largest sporting event.

“Many people were looking forward to watching the games at the venues, but I would like everyone to fully enjoy watching the games on TV at home,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said after meeting with IOC and Japanese organizers on Thursday.

Tokyo reported 896 new cases on Thursday, up from 673 a week earlier. It’s the 19th straight day that cases have topped the mark set seven days prior. New cases on Wednesday hit 920, the highest total since 1,010 were reported on May 13. Only 15% of the Japanese public is fully vaccinated.

International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons on a screen speaks while Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee President Seiko Hashimoto listens during a meeting of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games stakeholders in Tokyo on April 28, 2021. IOC President Thomas Bach, IPC President Andrew Parsons, Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games Minister Tamayo Marukawa, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto and Tokyo 2020 Vice-President Toshiaki Endo attended. (Franck Robichon/Pool Photo via AP)

“A very heavy judgement was made,” Seiko Hashimoto, the president of the organizing committee said, adding it was regrettable the Games were being held in a “very limited format.”

“I am sorry to those who purchased tickets and everyone in local areas,” she said.

The ban covers Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures — Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba. A smattering of events in outlying areas such as baseball in the northeastern prefecture of Fukushima will allow a limited number of fans.

#Tokyo2020 Spectators Policy: mostly 'no spectators'

All five parties deeply regret for the athletes and for the spectators that this measure had to be put in place. pic.twitter.com/oKcXpx3lfP— Tristan Lavier (@trilavier) July 8, 2021

The latest state of emergency is the fourth declared in Tokyo since the start of the pandemic. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the new state of emergency would go into effect on Monday and last through August 22 — the Olympics start July 23 and run through August 8 while the Paralympics open August 24. The policy for the Paralympic Games will be decided by July 16.

Reports had circulated in Japan throughout the week that a decision on fans was imminent and comes one day after IOC President Thomas Bach arrived in Tokyo to start a three-day quarantine at a five-star hotel. Speaking via video from his hotel room, Bach said “we’ll support any measure which is necessary to have a safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic Games for the Japanese people and all the participants.”

While foreign fans had been barred from attending the Games for months, organizers were desperately trying to retain some sort of presence for local fans, announcing last month that venues could be filled to 50 percent capacity with a ceiling of 10,000. Having local fans would also allow the organizing committee, which is facing billions in budget deficits, a chance to regain some revenue.

Tokyo organizers had counted on $800 million in ticket revenue for the Games. Organizers had sold around 4.45 million tickets domestically and 600,000 to overseas fans before the Games were postponed last April. They later received around 810,000 requests for domestic refunds due to the pandemic.
The IOC, on the other hand, will earn up to $4 billion in income from a television-only event regardless — but while fans will not be allowed, that does not mean the stands at events will be empty. That is because VIPs, sponsors and other dignitaries of the IOC will be allowed to attend the Opening Ceremony on July 23 and other events. Organizing Committee Chief Executive Toshiro Muto said two weeks ago members of the “Olympic family” would be allowed into venues as “organizers.”

“We will have to review the situation about the dignitaries and stakeholders,” Hashimoto admitted on Thursday of the opening ceremony, adding that the decision to not allow fans so close to the Opening Ceremony weighed on her.

“We had no choice but to arrive at the no-spectator decision,” she said. “We postponed and postponed, one after another. I have done some soul-searching about that.”
Bach was more upbeat upon arrival in Tokyo, saying “Finally we are here. I have been longing for this day for more than one year.”

SOCCER: Euro 2020 Final to Draw 60,000 (or more) amid spike throughout continent

Posted: Thursday, July 8

European health officials have linked about 2,500 COVID-19 cases to attendance at Euro 2020, which concludes on Sunday with England playing host to Italy at London’s Wembley Stadium in front of what will likely be more than 60,000 people.

As of July 1, seven countries have reported a total of 2,472 infections linked to matches, according to the European Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. Among the tournament’s host countries, an increase in cases was reported in Russia, Azerbaijan, Denmark and the United Kingdom.

In the wake of that news, the Italian Football Federation says up to 1,000 fans will be allowed to travel to London for Sunday’s final under strict conditions, including a five-day quarantine upon return. The visiting fans can only be on British soil for up to 12 hours and will have to stay in a secure bubble by using charter flights and dedicated transport to get to and from the airport and the stadium.

Accommodations for the trip will be organized by the Italian Federation at a cost of $721 per person, while a special section will be dedicated to these traveling fans to keep them separated at Wembley.

The official attendance will be 60,000 for Sunday’s final, the first major tournament championship game appearance for England since the 1966 World Cup. That was supposed to be the cap for Wednesday’s semifinal win for the hosts against Denmark but multiple reports put the actual number at thousands more.

OLYMPICS: Tokyo 2020 Tells Marathon Spectators to Stay Home

Posted: Wednesday, July 7

While Tokyo 2020 officials debate a last-minute decision to further limit spectators at events during the Olympic Summer Games that start July 23, even outdoor events may not see fans at them as well.

Before the pandemic, back when Tokyo’s notorious summer heat was the biggest concern on organizers’ minds, the marathon and race walking events were moved to the cooler climes of Sapporo. But after a meeting with Sapporo officials, Tokyo 2020 announced that they want spectators to stay away from the route, which will be held on public streets.

“At the meeting, it was agreed that in view of the current COVID-19 situation, it will be necessary to reduce the risk of infection by restricting the movement of members of the public,” organizers said in a statement. “It has therefore been decided to ask the public to refrain from spectating along the course.

“We will continue to work closely with the Hokkaido prefectural authorities, the Sapporo City Government and all other relevant organizations to ensure a safe and secure Tokyo 2020 Games for all participants and for the citizens of Sapporo and Hokkaido.”

International Olympic Committee Vice President John Coats right, visits Ariake Gymnastics Centre for an inspection of the venue in Tokyo on June 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

The move comes as COVID-19 rates continue to climb in Tokyo and across Japan, including in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. A decision is expected before the end of the week on whether those rates warrant a further reduction of allowed Tokyo spectators, which right now are capped at 10,000 people per venue, or a maximum of 50 percent capacity. Organizers have hinted that some events, including the Opening Ceremony, may only be open to VIP attendees.

That discrepancy between what will be allowed at indoor events and the request for spectators to stay away from outdoor events such as the marathon, drew criticism from World Athletics, the international federation that covers the marathon and race walking.

“We are surprised by this new decision about our events in Sapporo, which is seemingly inconsistent with the decision to allow up to 10,000 spectators in venues in Tokyo, many of which are indoor venues,” the governing body said in a statement. “We will discuss this decision as soon as possible as it would be a great shame not to have spectators for the race walk and marathon events in Sapporo given the popularity of both disciplines in Japan and the fact they are being held outdoors.”

COVID-19 cases in Tokyo have hit a two-month high that almost guarantees the Japanese government will declare a new state of emergency to start next week and continue for the duration of the Tokyo Olympics. A new state of emergency could lead to a ban even on local fans. That decision on fans is expected Friday when local organizers meet with the IOC and others. IOC President Thomas Bach is scheduled to arrive in Tokyo on Thursday.

The present quasi-state of emergency ends Sunday. Tokyo reported 920 new cases on Wednesday, up from 714 last Wednesday. It is the highest total since 1,010 were reported on May 13.

CYCLING: Inaugural Maryland Cycling Event Postponed to 2022

Posted: Wednesday, July 7

As the sports-events industry continues to see signs of a strong recovery, there remain signs that not all events are back or will be able to continue as planned. Another sign came in Maryland this week, where the inaugural Maryland Cycling Classic, a one-day professional race that was postponed from 2020 to 2021, will not be held as scheduled on September 5. Instead, the Baltimore race will be moved to 2022.

“From the beginning, our aspirations have been a world-class professional cycling race in the state of Maryland,” said event Chairman John Kelly, a Baltimore-area business leader who was involved in the race. “You only have one chance to make a first impression and we want to do things right. There are multiple factors in this difficult decision, mainly hinging on challenges post COVID from course development to guarantees of international athletes into the country. We look forward to launching this world-class event in 2022.”

Terry Hasseltine, the president of the Sport and Entertainment Corporation of Maryland, which owns the event, said the volume of work remaining to host the race and its ancillary events, proved too much to hold a race to the standards the state had set. Event partners Medalist Sports and KOM Sports planned to build out a weekend of events that included a Health and Wellness Festival, Public Charity Ride, Community Outreach Program on bike education and participation, and a new hospitality and experiential platform.

“With all the uncertainties that still exist in market as well as some of the travel restrictions, our leadership team had to make this very difficult decision to postpone to 2022,” Hasseltine said. “This said, we remain committed to building a world-class event for everyone to enjoy here in Maryland. We thank all our key partners that have stuck with us during this difficult time.”

UnitedHealthcare will stay on as presenting sponsor for 2022.

“Visit Baltimore stands behind the event team and its partners’ decision to postpone the inaugural Maryland Cycling Classic,” said Al Hutchinson, president and chief executive officer of Visit Baltimore. “We remain excited to bring the race to Baltimore and look forward to our continued partnership in 2022.”

OLYMPICS: 2021 Olympics May Be Closed Off To Fans; VIPs Still Allowed to Attend

Posted: Tuesday, July 6

Two weeks after saying it would allow local fans to attend the Olympic Summer Games, organizers are about to backtrack officially on the policy as COVID-19 cases continue to rise throughout Japan.

Japan’s Asahi newspaper, citing multiple government sources, reported Tuesday the Opening Ceremony at the 68,000-seat National Stadium is likely to be limited to only VIP guests on July 23. The report added that smaller venues may have fans but other larger venues likely will be closed off to spectators.

While the reports were not attributed to any government or organizing committee official, throughout the past year Japanese news reports have been a precursor to official announcements, serving almost as test balloons to gauge public reaction. Two weeks ago, organizers announced that venues could be filled up to 50 percent capacity with a ceiling of 10,000.

Tokyo’s organizers, the International Olympic Committee and others are expected to meet Thursday — the day that International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach arrives in Tokyo — and announce new restrictions because of the coronavirus situation. On Saturday the capital reported 716 new cases, the highest in five weeks.

Asahi said the no-spectators policy could apply to events after 9 p.m. and to larger venues where 50 percent of capacity exceeds 5,000. Organizing committee chief executive Toshiro Muto said two weeks ago that VIPs would be allowed into venues no matter the spectator cap because they were “organizers” and not spectators.

“There are many stakeholders of the IOC and so forth. People related to key clients. And for those people they are regarded as organizers of the games and they are not spectators,” Muto said.

Tokyo officials say more than 80 percent of athletes and support staff will be vaccinated and to a degree, that is the lesser concern for organizers. The bigger issue is given Japan’s low vaccination rates and with plans for fans to be in attendance, critics say the conditions would be ripe for the Olympics to be a super-spreader event. That is even before you factor in if guidelines for athletes and members of the Olympic movement are not strictly adhered to between the 11,000 athletes and 4,400 Paralympians entering from more than 200 countries in addition to tens of thousands of judges, sponsors, broadcasters and media on hand.

Dr. Shigeru Omi, a top government medical adviser, has said the least risky Olympics would be with no spectators. He also said it was “abnormal” to hold the Olympics during a pandemic.

Having already barred foreign fans from attending months ago, not allowing even Japanese citizens would be another blow to the Tokyo organizers’ reputation throughout the country — such as it is, given the widespread disapproval for holding the Games during the pandemic. While having zero ticket income would be another multi-billion dollar loss on the organizers’ budget sheet, the IOC will still generate up to $4 billion in income from a television-only event.

While attendance policies may be adjusted, the weekend also brought news of a third positive COVID test for an arriving Olympian. This time it was a male rower from Serbia who tested positive after landing at Tokyo’s Haneda airport Saturday night according to Takashi Ikeda, an official in Nanto, where Serbia’s athletes are scheduled to train, told Reuters. The man was sent to a medical facility and the other four members of the rowing team to a separate site.

All Olympians entering Japan are required to be tested for the virus before departure and after their arrival. In June, two members of Uganda’s Olympic team tested positive after arriving despite receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

SPORTS: Toronto teams may be allowed at home

Posted: Tuesday, July 6

The cross-border travel restrictions between Canada and the United States have resulted in a year-plus of sporting events north of the border disrupted from the Toronto Raptors and the NHL season to Formula 1 and IndyCar events, to major tennis tournaments, Major League Soccer clubs and the Toronto Blue Jays.

But the Blue Jays and Toronto FC in particular may have light at the end of the tunnel.

Bill Manning, president for Toronto FC, which has played its games this season in Orlando, Florida, told reporters over the weekend that the team planned to travel to Toronto on Thursday and he is “optimistic” that the team could play its first home game in more than a year on July 17 pending a response from the federal government. SportsNet also reported the Blue Jays are awaiting a response on its proposal that would bring them back to Rogers Centre for a homestand beginning July 30.

The Blue Jays last played a home game on September 29, 2019, spending the abbreviated 2020 season in Buffalo, New York. It started this season at its spring training base in Dunedin, Florida, before moving back to Buffalo. Toronto FC last played at home on September 1, 2020.

While the Blue Jays and Toronto FC are looking to return home, whether the other two Canadian clubs in Major League Soccer — the Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal CF — will be able to has not been announced. Both cities’ NHL teams played the regular season without fans in attendance as part of the all-Canada North Division, but the Montreal Canadiens were able to have up to 3,500 fans at the Bell Centre for the Stanley Cup Finals while thousands more stood outside the arena.

The Canadiens avoided elimination in the Stanley Cup Final by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-2, in overtime in Game 4. And while the Lightning will be disappointed not to have closed out the series at the first attempt, it now gives them the chance of winning at home. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor even said Sunday she was hoping the Lightning lost Game 4 so it could have the chance to win the championship on home ice.

“What we would like is for the Lightning to take it a little bit easy, to give the Canadiens just the smallest break, allow them to win one at home, and then bring it back to the Amalie Arena for the final and the winning of the Stanley Cup,” she said. “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. But they are playing some amazing, amazing hockey.”

NBA Expansion, NHL Helmet Ads or NFL Games in Germany is About One Thing: Money

Posted: Friday, July 2

The financial ramifications of COVID-19 throughout the sports industry are vast, with Bloomberg reporting in November 2020 that pro sports were facing a combined $13 billion in sales decreases. And when there’s that much money lost, there is motivation to come up with new ways to diversify revenue streams.

The NFL remains the most powerful sports league in the country but even it was not immune to the pandemic with major decreases in ticket revenue for teams because they were unable to host fans, either at all or in highly restricted numbers. The league may be the most well-suited for a quick return to normal when it comes to sponsorship revenue but one way that the league will look to expand its financial outlook is increasing its worldwide reach.

The NFL has staged 28 games in London since 2007 and will play two more in October. Its next stop looks to be Germany, with the league aiming for possible expansion of the International Series into mainland Europe. It has hired The Sports Consultancy, which is based in London, to work with cities on proposals.

NFL fans arrive at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to watch a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers in London on October 13, 2019. The first game in London since the coronavirus pandemic will be played on October 10, 2021, as the Atlanta Falcons face the New York Jets. A week later, the Jacksonville Jaguars meet the Miami Dolphins. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

The NFL’s interest in Germany is not new: It had five preseason games in Germany between 1990 and 1994 and during the halcyon days of NFL Europe, teams in Germany had the best fan following. And with the expanded 17-game regular season schedule, the NFL’s owners recently passed a resolution stating from 2022 onwards that all 32 clubs will play internationally at least once every eight years.

“The International Series has become a highlight of the sporting calendar in the UK, with many fans travelling from Germany to attend,” said Brett Gosper, NFL head of UK and Europe. “We are very excited about the development of our German fan base, and the time is right to identify a partner who can execute a game at NFL standards as part of our international growth strategy.”

International growth, of course, also means international revenue.

The NBA made $1.46 billion in sponsorship revenue in the 2020-21 regular season, according to sports partnerships consultancy firm IEG — a six percent year-over-year increase. But that type of increase, while notable, does not wipe out the 10 percent drop in revenue during the pandemic-affected 2019–2020 season.

With that in mind, the NBA floated the ultimate revenue play at the start of this season, openly talking about expansion and giving new hope to cities such as Seattle and Las Vegas. When ESPN reported that the league’s entry fee would be $2.5 billion, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said during a Sportico valuation event that “clearly [the] valuations [show] some of the reported numbers [for expansion fees] are very low in terms of the value at which we would expand.”

And why would he want to drive a higher price? Because while 32 teams mean a lower share of nationally-generate revenue than 30 teams, driving the highest price possible would mean a quick cash infusion to the league’s bottom line ahead of future TV rights contracts that have to be negotiated — and having teams potentially in Seattle and Las Vegas, to name two cities, could potentially drive a higher total value.

When the puck drops next season, the NHL will already be in Seattle with the expansion Kraken and Las Vegas with the Golden Knights. But the NHL, reeling after its financial losses from the past season and with no fans at any Canada-based regular season games this season, itself turned to a new revenue stream this year with helmet advertisements for teams. Many of the NHL’s teams used the advertising space as a make-good on corporate deals lost during the pandemic but overall, the new advertising brought in millions for the league.

And while what was supposed to be a one-year stopgap will continue, announced NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman this week, the idea of having ads on jerseys akin to what NBA teams currently have was shelved — for now.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s inevitable,” Bettman said on Monday. “It’s something that makes good sense for us to be considering and looking at. But certainly not for next season. What happens beyond that, I’m not prepared to predict.”

Bettman also said during his State of the League address there is no conclusion on if the NHL will have its players participate in the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, admitting “we have real concerns about whether or not it’s sensible to be participating and us shutting down for an Olympic break.”

While he added that the league must decide soon because of the need to make sure the 2021–2022 schedule is ready, there are multiple facets into a final move. On one hand, there is the ability to make a big step into the Chinese market; on the other hand, the willingness of shutting down the league for two weeks for games not played in prime time in the U.S., plus negotiations with the International Ice Hockey Federation over marketing rights.

In other words: Money will talk.

SOCCER: Euro 2020 Linked to Rise in COVID Cases

Posted: Friday, July 2

The Euro 2020 soccer tournament has been blamed for a surge in coronavirus cases throughout Europe, with Germany’s interior minister called UEFA “utterly irresponsible” for allowing big crowds at the tournament.

The World Health Organization said crowds in Euro 2020 host cities had driven up the number of new cases rose by 10 percent between increased capacity at stadiums plus social gatherings, WHO Senior Emergency Officer Catherine Smallwood said in Copenhagen.

Crowd sizes have ranged from 60,000 in Budapest to under 25,000 in England and Scotland — but at Wembley Stadium in the round of 16, capacity for the home team’s 2-0 win over Germany was increased to 41,000. The semifinals and finals at Wembley have been cleared for 61,000 fans by the UK government under pressure from UEFA.

“If you look at the pictures and people are very close to each other and celebrating by hugging each other, it is clear that this promotes the infection process,” said German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer. “I can’t explain at all why UEFA doesn’t follow reason.”

Scotland’s health authority said 1,991 people had been identified as attending a Euro 2020 event while infectious and Russia’s deputy prime minister has called for a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people — but St Petersburg hosted a quarterfinal on Friday with approximately 34,000 fans allowed.

“The final decisions with regards to the number of fans attending matches and the entry requirements to any of the host countries and host stadiums fall under the responsibility of the competent local authorities, and UEFA strictly follows any such measures,” UEFA said in a statement.

And ahead of Saturday’s quarterfinal in Rome between England and Ukraine, England fans in the UK who had tickets for the game have seen them cancelled at the request of the Italian government, which feared that fans would travel to Italy for the match and ignore a five-day COVID quarantine period. Fans who had bought tickets for the match before June 28 were given a deadline of 9 p.m. Thursday to transfer the tickets to friends or UK nationals living in Italy. After that their tickets were withdrawn, refunded and put back on general sale.

TENNIS: Vaccination Required at Indian Wells for Fans

Posted: Friday, July 2

The BNP Paribas Open, cancelled last spring and then postponed this year until a later date, will be held October 4–17 — and the event will require fans, staff, sponsors, media and vendors to show proof of full vaccination in order to enter the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

The tournament, the biggest in the ATP and WTA Tours outside of the Grand Slams, will have 96 players in women’s singles and 56 in the men’s singles with $15.3 million in available prize money, the most for a combined ATP and WTA event of this size since the start of the pandemic.

The tournament said depending on COVID-19 conditions at the time of the tournament, additional testing as well as mask mandates in certain seating areas may be required by the Riverside County health department and the state of California. Guidelines for players are governed by the WTA and ATP Tours.

The WTA Tour also announced that due to COVID-19 concerns and travel restrictions in China and Japan, tournaments traditionally scheduled in Chinese Mainland and Japan will not operate this year — except for the WTA Finals in Shenzhen, which is still under discussion. The WTA also added the Chicago Women’s Open, a new event in the city, for the week of August 23.

OLYMPICS: Tokyo Transport to Include 2,200 Buses, 2,700 Cars and a Ton of Logistics

Posted: Thursday, July 1

As stakeholders begin their travel to Tokyo for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, an elaborate transportation system is beginning to take shape to make sure athletes, coaches, officials, media and Olympic dignitaries can get where they need to go.

Officials at Tokyo 2020’s transportation department on Thursday outlined some of the staggering logistics involved, especially since COVID-19 has upended plans that were in place for years to have most stakeholders use the city’s widely available public transportation. Use of that public transportation is by and large off the table now for visitors unless they plan to be in the city more than 14 days, meaning a more robust system of buses and fleet cars had to be assembled on relatively short notice.

“Prior to COVID coming to the front door, we were mainly focused on heat countermeasures as the unique challenge to the Tokyo Games,” said Masayuki Kanda, executive director of the Tokyo 2020 Transport Bureau.

Toyota Motor Corp. minivans at a parking lot during a demonstration of the transport operation support system for the Games personnel at the Tokyo 2020 Games in Tokyo. (Kiyoshi Ota/Pool Photo via AP)

Now, the organizing committee’s attention has turned to transportation.

For the vast majority of those coming to Tokyo — an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people — a system of 2,200 coach buses and 2,700 fleet cars will shuttle them around the city on dedicated Olympic traffic lanes. The buses will be sourced from 600 different bus companies across the country. Training has already begun to let those drivers know how to get around the city.

The main bus depot that will be used in Tokyo will have 600 buses ready to load each morning, creating a logistical challenge to get the drivers to the correct bus they need to board, said Katsunori Hori, deputy senior director of transport operation for buses.

“This is a major operation and it is a massive effort,” Hori said. “On a daily basis, if you come here to work as driver, you will be able to learn where your bus is parked. But these are drivers who will come from all over Japan just for the delivery of the Games. We don’t want the drivers getting lost in the parking lot.”

Once on the roads, those buses will have access to designated Olympic lanes. Tokyo 2020 said it will monitor the locations of buses as well as traffic patterns on Tokyo roads, which officials said are seeing 95 percent of their pre-pandemic traffic, or more than 1 million vehicles per day. Entrance gates to highways will be closed if necessary to allow Olympic-related travel to continue across the city.

While athletes and members of the media will use those buses to move between the Olympic Village, official hotels, the media center and competition venues, other athletes and members of the “Olympic Family” (which includes IOC staff, officials from international federations and national Olympic committees) will also have access to an Uber-like system of fleet cars provided by IOC partner Toyota. Those cars will work similar to a ride-share program where they can be ordered, destinations can be entered and GPS will be used to track their progress and ensure they are sent to the right location — a detail that has been a pain point at previous Games.

While athletes and others involved with the Games begin packing for Tokyo, one of the next steps in the road to the Opening Ceremony will be the arrival of IOC President Thomas Bach on July 8, before he spends three days in isolation ahead of meetings leading up to the July 23 event.

Bach is also expected to visit Hiroshima on July 16, at the same time as his vice president and colleague John Coates is to visit Nagasaki. Coates is best-known in Tokyo for comments made a month ago when he was asked if the Olympics would be held during a state of emergency, replying “absolutely yes.”

On Wednesday, Tokyo reported 714 new COVID-19 cases — the highest in five weeks and the 11th straight day in Tokyo that cases are higher than they were seven days previously. A quasi-state of emergency ends July 12 with the possibility that government officials may have to reinstate another state of emergency that could be in force when the Olympics open. Officials have already decided to take the Olympic torch relay off streets in Tokyo from July 9 through July 16.

The International Olympic Committee has also made an allowance that nursing mothers will be allowed to bring their babies to Tokyo. Numerous Olympic athletes who are mothers, most prominently Canada’s Kim Gaucher and the United States’ Alex Morgan, had been calling attention to the issue recently.

“We very much welcome the fact that so many mothers are able to continue to compete at the highest level, including at the Olympic Games,” the IOC said Wednesday in a statement. “We are very pleased to hear that the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee has found a special solution regarding the entry to Japan for mothers who are breastfeeding and their young children.”

The IOC had stipulated that no family could travel to Tokyo due to COVID-19 restrictions, but Gaucher pointed out that international media and sponsors may travel to Tokyo and a capped number of Japanese spectators will be allowed in venues.

“Japanese fans are going to be in attendance, the arenas are going to be half full, but I will not have access to my daughter?” Gaucher asked. “We’ve tried appeals. Everyone says they’re on board, but nobody can do anything. Let’s see if we can make a difference. It’s 2021. Let’s make working moms normal.”

One final Olympic note — Andrew Butchart, a British 5,000-meter runner, could miss the Games after claims that he faked a negative COVID test after a competition abroad to get back into England faster.

A UK Athletics investigation was launched Tuesday after Butchart on a podcast said “You have to get a COVID test to get into the UK, so you went to a place to get a PCR test before 48 hours – and I’m with check-in and I don’t have my PCR test back. So you have to quickly, like, get an old PCR test, go on to Instagram … scribble out the time and the date, change the time and the date, and change it so you can get into the country. Obviously COVID is huge but it’s quite annoying. Everybody has faked PCR tests, I’m sure, to try and go somewhere, because it’s just so hard.”

Butchart later said in a statement: “I have never falsified a PCR test and have always complied with the guidelines of the countries I have been travelling in. I perhaps glorified the situation for the podcast but I apologize if it came across the wrong way or caused any offence to anyone, in particular Team GB and the Japanese Organizing Committee, who I know are working so hard to make the Games safe for everyone.”

Wednesday, June 30

TENNIS: COVID Withdrawl Hits Wimbledon

Wimbledon’s first few days have been marked by the injury-enforced withdrawl of Serena Williams and a few upsets on both the gentleman’s and ladies’ draws — but one aspect of the tournament that will remain in play are the protocols the tournament has put in place after last year’s event was cancelled by the pandemic.

The only seeded British woman in the singles draw, No. 27 Johanna Konta, pulled out Sunday night after she had to self-isolate for 10 days because a member of her team tested positive for COVID-19 that morning. Konta was a 2017 semifinalist at Wimbledon but the All England Club’s chief executive on Monday said a prominent player withdrawal “is something that we had planned for and is not particularly unexpected.”

“It is nonetheless terribly sad for the players that it affects,” chief executive Sally Bolton said, adding whether a person is fully vaccinated has no bearing on the requirement for isolation by anyone deemed a close contact.

The New York Times reported before last month’s French Open that only about 20 percent of female pros had been vaccinated, largely because they are not eligible in their countries or are hesitant to get a shot. The vaccination rate on the men’s tour is also low, for similar reasons.

All players and their team members — limited to a maximum of three — are staying at one hotel in London. While many prominent players traditionally have rented private houses near the Wimbledon grounds for the tournament, no exemptions have been allowed this year.

Federico Delbonis serves to Andrey Rublev during day one of Wimbledon in London in front of a 50-percent capacity crowd on June 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

While players have their movements away from the court strictly enforced, Wimbledon itself is allowed 50 percent capacity for the first week of the tournament by the UK government — rising to a full 15,000 attendance for the men’s and women’s singles finals on Centre Court on July 10—11. Ticket holders must show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 test or evidence of full recovery from the virus. They must wear facemasks moving around the grounds but not while seated.

Bolton said what happened to Konta would have been handled the same way if a player were about to play in a semifinal or final.

“The rules are very clear. And there’s no question about that. And so in terms of when that circumstance may or may not arise in the rest of the tournament, the rules are the same,” Bolton said. “And that’s not about us kicking anybody out of the tournament. That is the need for that player to withdraw because they have to isolate.”

Wimbledon’s adherence to COVID protocols for participants is a forerunner for the British Open later this month at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England. According to ESPN, players were sent a memo that said the major will “operate under strict government oversight from the UK government.”

The protocols include players only allowed to bring their caddie plus two support team members. Anyone traveling to England from the United States currently must be tested prior to departure and quarantine for 10 days upon arrival or five days with a negative COVID test. The four people including the player are exempt from the quarantine criteria.

Players must stay at approved hotels and will be required to undergo COVID testing, regardless of vaccination status. They will not be allowed to visit restaurants, bars or stores. While the players and those with them must adhere to the protocols, the tournament is being permitted to have up to 32,000 spectators per day.

And the third major international event in England, the ongoing Euro 2020 soccer tournament, has enticed English fans with the thoughts of a potential championship — the Three Lions, as they’re known, beating rival Germany in the round of 16 and one win from playing in the semifinals and possibly the championship match at home in Wembley Stadium, which will have 75 percent capacity for the final two rounds.

But given the rise throughout the UK of the Delta variant of COVID-19, the EU’s head office has told the organizers that they should be extra vigilant for the semifinals and finals. At least three of the four semifinalists will be bringing fans into the country.

“I would like to share my doubt with you about the possibility of organizing the final or the semifinal in Wembley in a stadium — full stadium,” EU Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas told European Union legislators. “Given that the United Kingdom is restricting its citizens movements to the European Union needs to be a certain amount of symmetry in these kinds of decisions, a certain amount of proportionality. So, I think here that UEFA would do well to carefully analyze its decision.”

UEFA, the tournament organizer, last week cleared Wembley to host the semifinals and finals after the British government agreed on increasing capacity. The decision came after days of rumors of the semifinals and finals being moved to either Budapest or Rome should the government not increase capacity; UEFA was also seeking quarantine exemptions for VIPs, including representatives of sponsors, ahead of the final games.

Tuesday, June 29

HOCKEY: Protocols Keep Montreal Forward Out of Game 1 in Stanley Cup Final

When the puck dropped for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in front of a jacked-up crowd at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, it was a reminder that COVID-19 has been part of the National Hockey League — like every other pro league — for more than a year.

While the Lightning are the defending champions and won Game 1, 5-1, against the Montreal Canadiens, it was the first time the home fans were able to watch their favorite team in a Cup final game since 2015 because last year’s title series was won by Tampa Bay over Dallas in the NHL’s secure bubble environment in Edmonton, Canada.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price blocks a shot by Tampa Bay Lightning center Tyler Johnson during the second period in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final on June 28, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)

And for the Canadiens, they were without Joel Armia, a forward who was cleared from the league’s COVID protocols and flew by private plane to Florida after missing practice Sunday but was a scratch from the lineup.

“Joel is on his way down here right now,” Montreal’s acting coach, Luke Richardson, said on Monday morning. “He got clearance. Excited to have him join us, but we will have to make all those decisions at game time because we don’t know when he’s getting here.”

It’s the second time this season Armia has been in the COVID-19 protocol. He and Jesperi Kotkaniemi were placed on the protocol list March 22 and the Canadiens had four games postponed. Armia missed eight games and finished the regular season with 14 points in 41 games before eight points in 17 playoff games ahead of Monday.

The Canadiens were already missing its coach for the first two games of the series, although Dominique Ducharme will be allowed to return for Game 3 on Friday after serving 14 days of isolation following a positive COVID-19 test.

Ducharme tested positive after his team’s first trip to Las Vegas in the semifinals. Ducharme had received his second vaccine shot less than two weeks earlier and said he followed NHL protocols. None of the coach’s close contacts tested positive; the Canadiens had been in communication with the NHL and local health authorities to see if Ducharme’s quarantine period could be reduced, but the attempts were unsuccessful.

Richardson has been running the Canadiens’ bench in Ducharme’s absence. Richardson is technically the interim interim coach, as Ducharme replaced Claude Julien, who was fired in February.

While the fans are allowed in limited numbers to games in Montreal, the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto is moving forward with plans for its November 15 induction celebration for both the 2020 and 2021 classes. There is no mention of restricted fan attendance at the event other than ticket information available at HHOF.com. Ken Holland, Marian Hossa, Jarome Iginla, Kevin Lowe, Kim St-Pierre and Doug Wilson will be inducted as a standalone class given the cancellation of the 2020 Induction Celebration and the Board’s decision to forego nomination and election proceedings in 2021 as a result of the pandemic.

GOLF: PGA Tour Ends Weekly Testing

The PGA Tour announced that its weekly COVID-19 testing will stop at the end of July with the 3M Open in Minneapolis — even if a player is not vaccinated.

Players will no longer need to produce a negative test before competing. Only players who are unvaccinated and have come in contact with a person who contracted COVID will be required to be tested.

“After consultation with PGA Tour medical advisors, that due to the high rate of vaccination among all constituents on the PGA Tour, as well as other positively trending factors across the country, testing for COVID-19 will no longer be required as a condition of competition beginning with the 3M Open,” PGA Tour Senior Vice President Tyler Dennis wrote in a memo to players according to ESPN.

The PGA Tour’s virus protocols were spotlighted at The Memorial earlier in June when Jon Rahm was forced to withdraw — while leading by six shots going into the final round — due to a positive test after being involved in contact tracing. Rahm has since won the U.S. Open after becoming fully vaccinated.

The tour has not announced how many of its players are vaccinated. At the Memorial Tournament early this month after Rahm’s withdrawl, tour executive Andy Levinson put the number of vaccinated players at just over 50 percent.

When the PGA Tour returned to competition in June 2020, it mandated that players, caddies and PGA Tour staff be tested each week. The tour announced in April it would end testing for those fully vaccinated but continue the program through September for those who had not been vaccinated. The new edict goes into effect the week of July 20.

WNBA: Near 100 Percent Vaccination, League Announces

The WNBA announced on Monday that 99 percent of its players are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and all 12 teams have met the threshold for being fully vaccinated, leading the way among professional sports leagues when it comes vaccinating players.

The league has not had a positive COVID-19 test since the start of the regular season on May 14 while MLB, NHL and the NBA have each had at least one positive test in the past two weeks.

The announcement comes after the WNBA’s teams and arenas have spent the past two months hosting vaccination drives while players such as Sue Bird have volunteered at clinics.

Monday, June 28

OLYMPICS: 2021 Games May Backtrack on Fans; Protocols Strengthened After Ugandan Positive Tests

Within a week of announcing that Japanese fans would be able to attend events at the Olympic Summer Games, Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee President Seiko Hashimoto is backtracking and suggesting a closed-off Games could still happen with less than a month to go before the Opening Ceremony.

Organizers said last Monday that up to 10,000 local fans would be allowed into venues — with numbers not to exceed 50 percent of capacity — despite several medical experts in Japan who cautioned against the move. But a COVID-19 panel for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported Thursday that “there’s a sign of resurgence” of infections in Tokyo and the news that two members of the Ugandan delegation have tested positive for the delta variant of COVID after arriving in Japan has shook the country.

“The Olympic organizing committee is very much interested in finding out more from this (Uganda) example,” Hashimoto said on Friday. “We will pay detailed attention to get information as much as possible,” with operations adjusted as needed, adding “we cannot say everything is 100 percent. We will make a bubble as close to 100 percent as possible.”

The head of Imperial Household Agency on Thursday said Emperor Naruhito is “extremely worried” about the health risks, a rare move for a ceremonial figure who stays away from politics and whose comments assuredly have added even more pressure on the organizing committee.

“What I feel is that no spectating should remain an option for us as we look into things,” Hashimoto said at a Friday news conference. “The situation is changing from time to time so that is why we need to remain flexible and prompt in responding to any change. A no-spectator games is one of our options.”

The IOC has said the Games will proceed regardless of COVID conditions in Tokyo because it needs to have the Games held for financial reasons — approximately 90 percent of its income is from worldwide broadcast rights and sponsorships stemming from the event. Estimates suggest up to $4 billion in broadcast money is on the line. Tokyo will see none of that money; the official cost of the Games is $15.4 million but government audits have suggested the real cost is much higher with all but $6.7 billion being public money.

The issue of Uganda’s delegation will also garner plenty of headlines in the coming days. The nine-person delegation arrived at the Narita airport near Tokyo, where a coach tested positive last Saturday. After he began to quarantine, Japanese authorities allowed the remainder of the team to travel more than 300 miles on a chartered bus to their camp in Izumisano, where they are now quarantining after the second positive test occurred.

“They all carried certificates showing their negative test results,” Izumisano Mayor Hiroyasu Chiyomatsu said. “We never imagined they could be infected.”

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga pledged Monday to strengthen health controls at airports. Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato later said Japan plans to step up quarantine requirements for Olympic athletes and other participants from areas where the delta strain has been detected by requiring daily virus tests for seven days prior to departure to Japan — extended from the current four days —and up to 14 days after entry and training in isolation in the first three days.

Tokyo on Monday reported 317 new cases, up from 236 from a week earlier, the ninth consecutive day of week-on-week increases, with an increase in cases of the delta variant. That could accelerate the resurgence to levels that might require another state of emergency during the Olympics, experts said.

Fans watch as Scott Dixon leads the field into the first turn on the start of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

AUTO RACING: Nineteen Positives Traced to Indy 500 Attendance

Marion County Public Health Department Director Dr. Virginia Caine told Indianapolis TV station WTHR that contact tracing done after the Indianapolis 500 found 19 people being infected and attending the race, all from within the state but outside of Marion County.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway had approximately 135,000 in attendance on May 30 for the Indy 500 after it outlined safety procedures for the MCPHD’s approval. Having 19 positives means that 0.0014 percent of the attendees were affected. Caine did not say if there were any additional infections related to the 19 cases but that the department worked with other health departments in the state to track cases.

Among the safety precautions for the 500 were social distancing in the stands, mobile ticketing and cashless concessions and hand sanitizer stations throughout the venue. Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host a tripleheader of events in August between the NASCAR Xfinity Series and IndyCar on August 14 before the NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard on August 15.

Saturday, June 26

COLLEGE SPORTS: Virus Protocols Eliminate N.C. State From College World Series

The NCAA Division I baseball committee around 2 a.m. EST on Saturday, in the overnight hours before a winner-take-all bracket final between North Carolina State and Vanderbilt, declared the game a no contest due to COVID-19 protocols in the Wolfpack program, putting the Commodores into the CWS championship round in Omaha, Nebraska.

The NCAA said the decision to rule NC State out was based on the recommendation of the NCAA championship medical team and the Douglas County Health Department.

North Carolina State pitcher Sam Highfill (17), center, exits the mound in the eighth inning against Vanderbilt during a game in the College World Series on June 21, 2021, at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

“The NCAA and the committee regret that NC State’s student-athletes and coaching staff will not be able to continue in the championship in which they earned the right to participate,” the statement read. “Because of privacy issues, we cannot provide further details.”

North Carolina State had only 13 players available for Friday’s 3-1 loss to Vanderbilt after “several players” entered COVID-19 protocols hours before its game. Sam Highfill, the starting pitcher in NC State’s 1-0 win over Vanderbilt earlier in the tournament, was the first baseman Friday and among four players in the batting order who had a combined 27 at-bats.

“The last 24 hours have been extremely difficult for everyone involved and my heart goes out to the student-athletes, coaches and staff of our baseball program,” NC State Athletic Director Boo Corrigan said in a statement Saturday morning. “The health and safety of our student-athletes and staff will always be our unwavering priority. The timing of this is simply devastating for everyone involved, but it doesn’t diminish their incredible accomplishments this season.”

N.C. State Coach Elliott Avent told reporters on Monday that an illness was running through the team but made no mention of COVID-19. After Friday’s loss with a short-handed team, Avent declined to say whether he has encouraged his players to be vaccinated and wouldn’t say whether he has been.

“I don’t try to indoctrinate my kids with my values or … my opinions,” Avent said. “Obviously we talk about a lot of things. But these are young men that can make their own decisions, and that’s what they did.”

Teams throughout the CWS were not allowed to interact off the field in an official capacity, with media sessions held via Zoom and team practices closed. But attendance for the games have been at full capacity and general social interactions have been unrestricted as per local and state rules.

Friday, June 25

NFL: Vaccine Hesitancy Among Players Overshadows Offseason

The National Football League is only a few months away from kicking off its 2021 season with the promise of sold-out stadiums and a return to normalcy after a 2020 season that was anything but — and the attendance figures will be, in the league’s mind, thanks to the emphasis of vaccinations with all of its stadiums serving as centers for people to get their shots.

“I don’t know of a single medical source that’s respected that doesn’t believe that and doesn’t believe that vaccines not only work and [are] effective, but that they’re also safe,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said after an owners’ meeting in May.

With minicamps finished up and teams preparing for training camps in August, the question remains: After the league has done so much vaccine education and encouragement in the cities it has teams in, will the majority of the league’s players follow suit?

“We’ve urged players to get the vaccine,” NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith told reporters in June. “We’ve urged them to make sure that they just make a decision that’s informed.”

Vaccination incentives agreed to by the league and NFLPA are significant. Fully vaccinated players and personnel are not subject to daily testing, mask-wearing requirements, contact-tracing quarantines, travel restrictions or weight-room capacity limits. But unvaccinated players must continue to get daily testing, wear masks and practice physical distancing. They won’t be allowed to eat with teammates, may not leave the team hotel or interact with people outside the team while traveling — and players who violate protocols can be fined up to $50,000.

While the NFLPA is able to collectively bargain COVID policies for its players, those employed by the NFL’s teams — highlighted by coaching staffs — are required to be vaccinated if they want to maintain Tier 1 protocol status that enables them to work closely with players. Teams with at least 85 percent of players vaccinated will face significantly fewer restrictions.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted on Friday that according to NFL Chief Medical Officer Allen Sills, 65 percent of NFL players have had at least one shot. And while those numbers sound promising especially with plenty of time before training camp for players to get vaccinated, the reluctance of several big names to discuss vaccination has stood out throughout the summer.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold during his team’s minicamp said “in terms of my decision (on whether) to get vaccinated, I’m just going to keep that to myself. For me, it’s a personal decision that I’m going to make between me and people around me.” His teammate, star running back Christian McCaffery, also declined to answer whether he had gotten vaccinated.

Then there were comments by Washington defensive end Montez Sweat, who said “I probably won’t get vaccinated until I get more facts and that stuff. I’m not a fan of it at all,” before confusing thousands by adding “I haven’t caught COVID yet so I don’t see me treating COVID until I actually get COVID.”

Sweat’s comments came right after WFT Coach Ron Rivera brought Harvard Immunologist Kizzmekia S. Corbett in to speak to players, a sign of one approach teams are taking. A different approach occurred in Tampa Bay, where Buccaneers Coach Bruce Arians did not bring in a specialist because “I’m the specialist. If you want to go back to normal, get vaccinated.”

Then there is the Buffalo Bills, who for various reasons have been dominating the storyline this offseason when it comes to the NFL and COVID-19.

It started when Erie County, which owns and operates Highmark Stadium, said it plans to fully open the stadium only to vaccinated fans in the fall. Then the league had to talk with General Manager Brandon Beane after he said hypothetically he would cut an unvaccinated player to get the Bills to a league-imposed minimum percentage for vaccinations.

Quarterback Josh Allen, who told NFL Network in April that he was undecided about getting the vaccine, declined to disclose his vaccination status in May. And as the NFL and NFLPA agreed on virus protocols, wide receiver Cole Beasley has spent the past week on Twitter being vocal about his refusal to take the vaccine and his anger over the restrictions on non-vaccinated players, going so far as to hint at retirement being a consideration rather than get vaccinated.

“I don’t want to be any more of a distraction to my team so that’s where I’m leaving it. Something needed to be said, so I said it. I don’t regret any of it,” Beasley told the Forth Worth Star-Telegram. “That’s how I feel.”

Thursday, June 24

OLYMPICS: Japanese Olympic Spectators Told No Cheering, Yelling or Whistling

Japanese spectators at the Olympic Summer Games will be asked to root with “passion from your heart” as opposed to cheering, yelling, whistling or high-fiving, according to a new guideline document issued to potential fans. The 18-page document was issued after the organizing committee on Monday announced it will allow up to 50 percent capacity at venues for the Games, or a maximum of 10,000 people per venue.

Spectators are being asked to allow ample time to travel to events to avoid overcrowding. They are also asked to refrain from cheering, eating, drinking or chatting in public transportation and on the streets near the venues to “avoid making public nuisance to people around and residents living nearby.”

Among the additional guidelines for spectators:

Mask wearing is required except when eating
Cover your mouth when coughing; wash your hands regularly; sanitize your hands and fingers
Refrain from talking loudly, cheering and whistling; clapping is allowed
Avoid waving a towel or other items to cheer on athletes
Avoid shaking hands or high fives with other spectators, staff or athletes
Alcohol will not be sold at venues
When having food or beverages, refrain from talking and promptly put your face mask back on after eating or drinking
When lining up at concession stands and toilets, maintain physical distancing
Follow instruction in case being asked to move to another seat
Avoid unnecessary detours
Do not eat nor drink in the aisles with a group of people

Meanwhile, a lottery system is being developed to determine which fans will be allowed entry to high-profile events such as the Opening and Closing ceremony and for eight sports: track and field, baseball, soccer, golf, modern pentathlon, rugby sevens, softball and surfing. In total, Tokyo 2020 plans to make 2.7 million tickets available for events with the 50 percent capacity limit. There are 3.63 million tickets currently owned by Japanese spectators.

As rules continue to be refined for venues in Tokyo, athletes in the United States are still vying to make the team. While the Olympic Trials in several of the spotlight sports are finished — such as swimming — or currently underway — such as track and field and gymnastics — one team that is set is the U.S. men’s basketball team, which will be at less than full strength because of the NBA season that is still ongoing and a spate of injuries in the postseason that will keep key players from participating.

USA Basketball has settled on its men’s roster, highlighted by Kevin Durant, the only returning member of the 2016 team that won gold. Team USA’s first game in Japan is scheduled for July 25 against France.

Three players on the roster — Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday and Phoenix’s Devin Booker — are still in the postseason and could play as late as July 22. USA Basketball Managing Director Jerry Colangelo told ESPN on Wednesday that all three have committed to traveling to Japan by private plane.

Team USA will assemble July 4 in Las Vegas and will play exhibitions against Spain, Australia, Nigeria and Argentina before leaving for Tokyo. Players ranging from James Harden to Chris Paul and Donovan Mitchell all withdrew from consideration after injuries in the case of Harden and Mitchell; Paul, whose Phoenix Suns are in the Western Conference finals, has missed the first two games of the series after testing positive for COVID.

While no NBA team has publicly asked players not to play in the Olympics, they will all certainly be holding their breath when it comes to injuries after the 2020–2021 season started in late December and compressed 72 games into the regular season; those who participate in the Olympics will have the shortest offseason in modern NBA history with training camps scheduled to open in September.

The biggest overall concern in Tokyo this summer is, of course, the coronavirus. And the fear that many have of the Games being affected by COVID has been heightened when officials in Izumisano, a town in western Japan hosting the nine-member Ugandan Olympic team for training, said a second member of the team has tested positive for the virus. The first, reportedly a coach, was detected upon arrival Saturday in Tokyo. The rest of the team has been isolating at an Osaka hotel. The Ugandan delegation was fully vaccinated and had negative PCR tests before leaving for Japan.

Wednesday, June 23

SOCCER: England Keeps Euro Semifinals, Finals After Capacity Increase

The semifinals and championship of the Euro 2020 soccer tournament at Wembley Stadium in London will have its fan capacity increased to 60,000 after UEFA and the British government agreed on increasing capacity after several days of rumors and offers from other countries to host the showcase games should the government have not agreed to a capacity boost.

England’s group stage games have been played in front of 22,000; plans were already approved for the second of two round of 16 games at Wembley to have 40,000 in attendance. To enter Wembley, fans have to produce a negative test result or proof of vaccination.

“The last 18 months have taught us — both on and off the pitch — how integral fans are to the fabric of the game,” UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said. “This tournament has been a beacon of hope to reassure people that we are returning to a more normal way of life and this is a further step along that road.”

England’s Harry Kane and Jack Grealish, right, applaud fans at the end of the Euro 2020 group D match between Czech Republic and England at Wembley stadium in London on June 22, 2021. England won 1-0. (AP Photo/Laurence Griffiths, Pool)

No details have been provided on how overseas fans attending without having to quarantine after flying into London, since tourists from non-British nations competing at Euro 2020 have had to quarantine for at least five days upon arrival in the country. UEFA was also seeking quarantine exemptions for VIPs, including representatives of sponsors; details on that point have not been released.

There are fears Britain is having a third wave of coronavirus infections with cases rising to 68,449 over the past week, largely in part because of the delta variant first identified in India.

While UEFA never officially said it would take matches out of England, there were reports that Budapest’s 68,000-seat Puskás Arena, which has been operating at full capacity, had been lined up as a backup venue for the semifinals and final. Rome’s mayor also offered to host matches at the Olympic Stadium, pointing to the rise in COVID cases throughout England.

Euro 2020 event has gone on with few interruptions from COVID — one of Scotland’s players tested positive this week, forcing two England players to self-isolate — and if anything, the tournament has been marked more by non-COVID incidents both on the field and off. Denmark star Christian Eriksen collapsed early in his team’s first group stage game after suffering from cardiac arrest; he was discharged from a hospital in Copenhagen last week following an operation to fit a defibrillator.

Wednesday’s group-stage finale between Germany and Hungary has also generated massive attention after UEFA said the city of Munich, where the match will be held, could not light up Allianz Arena in rainbow colors in support of LGBTQ+ rights because it would be against the organization’s rules about political and religious neutrality.

Both the Munich city council and German LGBTQ+ activists requested the move in protest at legislation passed by Hungary’s parliament banning gay people from featuring in school educational materials or TV shows for under-18s. Multiple clubs in Germany have been lighting up their stadiums the past 24 hours in rainbow colors and Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter reportedly plans to illuminate a wind turbine opposite the stadium in rainbow colors. Major European clubs such as Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Juventus also tweeted support, adding rainbow colors as a backdrop to their club logos.

While Euro 2020 is ongoing, the other major international soccer event currently being held, the Copa America in Brazil, announced on Monday that it had 140 COVID-positive cases at the event, a surge from 66 positives announced last Thursday. Organizers said the infection rate was 0.9 percent and that most of those affected were stadium workers, outsourced staffers and a few players.

Half of the teams playing in the Copa America have reported COVID-19 cases — Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Chile. Chile admitted that some of its players also allowed a barber to visit the team hotel, a violation of tournament protocols, over the weekend.

AUTO RACING: IndyCar Decides Against Extra Race

The IndyCar Series will have a 16-race schedule after deciding not to have a replacement event for the cancelled Toronto street course race.

“The NTT IndyCar Series looks forward to the remainder of a strong and compelling 2021 calendar,” IndyCar said on Monday. “The schedule is set with legendary road and street courses and a daring oval, which have become trademarks to winning the series championship and the Astor Cup. A historic Indianapolis 500, combined with other thrilling and memorable spring events, has highlighted the series’ exciting mix of youth and highly established stars. This year’s 16-race schedule has set the stage for a tremendous stretch run.”

The Honda Indy Toronto event has been cancelled for the second year in a row because of the pandemic. There are seven races remaining on the calendar, culminating in the Long Beach Grand Prix on September 26.

Last year’s series was 14 races instead of 17 with several doubleheaders arranged on the fly because of the pandemic. RACER earlier reported that IndyCar considered replacing Toronto on the 2021 schedule with a doubleheader at either Mid-Ohio Raceway or World Wide Technologies Raceway in Illinois.

Tuesday, June 22

BASEBALL: Every Stadium at Full Capacity by July 5

It has already been a rollercoaster journey for Major League Baseball this season when it comes to fan attendance. It was considered a landmark moment in sports’ return from COVID-19 that each MLB team had at least a restricted number of fans in the stands on Opening Day — and even then, a bit of cringing when the Texas Rangers’ Opening Day game was played in front of a full capacity crowd.

But with the Toronto Blue Jays’ announcement that it will have full capacity crowds at its temporary home in Buffalo, New York, by July 5 every MLB ballpark will be open at 100 percent capacity.

Fans applaud as New York Mets starter Jerad Eickhoff (43) leaves the mound after pitching the first inning of the second game of a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves on June 21, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

“It’s different, it really is,” Mariners Manager Scott Servais said of playing in a full stadium, which his team will do starting July 2. “The fact that we have a lot of young players that haven’t experienced that yet, they’re learning. I’m really excited to get that in T-Mobile Park, on the positive side, and [see] what an impact 20,000, 25,000, 30,000 people can have, in a good way, to help your team along and make it tough on the opposing club.”

Only five teams — the Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays — will not have 100 percent capacity by the end of June. But it won’t be a long wait for fans of those teams because each of them will have 100 percent capacity by July 5.

Multiple teams have seen a surge in recent attendance as the country opens up more each day. The Atlanta Braves recently had 117,487 for the final three games of a weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, an average of just over 39,000 in its 41,000-seat stadium — and in a series that, to be fair, was not exactly matching up a pair of National League powerhouses.

And when the Los Angeles Dodgers opened to 100 percent capacity last week — its first full-capacity game at the renovated Dodger Stadium — it was little surprise that they sold out 52,078 against the Philadelphia Phillies, with Mookie Betts hitting a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning.

“At the beginning I soaked it in while I could,” Betts said, then adding “after that I tuned it out and took care of business. I’m used to playing in front of big crowds.”

The New York Yankees, who have struggled this season, finally stopped playing piped-in crowd noise and had its first 100 percent capacity game over the weekend against the Oakland Athletics.

“That’s what we’ve been waiting for,” Yankees Outfielder Aaron Judge told reporters Friday afternoon. “I think especially since 2020, playing in this stadium with no fans. They played the fake crowd noise, but that doesn’t compare, not even close, to what a packed house at Yankee Stadium any night brings.”

The two teams that opened up its stadiums to full capacity the earlier, the Rangers and Braves, are unsurprisingly leading the way for MLB attendance this season. The Rangers are averaging 27,547 this season in its first season with fans allowed at Globe Life Field while the Braves averaged 26,335 through the weekend. The only other franchise to average more than 20,000 per game this season is the Houston Astros (22,438), who were also among the most aggressive in opening up seats early in the season.

Twenty of MLB’s 30 teams are averaging 10,000 fans per game this season even with the capacity restrictions.

Monday, June 21

OLYMPICS: Tokyo Organizers Confirm Fans Will Be Allowed at Olympics

One of the last remaining logistical hurdles for organizing the Olympic Summer Games has been settled: Japanese spectators will be allowed to attend.

With 32 days to go until the Opening Ceremony on July 23, the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, Tokyo 2020 and the governments of Tokyo and Japan announced Monday that venues will be allowed to be filled to 50 percent capacity, or 10,000 spectators, whichever is smaller.

Stakeholders including sponsors and sporting federation officials will not be counted toward the attendance total, according to organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto. Japanese media reported that up to 20,000 people might attend the opening ceremony, over and above athletes.

Even then, spectators will face limits in the venues. Masks will be required at all times; speaking in a loud voice or shouting will be prohibited; and visitors will be expected to leave venues in a staggered manner. Spectators will also be requested to travel directly to venues and return home directly, and to take all necessary precautions when moving between regions around the venues.

COVID-19 positivity rates have been on the decline in Japan in recent weeks, allowing for the parties to permit local fans to attend. Foreign spectators, however, will remain banned from the event, a decision that was made months ago.

The official announcement came a few days after Japanese media reported that the decision to allow fans had been made, only for the top medical adviser to Japan’s government, Dr. Shigeru Omi, to recommend that fans not be allowed. Emergency measures in Tokyo and other prefectures were lifted on Sunday.

“We believe the risks of infections inside venues would be lowest by holding the event with no fans,” Omi said in a report, which was compiled by a group of 26 experts led by Omi, a former World Health Organization official.

But in their statement allowing spectators, organizers said they will re-evaluate the terms should rates go up before the Games begin. “In the event that a state of emergency or other priority measures aimed at preventing infection are implemented at any time after July 12, restrictions on spectator numbers at the Games, including non-spectator competitions, will be based on the content of the state of emergency or other relevant measures in force at that time,” organizers said.

Leaders at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said they were confident that allowing spectators would have no impact on their athletes competing at events in terms of their exposure to COVID-19. “I don’t think we have a high degree of concern about that,” said USOPC Chairwoman Susanne Lyons. “And we’re pleased that some of the Japanese people will be able to take advantage of this opportunity.”

The U.S. will have its own training site in Japan to isolate its athletes, a measure typically taken at past Games but that officials said was even more important this time around given the conditions. Still, Lyons said the USOPC has been tracking information in Japan and feels its delegation can travel safely to compete.

“The cases in Japan, if you look at the heat map, despite the fact that their vaccination levels are very low, they really have very good numbers right now,” she said. “They are comparable to where I’m at in San Francisco. What they’re putting in place are a lot of good precautions.”

Parties in Japan will also consider cancelling or reducing the scale of any live sites and public viewing events to minimize the movement of people, review any other Games-related events and establish new safe and secure ways of cheering and supporting the athletes.

Muto said 3.64 million tickets were already sold to Japanese residents, 900,000 more than the seats likely to be available. That will mean a lottery to see who can attend.

Tokyo organizers expected about $800 million in ticket revenue but Muto said the actual figure would be no more than half that. Any shortfall will have to be picked by some Japanese government entity.

Details on the Paralympic Games, which begin in 64 days, will be made by July 16.

HOCKEY: Montreal Coach, Vegas GM Test Positive

The only team that has had fans for games this season in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens were cheered on by more than 3,500 fans on Sunday night in an attempt to take a 3-1 series lead on the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup semifinals.

The fans went home disappointed after Nicolas Roy converted a rebound 1:18 into overtime and the Golden Knights scored a win, tying the playoff series at 2-all and regaining home-ice advantages as the Canadiens try to become the first team from north of the border to make the Stanley Cup finals since Vancouver in 2011 — and becoming the first team from Canada to win the Stanley Cup since Montreal did back in 1993, an almost unfathomable 23 years ago.

Montreal right wing Tyler Toffoli and Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo slam against the boards in Game 2 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series on June 17, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

One of the major storylines for the series has been COVID-19 with Canadiens Coach Dominique Ducharme testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday and Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon testing positive on Sunday. During Friday’s Game 3, cameras showed McCrimmon not wearing a mask while watching from a suite alongside team president George McPhee.

McCrimmon and Ducharme are both isolating. Ducharme received his second vaccination less than two weeks ago — before he became fully vaccinated — and said he is not experiencing any symptoms. The series is the first time NHL teams have crossed the Canadian and United States border since the postseason bubble in 2020.

“You can only imagine how he feels sitting at home watching us right now at this point of the season,” Montreal defenseman Ben Chiarot said. “We feel for him and we’re going to work to get the win for him.”

SOCCER: Copa America, Euro 2020 Hit by COVID Issues

Chile became the latest team in the Copa America to find itself in trouble over COVID-19 after at least two players, according to Chilean press reports, allowed a hairdresser into their secure training camp.

The invitation broke the strict protocols designed to limit the spread of COVID-19, the Chilean Football Federation admitted. It said players would be fined and that no players or officials have tested positive.

The first week of the tournament has been dominated by the host country, Brazil, as well as COVID-19-related news. Four of the 10 teams – Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela — have seen players or officials self-isolating due to positive tests.

Brazil agreed to host the tournament less than two weeks before it was due to begin after Argentina withdrew due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Organizers said the Copa would be “the safest sporting event in the world” but on Saturday the overall death toll in South America’s biggest nation passed 500,000, the most in any country in the world other than the United States.

At the other major international tournament ongoing this month, Euro 2020, Scotland’s Billy Gilmour tested positive for COVID-19, two days after playing against England in a group stage game. Gilmour will be in isolation for 10 days; Scotland’s Football Association did not say whether he had any close contacts within his squad or while playing against England. Scotland is scheduled to play its final group stage game against Croatia on Tuesday and must win to clinch qualification to the round of 16.

SOCCER: Vaccination Required at 2022 World Cup

Qatar’s government announced over the weekend that it will require spectators at the 2022 World Cup to have received coronavirus vaccines to attend. The Middle East’s first World Cup is due to start Nov. 21, 2022.

Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani told Qatar newspapers that the country is trying to secure a million vaccine doses to immunize fans wanting to watch the tournament.

FIFA had no comment on the remarks. Qatar’s buildup to the World Cup since winning the right to host in 2010 has been dogged by concerns about human rights violations and the treatment of the migrant workforce building eight stadiums.

Friday, June 18

Medical Adviser Insists 2021 Olympics Should Not Allow Fans

One day after reports indicated that the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Tokyo would allow Japanese citizens to attend in a restricted number, the top medical adviser to Japan’s government is trying to reverse those leaks and said that no fans should be allowed for the country’s health.

Dr. Shigeru Omi’s recommendation is not what organizers and the International Olympic Committee would have wanted to hear — in all honesty — with the Olympics opening on July 23. While foreign fans have already been banned months ago, the indication this week from Japanese media was that organizers would allow up to 10,000 fans at some of the venues once the local state of emergency was officially lifted on Sunday.

“We believe the risks of infections inside venues would be lowest by holding the event with no fans,” said the report, which was compiled by a group of 26 experts led by Omi, a former World Health Organization official. It was submitted to the government and Olympic officials.

People in Tokyo stand by posters to promote the Olympic Summer Games scheduled to start in July. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

“We believe it would be most desirable not to have fans inside venues,” Omi told a news conference on Friday after submitting the written report. “Regardless of holding the Olympics or not, Japan has continuing risks of a resurgence of the infections that puts pressure on the medical systems.”
Emergency measures in Tokyo and other prefectures are being lifted on Sunday.

Seiko Hashimoto, the president of the local organizing committee, said that the final decision on local fans was likely to be made Monday in a meeting with organizers, the IOC, the Tokyo metropolitan government, the Japanese government and the International Paralympic Committee.

“Dr. Omi has indicated that ideally the best way is to hold the games without spectators — that was his recommendation,” Hashimoto said. “But if we are to hold the games with spectators, Dr. Omi also had his recommendations.”

Omi said that putting fans in the venues increased the risk — and not only there but afterward as people exit. He said the Olympics easily get more attention from the public than other sporting events and are likely to trigger more movements and more partying.

Organizers say about up to 3.7 million tickets are still held by residents of Japan; the total number of tickets originally announced for the Olympics was about 7.8 million.

The IOC is pushing ahead with Tokyo because it depends on broadcast rights sales for almost 75% of its income. Sponsors supply about 18% of the IOC’s revenue, making it financially impossible for the organization to exist without the Olympics.

But while not having fans would not affect those revenue generators for the IOC, ticket sales — and potential refunds — would be another cost for the Tokyo organizers, who have already spent over $15 billion in preparation for the Games. Ticket sales were to account for $800 million in income for the organizing committee. Much of it will be lost and government entities will have to make up the shortfall.

Thursday, June 17

OLYMPICS: Japanese Fans May Be Allowed at Games, Reports Indicate

A long-awaited decision on the status of having Japanese fans at the rescheduled 2021 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Tokyo may be finally coming if reports from the host country prove to be true.

Kyodo News reported that the Japanese government plans to end a COVID-enforced state of emergency currently covering Tokyo and eight other regions on Sunday. The government’s chief spokesman said on Wednesday that an announcement on fans at the Olympics would be upcoming after experts signed off on a plan to allow crowds of up to 10,000 people at events. The final call will be made after considering coronavirus infection conditions and the prevalence of variants, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters.

COVID infections have declined throughout Japan in recent weeks as Tokyo organizers, the federal government and International Olympic Committee have been racing to start the Games on July 23. The IOC has made its intentions clear, saying it was in operational mode ahead of the Opening Ceremony with senior IOC member Richard Pound saying only the apocalypse would keep the Games from being held.

Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of coronavirus response, told a COVID-19 subcommittee governmental meeting on Wednesday that the plans for attendance at events such as sports and concerts in July and August were to cap attendance at 50 percent or 5,000 people, whichever was greater. But given the size of some of the Olympic venues — the National Stadium, where the Opening Ceremony will be held, seats 68,000 — an adjustment down to 10,000 maximum was recommended.

At the G7 summit this week, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga weighed in on capacity limits, saying “taking into account the level of COVID-19 infections, we’ll decide [on capacity] in accordance with the numbers allowed at other sporting events.”

Japan’s rate of vaccination among its population has increased but it still dramatically low compared to other countries at just over 5 percent. But the IOC said on Tuesday when announcing its latest set of COVID guidelines for the Games that up to 80 percent of the athletes that will be competing are vaccinated and that up to 80 percent of the accredited media expected to be in Tokyo are also vaccinated.

The financial ramifications of not having fans would be an added toll for Tokyo organizers who have already seen the Games’ budget go up substantially even before the postponement to 2021 added another layer of costs. Not having fans at all at the Games would mean ticket refunds of up to $800 million, according to a Financial Times report based on organizing committee records.

Foreign fans have already been barred from attending the Games, a hammer blow to the promised economic benefits that a city and country would expect from hosting one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Whereas the IOC gets more than 75 percent of its revenue from worldwide TV rights before even accounting for sponsor revenue, the hosts for the Olympics and Paralympics generate most of its revenue from ticket sales and tourist spending from worldwide fans coming to the Games.

While Tokyo and Japan are facing gigantic budget deficits with the cost of the rescheduled Games, one company will be rolling in revenue. NBCUniversal Chief Executive Jeff Shell said on Monday the Games could be the most profitable Olympics in NBC’s history, having sold more than $1.25 billion in national advertising in March 2020 before the year-long postponement, a record at the time.

Shell, speaking at Credit Suisse’s virtual Communications Conference, downplayed concerns leading to the Opening Ceremony in Tokyo, saying “I lived in London: everybody was worried about the traffic. And last time it was Zika, and then once the Opening Ceremony happens, everybody forgets all that and enjoys the 17 days. And I think this is going to be the same thing.”

TENNIS: US Open Ready for Full Capacity

The United States Tennis Association has announced that fans will be back at full capacity for the 2021 US Open with tickets to the event going on sale on July 15. All ticket categories for the 25 sessions, from reserved stadium seating to general admission grounds passes, will be available.

“We are extremely excited to be able to welcome our incredible fans back to the US Open this year,” said Mike Dowse, USTA chief executive officer. “While we were proud that we were able to hold the event in 2020, we missed having our fans on-site, because we know that they are a large part of what makes the US Open experience unlike any other.”

The tournament will be held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center starting August 30. The US Open will continue to follow CDC COVID-related guidelines that are in effect.

Wednesday, June 16

TENNIS: Wimbledon Cleared to Have Full Capacity for Finals

Tennis’ Grand Slams had a 2020 to forget; the Australian Open was held in the shadow of wildfires throughout the country, the French Open was held in the fall instead of its traditional Parisian spring dates and the U.S. Open was held in a New York City bubble closed off to the greater public.

And then there was Wimbledon, the most famous of the four Slams. It was notable for two reasons in 2020; first, that it was canceled for the first time since World War II and second, that it received $253.5 million from insurance carriers because it, unlike many other events around the world, had pandemic insurance.

Roger Federer plays a return to Novak Djokovic during the men’s singles final match at Wimbledon in London on July 14, 2019. (Laurence Griffiths/Pool Photo via AP)

Well, this year’s Wimbledon will be held — and this week it found out that it not only will be held but its ladies and gentleman’s singles championships have been approved to be played in front of full capacity crowds at the famous Centre Court by the UK government.

The tournament will begin with 50 percent capacity on June 28 and then rise throughout the tournament before the finals at the 15,000-capacity Centre Court. Among the changes to this year’s tournament is that players will be unable to rent private housing and will have to stay in a hotel.

The UK government also approved Wembley Stadium to host matches in the knockout stages of Euro 2020 at 50 percent capacity, around 45,000 — approximately double from what the group stage matches will have for attendance. The two major sports events are being made exempt from strict capacity limits despite the government’s decision to delay the easing of all remaining coronavirus restrictions until July 19.

“We are continuing to work closely with the Government to finalize the details including the requirements for Covid-status certification for spectators,” the All England Club said in a statement. “… This will enable us to fulfil our aspiration of staging the best Wimbledon possible within the current circumstances, with the health and safety of all those who make Wimbledon happen — our guests, competitors, members, staff, media, officials, local residents, and partners — remaining our highest priority.”

The announcement is a sudden change from April, when Wimbledon said that it was hoping for at least 25 percent capacity.

This year’s event will also be the last Wimbledon before another shift in the tournament’s tradition; known for its frequent rain delays before having a retractable roof on Centre Court and its No. 1 court several years ago, the tournament will stop having a rest day on the middle Sunday starting in 2022.

The rest day on middle Sunday has been part of the Wimbledon charm and mystique for decades; only four times has the tournament had to play on that day because of first-week rain disruptions, each time leading to astonishing lines of fans waiting to get and atmospheres that are decidedly un-British. The rest day has meant that the Monday of the second week has always had all the men’s and women’s last-16 matches; those matches will instead be spread across two days.

FOOTBALL: CFL Announces Shorter Season, August 5 Season Openers

The Canadian Football League will start its 2021 season on August 5, its first action in more than a year after the 2020 season was canceled and this season was already delayed because of COVID-19 regulations throughout the country.

The league’s Board of Governors voted unanimously on a 14-game regular season leading to the 108th Grey Cup on December 12 in Hamilton, Ontario. Teams will have modified quarantines before training camps are scheduled to begin in early July.

While the season is a go, there will be modifications for players and fans. Fans who are allowed to attend games are expected to be subject to safety protocols that include masks and social distancing along with restricted capacities depending on the local government guidelines. The league is expected to play most of its games in August in Western Canada, where there are greater chances of having fans at the season openers.

SOCCER: Copa America Announces 52 Positives

The Copa America, relocated to Brazil with less than two weeks’ notice because of a surge of COVID-19 cases in Argentina, announced that it has had 52 positive tests with not even one full week of the event completed. Brazil’s health ministry made the announcement, saying that 33 of the positives were players or staffers out of 3,045 COVID-19 tests conducted so far.

Brazil opened the tournament on Sunday with a 3-0 win over Venezuela, which was depleted after nearly a dozen cases of COVID-19 involving players or staff. A fitness coach for Peru tested positive on Monday before the team left for Brazil and Colombia said two staffers also tested positive. The Bolivian Football Federation said three players and one coach have the virus.

Brazil stepped in as emergency hosts despite having the second-highest number of recorded deaths from the coronavirus in the world at almost 490,000. The tournament resumes on Thursday afternoon with Colombia playing Venezuela and Brazil playing Peru; matches are held without fans in attendance.

Tuesday, June 15

OLYMPICS: Daily Tests, GPS Tracking and Potential Disqualification: IOC Outlines Final Measures for Tokyo Athletes

Athletes who do not comply with measures in a 70-page playbook for competing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games may face temporary or permanent exclusion from the Games, disqualification or even financial sanctions, according to the final version of the document released Tuesday.

The third and final version of the rules and regulations for athletes specifies that a disciplinary committee would determine the type of sanction that could take place in the case of noncompliance. Those measures could begin with something as modest as a warning but escalate to removal from the Games and financial penalties, although International Olympic Committee officials said they expect the vast majority of athletes will comply with the rules.

“What matters is not so much to have the playbooks—they are very important,” said Christophe Dubi, executive director of the Olympic Games. “It’s to respect the playbook, to respect the rules. I’m certain that a very good majority will respect the rules.”

The third and final version of the athletes playbook spells out what the athlete experience will be at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

The new consequences are an effort by the IOC and International Paralympic Committee to ensure that the measures outlined in the playbooks will be followed — which has been a point of concern in Japan, where COVID rates in recent months had gone up before a recent downturn.

Specifics of potential fines or under what circumstances athletes would be disqualified for an event if they did not comply were not addressed by the IOC, although the disciplinary committee would be given latitude to decide what violation would warrant which consequence, Dubi said.

“We expect you to play by the rules but if you don’t, yes, there are sanctions that may be coming your way,” said Pierre Ducrey, Olympic Games operations director. “Like not showing up for a test or not wearing masks or not respecting physical distancing. We will have and you will find that in the playbook the means to react.”

New updates to the playbook include the requirement that athletes will have saliva tests every day, with results guaranteed within 12 hours of a test. Testing samples will be submitted at 9 a.m. or 6 p.m. local time, gathered by designated COVID liaison officers who will then deliver those tests to a central site. Previous versions of the playbook had called for athletes to take those tests at a designated site. But in an effort to prevent crowding, those tests will now be conducted remotely and taken to a central location.

If an athlete tests positive, a retest would be done with results expected within three hours. The hope is if the first test was a false positive, a second test would be finished in time to allow athletes to continue competing in their events, said Hidemasa Nakamura, main operations center chief for Tokyo 2020.

Hidemasa Nakamura, main operations center chief for Tokyo 2020, discusses the final version of the playbooks that will govern how athletes attend and compete at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Vaccinations will not be required for athletes, although the IOC estimates 80 percent of the 11,000 athletes expected to compete at the Olympic Games will be vaccinated. They also expect 70 percent to 80 percent of media to be vaccinated. Dubi noted that countries that have seen recent COVD spikes, including India, have shown strong vaccination rates among their delegation. India expects 100 percent of its athletes to be vaccinated along with all 66 of its accredited journalists. Pfizer BioNTech has also donated 20,000 vaccine doses for Games participants from Japan, in addition to the current vaccination supply in the country.

The playbooks walk athletes through what to expect before they arrive in Japan, once they are settled in the Athletes Village and during their competition days. They outline what a typical day will look like related to COVID measures and the measures that will be taken to isolate them should they produce a positive test.

Before arriving in Tokyo, athletes will need to produce two negative test results within 96 hours of their flight, including one test within 72 hours. They will also be tested at the airport in Tokyo before being allowed to travel to the Athletes Village. Once in Japan, athletes and other stakeholders traveling to Tokyo — including media and international federation members — will be tracked by GPS through smartphone apps for the purpose of contact tracing. Anyone who has spent more than 15 minutes without a mask and within six feet of someone will be considered a close contact.

In the case of athletes, daily quantitative saliva antigen tests will be administered during their stay in Japan. If an athlete produces a positive result, a second nasal PCR test would be conducted, with results expected in three to five hours. Positive results would send that athlete to a quarantine hotel that has been designated in Tokyo for further monitoring.

Athletes are advised to wear a mask at all times unless they are training, competing, eating or sleeping. They will also not be allowed to take public transportation, walk around the city or visit tourist areas, shops, restaurants bars or gyms.

Additional versions of the playbook will be released later this week, including one for accredited media (June 16), marketing partners and international federations (June 18) and Olympic family and workforce (June 22).

Monday, June 14

BASKETBALL: NBA Playoffs Turn Into Survival of Fittest After Short Offseason

As the NBA Playoffs continue, a reminder of what the toll that players are going through comes with almost every game: Injuries that medical professionals say is caused in part by the accumulation of games off a shortened offseason.

In the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn Nets have seen two of its three stars limp out of games in their semifinal against the Milwaukee Bucks with James Harden leaving Game 1 within a minute of tipoff and Kyrie Irving sustaining an ankle injury in the second quarter of Sunday’s Game 4 loss. In the other East semifinal, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is playing through a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee.

In the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets were eliminated on Sunday by the Phoenix Suns while one of its young stars, Jamal Murray, watched on the bench weeks after sustaining a torn ACL in his knee. And in the West semifinal that is still ongoing, the Utah Jazz hold a 2-1 lead on the Los Angeles Clippers despite not having guard Mike Conley yet in the series because of a mild right hamstring strain while its young star, Donovan Mitchell, is playing through an ankle injury that was first sustained in the regular season.

Injuries this season have extended beyond those missing with COVID. Because of the strict health and safety protocols that were in place, practices were at a premium all season long and players were often not able to get the amount of proper rest and treatment needed for injuries that could have been treated properly with rest that just was not available this season.

“When you can’t train, you get soft-tissue injuries,” an athletic training official told ESPN. “It’s a known fact.”

Lakers beat writer Kyle Goon wrote Friday in part about the dilemma that teams were facing, especially for the NBA champions:

“Players were told in NBPA meetings that having a condensed 72-game schedule that ended before the Olympics could recoup as much as a billion dollars more in revenue than other suggested structures. It was always a driving point for NBA team owners to get back at home, and hopefully fill their home arenas and drive up the ticket sales that drive up the bottom line.”

For several teams in the second half of the season, playing games on back-to-back nights — which the NBA has tried to do away with as much as possible in the course of a normal season — became almost normal operating procedure. The Lakers, to cite one example, played eight back-to-backs in the final half of this season, almost as many as they played all of the 2019–2020 season.

ESPN reported this season the average number of players sidelined per game due to injury, non-COVID-19 illness or rest this season was 5.1, the highest since 2009–2010. This season’s All-Stars missed 370 games (19% overall), the highest percentage in a season in NBA history, according to Elias Sports Bureau research.

Players can be hesitant to make excuses, but the facts are clear: Of the four teams that were in the Orlando bubble the longest — the Lakers, Heat, Nuggets and Celtics — only the Nuggets advanced to the conference semifinals and even then, Denver was eliminated in four games by Phoenix on Sunday to complete a playoff run that was highlighted by injuries to several players including star guard Jamal Murray.

“I always think from the moment we entered the bubble to now, it’s been draining,” Lakers star LeBron James said after his team’s first-round playoff exit at the hands of Phoenix. “Mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally draining. Every team has to deal with it, obviously. But with us and Miami going the long haul in the bubble and then coming right back on short notice to this season, it’s been draining.”

The Lakers and Miami Heat had only 71 days for an offseason, which according to Elias Sports was the shortest turnaround in the history of the NBA, NFL, NHL or MLB. Heat star Jimmy Butler battled various leg ailments throughout the season while for the Lakers, Anthony Davis missed two months with a strained calf before sustaining a strained groin in the playoffs while James missed 26 games with a high ankle sprain.

“We’ve been at this for a while, so where we’re headed first is rest,” Heat President Pat Riley said after his team was swept in the first round. “Our players, our staff, the people that have been here every day, every single day, they’re mentally worn out more so than physically. And I think they just need to rest for a couple of weeks, a month.”

And for the teams that make the NBA Finals, they will have to deal with nearly the same conditions next season that the Lakers and Heat underwent. The NBA has informed players that the 2021—2022 season will revert back to its traditional 82 games and start on October 19 with training camps beginning in September. Should the NBA Finals this season go to Game 7 on July 22, those teams would only have 68 days of rest before the start of training camp, leading already to fears that the injury cycle will continue for another season.

Friday, June 11

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: CFP Considers Expanding To 12 Teams, No Automatic Bids

Seeing that the continued dominance of a few programs was beginning to erode fan interest in a four-team postseason, the College Football Playoff is set to dramatically expand while trying to potentially get more bowl games involved.

The College Football Playoff will consider expanding to 12 teams, with six spots reserved for the highest-ranked conference champions and the other six going to at-large selections. The plan will almost assuredly be approved by the end of the year with implementation as soon as 2024, but more likely not until after 2026.

Conference champions would receive first-round byes with teams seeded 5-12 playing in first-round games on campus sites in early December. The quarterfinals and semifinals would be played at bowl games; the national championship game would remain at a neutral site.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta hosted the 2018 CFP championship game, which saw Alabama defeat Georgia. Photograph: Butch Dill/USA today Images

“The practical effect of this will be that with four or five weeks to go in the season, there will be 25 or 30 teams that have a legitimate claim and practical opportunity to participate,” Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said. “That should make for an extraordinarily good October and November.”

The proposal was made by a subcommittee made up of Bowlsby, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick and Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson.

While the CFP is definitely better than its forerunners in determining a national champion — the less said about the BCS, the better — the imbalance between dominant programs and those who start the season knowing they have no chance has only grown. Alabama and Clemson have made the CFP six times in seven years while Ohio State and Oklahoma have made it four times apiece, taking up a combined 71 percent of the playoff spots in that time span.

“This proposal at its heart was created to provide more participation, for more players and more schools,” CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock said.

But the biggest reason for the proposal is simple: More money.

The CFP’s current TV deal has five years still to run with ESPN at an average of $475 million per year. By tripling the inventory in both teams and games, as well as increasing the amount of interest, the CFP would get a gigantic increase in the TV rights whether from ESPN or another network. And for the collegiate sports landscape, especially in the big-budget world of college football where pandemic-caused deficits have soared, any chance to guarantee a massive rise in future income is reason enough to make a change.

With six games each year before the title game in the proposal, it would seem a perfect fit given the CFP’s current playoff rotation includes six bowl games: Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, Cotton and Peach. But whether intentional or not, the proposal does not specify that those six would be the guaranteed hosts for quarterfinal and semifinal games in the future.

The quarterfinals would be played on either January 1 or January 2 when New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday with the semifinals and title game in January.

“This model, in conjunction with the bowls, gives college football an opportunity to reassert ownership of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in a really powerful way,” Swarbrick said. “That’s such an important part of the tradition of college football and this allows us to reassert that.”

The ability of fans for the lower-seeded teams to travel to multiple bowl games could be an issue; a fifth-seeded Notre Dame, for example, would have one home game but then potentially as many as three additional games. The subcommittee seemed not to worry too much; “there’s a pretty good alternative right in your living room if you don’t want to travel to the games,” Bowlsby quipped, perhaps not the smartest thing to say given that even before the pandemic, fan attendance throughout college football was in the midst of a historic decline.

But with the proposal ensuring that non-Power 5 conference champions will be part of the postseason and giving all conferences the chance to get more teams into the playoff than ever before, one of the biggest things to watch in the future will be not if it gets approved, but if the CFP waits until 2026 to implement changes or goes with the new proposal a few years earlier.

Thursday, June 10

BASEBALL: Hall of Fame Ceremony Delayed to Allow Fans

The next class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame will have to wait a few more weeks to be enshrined as the venue in Cooperstown, New York, has delayed the induction ceremony to September 8 to allow for limited crowds. The event had previously been planned for July 25 as an indoor event closed to spectators.

The new outdoor ticketed event will be held on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center and will be broadcast live on MLB Network.

Planning for the event, which was canceled last year because of the pandemic, continues to be adapted to the guidelines set forth by the state of New York and the Centers for Disease Control.

“On behalf of our Board of Directors and our Staff, we are thrilled to be able to welcome our Hall of Famers — the living legends — and fans back to Cooperstown to celebrate the Induction of the Class of 2020,” said Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the hall of fame. “Returning the Induction Ceremony to an outdoor event will provide the baseball community with the opportunity to visit Cooperstown and celebrate the Induction of four of the game’s Greats.”

The ceremony will honor the members of the Class of 2020: Derek Jeter, Marvin Miller, Ted Simmons and Larry Walker. No candidates were elected for Induction in 2021.

Lawn seating at the event will be free, but unlike past years when seating was open, tickets will be required at the 2021 event. A limited number of tickets will be made available to fans on July 12. Seating areas are expected to be designated by vaccinated and unvaccinated ticket holders.

The Induction Ceremony has been held on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center since 1992, with estimated crowds approaching and surpassing 50,000 at five of the last six ceremonies from 2014–2019. Last year’s cancellation marked the first time the Hall of Fame did not hold an ceremony since 1960.

Wednesday, June 9

OLYMPICS: Tokyo 2020 Spectator Decision Expected by End of June

A decision on whether Japanese spectators will be allowed at the Olympic Summer Games is expected by the end of the month, the International Olympic Committee’s games executive director said Wednesday. But whether or not domestic fans will be allowed (foreign spectators have already been banned), the IOC intends to create an environment for worldwide viewers to experience what’s happening in venues across Tokyo.

“Irrespective of whether we have spectators, the outside world will come into the stadium, albeit it digitally,” said Christophe Dubi. “Do I prefer to have a full stadium with all of the shouting? Yes. But do we have a good response in case that’s not the fact? Absolutely.”

The New National Stadium, a venue designed for the opening and closing ceremonies for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, is seen prominently in the Tokyo cityscape seen from an observation tower. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

While that key decision is looming, IOC officials said Wednesday they are proceeding with plans for Tokyo, including the possibility that the committee will need to import their own medical professionals to supplement those available in Japan if Japanese authorities say they need assistance. The nation’s medical community has been critical of releasing any professionals that are already taking care of Japanese residents, where COVID-19 rates in recent months have been on the rise.

“We stand ready to assist if organizers need assistance in this respect,” Dubi said. “A number of National Olympic Committees and institutions have offered assistance.”

In other signs of preparation for the Games, the IOC and Tokyo 2020 continue to plan for the Games with roads being closed off on Tuesday around the city’s Olympic venues.

“Today we are only 45 days away from the opening ceremony, although the state of emergency is in effect and the situation remains severe nationwide,” Organizing Committee President Seiko Hashimoto told an executive board meeting Tuesday. “The number of new COVID-19 cases in Tokyo has started to decrease little by little and we strongly hope the situation will be under control as soon as possible.”

New infections in Tokyo are down to around 500 cases a day from 1,000 a month ago, according to The Associated Press. And on Tuesday, the CDC took Japan off its highest travel advisory list, moving the county to Level 3 on its risk chart. Level 3 is a warning that there are still high amounts of COVID cases in the country. But at the country’s previous Level 4, the CDC was advising against any and all travel to Japan.

Toshiro Muto, the CEO of the organizing committee, also said Tuesday that foreign media entering Japan could be monitored by GPS to make sure they follow the rules that will be spelled out in the third edition of Tokyo 2020’s Playbooks due later this month. He did not clarify if the tracking would apply to IOC officials, officials of national Olympic committees and sports federations, and broadcasters among others.

That would be quite the discrepancy in tracking given that organizers said while 11,090 Olympians will be in Tokyo, 59,000 other people will enter the country, including 3,000 from the ‘Olympic Family’ as well as national Olympic committees (14,800); international sports federations (4,500); Olympic Broadcasting Service and other broadcasters (16,700); media (5,500); others (14,500).

The Paralympics involve 4,400 athletes, plus 19,000 more in categories similar to the Olympic breakdown for a total of 23,400. That would make the combined total for both events 93,490, although Muto said 105,000 people might be the total number for the Olympics and Paralympics — a discrepancy that organizers could not clarify.

Regardless, Dubi emphasized that any stakeholder traveling to Japan will need to closely abide by the playbooks the IOC has drafted. While the final versions are forthcoming, further revisions may still be made up to the start of the Games, he said. “The one thing we owe to our Japanese hosts is an absolute respect of the playbooks,” Dubi said.

The IOC needs the Games to go on regardless of the conditions in Tokyo because of the amount of revenue it gets from each event, the vast majority of which comes from NBC. The degree to which NBC plans to leverage its billion-dollar agreement with the IOC was emphasized on Monday, when NBCUniversal revealed its plans for the Games with 7,000 hours of coverage scheduled across eight networks and multiple digital platforms. NBC itself is scheduled to air 250 hours across 17 days, an average of nearly 15 hours per day, starting with live coverage of the opening ceremony at 6:55 a.m. EDT on July 23.

Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of the Eastern time zone, meaning many of the marquee events will take place during prime time in the U.S. and allowing NBC to leverage that for commercial purposes as well as TV ratings, which traditionally have been a big win for NBC compared to other networks’ prime-time broadcasts in the summer.

SOCCER: Vaccine Passports in Use in England

Fans going to Euro 2020 group stage matches at Wembley Stadium in London starting this weekend will be admitted after showing a “vaccine passport” proving they are fully vaccinated, UEFA announced on Tuesday, supplementing a system in which attendees to games at Europe’s continental championship at least have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

UEFA said that UK-based fans can enter matches at Wembley if they prove a full vaccination status either via the NHS App or via Scottish or Welsh vaccination record services. Foreign fans must provide proof of a negative test at minimum.

Wembley will host a maximum of 22,500 fans — 25 percent of its capacity — for England’s group stage games against Croatia, Scotland and Czech Republic. The stadium is also due to host games in the Round of 16 and both semifinals plus the championship, although capacity for those games has not been officially confirmed.

Wembley Stadium is one of 11 that will be used throughout the continent for Euro 2020, although only Puskas Arena in Budapest, with 61,000 allowed, is anywhere near capacity. The only other stadiums along with Puskas Arena that are expected to have more fans than Wembley are Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan (31,000) and St. Petersburg Stadium in Russia (30,500).

Tuesday, June 8

A Legal Issue For Teams: Can You Require Fans To Be Vaccinated?

When Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced his plans for Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres games months in advance, it was the highest-profile example of an issue that will continue to reverberate around every sports venue: Should vaccinations be made mandatory for fans to attend?

A section of the Wrigley Field center field bleachers has been designated specifically for fully vaccinated fans to watch Chicago Cubs games without the need for social distancing or masks. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Poloncarz’s announcement, made in March, specified that since Erie County owns the venues that the two teams play at, they would be able to require vaccination. The decision was questioned by Governor Andrew Cuomo, who says the state would have to sign off on any mandate and “I just think it’s early to make a decision months ahead.”

But Cuomo did not have any objections when the New York Knicks announced that it planned to only offer tickets for the Eastern Conference semifinals to fans who could prove vaccination; those plans, of course, were made moot when the Atlanta Hawks eliminated the Knicks in the first round.

The morality of requiring vaccination to attend sports events can be debated but legally, according to Elise Bloom, partner, class and collective actions, Proskauer Rose LLP, “the short answer is that under current federal law, yes, you can do that.” Bloom was speaking at a recent Leaders Week virtual event.

“One thing you want to make sure of is there may be some state and local differences,” Bloom said, pointing out that venues trying to implement such a policy also have to make accommodations for people who are not vaccinated either for health or religious reasons. She also said that regardless of a vaccine requirement at events, sports teams do have to ask fans several screening questions about COVID including how they feel, if they have been recently exposed to somebody with COVID or if they are experiencing symptoms that would be consistent with the virus.

The idea of requiring vaccination is welcomed by a majority of fans; a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted in late May showed that 53 percent of those polled agree that sports teams should require fans to show proof of vaccination. The number went up to 60 percent in favor of such a requirement among sports fans and to 71 percent for avid fans.

A large number – 68 percent of the general population, 72 percent of self-described sports fans and 77 percent of avid fans – favored designated areas within venues. When asked about wearing masks while attending sporting events, it was 52 percent of the general population in favor of this requirement, while 56 percent of sports fans and 59 percent of avid fans agreed.

The poll surveyed 1,554 adult respondents with a margin of error of 3.2 percent.

“This is a significant indicator of the trend to return,” said Charles Grantham, director of the Center for Sport Management within Seton Hall’s Stillman School of Business. “Sports fans seem cautiously optimistic, but also seem to favor precautions regardless of the official relaxation of restrictions over the last month.”

Monday, June 7

NHL: No Relocation Needed for Montreal Canadiens in Stanley Cup Semifinals

Few cities love hockey as much as Montreal — so when fans of the Canadiens were able to be at a game for the first time in more than a year, it was worth singing about. And here’s something that will make those fans even happier: Should Montreal advance to the Stanley Cup semifinals, the team will remain at home.

The Canadiens became the first team in Canada to have fans at an NHL game in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, won by Montreal in seven games after rallying from a 3-1 deficit. The 2,500 were the first to be in attendance in 444 days at the Bell Centre, taking over for the singing of the national anthem.

“We could hear them before the game and going out for warmups [I] had chills again,” said Montreal captain Shea Weber. ” It felt like a lot more than 2,500 people. It was amazing. I can’t imagine what 20,000 people would be like right now because that was electric for that amount.”

And while the Canadiens may not have 20,000 people at home games, the team will be able to play at home for the rest of the playoffs after a decision by Canada’s government Sunday to issue an exemption for cross-border travel.

The decision allows teams to cross the border for games under a modified quarantine and enhanced protocols. Arrival into and departure from Canada by private jet, daily COVID-19 testing and a modified quarantine bubble for the teams are part of the protocols. Teams in Canada in the semifinals (and potentially the Stanley Cup Final) will be limited to the hotel and the rink.

“The National Hockey League is very appreciative of the decision by the Canadian government and the Federal health officials to allow the Canadian team that advances to the Stanley Cup Semifinals and, potentially, the Final, to host games in their own rinks,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Sunday.

The Canadiens have a 3-0 series lead on the Winnipeg Jets in the North Division finals; the winner will play in the semifinals against either the Vegas Golden Knights or Colorado Avalanche.

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino told The Canadian Press that “we felt confident we could take this decision, which will allow Canadians to enjoy one of their favorite pastimes, namely playoff hockey, while at the same time keeping everyone healthy and safe.”

This year’s season was played entirely in Canada for the NHL’s seven teams based north of the border because of the travel restrictions — but the league consistently said if an exemption was not granted for the playoffs, whichever Canadian team advances to the semifinals would be temporarily relocated to a U.S. market.

An exemption would let teams enter Canada for games without having to isolate for 14 days, as is currently required for nonessential travelers because of the pandemic. The requirement has wreaked havoc on Canada’s professional teams and major summer events; the Toronto Blue Jays started their season playing home games in Dunedin, Florida, and now call Buffalo, New York, home while Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC, CF Montreal and Vancouver Whitecaps have relocated to Florida or Utah. Formula 1 has canceled the Canadian Grand Prix and Tennis Canada says the National Bank Open may have to be moved to the U.S. if they cannot get approval from the local health departments in Montreal, where the women’s tournament is scheduled, and Toronto, where the men’s tournament would be held.

BASEBALL: Vaccination Incentives Increase Throughout Majors

Major League Baseball has announced that its clubs will offer incentives to unvaccinated fans through a new program called “MLB Vaccinate At The Plate,” with all 30 teams hosting at least one event in June where unvaccinated fans can get free tickets to a game if they get a COVID-19 shot at the event.

Clubs will have the flexibility to construct the giveaway to their own specifications including where the event is hosted, when it takes place and if the tickets are good for that day’s game or a game later in the 2021 season. Clubs will work with a local healthcare provider or a national pharmacy provider to administer the shots and provide the necessary on-site health and safety precautions.

Over the course of the pandemic, MLB ballparks have been utilized as mass vaccination sites, administering more than 1 million shots.

“Major League Baseball wants to play a role in expanding widespread adoption of the vaccines which have proven to be safe and effective,” said Dr. Gary Green, medical director of MLB. “As more people get vaccinated, the rate of infection decreases and more areas of society can safely reopen. We are proud of the efforts MLB Clubs are taking to help in this effort.”

The announcement comes as MLB and the MLB Players Association announced another impressive round of testing results, with just one major leaguer testing positive over the past week. MLB also announced on Friday that 20 clubs have reached the threshold of 85 percent or more of their Tier 1 Individuals being considered fully vaccinated, which will allow for the relaxation of certain health and safety protocols, with two more clubs close to reaching the threshold. As of Friday, 82.9 percent of all Tier 1 Individuals in Major League Baseball are considered fully vaccinated.

Friday, June 4

OLYMPICS: 10,000 Volunteers Withdrawing the Latest of Tokyo’s Problems

The Tokyo Organizing Committee for July’s rescheduled Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games tried to draw attention to Thursday’s 50 days out mark, unveiling items that will be used at the medal ceremonies in Japan including the podiums, costumes worn by medal tray bears and the trays themselves.

Among the questions that could be raised at this point include: Will they have enough volunteers to hold the trays for the medal ceremonies?

More than 10 percent of the unpaid volunteers for the Games — about 10,000 in total — have told organizers they will not participate when the Olympics start on July 23 as Japan’s vaccine rollout remains remarkedly slow compared to other countries with only 3 percent of the general population fully vaccinated.

Unpaid volunteers save Olympic organizers millions of dollars. Volunteers typically get a uniform, meals and have daily commuting costs covered. A study done for the IOC on volunteers at the 2000 Sydney Olympics said their value was at least $60 million for 40,000 volunteers.

“We have not confirmed the individual reasons,” organizers said in a statement. “In addition to concerns about the coronavirus infection, some dropped out because they found it would be difficult to actually work after checking their work shift, or due to changes in their own environment.”

The 50-day countdown to the Games was marked by organizers on Thursday and given the current circumstances, it would be understandable if Tokyo’s local organizers and the International Olympic Committee wish the event would start tomorrow — if only because maybe then there would be less criticism about the runup to the Games.

Then again … the chances of said criticism lessening once the Games get underway may not be very high.

Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto told BBC Sport that she is “100 percent” convinced the Olympics will go ahead, adding “The question right now is how are we going to have an even more safe and secure Games.

“The Japanese people are feeling very insecure and at the same time probably feel some frustration at us talking about the Olympics and I think that is giving rise to more voices opposing having the Games in Tokyo,” Hashimoto added. “The biggest challenge will be how we can control and manage the flow of people. If an outbreak should happen during the Games times that amounts to a crisis or an emergency situation then I believe we must be prepared to have these Games without any spectators.”

The last comment from Hashimoto was a strong hint that the Japanese public will not be allowed to attend the Games; foreign fans were already banned from attending in March. When that announcement was made, organizers said a decision on local fan attendance would be revealed in April before pushing that decision off multiple times.

For its part, the IOC has been nothing if not consistent with its messaging that the Games will go on no matter the circumstances.

Senior IOC member Richard Pound told a British newspaper that “barring Armageddon” it will take place. IOC Vice President John Coates said even if Japan was still in a state of emergency, “absolutely yes” that the Olympics would go on. IOC President Thomas Bach added “everyone in the Olympic community” needs to make sacrifices, a comment that drew harsh feedback from many in the Japanese public who pointed out the IOC is booked to take up many of Tokyo’s five-star hotels during the Games.

The medical community continues to criticize the IOC’s approach, which has seemed to be “trust us, everything will be fine” without much in the way of specific details. Japan’s most senior medical adviser, Shigeru Omi, told a parliamentary committee Wednesday that organizers should explain to the public why the Games are going ahead and “it’s not normal to hold the Olympic Games in a situation like this.”

Overnight, a Japanese Olympic Committee board member blasted organizers but admitted it was too late to cancel. Kaori Yamaguchi said in an opinion piece that “the IOC also seems to think that public opinion in Japan is not important … I believe we have already missed the opportunity to cancel … We have been cornered into a situation where we cannot even stop now. We are damned if we do, and damned if we do not.”

Though all the calls for another postponement or outright cancellation have received lots of attention, the simple fact is the IOC has billions of dollars at stake which is providing more than enough motivation to make sure the event is held. Approximately 75 percent of the IOC’s revenues come from worldwide broadcast rights to the Games — its single largest source of income is its TV deal with NBC — and another 18 percent comes from worldwide sponsorships. Reports estimate that the IOC will make up to $3 billion in TV rights regardless if fans are in attendance but that it would lose up to $4 billion if the Games were canceled.

While Tokyo’s preparations have been a near-daily drama, the IOC also made another announcement this week; its Coordination Commission met with the local organizing committee for Paris 2024 and “as the Tokyo 2020 Games approach, it’s clear Paris 2024 is ready and excited to take on the great responsibility of receiving the Olympic flag from Tokyo 2020,” said Coordination Commission Chair Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant said.

At this point, there’s probably no small number of people in Japan who would prefer that the flag be sent to Paris immediately.

Thursday, June 3

AUTO RACING: Nearly Every NASCAR Track at Full Capacity for Summer

One of the sports that brought back restricted numbers of fans last summer before many other leagues, NASCAR is following the trend of other outdoor sports and having even more tracks announce that they will have 100 percent capacity as the Cup Series continues to roll on throughout the country.

Tracks in Michigan, Richmond, Talladega, Martinsville and Phoenix have all announced this week that they will be at 100 percent capacity. Daytona International Speedway also announced that its August race will also have full campgrounds available for fans. Many other tracks including at Pocono and Atlanta had already announced plans to have full capacity.

As it stands, only two races the rest of this season on the Cup Series schedule are not scheduled to be at 100 percent capacity — one of them being this coming weekend’s road course event at Sonoma Raceway. The track announced on Wednesday that tickets for its 33 percent capacity limit were sold out for Sunday’s race. The 2.52-mile road course did not host a NASCAR event in 2020 but did host two IndyCar Series events.

The other event is the Brickyard 400, scheduled for August 15 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course. The track hosted 135,000 for this past weekend’s Indianapolis 500 but has not announced its procedures or admittance for its annual NASCAR weekend yet.

NASCAR’s announcement comes after another Major League Baseball team, the Colorado Rockies, announced on Wednesday that it will have 100 percent capacity at home games by the end of June. Only seven MLB teams have yet to announce when it will have full capacity this season: the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays, who are playing this season in Buffalo, New York, because of cross-border travel restrictions.

HOCKEY: Women’s Worlds Rescheduled for August

The women’s ice hockey world championships, postponed on short notice earlier this year because of a surge in COVID-19 cases in Halifax, have been rescheduled for August 20-31 and moved to Calgary, Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation announced Wednesday.

The event will be played at WinSport Arena at Canada Olympic Park with 10 teams competing. Teams will arrive in Calgary on August 10 and undergo mandatory quarantine.

“Despite the unfortunate cancellation of the IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship in April, Hockey Canada’s ongoing priority has been to host the event this year,” said Scott Smith, president and chief operating officer with Hockey Canada. “A tremendous amount of work and collaboration with Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services has taken place to ensure the event will be held in a safe and secure manner. We are grateful to the Province of Alberta, the City of Calgary, Tourism Calgary, WinSport and all our event partners for working together to provide the best women’s hockey players in the world an opportunity to compete for a gold medal.”

As teams were preparing to arrive in Canada in early May and undergo mandatory quarantines, the Nova Scotia provincial government ruled that the competition could not go ahead due to safety concerns associated with COVID-19. The postponement led to intense criticism of the IIHF’s lack of a backup option from the women’s hockey world, notably from U.S. star Hilary Knight, who wrote on social media “the cancellation of the women’s world championship at the last minute this week was just another reminder that women’s hockey continues to be treated as an afterthought.”

The IIHF responded by saying it did not have a Plan B because it didn’t appear there was need for one until it was too late.

SOCCER: Copa Move to Brazil Sparks Criticism

The Copa América, South America’s continental soccer championship which was postponed last summer, has relocated this year’s tournament to Brazil in a cloud of controversy less than two weeks before the opening match.

The tournament was to be staged by Argentina and Colombia, the first time in its 105-year history to have joint hosts. Colombia pulled out as co-host on May 20 because of social and economic unrest and Argentina is struggling with a spike in COVID-19 cases — 484 infections per 100,000 people in the past seven days, according to Reuters.

The rate in Brazil is 204 infections per 100,000 over the same period — but the country’s 460,000 dead from COVID is the second-most in the world behind the United States. Still, the country will host the opening match on June 13. ESPN Brazil reported that Argentina players are furious over the decision.

“From what I heard in Brazil they have closed the borders too. It is very difficult to give an opinion. We the players want to play. It is clear. The issue is to find a good place to play,” Argentina star Sergio Aguero said. “We have to play it, there is no time … we already lost last year. There was a year to find a place where it could be done and what could happen … every month, two months everything changes.”

Once Argentina pulled out of hosting duties, multiple reports indicated that CONMEBOL, the organization that runs the tournament, would look to Chile — or even see if the United States would be able to host the event. That made the decision to go to Brazil such a shocking one. But CONMEBOL financially needs to have the tournament after last summer’s postponement. The 2019 Copa in Brazil generated $118 million in revenue.

Wednesday, June 2

NFL Enhances Vaccination Incentives for Players

Vaccination incentives have been a large part of professional and collegiate sports teams’ plans to have fans back in larger quantities — cheaper tickets for those who get shots at the stadium, vaccinated sections that have health and safety protocols eased and more.

Leagues have also been using incentives to encourage players to get their shots, with the easing of the strict protocols in place for players after negotiations between the leagues and their respective players’ associations. With NBA and NHL seasons in the postseason, teams were able to ease up on some of the protocols at the end of the regular season; Major League Baseball has seen success with more than half of its teams getting to the 85 percent threshold for easing protocols.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith talk before Super Bowl 55 in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Now the one pro league in the offseason, the National Football League, has agreed to policies with the NFL Players Association that are aligned with many of the other pro sports in encouraging vaccinations by players. Players who are fully vaccinated will not be subject to daily testing or mask requirements, will not have to quarantine if they are exposed to a COVID-19 positive person and won’t have travel restrictions. Those who are not fully vaccinated, however, will not receive those perks.

“The union joins us in encouraging all players to get vaccinated,” Goodell said. “We know for a fact that that is the one step everyone can take that makes them safer.”

Staff members at each NFL team have been told vaccination is expected unless they have an approved religious or medical exemption since that is not collectively bargained. A two-day virtual league meeting last week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said 30 of the 32 teams have reported vaccination rates of more than 90 percent among the Tier 1 and Tier 2 staff groups that work among football operations — with the other two teams over 85 percent.

“We do think all players and personnel are safer if they are vaccinated,” Goodell said. “I don’t know of a single medical source that doesn’t believe that.”

The NFL also confirmed that 30 of the league’s 32 stadiums have already been given permission to open at full capacity in the fall — the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos are the outliers for now, although the league expects that to change over the summer. Teams will also be permitted to host fans when training camps open in late July, subject to state and local health guidelines.

“One of the things we’ve obviously learned over the last year is not to make projections too far out,” Goodell said last Wednesday. “… But we do think it will be a much more normal experience. We do expect full stadiums. It is very possible that some non-vaccinated personnel may have masks on. But those are things that I think we’ll continue to follow closely, make sure that we’re doing in accordance with all laws and regulations and make sure that we provide our fans the best possible experience.”

Tuesday, June 1

AUTO RACING: Indianapolis 500 Home to Biggest Fan Attendance Since Pandemic

The largest crowd in the world for a sports event showed up at the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday with 135,000 packing the stands at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the race won dramatically on the final lap by Helio Castroneves for his fourth win in the marquee event of the IndyCar Series.

The attendance was 40 percent of capacity, which was the figure deemed safe in the pandemic. But the sheer number of fans was another benchmark in the return to normalcy for sports events — even with the increased capacity at NBA games being marred by a series of idiotic fans abusing players.

Banned from the track last August as a delayed Indy 500 became a race held in front of empty stands, Sunday’s race saw fans and dignitaries mixed with NFL players, pro wrestlers and social media celebrities at the Brickyard. Through more than 90,000 vaccinations at the speedway itself, along with the rest of the state, Roger Penske and speedway officials got the clearance for IMS to all these fans.

“Let’s just be sure we get the race off and next year let’s blow the roof off the place,” Penske said.

BASEBALL: Reds ready for ‘Re-Opening Day’

The Cincinnati Reds, home for the traditional Opening Day festivities for Major League Baseball for decades, will host ‘Re-Opening Day’ on Wednesday when the home team hosts the Philadelphia Phillies on the first day that full capacity will be allowed at Great American Ball Park.

Community leaders have scheduled a full series of events to recognize the Reds returning to full capacity and the end of Ohio’s health orders related to the pandemic. The Reds will play the Phillies at 12:35 p.m. local time.

“Now that the orders are lifted and summer is almost here, we deserve a Re-Opening Day,” said Jill Meyer, president and chief executive officer of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. “We urge everyone to go to the Reds game on June 2, come downtown and celebrate the future, and honor what we have been through together as a community.”

OLYMPICS: Trials in Track & Field, Swimming Ready for Fans

Two of the most high-profile U.S. Olympic Trials events this month, track and field in Eugene, Oregon, and swimming in Omaha, Nebraska, have released tickets for fans with an eye toward having attendance at the events that will determine some of the competitors for Team USA that will compete in Tokyo.

TrackTown USA, the local organizing committee in Oregon, said that recent changes to Oregon health regulations will enable fans to be at the renovated Hayward Field. There will be both vaccinated and unvaccinated sections in the stadium, with vaccinated sections forming much of the ticket inventory. Ticket holders must provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination in order to sit in a vaccinated section.

“Oregon health regulations regarding stadium capacity have shifted significantly in the last two weeks,” said Michael Reilly, chief executive officer of TrackTown USA. “We are absolutely thrilled as these changes allow for previously impossible spectator numbers. Alongside our partners, we have developed a plan to maximize attendance while keeping participants and our community safe. We appreciate the hard work of public health officials and government leaders who have made today’s announcement possible.”

Organizers of the swimming trials have launched sales of single-session tickets for the prelims and finals for Wave I from June 4-7 and Wave II from June 13-20. The four-day Wave I Trials competition will feature rising talent, with the top two swimmers of every event moving to Wave II. The Wave II eight-day competition serves as the sole qualifier for pool swimmers on the U.S. Olympic Team.

Friday, May 28

Fans Want To Be Back At Sports Events — And Teams Need Them More Than Ever Before

With each passing week, there are more scenes of normalcy at sporting events. This past Sunday saw crowds at the 18th green at the PGA Championship and the biggest crowd of the season at Madison Square Garden for the start of the NBA playoffs. Nearly every playoff game in the NBA is being played in front of five-figure crowds.

This week alone, the number of Major League Baseball teams that have announced plans to be at full capacity — if not already there — is closing in on 20. The NFL said on Tuesday that all but two of its teams have been given the go-ahead for full capacity at games in the fall and no college football program to date has said it plans for a restricted capacity.

There are many things that will change in the post-pandemic sports landscape for the fan experience, including mobile ticketing and contactless payment for concessions and merchandise, to name a few. One thing to be determined still for any professional sports franchise or college program, though, is this big question: Will fans come back in the same numbers they were coming to games before the pandemic started?

Utah Jazz forward Royce O’Neale shoots as fans sit courtside at an NBA game on May 1, 2021, in Salt Lake City. The Jazz are allowing 71 percent capacity for the NBA playoffs, with limited courtside seating for those who are fully vaccinated and test negative on a rapid-result test. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

The answer to that question will have millions of dollars riding on it — millions that many fans may not have in disposable income because of the effect that the pandemic has had on employment. But teams and universities are hoping they can recoup some of that income after having nearly a full year of severely decreased game day revenues.

While tens of millions of fans attended sporting events before COVID-19, each professional sports league saw a decline in total attendance from 2008 through 2018. Between advances in television technology and rising prices for many sporting events, fans were more and more often deciding the game day experience was best enjoyed from a couch or sports bar, not at the actual game itself.

While many teams were able to withstand to a degree the decline in game day revenue because of the increase in TV rights — and those rights are still going up as shown by recent deals for the NFL and NHL — going from a consistent stadium revenue to zero can mess with any team’s bottom line.

That strain is particularly felt on the collegiate level where for most schools, football game day revenue is the second-biggest source of income. Ohio State’s athletic department has projected a $50 million budget deficit for the 2021 fiscal year — an improvement over the preliminary estimate in January of a $70 million hole. USA Today reported this month that while the Power Five’s total combined revenue rose $11 million in fiscal 2020, that pales in comparison to the combined $252 million over the previous six years.

The Southeastern Conference already announced that it will be giving each school a one-time $23 million injection of capital against future media-rights revenue for those facing a budget crunch. But even for the conference that brings in more revenue than anyone in collegiate sports, having a sold-out Bryant-Denny Stadium will be crucial for Alabama and the school’s financial picture has motivated Alabama Coach Nick Saban to record a public service announcement for the state department of public health.

“Let’s make sure we can safely make this happen by getting vaccinated,” Saban says in the spot. “Please get your COVID-19 vaccine. We want Bryant-Denny Stadium loud again this coming season — and Roll Tide!”

While Alabama’s rabid fan base will surely show up no matter what — the spring game drew more than 40,000 this year with restricted capacity and has sold out in the past — college football attendance overall in 2019 hit a 24-year low. The NCAA’s attendance database from 2019 showed a Football Bowl Subdivision average of 41,477 per game, the lowest since 1996.

While the overall decline was only 379 fans per game from 2018 to 2019, it marked the eighth time in nine years there had been an overall national decline. Of the Power 5 Conferences, only the Big 12 saw its average attendance increase in 2019 — by 0.1 percent. Even the seven games run by the College Football Playoff posted a low in cumulative attendance following the 2019 season.

For some schools, attendance can be in flux each year depending on the home schedule; it was easy for South Carolina to have increased attendance from 2018 to 2019 because it hosted SEC powerhouses Alabama and Florida plus instate rival Clemson. For others, attendance drops before the pandemic have changed how they schedule games in the future; while the Crimson Tide has repeatedly played high-profile season openers in Atlanta, it no longer will do so after 2021 with home-and-home series instead scheduled through 2033 against teams such as Texas, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Oklahoma.

Another traditional powerhouse, the University of Texas, is doing the same thing for its future with home-and-home series against Michigan, Ohio State, Florida and Georgia. The reason is simple: Texas Athletic Director Chris Del Conte told CBS Sports that when the Longhorns hosted LSU in the 2019 season in front of more than 110,000 fans, the school made $2.5 million in concession revenue alone.

“A live game at home, [against a] quality opponent, you’re battling the couch. You’re battling the cost. You’re battling travel [to the game],” said Del Conte. “You’re battling students [who say], ‘I’m going to leave at halftime.'”

Will that remain the case this fall when fans are given the first chance to attend games in more than a year? Or will the pre-pandemic trends continue in the new normal? That will be one of the more intriguing parts of sports events going forward, especially with college football looming in the fall.

Thursday, May 27

BASEBALL: MLB Teams Make Vaccine Progress as More Stadiums Open to Full Capacity

More than perhaps any other professional sport, Major League Baseball has made the biggest strides in getting players, coaches and staff members vaccinated as spring turns to summer and more teams prepare to open their stadiums to full capacity.

MLB’s most recent announcement about its testing results revealed five new positive tests — a 0.05 percent positivity rate among the league for the round of testing and 0.035 percent for the year. In addition, MLB and the MLB Players Association announced that 14 clubs have reached the threshold of 85 percent or more of their Tier 1 Individuals being considered fully vaccinated, which will allow for the relaxation of certain health and safety protocols for those individuals.

It also said that two more clubs will reach the threshold by Memorial Day and put the total number of Tier 1 individuals in the sport who are fully vaccinated at 78.8 percent, with 84.4 percent being partially or fully vaccinated. And while more teams are hitting the threshold of having certain protocols released, it mirrors a broader trend for baseball fans; the number of stadiums that will be at 100 percent capacity by July 4 is close to 20, with several going to full capacity much sooner.

The number of stadiums that will be at 100 percent capacity by July 4 is close to 20, with several going to full capacity much sooner.

Still, there are moments where the league and sports in general are reminded that the pandemic is not over. The New York Yankees had eight positive tests earlier this month after the league reported at least 85 percent of their Tier 1 individuals were fully vaccinated. Even then, there were public health experts that said the outbreak showed the importance of vaccination.

Emory University Sports Epidemiologist Zachary Binney said on Twitter if there are approximately 50 people in the Yankees’ travel group, “It may be nothing short of a vaccine miracle there were *only* 8 cases!” given the amount of time that teams spend indoors in enclosed settings such as the clubhouse and dugout, let alone when traveling on extended road swings.

The Washington Post also reported that according to the CDC, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine the Yankees received “was 66.3 percent effective in clinical trials at preventing laboratory-confirmed covid-19 illness” while a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine found the J&J vaccine becomes more effective after four weeks than two.

One team that definitely is not at 85 percent vaccinated is the Chicago Cubs and that has left one of its top executives unhappy. Cubs President Jed Hoyer told ESPN last week that “it’s disappointing to not be at 85 percent as a team. We’ve worked hard to try and convince or educate the people that have been reluctant. We’re at a place right now — I’m not going to give up hope we’re going to get there — my level of optimism is waning.”

When a team hits the threshold, some of the restrictions that are waived include the elimination of mask-wearing and the ability to use shared spaces in clubhouses, plus indoor and outdoor dining. Players who are close contacts won’t have to sit out games as they await contact tracing should a teammate test positive — which is why the Yankees were able to continue playing without having any games postponed.

“There’s a competitive advantage we’re going to miss,” Hoyer said. “Being transparent about it, we’re not a player away from being at 85 percent. It’s a disappointing thing that we’ll have anxieties and restrictions that others don’t.”

Wednesday, May 26

OLYMPICS: Medical Journal Questions Tokyo 2020 COVID-19 Countermeasures

Pressure continues to mount on Tokyo 2020 and the International Olympic Committee, both of which are proceeding ahead with planning for the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer despite growing criticism on several fronts.

On Wednesday, Japan’s Asahi Shimbum newspaper called for the event to be canceled, marking the largest media outlet in the county to call for a stop to the Games. It is the first major newspaper in the country to call for the Games to be canceled. Adding to the significance of the editorial is that Asahi Shimbum is one of about 70 local sponsors of the event.

“We cannot think it’s rational to host the Olympics in the city this summer,” the newspaper wrote. “Distrust and backlash against the reckless national government, Tokyo government and stakeholders in the Olympics are nothing but escalating. We demand Prime Minister Suga to calmly evaluate the circumstances and decide the cancellation of the summer event.”

The editorial comes as the IOC has been tasked with defending its plans on a near daily basis as opposition grows in its host country, where COVID-19 cases are on the rise. A recent online petition calling for the cancellation of the event has now been signed by nearly 400,000 Japanese citizens.

As recently as Friday, IOC Vice President John Coates said “the answer is absolutely yes” that the Games would take place even if Tokyo remains under a state of emergency that could be extended to the footprint of the event.

Organizers also received another rebuke in the medical community this week, with the New England Journal of Medicine calling the IOC’s COVID-19 “playbooks” inadequate in their mitigation approach. The IOC has published several playbooks for each stakeholder group, including athletes, coaches, international federations and media, that govern their activities on site and details the plans for testing for potential COVID-19 infections. A third and final version of those playbooks is expected to be published in June. Among the measures outlined in the playbook is the need for anyone traveling to Japan to receive two negative tests with 96 hours of departure, and submit themselves to testing upon arrival in Tokyo and again on a near daily basis during their stay in the country.

But in the piece published in the medical journal, researchers said the published measures so far do not go far enough to prevent the spread of the virus. The article noted that when the IOC postponed the Tokyo Olympics in March 2020, Japan had 865 active cases of COVID-19 while the number of cases known worldwide was 385,000. Today, Japan has more than 17,000 cases with more than 19 million registered globally.

“We believe the IOC’s determination to proceed with the Olympic Games is not informed by the best scientific evidence,” the authors stated. “The playbooks maintain that athletes participate at their own risk, while failing both to distinguish the various levels of risk faced by athletes and to recognize the limitations of measures such as temperature screenings and face coverings. Similarly, the IOC has not heeded lessons from other large sporting events. Many U.S.-based professional leagues, including the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, and the Women’s National Basketball Association, conducted successful seasons, but their protocols were rigorous and informed by an understanding of airborne transmission, asymptomatic spread, and the definition of close contacts. Preventive measures, adapted amid continuous expert review, included single hotel rooms for athletes, at least daily testing, and wearable technology for monitoring contacts, supported by rigorous contact tracing.”

The New England Journal of Medicine has published a piece that questions the COVID-19 countermeasures planned by Tokyo 2020.

The playbooks, the piece continued, should distinguish between riskier events, which include indoor events where air circulation could be compromised. The documents, authors said, should also address differences among venues, including noncompetition spaces such as smaller, enclosed spaces where many athletes congregate, including stadiums, buses, cafeterias and hotels.

While IOC officials have defended the playbooks, on Wednesday, Tokyo 2020 announced that it would host an “expert roundtable” on Friday to dive into the proposed COVID-19 countermeasures planned for the Games. Details on who would be involved in the roundtable were not released, but Tokyo 2020 said the discussion “will be hosted in order to obtain guidance on specific measures that can be implemented in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the Tokyo 2020 Games and allow these to be held safely and securely.”

Tuesday, May 25

OLYMPICS: CDC Issues Travel Warning for Americans Going to Japan as Games Approach

A few days after the International Olympic Committee made it clear that the rescheduled Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games will be held in Tokyo, the United States State Department and federal health officials warned Americans against traveling to Japan because of a recent COVID-19 surge in the country.

“Travelers should avoid all travel to Japan,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. “Because of the current situation in Japan even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants and should avoid all travel to Japan.”

The State Department’s warning was blunt: “Do not travel to Japan due to COVID-19,” it said in the announcement.

The alerts do not ban U.S. citizens from visiting Japan. Tokyo organizers had already announced that foreign fans would not be allowed at the event but there would still be hundreds of athletes, coaches and support staff that would be traveling this summer along with media.

“We feel confident that the current mitigation practices in place for athletes and staff by both the USOPC and the Tokyo Organizing Committee, coupled with the testing before travel, on arrival in Japan, and during Games time, will allow for safe participation of Team USA athletes this summer,” the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a statement Monday.

Japan has put Tokyo, Osaka and several other areas under a state of emergency until May 31 that is likely to be extended. Only up to 4 percent of Japan’s population has been vaccinated; Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has pledged to finish vaccinating the country’s 36 million older people by the end of July. Japan mobilized military doctors and nurses to give shots to older adults in Tokyo and Osaka on Monday.

WRESTLING: WWE Going Back on the Road

World Wrestling Entertainment is going back on the road after spending most of the past year holding its events at the empty WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

The promotion will start a 25-city tour in July with three shows in Texas, starting July 16 at Houston’s Toyota Center before going to Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 18 and then American Airlines Center in Dallas on July 19. Dates and venues beyond July 19 will be announced at later dates.

WWE has been holding its weekly TV and monthly pay-per-view events in Orlando for more than a year before starting the ThunderDome last August, placing nearly 1,000 LED boards inside Orlando’s Amway Center to allow fans to attend events virtually. The ThunderDome featured large LED screens as well as pyrotechnics, lasers, graphics, and drone cameras; it moved to Tampa’s Yuengling Center in April.

WWE hosted fans for the first time in over a year at WrestleMania 37 in April, held in front of a restricted number of fans — 25,675 fans each night — during a two-night stint at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Preseason Tournaments Returning

After a season in which nearly each annual college basketball preseason tournament was canceled by the pandemic, ESPN Events has announced a full slate of participating teams for six of its 11 events — all of which will return for the 2021–2022 season.

The Charleston Classic, Myrtle Beach Invitational, NIT Season Tip-Off, ESPN Events Invitational (formerly Orlando Invitational), Paycom Wooden Legacy and Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic had their fields announced. Participating teams for ESPN’s other events — Armed Forces Classic, Jimmy V Men’s and Women’s Classic and PKI — will be announced in the coming weeks. One of the tournaments also announced a new title sponsor with Shriners Hospitals for Children signing a four-year agreement with the Charleston Classic.

“We are excited to welcome Shriners Hospitals for Children into our ESPN Events family,” said Clint Overby, vice president of ESPN Events. “This title sponsorship will provide many opportunities to highlight and support this incredible organization during tournament week both in Charleston and during game telecasts. We look forward to highlighting and supporting their work, as well as welcoming student-athletes, coaches and fans back to Charleston for this wonderful event.”

Monday, May 24

Scenes at PGA, Madison Square Garden Make Sports Feels Normal Again

Within the shock that was Phil Mickelson’s stunning PGA Championship win on Sunday at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, was the scene at the 18th green — and, in many ways, the long-ago normalcy of the scene.

As Mickelson clinched his sixth major title and became the oldest winner of a major ever at the age of 50, his final putts were with the gallery surrounding the green, the type of goosebumps moment for those watching on television that no digital renderings of fans or artificial noise can ever equal.

/Verne voice: "OH MY!" pic.twitter.com/sDAs6ZxCzt— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) May 23, 2021

“I don’t think I’ve ever had an experience like that, so thank you for that,” Mickelson said at the trophy ceremony. “Slightly unnerving, but exceptionally awesome.”

While the sight of a crowd surrounding the green at the 72nd hole of a major is tradition at the British Open, it’s not typically seen at majors held in the United States. But given the sheer surprise that was Mickelson’s win and the seemingly pent-up excitement at being in person at sports again, security allowed the crowd on the court as thousands — the PGA of America said it limited tickets to 10,000 — turned one of the more staid atmospheres in sports into a giant screaming, glorious mass of humanity.

Right around the time that the PGA Championship was finishing, the New York Knicks tipped off their NBA Playoffs first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks in the first playoff game at Madison Square Garden since 2013. In part because of New York’s Excelsior Pass that those vaccinated in the state can download as proof of vaccination, the Knicks were able to have 15,000 fans at the game with section capacity determined by vaccinated or non-vaccinated status of attendees.

Vaccinated section vs Unvaccinated section. A lot more fun being vaccinated pic.twitter.com/5LUDsCtKIM— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) May 23, 2021

Game 1 went to the Hawks on a late basket by Trae Young, but the real winner seemed to be the atmosphere that has started to return to sporting events as more fans become vaccinated. What was 15,000 seemed sometimes to sound like 150,000 on television because it has been so long to hear the interaction between those performing and those watching.

And with the NHL increasing fans in many of its venues and the NBA doing the same — 10 of the 16 teams in the postseason will have more than 10,000 on hand — plus nearly a dozen Major League Baseball teams planning to have 100 percent capacity by the fourth of July, each day feels more normal than it has in a very long time.

TENNIS: Indian Wells Returns in Fall

The biggest non-Grand Slam event of the tennis year is returning to the calendar in the fall after more than a year off.

The BNP Paribas Open, which when cancelled in 2020 was one of the first events disrupted by the pandemic, will be held in October 2021, the ATP and WTA Tours announced on Friday. The exact dates have not been announced because both tours still have to finish the final quarter of its respective calendars.

The tournament in the California desert intends to allow fans at the event. Indian Wells Tennis Garden is in Riverside County, California, which is currently restricting outdoor events to 10 percent of capacity for venues of more than 1,500 capacity or 35 percent if everyone has proof of full vaccination.

“We are ecstatic to have the opportunity to hold the BNP Paribas Open in October and bring professional tennis back to the desert,” Tournament Director Tommy Haas said on Friday. “We have never wavered in our desire to create an unforgettable experience this fall in Tennis Paradise for our fans, players and sponsors.”

Moving the tournament to the fall will set up for an expanded United States swing for both tours for tennis fans to enjoy. A tournament in Atlanta will start at the same time as the Olympic Games for those who do not qualify for Tokyo; after that will be events scheduled for Canada that may move to the U.S., then ATP tournaments in Ohio and North Carolina before the U.S. Open starts in New York on August 30. The WTA Tour, for its part, will have U.S. Open warmup events in Charleston, South Carolina; Cincinnati, Chicago and Cleveland.

The Paribas Open will not be the only event coming to Indian Wells; World TeamTennis, which held its 2020 season at West Virginia’s Greenbrier Resort, will hold its 2021 season at Indian Wells starting November 13, bringing five teams to the venue for a two-week season with 31 matches over 16 days.

“We are extremely excited to announce that we are hosting our 2021 season at the greatest tennis destination site in the world,” said WTT Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Eric Davidson. “The state-of-the-art facility, world class players, incredible weather and destination location will make the 2021 season one of the most enjoyable yet for our fans.”

World TeamTennis is holding the season in November to try and make sure it can have as many fans as possible attend instead of its traditional July dates. Four of the league’s nine teams will not participate in the season — Philadelphia, Vegas, Orlando and Washington — but they are anticipated to return in 2022. The teams that are committed to attend are New York, Springfield, Orange County, San Diego and Chicago.

Friday, May 21

Olympics: IOC Organizers Continue Olympic Planning in Face of Intense Criticism

In a week that has seen 83 percent of polled Japanese citizens oppose the Olympic Summer Games and the 6,000-member Tokyo Medical Practitioners’ Association call for the Games to be canceled, one of the International Olympic Committee’s most senior members sent the clearest possible message on Thursday: The Games will go on, no matter what.

“Our objective throughout has been to organize safe and secure Olympic Games, and we are working in close partnership with our Japanese colleagues to deliver this goal,” said IOC member John Coates of Australia in an open letter posted on the organization’s website. “… These have been difficult times for all of us since the start of the pandemic, and this summer the eyes of the world will be on us and on Japan. We have an obligation, as the Olympic Movement, to all of those involved to do our utmost to make these Games safe and secure, so that these Olympic and Paralympic Games can indeed be the light at the end of the tunnel.”

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach delivers an opening speech at a meeting of the IOC Coordination Commission for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Tokyo on May 19, 2021, while Tokyo 2020 Olympics organizing committee President Seiko Hashimoto listens. Bach, Hashimoto, Japanese Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa and Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike attended a three-day meeting. (Yoshikazu Tsuno/Pool Photo via AP)

Coates reiterated those comments during a press conference on Friday morning, saying the Games will go on regardless of the local health authorities’ recommendations.

“The advice we have from the WHO [World Health Organization], and all other scientific and medical advice that we have, is that — all the measures we have outlined, all of those measures that we are undertaking, are satisfactory and will ensure a safe and secure Games in terms of health,” Coates said. “And that’s the case whether there is a state of emergency or not.”

The Olympics are to open on July 23 and canceling them after last year’s postponement would be a financial catastrophe for the IOC, which derives about 75 percent of its income from television rights and another 18 percent from sponsorship. A majority of the television revenue comes from broadcasters that will not give their final payment to the IOC until the Olympic and Paralympic Games are completed.

Coates’ letter is the latest in a string of confident remarks he has made about the status of this year’s rescheduled Games. Two weeks ago after the Australian Olympic Committee’s annual general meeting in Sydney, he told reporters “absolutely it’s going ahead. … I don’t want these kids to miss the one opportunity they have in their lifetime. We’re doing it so these kids can fulfill their dreams.”

Coates said he would arrive in Tokyo on June 15 to oversee final preparations for the Games as chair of the IOC’s coordination commission and that IOC President Thomas Bach will arrive 11 days before the Opening Ceremony. Between comments in the letter from multiple authorities in Japan and worldwide health officials, Coates’ letter ends in part “we see that we are on the right footing for delivery and enjoy the full cooperation of our Japanese partners and friends.”

In its own letter addressed to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa and Seiko Hashimoto, the head of Tokyo’s organizing committee, the Tokyo Medical Practitioners’ Association said “we believe the correct choice is to the cancel an event that has the possibility of increasing the numbers of infected people and deaths.” The TMPA also said further cases that come with the Games being held would put the country’s medical system under excessive stress; Tokyo organizers have said about 10,000 medical personnel will be needed during the Olympics and have also asked for 500 extra nurses, but multiple prefectures surrounding Tokyo have said they will not give priority to treating Olympic athletes.

Bach said Wednesday at the start of three virtual days of meetings between the IOC and local organizers that the IOC would work with various Olympic committees to have added medical personnel available to help out. The meetings are virtual because of a state of emergency in Japan that still exists, which forced Bach to cancel a trip to the country earlier this month.

“For obvious reasons we cannot give them (athletes) every detail yet, but the most important principle is very clear: the Olympic Village is a safe place and the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be organized in a safe way,” Bach said, adding that Tokyo has recently held some Olympic test events without COVID spreading throughout those in attendance. Coates’ letter said that more than 700 athletes and 6,000 related staff have participated in four test events between volleyball, diving, marathon and athletics.

Hashimoto added on Friday that the number of “stakeholders” coming to Japan from abroad had been reduced to about 80,000, with a majority of those — 59,000 — being ‘stakeholders’ along with 23,000 from the Olympic family and international federations. An added 17,000 would involve television rights holders and 6,000 other media workers.

While foreign fans have already been banned from attending, Games organizers have not yet said if local fans can attend. In a survey by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper released Monday, 83 percent of those polled said they did not want Tokyo to hold the Games, up 14 percentage points from April.

Tokyo’s vaccination progress has been slow with 4 percent of the population having gotten one or more vaccine doses; a Japanese health ministry drug safety panel on Thursday gave preliminary approval to vaccines developed by Moderna and AstraZeneca ahead of an expansion next week of the country’s immunization program. While Suga has pledged to finish vaccinating the country’s roughly 36 million elderly population by the end of July, a survey of 1,741 municipalities released last week found around 15 percent will not be able to meet the deadline.

In addition to Coates’ comments Thursday, another widely respected member of the international sports community has added his support to the Games being held.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe told CNN Sport this week that “should we have the Games? Yes, we should. Can we have them safely and secure? I believe we can,” adding the restrictions that will be in place for those competing would ensure a safe staging of the event.

“For the athletes, it’s going to be a sterile experience,” Coe said. “I think we have to accept that. Their day will almost certainly be village to venue, venue back to village and maybe training tracks in between.”

Thursday, May 20

Leagues, Teams and Venues Using Incentives to Entice Fans To Get Vaccinated

No matter the level of competition or the venue being outdoors or indoors, more and more fans are returning to sporting events with each day. Capacities for indoor events are increasing and after the recent CDC guidance on easing mask-wearing regulations for fully vaccinated people, it is not out of the question that you will see every Major League Baseball team have 100 percent capacity by the end of this summer — if not sooner, with more than 10 teams planning to have sellout crowds by mid-June at the latest.

A large factor in the return of crowds to live sports events has been the increasing rates of vaccinated individuals in various markets throughout the country. And sports teams and venues, knowing that the higher the rate of vaccinated individuals in their markets equals the more people they can have at games safely, have been increasingly launching their own vaccination incentive programs.

At this point, it may be a shorter list for those pro teams that have not started an incentive program and more a case of which teams are trying to come up with the best incentives. A sampling of them range from the Cincinnati Reds offering $10 tickets for fans who show their COVID-19 vaccination card to the Milwaukee Brewers announcing on Wednesday that fans who get their shots at a pair of pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinics at American Family Field next week will receive two free tickets to that day’s game on either May 26 or May 27.

The National Football League, which has 21 teams offer vaccines at their stadiums this year with more than 3 million doses administered, are offering discounts at their online store and drawings for free tickets to Super Bowl LVI in February 2022 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Major League Soccer has announced that fans who come to games with proof of vaccination will get 30 percent off in-stadium merchandise purchases.

One of the most ingenious ideas by a venue was at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. The track, along with the Alabama National Guard, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC Foundation and the Alabama Department of Public Health, held a free clinic on May 15 at the track where people ages 16 and older with a valid driver’s license who chose to be tested and or vaccinated were then allowed to take two laps behind a pace car at highway speed along the famous race venue, including its 33-degree-high banked turns.

The vaccination incentives go beyond fans. Leagues that have collective bargaining agreements with players are including incentives in many of their health and safety protocols to have players become vaccinated since, because of the various CBAs in leagues, any mandatory measures cannot be taken. While the NFL cannot mandate players get the vaccine, it has put forth mandates for many team employees who would ordinarily be around players on a regular basis again once the season starts in the fall. And much like the NBA, NHL and MLS, the NFL has let players know that the higher percentage of players on a given team that become vaccinated, that would mean modifying the ordinarily strict health and safety protocols.

The NFL, in fact, let clubs know that fully vaccinated players and tiered staff members will no longer have to wear masks at club facilities. The league already told teams and the players union in April that fully vaccinated individuals would only be required to test on a weekly basis rather than daily.

The vaccination incentives extend to college as well. The latest school to add an incentive was the University of Maryland, which told faculty and staff members that they will get two free tickets to a select home football game this fall if they have at least one round of their vaccine by June 30 as part of a campus-wide effort to encourage campus community vaccination.

“As we look forward to the safe return of students, faculty, and staff at Maryland, getting vaccinated is a critical step in a return to normalcy here on campus,” said Athletic Director Damon Evans.

A growing number of venues are asking visitors to prove they’ve gotten shots by displaying some sort of “vaccine passport,” which has led to a different debate. Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, and Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, require digital vaccine verifications through an app called Health Pass from technology company Clear. A third of NBA teams were using Health Pass for fan screenings as of April 7, the league told NBC News.

But other states including Utah, Texas, Florida and Montana have banned vaccine passports outright. Governor Greg Gianforte of Montana has said vaccines are “entirely voluntary and will not be mandated by the State of Montana, nor compelled through vaccine passports, vaccine passes, or other compulsory means. We are committed to protecting individual liberty and personal privacy.”

In New Orleans, meanwhile, community leaders are hoping that the Superdome will be at full capacity for Saints games but also admit that it depends on the percentage of those who are vaccinated and therefore put the region close to herd immunity.

Superdome Commission Chairman Kyle France told local TV station WWLTV recently that “hopefully the people in Louisiana continue to get vaccinated and our numbers will pick up and we’ll be able to go to a Saints game at full capacity,” also admitting fans may have to show proof of vaccination to enter the dome “so that we don’t get a COVID spread. That’s very, very important.”

The Saints, when asked for comment by the station, said the team will not require vaccinations to attend games but the decision regarding vaccine requirements at home games rests with the Superdome Commission.

Wednesday, May 19

NBA: As Playoffs Return, So Do Thousands of Fans in Arenas

When the NBA season started, there were less than a half-dozen teams allowing fans, with giant sponsor tarps covering up empty seats and atmosphere, such as it was, piped in through the loudspeakers.

But as the NBA’s Play-In Tournament started on Tuesday with a pair of Eastern Conference games, the league has had more fans in person than ever this season. When the Indiana Pacers beat the Charlotte Hornets, Bankers Life Fieldhouse was at 25 percent capacity; the TD Garden had 12 percent capacity when the Boston Celtics beat the Washington Wizards.

And tonight in the Western Conference games, the marquee matchup between Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors and LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers will have 30 percent capacity at the Staples Center; the Memphis Grizzlies will have 20 percent capacity when it hosts the San Antonio Spurs in Wednesday’s other game.

The shift in how indoor sports attendance has changed over the past few months from the start of the NBA season to now is showcased in some of the capacities for playoff games. The Utah Jazz have been one of the teams with the most aggressive attendance policies all season, starting with 1,500 fans in the preseason and increasing that three more times in-season until there were 6,700 fans in attendance; the team will have 71 percent capacity at Vivint Smart Home Arena in the playoffs, which means almost 13,000 fans — by far the most of any West playoff team.

The Jazz are the only team in the Western Conference that will have more than half of its capacity filled for the playoffs; the Dallas Mavericks are at 47 percent at American Airlines Center while the Denver Nuggets are at 40 percent at Ball Arena. But five of the 10 teams in the West who qualified for the postseason are at 20 percent capacity or less.

In the Eastern Conference, the Charlotte Hornets were eliminated in one of the Tuesday’s play-in games, meaning that it would not have a home game in the first round — therefore missing out on having 60 percent capacity. Instead, the largest crowds by capacity will be the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks, both of which will have 50 percent at its arenas.

“We are thrilled by the city’s decision to increase capacity to 50 percent in time for the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs,” said Sixers President Chris Heck. “Our fans have created the most passionate and intense atmosphere in the NBA and that gives us the type of home-court advantage our players can feed off in the postseason. We hope this is only the beginning and look forward to welcoming back even more fans throughout the playoffs.”

The Atlanta Hawks will have 45 percent — in a market that has allowed fans most of the season — while the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, who waited months to welcome back fans, will have 30 percent capacity at Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center — with a catch. On Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that at least half of seating at both Knicks and Nets playoff games will be for vaccinated people — and fans in unvaccinated sections will have to continue obeying social distancing and masking guidelines.

Individuals seated in the vaccinated sections will have to show proof of full COVID-19 immunization status, which can be provided through paper form, digital application or New York State’s Excelsior Pass. But after Cuomo released guidelines for the playoffs, Knicks Owner James Dolan said he hopes for at least 13,000 fans at the Garden for his team’s first-round series against the Hawks starting with Games 1 and 2, the first time the Knicks have had a playoff game at home since the 2013 Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Knicks and Nets had been operating at 10 percent capacity in the regular season.

“All of those fans for Knicks playoff games are going to be loud, they’re going to be passionate and they’re going to be ready,” Dolan said. “The Garden is going to rock.”

Tuesday, May 18

New York, New York: Marathon’s Return is Another Positive Sign

In another positive sign for the return of mass participation events, New York Road Runners has announced that it will host the TCS New York City Marathon in 2021. While the field will be relatively modest by New York City Marathon standards — 33,000 runners will be allowed entry — the mere presence of the race after a forced year off is another welcome boost for the industry.

The 2021 race, which will be staged November 7, will mark the 50th running of the race. In 2019, the last time the race was held, 53,627 runners finished — the largest marathon ever staged.

Runners take part in the New York City Marathon in 2019, the largest marathon ever staged. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File)

“This will be an unprecedented and historic year for the TCS New York City Marathon as one of the most iconic New York sporting events makes its return,” said Ted Metellus, race director for TCS New York City Marathon. “As we stage a safe and memorable race for the 50th running, this year’s marathon will showcase our great city’s strength, inspiration, and determination.”

The size of the field was determined after discussions with the office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City officials.

“In2019, the New York City marathon broke records to become the world’s largest marathon ever,” Cuomo said. “While canceling the race was the right choice in 2020, we are excited to welcome runners back to our beautiful city. New Yorkers worked hard to flatten the curve after the COVID-19 outbreak and it is that work that allows us to be able to take this step in bringing normalcy back to our state.”

Runners who registered for last year’s race were given the option to receive a full refund of their entry fee or a guaranteed complimentary entry for the 2021, 2022 or 2023 race. This year’s race will accommodate all runners who chose to run in 2021. Among the more than 30,000 runners who were registered prior to last year’s cancellation, 54 percent chose to run in 2021.

Runners traveling to New York will be expected to adhere to federal, state, and local guidelines including pre-travel testing and quarantine requirements. NYRR’s guidelines will include social distancing, elimination of touchpoints, enhanced health and safety protocols, and testing and tracing. Runners will have to provide a negative COVID-19 test result or proof of a complete vaccination series prior to running.

To establish social distancing at the marathon and reduce density at the start and finish, organizers intend to have a controllable and scalable time-trial start format instead of single mass gathering starts.

The return of the New York City Marathon means that the nation’s largest marathons are all expected to be staged in 2021, even if still not in their traditional timeframes. The Boston Marathon, normally in April, will be run October 11. The Chicago Marathon will be run the day before, on October 10. The Los Angeles Marathon, which was postponed in March and again in May, will be also be staged November 7, the same day as the New York race.

Running USA recently released a white paper outlining how mass participation races can plot their returns. Among the precautions advised in the document are extra care around gathering points, including starting and finishing areas.

Monday, May 17

Despite Barrage of Criticism, IOC and Tokyo Olympic Organizers Resolute About Games

Not since the 2004 Olympic Summer Games were in Athens, Greece — with preparations still happening seemingly until the start of the Opening Ceremony — has the International Olympic Committee endured as rough a run-up to their event as for the upcoming Games in Tokyo.

Japan is facing a surge in COVID-19 infections and a state of emergency still exists in the country. Japan on Friday expanded the state of emergency from six areas, including Tokyo, to nine, as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga repeated his determination to hold the Games after it was postponed last year.

Organizers and the IOC insist the Games will be held safely, isolating 15,400 Olympic and Paralympic athletes in a “bubble” and testing them daily. But criticism has also been targeted at athletes on social media, trying to get them to withdraw from the event.

“I personally can’t stand that the criticism and calls to cancel or boycott the Olympics are being aimed at the athletes themselves,” said Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee President Seiko Hashimoto last week. “It strengthens my resolve to ensure we have the proper measures in place to make the Olympics safe for athletes.”

Polling in Japan also shows a wide majority of people want the Games to be called off. Most of the opposition seems to stem from the spiraling costs — at least $15 billion of mostly taxpayer money, although some estimates suggest it could be higher.

For its part, the International Olympic Committee has downplayed the public opinion polls, with IOC Spokesperson Mark Adams insisting last week “we listen but won’t be guided by public opinion. Everything is telling us that the Games can go ahead and will go ahead,” adding that the IOC and Games organizers have private polling numbers that show there is not the degree of negativity toward the event.

But in a show of the state of things in Tokyo, Adams was talking at the press conference last week because IOC President Thomas Bach was not able to enter the country because of the state of emergency.

Countries that will be sending athletes to Tokyo are already adjusting. USA Weightlifting is having its pre-Olympic camp in Hawaii and the U.S. track and field team has cancelled its training camp in Chiba, the prefecture next to Tokyo, “out of concerns for their athletes’ safety,” reported Reuters.

“With the uncertainty surrounding competitions in 2020 and 2021, USATF provided domestic competitive opportunities … and encouraged Team USATF athletes to stay in the U.S. and train,” USA Track & Field confirmed in a statement to Agence France-Presse.

The insistence on holding the Games has started to run into resistance in parts of Japan. The governor of Chiba Prefecture said Thursday he has no plan to allocate hospital beds for Olympic athletes who become COVID-positive, joining the governor of Ibaraki Prefecture in rejecting requests from the Tokyo Olympic organizers.

A lot of the opposition to the Games also seems to come from Japan’s slow pace of vaccination. Suga has pledged to have all eligible people vaccinated by the end of September, making “herd immunity” impossible before the Games. The slow start was because Japan requested domestic clinical trials in addition to Pfizer Inc.’s testing in other countries since people in Japan are often skeptical about foreign-made drugs, especially vaccines, and officials say they needed to thoroughly address safety concerns.

AUTO RACING: NHRA Adjusts Schedule

The NHRA has canceled its Flav-R-Pac Northwest Nationals at Kent, Washington, near Seattle because the state’s guidelines for 50 percent capacity at outdoor sporting events. The series and host venue Pacific Raceways said limit on fans would not make the event viable financially.

“An event like this requires a lot of advance planning,” said John Ramsey, general manager of Pacific Raceways. “We needed assurance from the state and county that we could run an event of this size without any restrictions, but we were unable to get a guarantee.”

The NHRA will instead hold the previously postponed 61st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at Pomona, California, during the canceled Washington race weekend starting July 30. The event at Ponoma was postponed prior to the start of the season due to California health guidelines.

The NHRA also previously postponed the Virginia Nationals at Richmond, Virginia, which was scheduled for June 4–6.

Friday, May 14

Woe, Canada; NHL still talking over options with Canadian government

While sports at every level throughout the United States have been disrupted, suspended or worse during the COVID-19 pandemic, spare a moment or two and look north of the border to what Canadian sports fans have been through.

The National Hockey League’s successful bubble to complete the 2019–2020 season was held in Toronto and Edmonton, but without fans on hand. This year’s NHL season has featured an all-Canadian division but without fans at a single game and there still remains doubt whether a team will have to relocate to the United States during the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Toronto Raptors have spent their entire season in Tampa, Florida; the Toronto Blue Jays are about to start playing home games in Buffalo, New York, after starting the season at their spring training site in Dunedin, Florida; and Major League Soccer’s three Canadian franchises in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver all finished last season in U.S. locations and have started this season in America as well.

The biggest question will be what happens as spring turns to summer with the NHL playoffs getting underway on Saturday. The North Division will have terrific matchups that start next week; No. 1 Toronto vs. No. 4 Montreal in an Original Six battle that should captivate all of Canada, plus No. 2 Edmonton and superstar Connor McDavid playing No. 3 Winnipeg. The winners of those two series will face off in the second round, just like for the other three divisions within the NHL.

What happens after that round is when things get difficult. The four teams that advance to the Stanley Cup semifinals will be re-seeded based on regular-season points, but the North Division champion may have to move to the U.S. for the semifinal round and potentially a Stanley Cup final. The NHL has asked the Canadian government for an exemption to its border restrictions that would allow the North winner to continue playing at home while its U.S.-based opponent travels in and out of the country without quarantining. But if the request is denied, the North champ will all but assuredly be relocated to one of the NHL’s U.S. cities — and Canadian fans will be stuck watching one of their teams call the United States “home” in another spotlight event.

ESPN reported on Friday that the NHL is seeking an answer from the Canadian government by June 1 on the exemption. Steve Mayer, NHL chief content officer, told ESPN that the NHL and Canadian government spoke last week.

“We’re pretty confident. The conversations have been good ones with them. We’re not there yet, but they haven’t said no,” he said.

Mayer also told ESPN that the NHL has talked with U.S.-based NHL arenas that are home to non-playoff teams about housing a Canadian team.

Not having the NHL playoffs at home this year would be another blow to the Canadian sports scene. The Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal and Canadian Open in Toronto, two of the country’s major annual warm-weather sporting events, have been cancelled two years in a row along with the IndyCar Series’ Honda Indy Toronto race weekend. The women’s world hockey championships, scheduled to be in Nova Scotia, was canceled right as participating teams were about to start their quarantines — with the International Ice Hockey Federation promising to hold the event at another destination later this year.

Canada Basketball announced on Thursday that a senior women’s training camp scheduled to start May 19 will have to be moved to Tampa. The camp was scheduled to be in Edmonton, but COVID regulations have forced the camp to move to where the Raptors have been staying for this season after Canada Basketball worked with the Raptors and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to have access to the team’s temporary training facilities.

“On behalf of Canada Basketball and our Senior Women’s National Team, I’d like to extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation to our partners at the Toronto Raptors for their generous offer to host our team and provide a first-class training environment as we continue to prepare for the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup and ultimately the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” said Glen Grunwald, Canada Basketball president and chief executive officer.

And with Toronto’s NBA and MLB teams south of the border, as well as all three Canadian MLS teams, there could be further additions. Tennis Canada says the National Bank Open, scheduled for August 7–15 and one of the spotlight events leading to the U.S. Open, may have to be moved to the U.S. if they cannot get approval from the local health departments in Montreal, where the women’s tournament is scheduled, and Toronto, where the men’s tournament would be held.

“We remain confident there are still multiple options for our tournaments to be held in Montreal and Toronto this August, such as in broadcast-only or limited-fan models, both of which have already been planned for in detail,” Eugene Lapierre, tournament director of the Montreal event, told The Canadian Press in a statement.

The Canadian Open was canceled last year and Tennis Canada said this week that the events bring in 90 percent of the organization’s revenue each year. A potential relocation spot should the events have to move would be Mason, Ohio, where the Western & Southern Open is held — except for last year, when it was held as part of a doubleheader with the U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York.

BOWLING: PGA Tour Finals to Have Fans

The PBA Tour Finals at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan, will have fans on hand for the first time this season.

The bowling center will have 300 fans on hand at Thunderbowl Arena Bay while following health and safety protocols to protect the safety of the PBA players and staff. All ticketholders will be required to wear a face covering at all times except while actively eating or drinking in their ticketed area.

The finals are June 26–27 and will air live on CBS Sports Network. It will be the first PBA Tour event with fans in attendance since March 2020.

Thursday, May 13

FOOTBALL: NFL Brings New Stars to London as 2021 Schedule is Released

London is calling for the National Football League this season after a COVID-enforced year away.

As part of Wednesday’s NFL schedule release, the league announced its return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the Atlanta Falcons hosting the New York Jets on October 10 and the Jacksonville Jaguars hosting the Miami Dolphins on October 17. The NFL did not play any international games last season because of the coronavirus pandemic, moving four games scheduled for London and one for Mexico City back to NFL stadiums.

“We have been working closely with the UK government, the city of London and the relevant health organizations over the past year in planning the games. Through their successful vaccine rollout and commitment to bringing crowds back to sports events, the time is right for the return of NFL football this fall,” said Christopher Halpin, the NFL’s executive vice president and chief strategy and growth officer. “We will continue to monitor the COVID environment, putting health and safety first, and will adhere to any and all future COVID regulations and restrictions.”

This year’s game will be the Jaguars’ eighth game in London; it will be the fifth trip for the Dolphins and the second apiece for the Jets and Falcons. The NFL started playing games in London in 2007 and played at least one game there every season until last year. While the NFL played in Mexico City each year from 2016–2019, it does not have a game there this season. But with the expansion of the regular season to 17 games starting this fall, up to four neutral-site games will be scheduled starting in 2022 with the initial focus on resuming games in Mexico and continuing its presence London plus potentially games in Canada, Europe and South America.

One way to look at the NFL’s decision on which games to have in London can also be viewed as the league trying to hook new fans with some of the league’s freshest faces. The games will feature four of the top six picks in the recent NFL Draft between Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence at No. 1, the Jets’ Zach Wilson at No. 2, Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts at No. 4 and Miami’s Jaylen Waddle at No. 6. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium’s capacity is 62,303; only Chicago’s Soldier Field has a smaller capacity.

The league’s total attendance was approximately 1.2 million in 2020, down from 17 million the year before. With expectations higher than ever to have full stadiums, the league is pulling out all the stops for its opening week to create even more demand than what has already been pent up for more than a year within NFL fans, starting with the season opener on September 9 when the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Tom Brady host the Dallas Cowboys.

The NFL will also on Week 1 spotlight new stadiums that last year were open but without fans in attendance; the Sunday night opener is the Los Angeles Rams hosting the Chicago Bears and the Monday night game will be the Las Vegas Raiders hosting the Baltimore Ravens at Allegiant Stadium — where tickets for the opener are already going for more than $1,600 apiece on resale sites. The league will also hook fans with Week 1 matchups such as Sam Darnold’s first game with the Carolina Panthers being against his former team, the Jets, while the Green Bay Packers and (maybe) quarterback Aaron Rodgers playing at the New Orleans Saints, who will have a new quarterback after Drew Brees’ retirement.

While it is not official that the NFL will have full capacity at every game, there is only momentum growing toward that point with the amount of vaccinated people in the United States increasing each day. No teams played in front of full-capacity crowds last season but as far back as March, Commissioner Roger Goodell was saying “we expect to have full stadiums in the 2021 season.” The league is offering vaccines at 21 of its stadiums with more than 3 million doses administered so far and is holding a drawing where vaccinated fans can win tickets to Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Of the 32 NFL teams so far, none has said anything other than promising news toward having full capacity. Some are in states where restrictions have already been lifted such as Florida and Georgia, while places that did not have fans all season such as MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, home for the Jets and Giants, have received positive responses at this point. There are going to be caveats across the country, of course, such as Buffalo, New York, where Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has said Bills fans will need proof of vaccination to attend games this fall.

With an expanded schedule this year, the regular season will not end until January 9 and Super Bowl LVI will be played February 13, the latest in a calendar year that the NFL has ever finished its season.

TENNIS: French Open Player Protocols Detailed

The French Open, tennis’ clay-court Grand Slam that has been delayed one week after France went into a national lockdown, will allow players one hour each day to be outside of their controlled environments, the tournament organizers announced.

Tournament Director Guy Forget said “our goal is not to put them in a necklace and attach them to their hotel or to the Roland Garros stadium,” and that players are aware of the restrictions. Doing activities such as jogging will be allowed.

Forget said players will go to their hotel upon arrival in Paris and be tested for COVID. Players will then have PCR tests every four days and stay in two Paris hotels with access to restaurants and fitness rooms. Players will not be allowed at Roland Garros on the days they are not scheduled to play.

Scheduled to start on May 23, the French Open will instead start May 30, which will allow organizers to welcome more fans since nationwide restrictions enforced in France are set to ease before and during the tournament. Up to 5,388 spectators could be allowed every day from May 30 through June 8 if conditions continue to improve in France with capacity rising to a maximum of 13,146 spectators on June 9 and 10 for the women’s and men’s finals.

In total, organizers will be selling 118,611 tickets compared to 15,000 last year when the tournament was delayed to September. A night session will be introduced for 10 days thanks to a retractable roof on center court with floodlights — but those matches will be held without fans because of the night curfew at 9 p.m.

Wednesday, May 12

Capacity Limits Force USA Gymnastics to Change Trials Venue

Concerned over the capacity restrictions at the smaller Enterprise Center, USA Gymnastics has announced it will move the location of its upcoming Olympic Team Trials to The Dome at America’s Center, where an estimated 10,000 people per session are expected to be allowed.

The trials had been scheduled for the arena that is home to the St. Louis Blues for the competition that will be staged June 24–27. The move to the dome, which used to be home to the NFL’s St. Louis Rams, will also allow the event to coincide with the USA Gymnastics Championships, and the National Congress and Trade Show.

The USA Gymnastics Championships serves as the annual national championships for the acrobatic, rhythmic, and trampoline and tumbling disciplines, as well as the final Olympic selection event for rhythmic and trampoline in 2021. The 2021 National Congress and Trade Show will be held as planned at the America’s Center Convention Complex.

Capacity is expected to be limited to 30 percent and half of the stadium will now be used for the event. Because of those limits and the venue change, tickets previously purchased for trials at the Enterprise Center will be refunded, with those who already bought tickets given priority for the new tickets on sale.

“Like so much of this past year, we know that these COVID-related changes are disruptive to fans and ticketholders,” said Li Li Leung, president and CEO of USA Gymnastics. “Nonetheless, we are looking forward to offering fans the chance to see Trials live and to celebrate so many of our disciplines and community in person this summer.”

Meanwhile, test events continue in Tokyo in advance of the Olympic Games themselves. Four test events were held over the past week in diving, marathon and track and field. More than 700 athletes and 6,000 participants took part in the events, with the lone positive COVID-19 test coming from an official at the diving event who was immediately quarantined.

Countermeasures undertaken during the test events included testing upon arrival at the airports, daily testing throughout their stay in Japan, activity restrictions limited to movement between host hotels, venues and practice venues, and prevention of close contact through social distancing.

SOCCER: Champions League Final May Be Moved

The biggest game in world club soccer, the Champions League final, may be moved to Portugal from Turkey for the second year in a row, according to The Associated Press.

The May 29 game between two teams from England’s Premier League, Manchester City and Chelsea, will be played at 50,000-capacity Estádio do Dragão in Porto after UEFA’s talks with the British government about playing the game at Wembley Stadium ended. Those talks came to a close once UEFA was unable to secure quarantine exemptions required for media and guests to fly into London.

The British government was trying to get the game played in London but in addition to making exemptions for hundreds if not more media and guests to come into the country, it would have needed to move the cap on fans at outdoor stadiums to 25,000 from the current 10,000.

Turkey’s ability to host has been in doubt between the country being in a national lockdown and the UK putting Turkey on its “red list,” meaning travelers arriving from Turkey must quarantine for 10 days. The quarantine was a major development for English players on both teams that gives them almost no time to prepare for the European Championships which start on June 11. Portugal is on England’s “green list” where people aren’t required to quarantine, allowing fans to travel to the game.

Turkey was scheduled to host the 2020 final before the pandemic suspended the 2019–2020 Champions League campaign. When it resumed, the remaining quarterfinals, plus the semifinal and final, were held without fans in Lisbon, Portugal. Multiple reports say that Turkey will be expecting significant financial compensation if the final is taken away again from Ataturk Stadium after having spent more than $28 million in renovations. Playing the game with fans and sponsor guests is crucial for UEFA after finishing last season’s competition without spectators; Portugal’s coronavirus restrictions are now being eased.

Tuesday, May 11

OLYMPICS: Bach Cancels Japan Trip During State of Emergency

Ahead of another update on its preparations for this summer’s rescheduled Olympic Games, the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee said Monday that International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has canceled his scheduled trip to Japan because of a surge of COVID-19 cases in the country.

Bach was to visit Hiroshima and meet the torch relay and then possibly travel to Tokyo. The trip has been made impossible because of a state of emergency in Tokyo and other parts of the country that has been extended until May 31. The organizing committee said Bach’s visit would be made “as soon as possible.”

IOC President Thomas Bach tours the National Stadium in Tokyo recently in preparation for the Olympic Summer Games. Photo: IOC

Japan has attributed 11,000 deaths to COVID-19 and variants of the virus are spreading with reports of public health systems coming under pressure, with only 2 percent of the population vaccinated. Between 60-80 percent of Japanese people in opinion polls have said the Olympics should be canceled or postponed with an online petition calling for the Games to be canceled gaining 300,000 signatures in three days.

The postponement is an embarrassment to the IOC as the Opening Ceremony approaches on July 23, although organizers and the IOC have repeatedly said the Olympics will not be canceled. Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported that Hyogo prefecture will take the torch relay off public streets, at least the fifth time the torch has been rerouted and on Monday, the leader of Japan’s main opposition party said in Parliament said it was not possible to safely hold the Games.

“I think it is possible that the measures our nation takes to protect human life and livelihoods simply will not make it possible to hold the Olympics,” said Yukio Edano, head of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. “In that situation, the IOC and Tokyo city government will have to make a decision, and the government will back that.”

Fellow party member Kazunori Yamanoi told Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga that fighting COVID-19 may “have become secondary” to him to holding the Olympics, to which Suga retorted, “I think that is very rude, but I have never put the Olympics first.”

Fans from foreign countries will not be allowed to attend and competitors also are expected to avoid interacting with non-athletes when possible according to the IOC’s playbook ahead of the Games. Financially, the decision to not allow foreign fans all but ensures that Japan will sustain significant financial losses with the official cost for the Games at $15.4 billion, though two government audits suggest it might be twice that much.

The IOC is somewhat insulated from the loss of ticket revenue but sorely needs the Games to be held; worldwide broadcast rights of the Games account for 73 percent of the IOC’s revenues but within that is a major caveat; according to Bloomberg, because Olympics broadcasters such as NBC only make up to 10 percent of their payments before the Games, the majority of the rights fees are not delivered until after the Games are completed.

One Olympic sport that has had two of its most high-profile stars speak about Tokyo preparations is women’s tennis. While the sport overall in the Games is not seen as one of the most visible, the lure of winning a gold medal in addition to a Grand Slam has often been incentive for top players looking to equal Steffi Graf’s Golden Slam achievement in 1988.

But the WTA Tour’s second-ranked player, Naomi Osaka, said she is conflicted whether the Olympics should be held. Osaka would represent the home country in the event and is currently at the Italian Open in preparation for the year’s second Grand Slam, the French Open, which starts later this month.

“Of course I would say I want the Olympics to happen, because I’m an athlete and that’s sort of what I’ve been waiting for my entire life,” said Osaka, who won the Australian Open earlier this year. “But I think that there’s so much important stuff going on, and especially the past year. I think a lot of unexpected things have happened and if it’s putting people at risk, and if it’s making people very uncomfortable, then it definitely should be a discussion, which I think it is as of right now. … At the end of the day I’m just an athlete and there’s a whole pandemic going on.”

Following Osaka’s comments, four-time Olympic gold medalist Serena Williams said Monday that she would not participate in the Games if she is not allowed to bring her 3-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia.

“I haven’t really thought much about that. That’s a really good question,” Williams said. “I haven’t spent 24 hours without her, so that kind of answers the question itself. We’re best friends.”

Timing for the Olympic tennis tournament also is not particularly kind for players when it comes international travel. The Olympic tennis tournament is scheduled to begin July 24, two weeks after the women’s final is held at Wimbledon in England. The tournament would end August 1, less than a month before the U.S. Open in New York City.

AUTO RACING: Three More Tracks Go Full Capacity

You can add NASCAR-owned tracks Darlington Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and Kansas to the list of Cup Series weekends this season that will allow full-capacity grandstands.

Daytona hosts the Xfnity Series on August 27 and the Cup regular-season finale on August 28, while Darlington hosts the Xfinity Series on September 4 and the Southern 500 on September 5 to open the Cup playoffs. Kansas hosts the Xfinity Series on October 23 and the Cup Series on October 24, plus the ARCA season finale on October 23.

Both Daytona and Darlington have hosted events already this year with restricted numbers of attendance. Each track will continue to work with local and state government and health officials on any necessary health and safety protocols and adjustments.

The announcement means that five tracks will have fully open grandstands this summer for NASCAR races; Atlanta Motor Speedway announced that its July 10–11 races will be 100 percent open, followed by Pocono Speedway in Pennsylvania making a similar announcement for its races June 25–27.

Monday, May 10

ENDURANCE SPORTS: Mass Participation Races Plot Their Return

One sure sign of the sports-event industry’s return is the return of mass participation races. One of the hardest-hit areas of the industry when the COVID-19 pandemic began, many races have either begun their in-person return or have recently announced plans to return.

Part of that optimism comes from recent industry guidelines put out by Running USA, which itself has announced the return of its in-person annual conference, February 20–22, 2022 at Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

In a recent white paper commissioned by the running industry organization, infectious disease epidemiologist Brooke Nichols spelled out how race directors can successfully stage in-person events. The guidelines are meant to cover the transition period the United States finds itself in right now between vaccine rollouts and full control of the epidemic. The good news for event organizers: Nichols believes events can be staged safely in-person with reasonable guidelines in effect.

Among the key areas for organizers to address: gathering points such as registration/packet pickup, expos, baggage and gear check facilities, start and finish lines, water points and restrooms. Those areas, she notes, are the most likely points of transmission at events and can be mitigated through use of masks and social distancing. While she doesn’t suggest races require masks while people are participating, she does note that finish lines, in particular, can be trouble spots since people may be coughing after a long run. “Given the increased likelihood of close contact, participants should be provided a mask after they cross the finish line if they do not still have their own on them,” she said. “When masked, they should then receive their medal and proceed through the finish area.”

Meanwhile, several races in recent days have announced their plans to return in-person. One of those is in Buffalo, New York, where some of the nation’s most restrictive countermeasures are starting to ease.

The Buffalo Marathon intends to return June 26–27 for its 20th anniversary. The race will be held at about 50 percent of its typical capacity — about 3,600 participants compared with a typical 8,000. Among the limits in place with be that each race will be divided into cohorts of about 200 runners, in line with the state’s current outdoor social gathering limit. Masks will be required at all times for event staff and volunteers, and runners will wear masks before and after the race, as well as when distancing may be most difficult during the race.

Meanwhile, in Boston, the Columbia Threadneedle Investments Boston Triathlon has announced plans to return August 28–29. The city’s only triathlon typically takes place in July but will be staged after taking 2020 off from competition.

“We have always prioritized the health and safety of all the athletes, volunteers, spectators, and the community and that will not change,” said Michael O’Neil, president of the Boston Triathlon. “We have developed new safety protocols as a result of COVID-19 that will be integrated with federal, state and local guidelines, and we are confident that we can deliver a safe event.”

And in Minnesota, the 45th annual Grandma’s Marathon weekend has been given the go for June 17–19 after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced a loosening of the state’s public health guidelines. The race will also operate at 50 percent capacity and feature a rolling start, social distancing and other PPE requirements.

“This is a great day not just for Grandma’s Marathon but our community as well,” Executive Director Shane Bauer said. “So many people had a hand in making this event a reality this year, and to be here today with the final approval is a testament to the effort everyone’s put in.”

Friday, May 7

OLYMPICS: Pfizer Donates Vaccines to IOC for Olympic and Paralympic Delegations

While vaccines will not be required for athletes or any of the delegations planning to be in Tokyo for the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games, the International Olympic Committee has nonetheless been encouraging everyone involved to get their shots.

But in an effort to vaccinate as many people as are willing before the events, the IOC has now signed a memorandum of understanding with Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE to donate doses of the companies’ COVID-19 vaccine to Games participants from National Olympic and Paralympic Committees around the world. Under the plan, the NOCs will work with their local governments to coordinate local distribution in accordance with each country’s vaccination guidelines and consistent with local regulations.

The IOC was already expecting that a significant proportion of Games participants will have been vaccinated before arriving in Japan. But the MoU with Pfizer is another step the body is taking to assure a growingly skeptical Japanese public that the Games can be held safely and securely.

“This donation of the vaccine is another tool in our toolbox of measures to help make the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 safe and secure for all participants, and to show solidarity with our gracious Japanese hosts,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “We are inviting the athletes and participating delegations of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games to lead by example and accept the vaccine where and when possible. By taking the vaccine, they can send a powerful message that vaccination is not only about personal health, but also about solidarity and consideration of the wellbeing of others in their communities.”

The donation of vaccines came about after a conversation between Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer, and Suga Yoshihide, prime minister of Japan. Following the conversation, the Japanese government met with the IOC to approve the plan.

“The return of the Olympic and Paralympic Games represents a monumental moment of world unity and peace after a grueling year of isolation and devastation, Bourla said. “We are proud to play a role in providing vaccines to athletes and their national Olympic delegations where possible.”

While the vaccine donations may be welcome news to NOCs around the world, there are still signs of concern in and around Tokyo, where test events continue to be held.

Bach had intended to visit Japan later in May to appear at the torch relay in Hiroshima, with a possible extended visit to Tokyo. But Tokyo remains under an emergency order through mid-May as COVID cases continue to rise in the city. At a briefing Friday, Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto said it’s not clear if Bach would be able to make the visit, seen as a key public relations move if nothing else.

“Frankly speaking, I personally think it would be quite tough for him to come now,” Hashimoto said, adding that “nothing had been decided.”

“But the extension of the state of emergency and having him visit during that time will mean that President Bach will be visiting in a quite a difficult time,” Hashimoto said. “I think that would be a very difficult thing for him.”

Meanwhile an online petition calling for the Tokyo Olympics to be canceled has now received more than 200,000 signatures in two days. The petition, addressed to Bach and Suga, says the Games should not be held in order to protect public health.

Nonetheless, Tokyo 2020 is continuing with scheduled test events in preparation. From May 1–6, FINA conducted a test event in diving that organizers said was successful. The event, attended by 224 athletes from 46 nations, was conducted under strict COVID-19 countermeasures. Among the 438 total participants, including athletes, coaches and team officials, only one COVID-19 positive case was found. The team official who tested positive was quarantined and no close contacts were identified by Japanese authorities.

This weekend will see a key track and field test event, which will be attended by World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. Other test events scheduled include a skateboarding event May 13–14 at Ariake Urban Sports Park; a BMX test event May 17 at the same venue; a 3×3 basketball test event at Aomi Urban Sports Park May 14–16; and a shooting test event May 17–21 at Asaka Shooting Range.

ESPORTS: Call of Duty League Plans Return to Live Events

After moving all its scheduled live events in 2020 to online events last year, the Call of Duty League has announced its gradual return to in-person competition, although fans will not yet be on hand.

Call of Duty League Major IV will be hosted by the 2020 Call of Duty League Champions Dallas Empire, to be staged at Esports Stadium Arlington. The event, June 17–20, will be the first in-person competition for the professional esports league this year.

As part of the return to live events, Major IV will adhere to strict league health and safety protocols. As a result, attendance will be limited to players as well as limited Call of Duty League and team staff. Attendees will take rapid response COVID-19 tests throughout the event.

Thursday, May 6

BASEBALL: Yankees, Mets Giving Away Free Tickets for Vaccinations

The state of New York has come up with one of the most aggressive vaccination incentive ideas when it comes to filling the stands at sporting events, saying that fans who get the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine at Yankee Stadium or Citi Field will receive a free ticket to a future Yankees or Mets game.

Vaccinated fans can sit in sections at full capacity starting May 19 in major- and minor-league stadiums across New York. Capacity will be limited to about 33 percent in sections where unvaccinated fans are seated with social distancing rules in effect. Masks will remain a requirement no matter where fans sit but the state will end its testing requirement for fans who attend sports events, said Governor Andrew Cuomo, adding that stadiums could be filled to capacity if everyone attending an event is vaccinated.

“We want to thank Governor Cuomo for his decision, which will allow more fans into Yankee Stadium and provide us additional opportunities to further encourage people to get vaccinated,” the Yankees said in a statement. “We have been honored to host a vaccination site at Yankee Stadium over these last three months. If we can encourage more people to get vaccinated by giving away Yankees tickets, we are all in.”

Socially distanced fans watch during the first inning of a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on April 16, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The news out of New York is the latest in a series of MLB clubs trying to incentivize having fans get their vaccinations. The Cincinnati Reds announced this week that tickets in certain locations will be $10 for fans who bring their COVID-19 vaccination card to the ticket windows at Great American Ball Park for games scheduled Monday through Thursday in the month of June.

New York as a state will also have a third team playing within its borders for the second year in a row after the Toronto Blue Jays announced that starting June 1, its home location will move to Sahlen Field, home of the organization’s Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons. The Blue Jays had been playing home games up to this point this season at their spring training site in Dunedin, Florida; it played last season’s home games in Buffalo, going 17-9 at Sahlen Field with no fans in attendance.

This year to start, the Blue Jays will host fans in a 24 percent capacity at Sahlen Field but, like the Yankees and Mets, the team would be able to get to full capacity if all attendees are vaccinated. The Blue Jays and Bisons are undertaking a jointly funded renovation project with upgrades that will be completed before June 1 including, among other things, adding a new weight room and renovating clubhouse facilities along with resodding the outfield grass, completing a full field replacement that began with the infield in 2020.

“The club’s goal has always been to return to play on home soil as soon as it is safe to do so and until then, the team will play its home games at Sahlen Field,” the Blue Jays said in a statement. “… We want to thank Canadians for everything they have done to combat COVID-19 in our communities. Blue Jays fans should continue to follow the latest local public health guidelines, including non-essential travel outside of Canada; through these efforts, we can hope for the day we reunite with our fans on home soil.”

MLB is doing well, beyond having rising attendance this season with fans getting vaccinations. The league announced last week that more than 81 percent of players and team personnel have received at least one vaccine shot and that nine teams have reached the 85 percent threshold — notably the Yankees and Detroit Tigers — that allows them to have some of the league’s health and safety protocols waived. The league applies the 85 percent threshold to Tier 1 personnel, defined as players as well as managers, coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists, medical staff and some front-office personnel.

Four of the nine teams are considered fully vaccinated, two weeks past the final dose. The other five teams are expected to achieve fully vaccinated status within two weeks. Last Friday’s game between the Yankees and Tigers was the first time this season neither team had to wear face masks in the dugout, and those teams will allow players and personnel to go out for dinner when on the road and gather in indoor spaces without masks or social distancing.

Wednesday, May 5

SOCCER: Fans Allowed for Final Premier League Games … Just Not Away Fans

As crowds continue to increase at sporting events across the United States, there are several countries where tight COVID-19 restrictions at sporting events remain. There have been no crowds at games in the National Hockey League’s North Division made up of Canadian teams, for example. Travel restrictions throughout Europe forced the cancellation earlier this spring of a series of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in South America.

But in some countries outside the U.S., crowds are slowly emerging — in Australia and New Zealand, most prominently. England was added to that list on April 25 when it hosted 8,000 people at Wembley Stadium in London for the Carabao Cup Final between Premier League teams Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

And later this month, the Premier League will have fans at every one of its games for the final two rounds of matches after getting government approval, even moving around the end-of-season schedule to ensure that each team has one match with fans present.

Fans applaud as the players enter the field for the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020. (AP photo/Jon Super, Pool)

The Premier League has moved a round of schedules back from May 15–16 to May 18–19 in accordance with the British government’s scheduled roadmap out of the country’s latest lockdown. Outdoor sports venues will be allowed up to 10,000 fans or 25 percent capacity, whichever is lower, starting May 17.

Some, but not all, Premier League teams were able to host a restricted number of home fans only during late November and early December before the country went back into lockdown as a winter surge of COVID-19 cases began.

Premier League rules require clubs to allow away fans access to 10 percent of stadium capacity, up to a maximum of 3,000. But the league on Wednesday morning said “following consultation with clubs, it was agreed matches would not be open to away supporters due to varying operational challenges across the league and the need to deliver a consistent approach, while maximizing the opportunity for home-fan attendance.”

Reports in Britain indicate that for every game, a Safety Advisory Group, which includes representatives of the club, emergency services for the area and the local council, must approve plans for the match, including the attendance of away supporters.

AUTO RACING: Another NASCAR Race to Be At Full Capacity

NASCAR, which hosted its Cup Series racing in front of restricted numbers of fans last summer before nearly every other pro sports organization during the COVID-19 pandemic, will have at least two events already on its summer schedule racing in front of a full house.

After Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced statewide mitigation orders will be lifted starting May 31, Pocono Raceway quickly issued a statement saying that its doubleheader weekend June 26–27 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, will have 100 percent capacity.

“As we have been doing, the Raceway will continue to follow the protocols and guidance set forth by our state and the sanctioning body of NASCAR at the time of our events,” the track said in a statement. “Our staff is working through this incredible opportunity to be one of the largest outdoor sporting events this summer and kindly ask ticket holders for continued patience.”

Pocono’s announcement comes less than a week after Atlanta Motor Speedway announced that it will be at 100 percent capacity when the Cup Series visits on July 11. The next several races for NASCAR, including this weekend’s Mother’s Day race at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina, are still listed as having limited in-person attendance.

NASCAR has been running in front of a restricted number of fans at each of its tracks this season and at several other races dating to last season’s resumption of the schedule after a pandemic-enforced shutdown, but the Pocono weekend is — as of now — scheduled to be its first in front of a full house.

Tuesday, May 4

Colleges Counting Financial Costs of Playing Through Pandemic

The lack of revenue from having sold-out stadiums was always expected to be a financial crunch for any sports organization, from local youth sports organizations to professional sports teams — and especially for collegiate programs that not only use major college football and basketball to drive revenues but also become tourism drivers for their respective destinations.

Some of that financial reality on the college scene was driven home recently at Penn State University, where Athletic Director Sandy Barbour last week gave a budget report to the school’s faculty senate meeting. Barbour said the Nittany Lions athletic department is on pace to see revenue decline by about $60 million this fiscal year while operating at about a $35 million loss. Barbour also told the group that it was as close to a best-case scenario as any given that the state of Pennsylvania did not allow attendance at football and basketball games this past season other than family and close friends.

Barbour’s report said that ticket sales had the biggest impact on lost revenue — about $45 million overall — although that included part of the previous fiscal year. Other lost revenue included Big Ten media rights ($9.4 million), sponsorships ($4.5 million), other game day revenue ($5.4 million) and the Nittany Lion Club ($6 million). Penn State borrowed $25 million to cover its losses and tapped athletic department’s reserves, which totaled about $10 million.

Penn State and Ohio State players take the field for a college football game in State College, Pennsylvania on October 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

Penn State is not alone among Power 5 conference members that, even in an era of gigantic television revenue, are counting the costs of COVID-19. Iowa athletic director Gary Barta estimated that his department will be short $55 millon to $65 million in the current fiscal year. South Carolina’s athletic department projected its outstanding debut to be more than $160 million on June 30, the school estimated during a board of trustees retreat in January.

South Carolina’s football team played in front of a restricted number of fans last season and only played conference games, limiting the number of home games that traditionally can bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars. The athletic department, which also has to pay fired football coach Will Muschamp a buyout of $15.5 million plus the new head coach and his staff, had to rely almost exclusively on television money from the Southeastern Conference and its boosters from the Gamecock Club.

“Even if you had no fans, playing those games and getting the games on TV was very important to be able to operate this year,” said John Humphries, the athletics budget director for South Carolina.

Schools not in the Power 5 are taking hits as well, which is to be expected. Northern Kentucky University’s athletic department took a $250,000 budget hit last year because of COVID-19 and expects to lose $1 million in revenue between a loss of ticket revenue and other factors, Deputy Athletic Director Dan McIver told the campus newspaper.

“Ticketing was the highest, roughly between $375,000 and $400,000,” McIver said. “It’s ticketing, it’s sponsorships, concessions, parking.”

But McIver also said the Norse athletic department has raised nearly $1.2 million to help offset the financial losses between raffles, special events and gifts from alumni and other donors.

Since last March, 352 NCAA sports programs have been cut with budget shortfalls due to the coronavirus cited by many of the schools when announcing cuts. Even schools as big as Stanford will be making changes; the Cardinal announced this summer it will be cutting 11 of its 36 sports, including the powerhouse men’s volleyball program as the school’s president, provost and athletic director said the “financial model supporting 36 varsity sports is not sustainable” on a budget of roughly $140 million per year.

Some, though, have come back from the chopping block — LaSalle University’s men’s swimming and diving program, which was to be eliminated, will be restored to varsity status after “the Men’s Swimming and Diving program and its alumni base has developed an independent and external fundraising infrastructure that will support the operational costs of the program in the short and long term,” the school announced.

Monday, May 3

HORSE RACING: Kentucky Derby Brings in Largest Pandemic Crowd for U.S. Sports Event

No, it was not the legendarily raucous scene in the infield at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, over the weekend. But the Kentucky Derby, held on its traditional first Saturday in May after last year’s delayed race, was still able to welcome an official attendance of 51,838 — the biggest crowd to be at an American sports event since the pandemic began more than a year ago.

The Derby typically will attract 150,000 or more but it was larger than the 47,218 people who attended the University of Alabama’s spring football game in mid-April, which had the previous largest attendance since the sporting world shut down last year. Temperature checks were conducted at the gates and masks were mandatory on the grounds.

Fans watch the eighth race from the grandstands before the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 1, 2021, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently relaxed its mask guidelines for Americans who have been fully vaccinated, saying people who have been fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks when spending time alone or with small groups outdoors. The agency did say in crowded situations, people should still wear masks; the Lexington Herald-Leader called masks “the newest fashion accessory” at the track but also said “mostly they were nowhere to be found,” with many wearing them around their neck instead of over their face.

The Kentucky Derby, first held in 1875, is the country’s oldest continuously held sporting event. Last year’s race was rescheduled to September because of the pandemic, the first time it was rescheduled since World War II and only the second time ever. This year’s surprise winner was Medina Spirit, trained by Bob Baffert.

The other big pro sports event over the weekend was the three-day NFL Draft in Cleveland held in mostly cloudy conditions from Thursday through Saturday, with several rain showers and windy moments. That may have contributed to the opening night attendance of 35,000 people, short of the announced 55,000 capacity. As part of its emphasis on vaccinations, the NFL made a special section close to the stage reserved for fans who were fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by April 15 while unvaccinated spectators were significantly further away from the festivities.

“Such a big relief to be here,” Pittsburgh Steelers fan Logan Hartsock told ESPN. “We’ve been stuck inside for over a year, and it seemed like there was never any end in sight. We got kind of worried this event wasn’t going to happen. Then when we figured out that it was on, it was awesome. The rain was not going to stop us.”

And as spring turns into summer and protocols continue to be relaxed throughout the country, you will continue to see bigger attendance numbers. Indianapolis Motor Speedway has already said it will have over 130,000 in attendance on Memorial Day Weekend for the Indianapolis 500. And Atlanta’s sports teams, the Braves and Atlanta United of MLS, have said they will be allowing 100 percent capacity in the coming weeks.

Atlanta Motor Speedway will also open its grandstands to full capacity for the July 10–11 NASCAR weekend in Hampton, Georgia. The capacity is not known but the first July race at AMS in 47 years will also be the first race at the venue to host an expansive grandstand audience since the start of the pandemic.

“As we’ve seen millions across Georgia and the Southeast get vaccinated, public health restrictions have eased and that gives us the green flag to take a big step towards welcoming more people to enjoy race weekend,” said AMS Executive Vice President and General Manager Brandon Hutchison. “Needless to say, we can’t wait to have thousands of fans join us for some thrilling NASCAR action this summer.”

This will be the first time since 2010 that Atlanta has hosted two NASCAR Cup races in a season after a March weekend in which only limited capacity was allowed. The facility will continue using health and safety protocols including cashless payments and mobile ticketing and said it “will follow state and local health recommendations when determined for July regarding mask and social distancing protocols.”

Friday, April 30

HOCKEY: Women’s Worlds Rescheduled for August

The IIHF Council has agreed in principle to a new set of dates for the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship with the event now scheduled to start August 20 at a destination to be determined in Canada.

The Women’s Worlds were scheduled to start May 6 in Nova Scotia before last week’s sudden cancellation announcement by the government of Nova Scotia, a decision that drew intense criticism from several players who were about to start their quarantines ahead of traveling to the province.

“The players, the teams, Hockey Canada, and the IIHF have been placed in a difficult position due to the sudden cancellation,” said IIHF President René Fasel. “But this is not an excuse to operate this tournament as a half-measure. We needed a range of dates that can work for the teams and also would allow for comprehensive broadcast coverage as well as a chance for spectators to be able to attend the games.”

The IIHF and Hockey Canada will next move toward evaluating potential venues in Canada with a new host expected to be chosen in the coming weeks.

“I would like to thank the Council, Hockey Canada, and the teams for their input and participation in a decision-making process that was organized on such short notice,” Fasel said. “We passed an important first milestone by finding the optimal dates to hold this event and now will proceed to the next stage and choose a suitable venue.”

NHL: Delaying Decision on Playoff Relocation Until Last Minute

One of the positives for this season’s NHL campaign has been the feedback from fans about the realigned divisions, which in the interest of decreased travel this season has meant repeated rivalry games and increased chatter between fan bases.

The league has said the realigned divisions and division-only play will be for this season only, giving fans this one chance to enjoy seeing their fiercest opponents on a regular basis. Especially welcome has been the North Division of all-Canadian teams with matchups that have reignited traditional firestorms whether it be the matchups between Original Six franchises in Montreal and Toronto, or the Battle of Alberta between the Oilers and Flames. And Canada is guaranteed one team in the semifinals of the Stanley Cup playoffs thanks to this season’s playoff schedule, with the opening two rounds featuring teams playing within their divisions.

But looming is what will happen when it’s time for the semifinals and if a Canadian team will be able to go back and forth across the border and have home games. ESPN reported this week that negotiations with the Canadian government about a cross-border travel agreement are ongoing. Canada has a 14-day quarantine for anyone entering the country.

“If we can’t travel in Canada, either as among the provinces or from the U.S. to Canada and back, we’ll make whatever adjustments we have to do to get the playoffs completed,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday.

ESPN said there are two scenarios being considered with the first being the NHL’s preference, which would see whatever team advances out of the North Division being given a special dispensation to travel back and forth across the border for as long as they are alive in the playoffs. But if the Canadian government does not give a dispensation, the North Division champion would be relocated to a U.S. city for the remainder of its time in the playoffs. ESPN also reported that the league would not put a Canadian team in a city close to its location, such as Toronto playing neutral-site games in Buffalo, but instead it would be based upon its semifinal opponent to eliminate extra costs associated with traveling.

“Where we play is going to depend on COVID, obviously. We hope to keep everybody healthy. And it’s going to depend on government regulations in terms of where we’re going to be able to travel our players and our teams and where we can’t,” Bettman said.

There is plenty of news that the NHL would want to trumpet, of course. The league officially announced the remainder of its future broadcast packages have been sold — the secondary package was agreed to with Turner Sports on Monday, a seven-year deal that averages $225 million and means the end of NBC’s affiliation with the league, which started in 2005 and helped bring not only the Stanley Cup Final to network television but helped popularize the Winter Classic and the league’s successive outdoor events.

As part of the agreement, Turner Sports networks — whether it be TNT or TBS — will televise the Winter Classic for each of the next seven years plus the Stanley Cup Final in 2023, 2025 and 2027 along with one conference finals each season, half of the first two rounds of the playoffs and 72 regular-season games. The NHL is particularly pleased to be working with a group that also owns Bleacher Report and HBO Max, which would boost hockey’s streaming and social media presences.

“They put a fun and innovative factor into all of what they do and we’re excited to have that same treatment for our sport and for our fans,” Bettman said during Tuesday’s press conference. “We love the reach of their linear networks, both TNT and TBS, and as we look to the future, we’re excited about the digital properties, in particular HBO Max and Bleacher Report. For us, this is a perfect fit.”

The league will now be making $645 million per season between the new deals with Turner Sports and the NHL’s primary TV and streaming package with ESPN. The NHL was making roughly $300 million in agreements with NBCUniversal and, for streaming, Disney. While the totals are not in the NFL’s neighborhood of $2 billion per season — although, who is in their neighborhood? — the money is a significant increase for the league and would also lead toward higher salary cap figures in the future.

“We ended up doubling, and then some, the TV money but could it have been tripled? I think it could have if not for the NFL,” an NHL executive told The Athletic. “It’s just a reality of it, I suppose.”

The reality of it for the league is also that for this postseason, it may have to make its North Division champion play somewhere decidedly less north of the border.

HOCKEY: AHL Modifies Postseason Plans

The American Hockey League has announced that it will not be able to hold its Calder Cup Playoffs at the end of the regular season because of the league’s COVID-19 protocols. AHL President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Howson said that each of the league’s five divisions has been provided the opportunity to independently determine its own postseason format — only the Pacific Division will have a playoff tournament with the other four divisions determining its champion through regular-season play.

“While we are disappointed that we will not be able to award the Calder Cup this spring, we are grateful to have been able to provide a safe and competitive environment for more than 1,000 players to play AHL hockey and continue their development,” said Howson. “We’re especially thankful for the work done by our athletic trainers, COVID-19 officers and other front-line workers to ensure the health and safety of all of our players and staff throughout the league.”

Thursday, April 29

FOOTBALL: NFL Hosting 50,000 People at Draft in Cleveland

One of the big early surprises during the pandemic was the fan response to a virtual NFL draft with sights as unique as the mega-yacht of Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones, the dog for Patriots coach Bill Belichick and most surprisingly of all, the near-universal positive reviews for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s hosting turn from the basement of his house.

This year’s NFL draft, which starts Thursday night, will return to the annual road show that it has been for years — this time in Cleveland, with some modifications to the continuing impact of the pandemic but with just enough bells and whistles to make it feel like one of the previous draft parties.

NFL officials expect up to 50,000 fans to attend, with most events taking place outside. There will be a vaccinated fan zone which is limited to up to 5,000 fans. Protocols involve the new normal of mask-wearing, social distancing and sanitizing.

“This is a really different, different draft because I think it’s a hybrid draft,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president of club business & league events. “A year ago, we were hosting a draft in Commissioner Goodell’s basement and the world was early in the pandemic. And now a year later, we’re looking towards brighter days ahead and so thrilled that we can do a large-scale live event safely.”

Given the positive response to last year’s event, the NFL will continue to have some of the virtual elements in this weekend’s event. Teams will be allowed to have draft rooms at their respective facilities; the number of people in a room and some of the health and safety protocols depend on the vaccination rates of those participating.

Workers continue preparing the NFL Draft Theatre for the 2021 NFL Draft on April 27 in Cleveland. After going all virtual in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the three-day draft returns with thousands of fans who will be separated by their loyalties, and whether they’ve been vaccinated. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

While many of glimpses from inside the houses of many of the various decision makers for NFL teams will go away, one team has decided to ramp it up for maximum social media and commercial exposure: The Los Angeles Rams have rented a 9,000-square-foot Malibu mansion as their draft headquarters with plenty of sponsor mentions from Rocket Mortgage. The move comes one year after Arizona Cardinals Coach Kliff Kingsbury showed off his mansion in the metropolitan Phoenix area.

“I really think it’s just a ploy by (Rams Coach Sean) McVay to allow himself the opportunity to take his shirt off again and jump in the pool like he did on ‘Hard Knocks,’ probably sip a little rosé, dip in the ocean and make some draft picks,” Kingsbury said during a video conference last week.

While McVay will not be in Cleveland, several prospects are expected to attend the draft with nearly four dozen more taking part virtually, including presumptive No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence of Clemson. One prospect that was planning to be in Cleveland was Virginia Tech defensive back Caleb Farley, a projected first-round pick, but he will stay at home after agent Drew Rosenhaus said that Farley tested positive for COVID on Tuesday; Rosenhaus then said on Thursday morning that Farley was re-tested and came up negative.

The scouting processes the past year has been adjusted heavily. Instead of NFL teams sending people out on the road all fall and into the spring to do individual workouts, teams had little to no access to college prospects during the fall. The annual combine in Indianapolis was canceled, so teams could only see players during an on-campus pro days with performances that are heavily scripted to show off their positives with none of the negatives.

Team interviews with players were conducted remotely throughout the spring. During the Senior Bowl in January in Mobile, Alabama, scouts only had 15 minutes apiece with players for interviews that traditionally would drag on much longer.

“It feels like we know less about this class of players than any class in recent memory,” New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis told ESPN. “Just because of the COVID restrictions, the restrictions on scouts getting into campuses — as well as the fact that there were fewer games played in college football this year.”

AUTO RACING: Formula 1 Schedule Adjusted

Formula 1 has had to cancel the Canadian Grand Prix for the second year in a row with Turkey taking its place on the calendar on June 13.

The race in Montreal had been confirmed as being a behind-closed-doors event if it were to go ahead but with Canada requiring incoming international travelers to quarantine on arrival, Formula 1 had requested an exemption that was not granted by the government.

Turkey was used on last year’s revised calendar and Istanbul Park, three hours away from the previous race in Baku, will take Canada’s place.

“While it is disappointing we cannot be in Canada this season we are excited to confirm that Turkey will host a Grand Prix in 2021 after an amazing race last season,” F1 Chief Executive Officer Stefano Domenicali said. “I know all our fans are excited by the dramatic start to the season and Turkey is a great circuit that delivers great battles on the track. I want to thank the promoter and authorities in Canada for all of their efforts in recent weeks but the travel situation made our plans impossible.”

There is positive news where Canada is concerned with the race signing a two-year contract extension that will keep it on the calendar until 2031.

Wednesday, April 28

Olympics: IOC and Tokyo 2020 Outline New Limits on Olympic and Paralympic Participants

New rules for athletes competing at the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games will require daily testing for those expecting to compete and limit their movement largely to the competition venues and their housing. In an updated “playbook” released by Tokyo 2020, the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee, organizers set to reassure an increasingly skeptical public in Japan that the events can be held safely if participants abide by the rules.

The update to the guidelines, which will be in place for athletes, officials, international federations and media covering the Games, marks the second of what will be three updates before the Opening Ceremony is planned on July 23. While the latest document released Wednesday covers athletes, further details for the other constituent groups will be released on Friday.

“These rules must be clearly recognized by all participants for the sake of the Games,” said Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto. “They must be prepared to make contributions when they come to Japan.”

Among the highlights in the new regulations:

All participants will required to take two COVID-19 tests with 96 hours of their flight to Japan.
Athletes and all those in close proximity with athletes will be tested daily in Japan with a saliva test to minimize the risk of undetected positive cases.
Athletes will be required to leave Japan no more than 48 hours after they are eliminated from a competition or their sport concludes if they reach the finals.
All other Games participants will be tested daily for three days after their arrival. After the first three days and throughout their stay, they will be tested regularly, based on the operational nature of their role and level of contact with athletes.
All Games participants must exclusively use dedicated Games vehicles and will not be allowed to use public transportation.
All Games participants must eat only in the limited locations where COVID-19 countermeasures are in place, including catering facilities at Games venues, their accommodation’s restaurant and their rooms, using room service or food delivery.

The latest Tokyo 2020 Playbook outlines various steps athletes will need to take to enter Japan and participate in the Games.

Tokyo 2020 officials said the ability for all participants to adhere by the rules will be crucial to the events’ success. Still undetermined will be what if any penalties could result from an athlete or other Games participant who does not follow the guidelines. IOC and Tokyo 2020 officials said those situations would be dealt with depending on the severity of the discretion if they arise. Even those who are vaccinated — which is not a requirement for participation but is being strongly encouraged — will not be exempt from the rules. Athletes and other Games participants will also be required to keep and submit an activity plan detailing where they intend to be each day of the event.

“If one violates what one wrote in the activity plan, we will study the situation,” said Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto. “In the final analysis, the worst possible penalty would be the possibility of taking away accreditation.”

Pierre Ducrey, the IOC’s Olympic Games operations director, said the adherence to the guidelines will be crucial. “The key is that everyone is aware of the rules in this playbook and that they accept them and most importantly, they will implement them during the Games,” he said. “For those who choose deliberately not to respect the rules there could be impact on their participation in the Games.”

The moves come as polls in Japan suggest waning support for the concept of proceeding with the Games. But the IOC, IPC and Tokyo 2020 said the event will continue as planned under the restrictions being enforced.

“During the Games, stakeholders will be among the most tested people on Earth,” said Craig Spence, chief brand and communications officer for the IPC.

“During the Games, stakeholders will be among
the most tested people on Earth.”
—Craig Spence, IPC

Christophe Dubi, Olympic Games executive director, added that organizers have been studying other recent large sporting events, including the Australian Open, whose director has offered advice on how an event as large as the Olympics can be staged. Among the lessons learned from that event, which had its own challenges fighting COVID-19 infections, is the situation will likely be fluid and dynamic even during the event despite the advanced planning, Dubi said. “This is what we’re going to do in the next months is to train, train and train the teams to respond to various situations,” he said.

Meanwhile, no decision has been made on whether Japanese spectators will be allowed. That decision is expected in June, although Hashimoto said it could come as early as late May as Japanese ticketholders need as much advance notice for their own planning purposes. Foreign spectators have already been banned.

Hashimoto said despite what she called a “tense situation” amid a current state of emergency over rising COVID-19 cases in Japan and Tokyo specifically, there is still the possibility that venues could be open to 100 percent capacity. But all other potential limits to crowd size, including the chance of no spectators at all, are still on the table.

“We have hope that we want as many spectators as possible to see the Games if the situation so allows,” she said.

Tuesday, April 27

OLYMPICS: Daily Testing Required but No 14-Day Quarantine for Athletes in New Olympic Playbook

Daily testing for athletes is in, mandatory quarantine requirements are out in the latest plans for this year’s rescheduled Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Tokyo.

The Associated Press has reported that the second edition of the ‘Playbook’ from Tokyo’s Olympic organizers and the IOC will tell 15,400 athletes that they will have daily testing for COVID-19 but that athletes will not have to undergo a 14-day quarantine requirement, allowing them to train immediately upon arrival in Japan.

Athletes will be required to stay within a “bubble” between the Olympic Village, competition venues and training areas. The Kyodo news agency in Japan said foreign athletes and staff will have to be tested twice within 96 hours before leaving for Japan. They will also be tested again upon arrival in Japan.

The Playbook for athletes is to be officially released on Wednesday, with another guide for media and others on Friday. A final edition of all Playbooks will be published in June.

The news comes as Tokyo, Osaka and several other areas throughout Japan have been placed under a third state of emergency as coronavirus cases surge. The country’s vaccination rollout has been slow with only 1 percent able to get shots so far and resistance to the Olympics in Japan is still running as high as 80 percent opposed in recent polls.

Fans from abroad have already been banned from attending and organizers have delayed a final decision on having fans at all at venues. Taro Kono, the minister in charge of vaccination in Japan, suggested this month that empty venues was an option.

Opposition lawmakers in Japan’s national legislature suggested Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga scheduled the state of emergency to accommodate the IOC and President Thomas Bach, who is scheduled to arrive in Japan for the torch relay in Hiroshima less than a week after the state of emergency is lifted. The government and IOC have said said the precautions are in place for Japan’s “Golden Week” holiday, which starts Thursday.

The torch relay, which began on March 25 in Fukushima, has been detoured several times this month and is be banned this weekend on the Okinawa island of Miyakojima, which only has one hospital. The relay is a caravan of more than a dozen cars and other vehicles festooned with advertising from major sponsors like Coca-Cola and Toyota.

COLLEGE SPORTS: NCAA Increases Championship Attendance Numbers

The NCAA will allow up to 50 percent fan capacity for its 2021 outdoor spring championships and Division I fall championships being held in the spring, based on recommendations from the NCAA COVID-19 Medical Advisory Group.

The organization said on Friday that exact capacity percentages will vary by site, depending on state and local health mandates. Winter championship COVID-19 testing protocols will remain in place throughout the remaining spring championships. The updated policy will begin April 28 at the Division I Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championship in Cary, North Carolina, and May 1 with Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinal games held at campus sites.

All attendees will be required to wear face coverings and observe physical distancing in pods during championship events, the NCAA said. Championships hosted in cities and states that do not allow spectators or where the site is deemed to lack the capacity for spectators from a health and safety standpoint will allow only essential personnel.

SOCCER: Euro 2021 Switches Host Venues to Ensure Attendance

Two of the previously announced sites for the rescheduled Euro 2020 soccer tournament, with 12 cities across the continent hosting matches, will be taken off the itinerary after they could not guarantee having fans allowed.

Bilbao, Spain, and Dublin, Ireland, were removed as host cities with Seville, Spain; St. Petersburg, Russia; and London getting extra games at the event, which starts June 11 in Rome. Three games scheduled in Bilbao will move to Seville. St. Petersburg, which was set to host four games in the tournament, now gets three games from Dublin and Wembley Stadium London will get the round of 16 game scheduled for Dublin. Both semifinals and the final will also be played at Wembley.

Munich said it could host just over 20 percent capacity at Olympic Stadium and was given a reprieve by UEFA. UEFA set each city a goal of at least 25 percent of capacity for the tournament. Russia gained more matches despite a Court of Arbitration for Sport ban on hosting world championships because UEFA is not bound by December’s ruling.

Monday, April 26

COLLEGE SPORTS: CFP Looking Into Expansion Possibilities

After a college football season that was filled with chaos that started before the regular season, continued throughout and even involved a historic move of the Rose Bowl Game to Arlington, Texas, the College Football Playoff management committee on Friday announced that it may look to future expansion with options ranging from six to 16 teams.

The CFP management committee’s working group, which has 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick, said that it has discussed 63 possibilities for future changes including models of six, eight, 10, 12 and 16 teams, each with a variety of different scenarios.

“There will not be a new format this season or next season,” CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock told ESPN. “The timetable is certainly an important detail, but it hasn’t been determined yet. It’s too soon to predict the timing, but even if the board decides to alter the format, it may well not occur until after the current agreement has expired, which isn’t until after the 2025 season.”

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Swarbrick will make a report to the entire management committee about the future format at the CFP’s summer meeting. Should the management committee decide there is a model that is worth using, that model will be presented to the CFP board of managers. For the playoff to change entering the eighth season of a 12-year agreement, 11 presidents and chancellors would have to approve it.

The 2021 CFP, won by a dominant Alabama team over Ohio State, was marked by Alabama’s win over Notre Dame in the semifinals in the Rose Bowl game — which for the first time since 1942 was played somewhere other than the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The move to Arlington, Texas, was announced after the state of California announced that the game would have to be played without fans, which was an unpopular decision to the CFP. Within weeks of the state’s announcement, the game was officially moved to AT&T Stadium and the game was able to go ahead still with the “Rose Bowl” name.

The 2021 CFP will have semifinals at the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl before the title game in Indianapolis, which hosted last month’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

“We are planning to have marching bands, cheerleaders, mascots and the rest of the wonderful traditions at the CFP games,” Hancock said in a statement. “We are optimistic, but, of course, everything will depend on the circumstances this fall.”

CYCLING: USA National Championships moved to Pennsylvania

USA Cycling has cited the impact of COVID-19 in moving its Elite, Junior, and Para Track National Championships to July 15–21 in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, instead of July 1–7 in Carson, California.

USA Cycling said in a Friday release that the past year has placed the Velo Sports Center in Carson, which is part of the Dignity Health Sports Park complex, under severe operational restrictions and made holding the event not feasible. The Valley Preferred Cycling Center, along with Discover Lehigh Valley, has stepped in to bring the event to Pennsylvania.

“We are disappointed we had to make the difficult decision not to host the 2021 USA Cycling Elite, Junior, and Para Track National Championships,” said Travis Smith of VELO Sports Center. “After such a challenging year, it breaks our hearts to ask for the event to be moved from Los Angeles. We will welcome national championships back again in the coming years with open arms. We wish everyone good luck while racing in Trexlertown and know they will put on a great event as it’s always been a premier racing location.”

“We look forward to welcoming this event to Lehigh Valley,” said Bree Nidds, vice president of sales for Discover Lehigh Valley. “Cyclists are well embraced in our destination and the Valley Preferred Cycling Center has a reputable history of hosting world-class events.”

Friday, April 23

BASKETBALL: Visit Indy, NCAA Give Inside Look at March Madness’ Controlled Environment

After more than 18,000 meals served and 18 tons of laundry washed, the city of Indianapolis is able to look back and enjoy its standing as the host for the NCAA Men’s Division I Tournament’s controlled environment that saw Baylor lift its first national championship in school history.

And during this week’s PCMA Webinar “How Indy Successfully Hosted the Entire NCAA March Madness Tournament,” members from Visit Indy, two of the city’s major venues and the NCAA were able to detail some of the things that went on in the background leading to and during the event.

“Pulling off this event will be something that likely will never happen again,” Visit Indy President and CEO Leonard Hoops said, pointing to the city’s evolution in hosting sporting events and its many sports venues that all ended up playing a part in March Madness. “I would tell people that yes we were lucky — but we were a 50-year overnight success. It’s taken us five decades to be in a position to be able to host an event like this.”

While Indianapolis feels five decades of work were able to make it the host, the reality is that the NCAA had mere months to plan the event. NCAA Managing Director for Men’s Basketball Championships JoAn Scott said that she started visualizing what an environment would entail last summer when the NBA and NHL used bubble setups to complete their seasons.

“We tinkered with various models and looked at several cities — some may not know that we looked at them, but we looked a several cities,” Scott said. The first detail to determine was the amount of hotel rooms needed, since each team would be on individual floors. The NCAA also wanted to find a setup where they could control all the means of transportation, whether walking around to areas or busing to nearby venues. There was also the need for practice areas and meeting rooms for players.

In the end, Scott said the NCAA stayed in Indianapolis — which was already scheduled to host the Final Four — because of its hotels, the walkways that connected so much of the downtown area, plus the ability to have games at other arenas such as Hinkle Fieldhouse at Butler University, Bankers Life Fieldhouse in addition to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, along with the State Fairgrounds, Indiana University in Bloomington and Purdue University in East Lafayette.

“All the folks locally were so on board that it put us at a sense of ease,” Scott said. “The city went above and beyond, they created a great experience for the players.”

While Lucas Oil Stadium was able to have a restricted number of fans in attendance, the Indiana Convention Center served as the main practice area for teams with 12 practice courts set up — one in each exhibit hall and the 12th court in the largest ballroom in the center, said Monique Wise, senior sales manager for the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium.

Wise said that Indianapolis hosted a volleyball tournament that ended on March 14 and at midnight, the convention center’s team began its buildout for all of the practice courts and other assorted needs for the tournament. By 1:30 p.m. Monday, the setup was ready for use throughout the tournament; after the title game was played on April 4, the NCAA’s move out was on April 7 and the day after that, the convention center started the move-in process of two more events.

“We were very fortunate in that we were a little proactive in making building upgrades before March Madness,” said Wise. The venue went through most of last summer assessing the building and deciding on how to be prepared for when events were able to be booked again. Officials spendt millions on upgrading the HVAC systems to hospital grade, replacing all the toilets, sinks and soap dispensers in every bathroom to touchless devices, installing dozens of hand sanitizing stations and dividing hallways into one-way walkways. The center has since been awarded GBAC certification.

Making sure the controlled environment stayed intact extended to every single hallway during the month of March; when teams went through skywalks to different areas of the environment, they were escorted by either an event ambassador or security. Skywalks were always cleared prior to moving groups through to ensure there was no overlap and the bubble remained secure.

“Trying to make this environment a happy place for everybody required a lot of work,” added Susie Townsend, senior vice president of convention services for Visit Indy. Townsend detailed not only the number of meals served and laundry done, but also said that from 28,000 COVID samples tested by IU Health, only 15 came back positive for the tournament. Only one team was forced to forfeit a game during the tournament as VCU had to withdraw hours before its first-round game against Oregon.

Food was also a topic of focus during the webinar. Townsend said that they curated a list of 86 local restaurants — 25 percent of the ones involved are minority owned — and those were the places that provided food service on a daily basis to the bubble. Each team for meals during the day would be able to select a restaurant and get curated menues, then the food was delivered to each team’s respective hotel and delivered to their floors with individually packaged and labeled meals for each person.

“This was a huge boost to the restaurants for our area,” Townsend said.

Organizers also worked to make sure that Victory Field, the downtown baseball stadium, would be open to players each day for some fresh air out of their hotel floors. They also made sure to set up a safe environment atop a garage parking area so that each team would get photos taken in front of a mammoth bracket that was placed on the side of the downtown JW Marriot promoting each round’s progress.

Hoops said Visit Indy, the NCAA and Indiana Sports Corp are working on economic impact study and “our cocktail napkin math” has the estimated economic impact at around $100 million.

Thursday, April 22

OLYMPICS: IOC Says No Athlete Protests Allowed on Podium Or Field of Play in Tokyo

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee said in March that athletes will be allowed to perform acts of demonstration against racial and social injustice at the U.S. team trials, including acts such as kneeling on the podium or raising a fist as Tommie Smith and John Carlos famously did at the 1968 Olympic Summer Games.

But the USOPC, in announcing its policy for the trials, made sure to emphasize that its policies do not apply to the rescheduled 2021 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Tokyo and the USOPC made clear to athletes that it cannot “prevent … third parties from making statements or taking actions of their own, and that each Participant must make their own personal decision about the risks and benefits that may be involved.”

[More Coverage: IOC announces Olympic Virtual Series in five sports]

On Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee made its feelings on the subject clear: Any athletes who take a knee or lift a fist in support of racial equality in Tokyo will be punished as the IOC’s ban on protests inside stadiums and at medal ceremonies will remain.

The IOC’s Rule 50 forbids “demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda” in venues and any other Olympic area. But World Athletics’ President Sebastian Coe and others have said athletes should be allowed to make gestures during the Games.

“I would not want something to distract from my competition and take away from that,” said IOC Athletes Commission Chief Kirsty Coventry, a Olympic swimming champion for Zimbabwe, said on Wednesday. Coventry presented to the IOC’s Executive Board some recommendations such as clarity on potential sanctions of athletes, a change of wording for the Olympic oath that has a message of inclusion and more.

But when asked if athletes will be punished in Tokyo for making political statements on the podium in support of racial equality, Coventry said: “Yes that is correct.”

She added that the IOC’s athlete survey started in June 2020 and involved more than 3,500 athletes and the determination made by the commission “is what they are requesting for,” claiming 70 percent of athletes surveyed do not want protests on podiums or fields of play.

When athletes in Tokyo are in competition or receiving medals, the question of whether any fans will be there is still undetermined. Having already said that foreign fans will not be allowed in the country, Tokyo Organizing Committee President Seiko Hashimoto said on Wednesday that a decision on venue capacity and local attendance may not be made until June.

About 4.5 million tickets have been sold to Japanese residents. Hashimoto’s announcement comes after last week’s hint by Government minister Taro Kano, who is in charge of the vaccine rollout in Japan, that empty venues seemed likely. Less than 1 percent of the population in Japan has been vaccinated and public opinion polls continue to show that up to 80 percent of Tokyo residents are opposed to going ahead with the Games.

Japan’s government is considering a state of emergency for Tokyo and Osaka, reported local media, although the IOC said that it is unrelated to Olympic preparations and is part of the government’s plan to curb infections during Japan’s annual “Golden Week” holiday period from April 29 through May 9.

“We were informed there might be another state of emergency declared in Tokyo,” IOC President Thomas Bach said Wednesday. “We understand that this would be a proactive measure for the ‘Golden Week’ holiday with which the government is aiming to prevent the spread of infection. This measure would be in line with the very diligent approach we see taken by Japanese authorities.”

Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa last week said all athletes might need to be tested daily during the Olympics and Hashimoto confirmed on Wednesday that “in principle, testing will be daily.” Early plans called for tests every four days in the organizers’ “Playbook,” which will be updated by the end of this month; a final edition of the guide with rules for 15,400 Olympic and Paralympic athletes and tens of thousands of judges, officials, media and broadcasters when they enter Japan will be published in June.

Wednesday, April 21

AUTO RACING: Indianapolis 500 to Allow 135,000 Spectators

Get ready for the biggest crowd — by far — for any sporting event since the COVID-19 pandemic started more than a year ago.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced Wednesday afternoon that it will allow up to 135,000 fans at the Indianapolis 500 on May 30. The track said in a statement it worked with the Marion County Public Health Department and has determined that it can fill the stands to 40 percent of its capacity.

Simon Pagenaud leads a restart during the 2019 Indianapolis 500. Photo by Stephen King/IndyCar Media

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the largest sporting facility in the world with more than 250,000 grandstand seats and the ability to host close to 400,000 on race day.

“Our fans mean everything to us, and we can’t wait to welcome them ‘Back Home Again’ for this year’s Indy 500,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles said. “The city and state have worked with us to identify the appropriate health and safety precautions so that we can successfully host a limited but very enthusiastic crowd. The health and safety of everyone coming to IMS, along with Central Indiana and the Hoosier State, have been paramount throughout this process.”

Prior to the announcement, the largest crowd at a sporting event in the U.S. since the pandemic started was when Alabama’s spring football game last weekend drew 47,218 fans.

The speedway will be open to spectators every day cars are on the track beginning with a May 15 road course event. Grandstand seating will be socially distanced and face coverings will be required on track property with temperature checks will be given at the entrances.

The venue will also extend its vaccination clinics through the end of May; it has vaccinated approximately 100,000 people since it began operating as a site.

“The number-one thing fans can do to ensure a great Race Day is get vaccinated as quickly as possible,” Penske Entertainment President and CEO Mark Miles said. “We continue to offer vaccinations at IMS and will be extending our mass vaccination clinic throughout the Month of May. This is all part of the effort to continue getting Indiana back on track.”

Miles said 90 percent of the IndyCar circuit’s participants had been vaccinated by last Sunday’s season opener and there are two more opportunities for competitors to get shots before racing begins at the speedway. Those who are not vaccinated before the track opens May 18 will be required to undergo daily COVID-19 testing.

FOOTBALL: Canadian League delays 2021 season

The Canadian Football League, which postponed its 2020 season because of the pandemic, said its 2021 kickoff will be on August 5, two months later than planned, with only 14 games instead of 18.

The original schedule was slated to open June 10 but with Canada dealing with a third wave of the virus, the CFL board of governors will delay the season and the Grey Cup game to December 12 in Hamilton, Ontario.

“The CFL depends on ticket revenue more than other professional sports leagues in North America,” Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said. “Fans in the stands account for at least half of our revenue. Our clubs already stand to suffer substantial financial losses this year. Playing without fans in the stands would dramatically increase those losses.”

Four of the league’s nine franchises operate in Quebec and Ontario, which are both dealing with a third wave of the pandemic.

“We are prepared to be creative as well as prudent,” Ambrosie said. “For example, if we are unable to host fans in the East because of COVID-19, we are prepared to start play in the West, provided eastern teams can return to their home provinces, and play in front of their fans, later in the season.”

The league hopes the delay will allow for more Canadians to receive vaccinations and thus increase chances of fans being in the stands at some point.

NHL: Playoffs Still May End Up in Bubble, Report Says

The 2019–2020 National Hockey League season ended in an inventive bubble environment that saw two cities in Canada hosting an expanded playoff before the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Dallas Stars in Edmonton — and while that may not sound like it makes sense, little about any pro sports league’s postseason did last year.

This year’s NHL season has been marked by several outbreaks of COVID-19 within teams, the regular season’s final day already being pushed back to accommodate postponed games. The league’s regional scheduling has been received positively by fans. The attempt at a unique outdoor event in Lake Tahoe was first marred by soft ice in bright sunshine, but was still able to be pulled off with spectacular views showcased on national television.

But with the regional scheduling comes a major asterisk — there has been no international play between the NHL’s U.S.-based teams and the six teams in Canada, because of international travel restrictions. And that leaves the open question of what will happen when the playoffs come; the format will be the top four teams in each division advancing to the postseason with inter-division play, meaning at least one Canadian team will be in the Stanley Cup semifinals.

While the NHL and its fans hope the 2021 playoffs can look like the playoffs fans have been accustomed to, Sportsnet in Canada reported last week that it may have to be adapted again.

“From what I can tell right now, the plan is still to have the Canadian teams that make the playoffs play in their own cities,” Elliotte Friedman said Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada. “However, if there is a situation where we do need to consider a bubble, it is the likely scenario that the four teams that make the playoffs would go to a bubble in the United States.”

While the Canadian division’s constant rotation of rivalry games has been a boost to fans and promises some enticing playoff matchups — the Maple Leafs and Canadiens are as of today scheduled to meet in the first round, which would be a TV bonanza in the country — the season’s conclusion will be delayed from its original date in part because of a widespread outbreak among the Vancouver Canucks that affected at least 21 players.

The Canucks made a stirring return to the ice on Monday night, playing for the first time since March 24 and rallying for a 3-2 overtime win over Toronto. No Canucks players remain on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list, but four of Vancouver’s regular starters remained out of the lineup.

“This isn’t just your regular win during the regular season,” Canucks Coach Travis Green said. “It’s a special win. We’ve gone through a lot here with our group over the last few weeks.”

As the Canucks were given a few days to practice before its return to action, another team — this time south of the border — had to be put on its own pause. After three players from the Colorado Avalanche went onto the COVID list, the team’s games last weekend against the Los Angeles Kings plus a Tuesday game against the St. Louis Blues were postponed. The team is tentatively scheduled to return to action on Thursday night against the Blues.

One more hockey-related note: While the NHL has not had cross-border games this season, Canada was planning to host the women’s world hockey championships in Nova Scotia starting May 6. But the event was canceled abruptly on Wednesday over safety risks associated with COVID-19.

“This is very disappointing news to receive with just a few weeks until the tournament was to begin,” said IIHF President René Fasel. “We strongly believe that we had the adequate safety measures in place to protect players, officials, spectators, and all residents in Halifax and Truro, based on the IIHF and Hockey Canada’s experiences from hosting the IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton.”

The IIHF and Hockey Canada have pledged to work toward finding new dates for the tournament, with the goal to host the event in the summer of 2021.

Tuesday, April 20

GOLF: U.S. Open to Have Fans as PGA Tour Encourages Players to Get Vaccinations

The sport of golf was one of the first to return from a COVID-enforced pause across the sports world last summer. And recreationally, the sport has seen strong numbers in participation given its outside setting along with its natural tendency to be socially distanced — especially if the foursome you play with at the local club has some strong hooks and slices off the tee.

And as fans have increasingly returned to sporting events, golf is no different. The USGA has announced that a limited number of fans will be in attendance at the men’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) in San Diego from June 17–20 as well as the women’s Open at The Olympic Club (Lake Course), in San Francisco from June 3–6 — with a key disclaimer about fans who want to travel to California to be at either event.

Bryson DeChambeau, acknowledges fans watching from a bordering yard as he walks to the 11th tee during the third round of the US Open on September 19, 2020, in Mamaroneck, New York. Other than the fans off the property, there were no spectators at the event. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

For both championships, multiple health and safety guidelines will be in place including face coverings required for fans, staffers and volunteers. California residents must show proof that vaccination against COVID-19 has occurred at least 14 days prior to the championships or that a negative test result has been received; all out-of-state fans must provide proof that vaccination against COVID-19 has occurred at least 14 days prior to the championship.

“Last year, we missed the energy that fans bring to our U.S. Open championships,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director, championships. “We are grateful to our local and state health and safety officials in California to be in a position to welcome some fans back this year to witness the greatest players in the world contending for these prestigious championships, while working to maintain the health and safety of all involved.”

The announcement comes after the USGA did not have fans at last year’s U.S. Open in Winged Foot, New York, in September or the women’s event at Champions Golf Club’s Cypress Creek Course in Houston in December.

The U.S. Open policies on fan attendance come after the Masters was held during its traditional spring dates after last year being held in November. The tournament in November did not have fans in attendance; this spring’s event was with fans — sorry, patrons — at Augusta National. The exact total was not known but was estimated to be around 25 percent of its usual capacity.

Players in the majors and the PGA Tour, meanwhile, will not be required to get COVID-19 vaccines, the PGA Tour said in a memo obtained by ESPN, but those who do not get vaccinated will have to continue to undergo weekly tests at their own expense before playing in an event.

Players and caddies have been required to be tested on-site each week of an event on the PGA Tour, which ESPN said has reported fewer than 30 on-site COVID positive tests over the past 10 months. The tour’s own on-site testing will stop at the end of June.

Face coverings will be required at tour events indoors, but the tour said in the memo “in accordance with CDC guidelines, fully vaccinated individuals may gather in small groups without face coverings.”

The PGA’s steps to encourage vaccinations without making them explicitly mandatory follows similar steps by many other pro leagues including the NFL and NBA, which will loosen its health and safety protocols for those who have been vaccinated and once a team’s roster reaches a benchmark of vaccination.

Monday, April 19

Throughout the National Football League, today means the start of virtual offseason meetings, which seems almost amazing given it does not feel that far away from when Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers raised the Super Bowl trophy in front of the home crowd at Raymond James Stadium.

But as the virtual meetings start, tensions between the NFL and the players union about how the rest of the offseason will be conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic have been played out in public.

The union has insisted on an all-virtual offseason similar to what the league completed in 2020 — with nearly half of the league’s 32 teams having announced they won’t participate in voluntary offseason workouts.

The only mandatory activities this offseason would be June minicamps before the official start of training camp. The NFL last week issued a memo announcing the first four weeks of the voluntary program will be virtual before transitioning to in person.

“I think what a lot of players have said that they’ve heard from their coaches is that they need to show up,” NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith said Saturday on SportsCenter. “… I think that what you’re seeing now is for the first time players exercising their voice … to say ‘no.’ And frankly it’s probably one of the few times that coaches have ever heard players say ‘no.’ And for some players, it’s probably the first time they’ve said ‘no’ to their coach.”

While the NFL cannot mandate vaccination of players because of the CBA negotiated by Smith and others in the union, it does have the ability to do so for other employees on all 32 teams — and it has made its position on the issue clear in the past week. NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills has told clubs that Tier 1 or Tier 2 employees — including coaches, front-office executives, medical personnel, video specialists and others who work with players — will not be allowed to be around players without proof of vaccination.

Teams also reportedly have been told they must file weekly reports on employee vaccination numbers with the league. The league has also told clubs that it should educate employees on the work-related benefits of vaccination, highlighted by the ability to access the football-only areas of the facility, as well as bypass testing, tracking device and quarantine requirements.

Buffalo Bills fans pose for photographs after an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Indianapolis Colts Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, in Orchard Park, N.Y. The Bills won the game 27-24. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

One team has also told its fans that vaccinations are the only way it will be allowed to go to games this season; Erie County, New York, Executive Mark Poloncarz has said that Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres fans will need proof of vaccination in the fall to be at games and that the Bills have already been informed of his plans.

“I want to see that stadium full, I know the Bills want to see that stadium full. We want to return fans back to the stadium,” Poloncarz said last Tuesday. “That’s why the county supports returning all fans to the stadium and (hockey) arena for this fall … We know there’s a way to do it. We know there’s a way to ensure it. That’s that all fans and staff are fully vaccinated. … We can then guarantee 70,000-plus people at the stadium.”

Erie County owns the venues that the Bills and Sabres play at, which is how Poloncarz is able to make such an edict. Poloncarz hopes to use New York’s Excelsior Pass app to facilitate entry and the county will work on a solution for fans who do not have smartphones. Plans will be in place before the season starts about how to welcome vaccinated fans from out of state.

Poloncarz said he knows that fans have a personal choice in whether or not to get vaccinated but added “there’s no God-given right to attend a football game.”

Tuesday, April 6

BASEBALL: Rangers Sell Out Globe Life Field for Opener

Major League Baseball’s first week of the 2021 has been more about what has happened off the field rather than on the field. Not only did the league move the All-Star Game to Denver from Atlanta, the Washington Nationals’ start was delayed until Tuesday after several players tested positive for COVID-19.

More off-field news continued on Monday when the Texas Rangers had their home opener in front of a giant crowd at Globe Life Field, a decision that drew harsh criticism from medical experts and President Joe Biden. Hours before the game, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that he would not throw out the first pitch at the game in protest of MLB’s All-Star decision and additionally, he would not “participate in an event held by MLB, and the State will not seek to host the All-Star Game or any other MLB special events.”

Fans stand for the national anthem before a game between the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays on April 5, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers had the closest thing to a full stadium in pro sports since the coronavirus shut down more than a year ago. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

The announced attendance was 38,238 for the Rangers’ 6-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Rangers had announced in the spring that it would have the home opener open to 100 percent capacity but had not said beyond the opener what it would be allowing for home attendance the rest of the season; Globe Life Field opened last season and was the host of the neutral site National League Championship Series and World Series but did not have fans during the regular season for Rangers home games.

“It’s opening day,” Susanna Frare told The Associated Press. “We’ve never had an opportunity to go to an opening day. We just felt like it’s the kind of time to get back out there. It’s a calculated risk. But something that we wanted to do, a fun experience.”

Former White House medical staff member Dr. William Lang, who served in the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations, said lower rates of infection and increasing rates of vaccination in Texas give the decision more credibility but admitted “I know people will disagree with me. Reasonable people will disagree on this one as opposed to some of the times we’ve been with this where reasonable wouldn’t disagree, they would just say, ‘No, this is stupid.’”

The Associated Press reported that mask compliance was strong before the game but dropped to about 50 percent by the game’s middle innings. Ushers and security personnel were not seen stopping fans walking without masks and some lines were shoulder-to-shoulder in bottlenecks.

The latest Centers for Disease Control guidance says fully vaccinated people can mingle indoors with others who are fully vaccinated but everyone should still wear masks in public. Tarrant County, where Globe Life Field is located, and neighboring Dallas County both have about a 20 percent rate of fully vaccinated people, with about 30 percent partially vaccinated.

The Nationals opened at home against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday afternoon in front of approximately 5,000 fans with nine players on the injured list without a designation, which is taken to mean either they have tested positive for COVID-19 or are out because of contact tracing. Those nine included three regular starters in Alex Avila at catcher, newly acquired Josh Bell at first base and Kyle Schwarber in the outfield.

Washington’s saga started last after one player tested positive for coronavirus, then three more, then nine others — including seven players and two staff members — were deemed close contacts.

“Just suck it up and deal with it,” Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer said on Monday of the absences. “You can’t cry about situations. Everybody’s dealt a hand and you’ve just got to play it.”

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Baylor Blowout Culminates Successful Final Four Weekend

There may not have been a better outcome for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four in Indianapolis.

First, there was one of — if not the — most dramatic buzzer-beaters in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament history when Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs banked in a 37-footer to lead the Zags to an overtime win over UCLA in an absolutely exquisite basketball game, easily the best game of the season and one that will go down in the game’s history. It also led to a title game matchup between Gonzaga and Baylor, the undisputed two best teams overall this season, with the Bears cruising to a 86-70 victory.

Baylor players and coaches celebrate after the championship game against Gonzaga in the men’s Final Four on April 5, 2021, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Baylor won 86-70. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Was the most highly anticipated game of the season a dud? In a lot of ways, yes — certainly following the dramatics that happened in the Gonzaga-UCLA game. But was it satisfying to see the NCAA tournament be completed a year after its cancellation was the first major sports event to be disrupted by COVID-19 and, a year later, for it to be held in unique fashion with few disruptions? Also, yes.

Like any sporting event held over the past year, there were some off-court moments that reminded fans of what remains ongoing in the world. The men’s tournament first-round matchup between VCU and Oregon was declared a no-contest after VCU had to withdraw with a series of positive COVID-19 tests affecting the program. One of the most popular restaurants in Indianapolis and a place that would have been packed nonstop in non-pandemic big-event times, St. Elmo Steak House, closed over the weekend after multiple employees tested positive for coronavirus.

And while the rest of the men’s tournament went on without a hitch after VCU’s withdrawal, the Marion County health department is currently investigating to see if anybody in the Indianapolis area was exposed to the coronavirus after an 23-year-old Alabama fan, Luke Ratliff, died on Friday from COVID-related complications after being at the Crimson Tide’s Elite Eight overtime loss to UCLA at Hinkle Fieldhouse last weekend.

“Based on a recent news story, the Marion County Public Health Department and the Indiana State Department of Health are contacting the Alabama Department of Public Health to determine if anyone in Indianapolis may have been exposed to COVID-19 by any Alabama resident who visited Indianapolis in recent days,” the county said to ESPN in a statement provided by the NCAA. “We are conducting an investigation following the county and state’s standard contact tracing procedures.”

The women’s tournament in San Antonio ended with perhaps the best possible outcome in its Final Four as well: A classic battle in the semifinal between two top seeds. After a last-second shot by South Carolina rimmed out, Stanford advanced to play Arizona, which upset the powerhouse Connecticut team and showcased the continuing depth of the women’s game. In an all-Pac-12 championship game, Stanford won after seeing Arizona’s potential game-winner rim out at the exact same basket that South Carolina had missed two shots in the final seconds only days before.

The two semifinals on Friday night combined to draw nearly 4.4 million viewers, a big increase from 2019’s total of 3.6 million and continuing the trend of this year’s tournament drawing a record number of viewers; the championship game drew 4.1 million, the most-watched title game since 2014 and outperforming that night’s broadcast network shows. It also culminated a tournament in which San Antonio’s organizing committee estimated had a $27.2 million economic impact on the community.

The women’s tournament also did not have any teams withdraw because of positive COVID-19 tests in its controlled environment in San Antonio, a city where hundreds of visitors have been able to go maskless thanks to Texas’ reversal of a mask mandate weeks before the tournament’s opening tipoff.

“For our team, this was actually probably a little bit less strict than where we are at Stanford,” Cardinal Coach Tara Vanderveer said after Monday’s win. “You could be outside, people would not have masks on. Restaurants were open and things. That’s not the way it’s been for us in California. … I’m glad the NCAA has been very strict for us, because we want to be healthy. We’ve got to just stay with it, kind of get through this time, then hopefully our next year’s fall and winter, our tournament, will be back to normal.”

Normal would be terrific — but there also is the question of what next year’s tournaments will look like. It’s a guarantee that the NCAA will be under intense scrutiny to make sure that players have the same experience between the amenities and things available at sites. How the tournaments will be branded is also going to be a flashpoint; will March Madness be used by both tournaments? Will the women’s tournaments have branded courts at each site throughout the event just like the men assuredly will?

Next year’s women’s tournament will also be the last time that there are four regional sites; starting in 2023 through 2026, there will be two regional sites instead of four. Whether the NCAA changes things beyond 2026 is up in the air — a 2013 report by Big East Conference Commissioner Val Ackerman on the state of women’s basketball for the NCAA laid out ideas that ranged from having the men’s and women’s tournaments at the same sites to maximize the branding and revenue opportunities to having the women’s tournament, from the Sweet 16 through the title game, at one site akin to the College Baseball and College Softball World Series.

That will all be determined in the coming weeks and months. For now, the organizers will breathe a large sigh of relief that the games were played, the TV commitments were fulfilled and the season was completed. It was a season full of stops and starts, traditional powerhouses struggling like never before and, finally, a series of high-quality games that showcased the best of what college basketball can be.

Monday, April 5

Outbreaks Postpone Games for NHL’s Canucks, MLB’s Nationals

The National Hockey League’s season started with the Dallas Stars having to reschedule games because of a few COVID-19 positive tests and now, the league faces perhaps its biggest issue all season within one team.

More than half of the Vancouver Canucks roster has tested positive for COVID-19, ESPN reported on Sunday. Further reports in Canada show the depth of what the team is facing.

Number of positive cases climbing within the Vancouver Canucks. More than 20 players/coaches combined have tested positive. Variant symptoms include vomiting, cramping and dehydration. Family members are getting it. Scary situation. Next 5-7 days will determine scheduling.— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) April 4, 2021

The Canucks’ issues follow four games postponed in Canada after an outbreak within the Montreal Canadians in late March that almost assures the season will go beyond its originally scheduled end date ahead of the playoffs. The NHL has postponed 45 games because of COVID-19, 37 for U.S.-based teams.

Vancouver’s issues began on Tuesday with one player pulled from practice before another player joined the NHL’s COVID-19 list on Thursday. Within 24 hours, five more players had been added to the list and it has now slowed since. ESPN reported that some players are symptomatic with a few in “rough shape” and that the P.1 variant of COVID-19, a more infectious variant first found in Brazil, has been found among several of the cases.

The NHL and NHLPA sent memos to teams on Saturday advising them to adhere to guidelines agreed to for this season including wearing masks, even if individuals have been vaccinated, and not going to restaurants. Coaches were reminded not to pull down their masks to talk to players or officials during games, something that NHL coaches — well, coaches in pretty much every collegiate and pro sport — have been known to do.

And as the Canucks’ issues increased over the weekend, Dallas Coach Rick Bowness was pulled from behind the bench after two periods of the Stars’ game Sunday against the Carolina Hurricanes. General manager Jim Nill said Bowness is vaccinated, has no symptoms and the team believes it was a false positive test result for the virus.

“He was a very low grade, but it is still positive,” Nill said. “Out of safety concerns, he was pulled. But yes he has been vaccinated. His first vaccination was back sometime in January. He’s had both vaccinations.”

The issues in hockey are also happening in Major League Baseball, where the Washington Nationals’ season was delayed before it could even begin. Four players tested positive on Wednesday, postponing the team’s three-game series against the New York Mets that was scheduled to conclude on Monday.

Along with the four players that have tested positive, seven others were quarantining after being close contacts of those who tested positive. The Nationals did not have any positive COVID-19 tests during the six weeks of spring training.

Major League Baseball and the players’ union issued a testing update Friday, announcing four new positive tests from 14,354 tests administered over the past week across all of the sport, a 0.03 percent rate.

Washington General Manager Mike Rizzo said Friday that “we’re in crisis management mode.” The team will start its season on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves after one more game scheduled for Monday was postponed. Games were scheduled to be played in front of roughly 5,000 fans at National Park.

“The hardest part is probably what they’re going through right now,” said Miami Marlins Manager Don Mattingly, whose team had 17 players on the injured list because of the coronavirus during last year’s 2020 shortened season and was idle for more than a week early in the season before making the playoffs. “They still probably have some unknown: Is it going to keep going on? … You don’t know when you’re going to play. You don’t know what’s going to happen. You’re in quarantine. You can’t do anything,”

Friday, April 2

BASKETBALL: Forget Off-Court Issues, the NCAA Women’s Tournament Has Been More Than One Shining Moment

It sets up to be a terrific college basketball doubleheader on Friday night in San Antonio as the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament reaches the end.

The opener will feature South Carolina and Stanford, a matchup of transcendent coaches whose teams have dominated their respective regions. The nightcap is the biggest name in women’s basketball, Connecticut and star freshman Paige Bueckers, facing the new faces of Arizona, making the Final Four for the first time.

What has been a tournament in which as much attention has been focused for the NCAA’s missteps off the court has been a tremendous success for viewership. Connecticut’s dramatic regional final win over Baylor — highlighted by a controversial no-foul call in the final seconds — drew 1.7 million viewers, the largest non-Final Four women’s game rating in a decade. With multiple early-round broadcasts on ABC for the first time since 1995, there may never have been a bigger spotlight on the women’s game than there is this year, which continues to remind supporters of the game about the inequities between the men’s and women’s tournaments, which NCAA President Mark Emmert continued to try and apologize for on Wednesday.

UConn’s Paige Bueckers celebrates in front of Baylor’s DiJonai Carrington after an Elite Eight game in the Women’s NCAA tournament on March 29, 2021, at the Alamodome in San Antonio. UConn won 69-67 to advance to the Final Four. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

“When you lay the men’s and women’s championships side by side, as has been made clear over the past weeks, it is pretty self-evident that we dropped the ball in supporting our women’s athletes,” Emmert said. “… And now the most important thing to me is obviously to correct those things that happened in San Antonio — and we’re dealing with that and I think very effectively — but also we need to use it as a pivot point, as an inflection point to say what do we need to do better? How do we make up for those shortcomings from this day going on and create the kind of gender equity that we all talk about, I talk about, everybody talks about, but make sure that it’s a reality, not just language?”

What started with videos of the “weight room” got Congressional attention from 36 House Democrats, even raising the disparity between the use of the “March Madness” trademark.

“The March Madness logo can, and if the women’s committee and the women’s community wants it used, there’s no reason why they can’t use it similarly,” Emmert said. “’Final Four’ is used by both, and whether or not one wants to use the logo with a gender identifier is up to the committee and they can certainly do whatever they’d like to do with those things.”

While the women’s tournament has been full of terrific games that have generated greater social media attention then the men’s games, the men’s tournament has seen its TV ratings down 12 percent heading into the Final Four from the 2019 tournament — a decrease that has actually be well-received given much more substantial decreases for many other sports events since the pandemic first took hold throughout the country.

While the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament as drawn the biggest TV numbers in primetime across all of TV on the nights it had games from the first round through the Elite Eight, the four Elite Eight games themselves averaged 6.2 million viewers this year compared with 11.2 million in 2019. That amount of drop was surprising after the Sweet 16 games, held over the weekend instead of Thursday and Friday as traditionally in the past, averaged a combined 12.9 million viewers between CBS and TBS — a 12 percent increase from 2019.

Those TV numbers were going to be watched closely by the NCAA; Dan Gavitt, the senior vice president for basketball, said on the SportsTravel Podcast before the tournament started that “I’ll be curious to see whether some elements of this modified schedule are things that might make sense in the future. I’m particularly excited about the Sweet 16 games on Saturday and Sunday in exclusive windows where their games aren’t overlaying each other. I think it sets up to be a really spectacular weekend of college basketball if we’re fortunate enough to get great games leading into Monday and Tuesday’s Elite Eight doubleheaders. We’ll assess everything that we’ve had to adjust as a result of the pandemic and see if there are things that post-pandemic make the event better and we’ll consider those if that’s the case.”

The final TV ratings for the men’s tournament may not improve after this weekend’s Final Four. While there is the talking point of Gonzaga’s quest to be the first unbeaten national champ since Indiana in 1976, this is the first time in tournament history that all four teams are from west of the Mississippi River. UCLA, which is the most surprising team still remaining in Indianapolis, also is the biggest brand name of the remaining four teams. There will be heavy regional interest in the two semifinals — UCLA vs. Gonzaga in the West and Baylor vs. Arkansas in the Southeast — but nationally, the tournament has been hurt by the absence of powerhouses such as Duke and Kentucky from the tournament field as well as early exits for other big names such as Michigan State and North Carolina.

While Indianapolis will not get to have a full house at Lucas Oil Stadium for the Final Four because of COVID-19, it will at least be able to sit back and know that it already has a future Final Four guaranteed in 2026 — one year after San Antonio is scheduled to host the men’s Final Four at the Alamodome, where this year’s women’s champion will be crowned.

As of 2009, the minimum seating requirement for the Men’s Final Four has been 70,000 and it must be held in a domed stadium. The move to larger venues has been a trend for years. In fact, the Final Four has not been played in a basketball arena since 1996 when it was held in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Since that time, the games have been held in football stadiums with the exception of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida — a baseball stadium — in 1999.

Using those guidelines and based upon recent history, there may be maybe 11 cities — New Orleans, Houston, Phoenix, San Antonio, Indianapolis, Arlington, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Detroit and St. Louis — that would fit the needs for a Final Four. Both Indianapolis and San Antonio’s ability to be single-site events is proven this year but for the others, there would have to be an examination of how many various arenas would also be involved in those destinations.

Some coaches from this year’s tournament have even raised the idea of continuing some type of one-site schedule. Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann mentioned having the Sweet 16 and Final Four all in one site in this recent ESPN story and Oklahoma State’s Mike Boynton agreed, saying “I think [without the pandemic], we can create an even greater environment. Plus, less stress on families having to travel multiple times in a short span.”

But for those who support the idea, the fact is that the NCAA has awarded cities hosting rights for the 2022–2026 basketball tournaments. About four dozen destinations spread throughout the United States will host some round of the men’s tournament between now and 2026 (a few cities will host in multiple years) even beyond what the NCAA Women’s Tournament sites have been awarded. There are also coaches that don’t believe the single-site idea should last.

“I don’t think we should keep it at one central site, though, because I don’t think that’s fair to the fans,” Houston Coach Kelvin Sampson told ESPN. “… There is kind of something romantic about applying for NCAA tickets and finding out you got it and planning your year around that. I think there is something really, really exciting about that.”

In the end, the single-site issue may be just a pandemic workaround that has no future; Emmert said as much on Thursday during a press conference. Regardless, there will be plenty of college basketball to watch this weekend as a season that was delayed at the middle and sustained multiple stops and starts before enduring a March where there was as much attention off the court as there was on comes to an end.

Thursday, April 1

BASEBALL: On Opening Day, Nationals Postpone Mets Game Because of Outbreak

After a regular season unlike any other in its long, rich history, Major League Baseball will take a step toward the more familiar today when all 30 teams start the 2021 season with an Opening Day celebration that harkens all the nostalgic feelings about the spring and summer to come and long nights at the ballpark.

Among the things that baseball fans can expect on the field;

The baseball has changed slightly with the goal of lessening the amount of home runs after a record 6,776 were hit in the last full season. Through Sunday, spring training games averaged 9.4 runs per game, the lowest since at least 2015.
Pitchers will once again bat in the National League after a year with a universal designated hitter.
The postseason is scheduled to revert back to 10 teams after last year’s expanded 16-team playoff because MLB and the union have not reached a new agreement regarding expanded playoffs for this year.
Doubleheaders will feature seven-inning games and a runner will be placed on second base to begin each half-inning if a game goes into extra innings.
Clubs can bring a “Taxi Squad” of up to five players on road trips to have reinforcements available in the event of injuries or COVID-related issues.

An electronic sign encouraging mask wearing is seen at Nationals Park after the opening day game between the Washington Nationals and New York Mets was postponed because of coronavirus concerns on April 1, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

While the Washington Nationals are scheduled start the season at home with six games, it may have to utilize its Taxi Squad as soon as it heads on the road. A Nationals player has been sidelined by a positive test for their opener against the New York Mets and four other players identified as close contacts must also quarantine. Early Thursday morning, news broke that the opening game would not happen as planned.

pic.twitter.com/hhXpsoaZt6— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 1, 2021

There were 33 player positives during COVID testing ahead of and during regular season. COVID testing will continue throughout the season and while teams are hopeful that as vaccinations increase into the summer that it will lead to increased capacity at ballparks, health and safety protocols for MLB players that existed last season will remain in place at least to start the 2021 season. MLB, like every other pro league, will not mandate vaccinations of players but at the same time is trying to encourage it as much as possible by also letting teams and players know what protocols will be relaxed once a team reaches 85 percent percent of its Tier 1 individuals being vaccinated.

The memo, sent to teams and obtained by ESPN, says that teams that hit the 85 percent threshold will no longer have to wear masks or tracking devices in the dugout and bullpen and can restore clubhouse amenities that encourage players hanging out together. Once the threshold is hit, vaccinated players, coaches and staff members will be also able to eat at restaurants, bring family with them on the road and gather without masks in hotel rooms, among other relaxed protocols. They also would have the option of decreasing testing to twice per week and will not have to quarantine if in close contact with someone who was diagnosed with COVID-19, as long as they are asymptomatic.

All 30 teams plan to have at least some number of fans at every home game this season, most notably the Texas Rangers’ plan to have a sellout crowd for its home opener at Globe Life Field on April 5 against the Toronto Blue Jays, a team that will have to play at least its first three homestands in Dunedin, Florida, because of cross-border travel restrictions.

“I don’t want to be critical of that, but that’s — I would not start off with 100 percent capacity,” Anthony S. Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert, said to the Washington Post on Wednesday. “But, you know, Texas has been always a bit more — what’s the right word? — daring when it comes to the kinds of things that they want to do in regard to this outbreak.”

Fauci went on to say that “we’re going to be seeing as the season progresses and as we get more and more people vaccinated and the level of infection comes down in the community, there will be more flexibility in getting more and more people into the ballpark. Hopefully by the time we get in the full swing of the season, there’ll be a lot more people that could feel comfortable being in the ballpark.”

In anticipation of having fans in attendance, MLB released guidelines for spring training games that will also be in effect for the regular season including a requirement for facial coverings while inside the ballpark; fans being seated in pods six feet apart; and ballpark entrances opened on a scheduled basis. Per state health guidelines, the New York Yankees and New York Mets are requiring a PCR or antigen COVID-19 test with negative results or proof of COVID-19 vaccination for fans to attend games. Aside from the Rangers’ Opening Day sellout plans, the Houston Astros will have 50 percent capacity, Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies both plan to have 40 percent capacity or more at home games while the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals have the smallest planned percentage of capacity at 12 percent.

Last season there were no fans in the regular season at any ballpark and only the National League Championship Series and World Series, both held at Globe Life Field during a unique postseason with neutral sites, had fans in attendance at around 28 percent capacity.

The Atlanta Braves, while not having more than 40 percent capacity to start the season, have said they plan to have a sellout crowd at the All-Star Game scheduled for July 13. But MLB Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark, in the wake of a new Georgia law that includes new restrictions on voting by mail and greater legislative control over how elections are run, told the Boston Globe that he would like to discuss moving the game with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred — which Manfred confirmed on Wednesday with The Associated Press.

“He wanted to have a conversation. I completely understand why Tony would want to have a conversation about this topic. We’ve actually had a preliminary kind of conversation, and there will be more substantive conversations about that,” said Manfred, who also said he was looking forward to full stadiums in the summer. “I am talking to various constituencies within the game and I’m just not going beyond that in terms of what I would consider or not consider.”

Dave Roberts, who after leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to the 2020 World Series championship would be the National League manager at the game, said that he may decline to participate if the game is not moved.

Wednesday, March 31

FOOTBALL: NFL Plans To Broaden International Reach With 17-Game Schedule

London is calling again for the National Football League, which will use its expanded 17-game regular season to increase the number of international games starting in the 2022 season.

The official approval by owners on Tuesday for an expanded season will mean up to four international games each year, chosen from among the home games of the teams in whichever conference has nine home games in that particular season. It would guarantee that each team goes overseas at least once in an eight-year period. The NFL said on Tuesday that scheduling in a country outside the United States will focus on Canada, Europe, Mexico, South America and the United Kingdom.

Teams could still volunteer to play international games — something that the Jacksonville Jaguars have in the past been eager to do in setting a footprint within London, where Jaguars owner Shadid Khan also owns a Premier League team in Fulham, whereas the Green Bay Packers have never played an international game.

In a 17-game season, the extra game will be out of conference and based on the previous season’s divisional order, with the home team alternated between conferences each season. It is widely expected that the preseason would shrink to three games instead of the traditional four; the 2020 season had no preseason because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The addition of a 17th game is the first change to the season structure since the 1978 season started an era of 16 games.

“This is a monumental moment in NFL history,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “The CBA with the players and the recently completed media agreements provide the foundation for us to enhance the quality of the NFL experience for our fans. And one of the benefits of each team playing 17 regular-season games is the ability for us to continue to grow our game around the world.”

The NFL has a long history of playing games internationally, with preseason games in London as far back as the 1980s plus multiple preseason games in Canada in the 1960s and even a game on Tokyo in 1976. The first regular-season NFL game was in 2007 at Wembley Stadium in London and since then, the English capital has hosted 27 games, by far the most of any international destination. Six games have been in Toronto, each featuring the Buffalo Bills, along with four games in Mexico City.

The 2020 season was scheduled to have five international games with one in Mexico City and four in London, two at Wembley and two at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; those games were cancelled because of COVID with all games being played at NFL team stadiums, meaning an extra home game for the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Jaguars and Miami Dolphins. Goodell said during Super Bowl week in February the NFL intends to resume international play in 2021; while the league no longer has an agreement to play at Wembley, it signed a 10-year agreement in 2021 to have at least two games per season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The official 2021 schedule with playing dates and times will be announced later this spring. The season will start September 9 and end on January 9, 2022, with Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on February 13, 2022. And when it comes to fans in the stands, after a fall in which many of the games were played in closed stadiums because of COVID-19, Goodell on Tuesday made his strongest statement yet on the NFL’s plans for the fall.

“We want to see every one of our fans back,” Goodell said. “We expect to have full stadiums in the coming season.”

Even for a league as rich as the NFL, capacity attendance at games will have a big impact on revenue. Last year’s leaguewide attendance totaled 1.2 million, a 90 percent decrease compared to the pre-pandemic 2019 season.

COLLEGE SPORTS: NCAA President Again Calls for Improvement on Equity

In a press conference in advance of the Women’s Final Four, NCAA President Mark Emmert reiterated his disappointment in the disparities between the women’s championship in San Antonio and the men’s event being staged in Indianapolis. In opening remarks, he noted that the men’s event is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2021 while the women have only had a championship for 40 years. But despite the “head start” on the men’s side, Emmert said more needs to be done to elevate the women’s event.

“That’s why more than anything, I and everybody else in the NCAA have been so disappointed in the shortcomings that have been starkly abundant and recognized here in San Antonio,” he said. “When you lay the men’s and women’s championships side by side, as has been made clear over the past weeks, it is pretty self-evident that we dropped the ball in supporting our women’s athletes.”

Emmert said the association is well on its way to correcting the shortcomings that came to light, including disparities in weight room facilities, but that he hopes to quicken the conversation to make sure those issues don’t appear again.

“Now the most important thing to me is obviously to correct those things that happened in San Antonio — and we’re dealing with that and I think very effectively — but also we need to use it as a pivot point, as an inflection point to say what do we need to do better?” he said. “How do we make up for those shortcomings from this day going on and create the kind of gender equity that we all talk about, I talk about, everybody talks about, but make sure that it’s a reality, not just language?”

The NCAA president also noted that the association will focus on the basketball events as a way to gauge other championships success in gender equity as well.

“Women’s basketball, like men’s basketball, those are the two marquee sports for NCAA championships,” he said. “If you don’t get those right you’re not going to get anything right. So we’ve got to get those things right. And our commitment — my commitment to that is unequivocal. But we also need to make sure if we’re dropping the ball in basketball that we’re not doing it in lacrosse or golf or tennis or any other sport that we have men’s and women’s tournaments in. It’s got to be gender equity across the board.”

Tuesday, March 30

COLLEGE SPORTS: No Matter the Controversy, Mark Emmert is Staying as NCAA President

Through all of the controversies the past two weeks surrounding unequal treatment of athletes between the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments, one thing has been made clear: President Mark Emmert is here to stay.

The chairman of the NCAA’s Board of Governors gave Emmert a vote of confidence over the weekend, saying it was satisfied with how he has addressed inequities between the tournaments. Emmert’s contract runs through October 2023 and has an option for 2024.

Asked by The Associated Press if Emmert’s leadership has been up to the challenge, Georgetown University President Jack DeGioia said: “Yes.”

NCAA President Mark Emmert watches the first half of a game between North Carolina State and South Florida in the second round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament at the Alamodome in San Antonio on March 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

“I think there’s a clear understanding that the NCAA fell short in San Antonio, but a recognition that the response has been commensurate with the challenge,” DeGioia said. “And now we’ve got important work in front of us that we will need to engage.”

Emmert has acknowledged the NCAA’s shortcomings in planning the women’s environment in San Antonio compared to the men’s environment in Indianapolis. “Clearly we should have had better communication between my teams,” Emmert told The Associated Press on Friday. “… We dropped the ball in San Antonio in the women’s basketball tournament.”

By now, even a casual sports fan has heard about the self-inflicted issues the NCAA has faced from the disparity in weight rooms to even the use of the trademark “March Madness” compared to “NCAA Women’s Basketball.” Emmert has ordered an independent review to be concluded by the summer; the Washington Post reported that 36 House Democrats demanded answers about student-athlete treatment in San Antonio in a letter to Emmert while raising questions about the organization’s role in fueling inequity after there were also issues with gift bags for the two tournaments, food options and the type of COVID-19 testing.

“I’ve been at this for 32 years,” Big East Conference commissioner Val Ackerman told USA Today. “Some days I’m heartened because I think women in sports have made tremendous strides. And other times, it feels like 1988, when I started out at the NBA.”

The numbers provided by the NCAA to the New York Times and ESPN lay the disparities in black and white: NCAA officials said the most recent and available data is from the last completed set of championships in 2018–2019, which shows the men’s tournament budget was $28 million compared to $14.5 million for the women. The men’s tournament brought in a total net income of $864.6 million that season and the women’s event lost $2.8 million; of the 90 championships the NCAA organizes across three divisions, only five generate any revenue.

Kathleen McNeely, the NCAA’s chief financial officer, told ESPN “(the men’s and women’s tournaments) have different budgets, but the difference in the budgets is because of the scale of the two tournaments … and the nuances in the delivery, which tend to be committee decisions on how they’re going to deliver those championships.”

The NCAA estimated it cost $14 million to create the men’s setup in Indianapolis and $16 million for the women’s setup in San Antonio. The NCAA also told ESPN that the men’s basketball tournament pays for nearly every other NCAA championship across all divisions except for four: Division I baseball, men’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse and men’s wrestling.

What may have been lost by some in the off-court issues has been the continued excellence of the women’s tournament on the court. Watching several games from both the men’s and women’s tournaments over the weekend, one could see the smoothness and faster pace that the women’s games have been played at, with better offensive efficiency nearly across the board. There were new faces in the Mercado Region final on Monday night as Arizona beat Indiana to reach its first Final Four and in the other Elite Eight matchup on Monday, Connecticut beat Baylor on a controversial no-call at the end that had LeBron James tweeting about the women’s tournament instead of the men’s.

And frankly, one underreported aspect of the women’s game is that the top players are more popular on social media than men’s basketball players. Andy Wittry’s Substack newsletter about the potential earning power of college basketball players this month noted that of the 35 starters between the two tournaments that have at least 20,000 followers on Instagram, 16 of them are women — including eight of the top nine.

“We know that we’ve had decades of undervaluing women’s sports throughout the entire sports spectrum,” Emmert said. “We need to think through how we address that. We need to think through how we want to more aggressively support and promote women’s sports.”

Emmert also apologized to women’s basketball players, admitting “we failed to deliver the things they earned and deserved.”

One thing can be sure: Between women’s sports leaders throughout the country and in the halls of Congress, they will make sure that his words are followed by actions.

Monday, March 29

OLYMPICS: U.S. Buyers of Olympic Packages are Out 20 Percent

When Tokyo 2020 announced it was banning foreign spectators from the Olympic Summer Games, leaders mentioned that international ticket buyers would receive a refund. But in the United States, it appears that those refunds are still months away and that they will not be 100 percent.

CoSport, the company authorized to sell ticket packages in the United States, announced over the weekend that refunds can be expected in the third quarter of the year and that it would retain the 20 percent handling fee it charged those who had previously purchased packages.

In a letter to ticket holders, CoSport President Robert F. Long said the company was disappointed by the decision to ban foreign spectators and that refunds won’t be processed until Tokyo 2020 returns funds the company has already turned over to the organizers. “After Tokyo 2020 has returned the requisite funds to us — which they have indicated will take up to the third quarter of the year — we will need time to process your refund,” he wrote.

But perhaps more important to those who spent thousands of dollars on ticket packages, CoSport acknowledged that it plans to keep a 20 percent handling fee. “Authorized Ticket Resellers, such as CoSport, conduct international ticketing programs on behalf of organizing committees and are allowed to charge this fee for doing so,” Long wrote. “As the program was developed and mostly implemented a year ago, this fee has been expended. In fact, due to the refund process, some of our costs, such as financial transaction processing fees and currency conversion will be doubled.”

Cosport USA sends email detailing their refund policy for #Tokyo2020. Cosport will not be re-funding the 20% handling fees with the orders and spectators will not be refunded until the 3rd quarter of this year. pic.twitter.com/SOdOdgfNy8— Ken Hanscom (@KenHanscom) March 27, 2021

CoSport is also the authorized ticket reseller in Australia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Jordan, Norway and Sweden. Other ATRs, including Team GB Lie in Britain, have said they intend to issue 100 percent refunds to fans.

AUTO RACING: Bristol’s Dirty Day Has to Wait

What was planned to be a unique moment for the NASCAR Cup Series — a return to dirt track racing in the sport’s top series for the first time since 1970 — fell prey to the weather gods on Sunday and revealed the difficulty of planning spotlight events outdoors have in the best of situations.

A much-hyped return to dirt-track racing was delayed for at least a day after torrential rain flooded Bristol Motor Speedway’s parking lots of campgrounds, making the temporary dirt surface a muddy mess and forcing the Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series races to be delayed 24 hours in an attempt to dry out the track.

“We need this show to be great,” Scott Miller, NASCAR’s vice president of competition, said Saturday.

Racing on dirt in the Cup Series was always going to be a risk, but NASCAR has been in the position to do risky things lately in an attempt to attract new fans. The points race has changed repeatedly over the past two decades in an attempt to build anticipation toward the final race of the year. The Cup Series schedule has changed slightly over the years as well in an attempt to bring back fans to historic tracks such as Darlington Speedway in South Carolina.

Going to non-oval events was a highlight of this year’s schedule, which includes a visit to Austin, Texas, and the Circuit of Americas with the addition of another road course event. The annual trip to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which had decreasing attendance in recent years, will instead be run at the track’s road course after 27 years on the oval.

While Bristol has always been on the schedule and once sold out 55 consecutive races, it lately has had gaps of open seats at races — so given its tradition in auto racing and reputation, it seemed a smart choice to experiment with a temporary dirt surface.

The Truck Series has raced on dirt seven times recently at Eldora Speedway in Ohio, a facility owned by Tony Stewart; when Fox asked NASCAR to put a dirt event on the Cup Schedule and it was decided to be held in Bristol, Stewart pulled the Truck Series race off his venue’s facility.

Bristol Motor Speedway brought in 2,300 truckloads of red Tennessee clay to cover the track. But even before the rain started, there were ominous signs for the Cup Series.

Mud stick to the tire of a truck as it prepares to compete in a heat race for a Truck Series race on March 27, 2021, in Bristol, Tennessee. The heat was postponed and Sunday’s race was postponed as well after a torrential rainstorm. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Friday’s practice sessions chewed up tires faster than official expected while also digging deep divots into the surface. NASCAR planned to give teams an extra set of tires for the 250-lap race as well as shorten the stages that it runs in each race for points purposes. It also planned to add two competition cautions for extra pit stops.

Qualifying heat races for the Truck Series barely made a lap before mud caked the windshields and reduced visibility.

“That’s probably the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been in a race car,” said Kevin Harvick, running his first Truck Series race since 2015. “Really, really unsafe conditions so far, as far as vision goes. I just had to look left and go off what you know of the race track.”

Bristol Motor Speedway Executive VP and General Manager Jerry Caldwell said the decision to postpone until Monday was reached after consultation with NASCAR officials, weather experts and local authorities. But postponing instead of canceling is keeping Caldwell’s anticipation for the event high.

“I really am looking forward to it,” he said. “My greatest anticipation is really for the fans. I love that our fans are so excited; they are so hyped up for this event and it has gotten so much attention and I know it’s going to be a great show tomorrow. Can’t wait for the sport as a whole to experience that. I wish it had been today, but I know we’re going to have a beautiful day tomorrow and still be able to get this in.”

Friday, March 26

As Pro Leagues Team Up For Vaccine PSA, How Many Players Will Take It?

States across the country are ramping up vaccination facilities and opening up the eligibility to get shots in arms, with 34 states in total planning to have vaccines available to the adult population by mid-April.

Pfizer and Moderna, whose vaccines require two doses, are together supplying about 24 million doses a week, according to federal officials. President Joe Biden, who promised to have “100 million shots in the arms” of Americans by his 100th day in office, said Thursday that he was doubling the target.

The NFL offered up all of its stadiums earlier this spring to become vaccination clinics. Major League Baseball announced on Friday that the 11 MLB team venues that have been vaccination clinics have combined to administer one million vaccines to the public.

“I commend the clubs that have hosted vaccination and testing at their ballparks and all of our franchises for promoting health and safety in our communities,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said.

And each league has made it stance as clear as possible to the greater public about how it feels on the issue of vaccinations, all but saying that the hopes for fans to be at sold-out stadiums this fall requires a massive vaccination effort among the population.

A natural question about the topic of sports and vaccines then turns to this: Will leagues make it mandatory for players to get their shots?

There are a number of legal and ethical issues that surround the issue. The legal issues are simple: such a demand must be collectively bargained. The ethical issues go beyond collective bargaining and into debate about race and the shadow of events such as the Tuskegee Experiment that have led to deep-held suspicion of vaccines in some communities.

That is why the NFL, as the most prominent example this week, had Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills go on NFL Network this week and say the league has “no intention” to require vaccination for players and coaches. Every other professional league in the U.S. has said similar things about not requiring players or staffers to be vaccinated, as well as they would not be ‘skipping the line’ to get vaccinations for people.

Each league has said that vaccinated individuals will not have to follow as strict a list of protocols as others who are not vaccinated will have to follow. The NFL this week has said that teams who have only fully vaccinated people in their draft rooms will face fewer restrictions than those who include some who have not been vaccinated.

The NBA, according to ESPN, has told teams that vaccinated players and staffers will have more freedom of movement especially on the road during the rest of the season. The new rules for vaccinated players and teams are that masks will not have to be worn at practice facilities, more flexibility to leave the hotel on road trips, in-person team meetings will be allowed, meals can be served on team flights and players who take the vaccine, after a two-week waiting period, will not have to be tested on off-days or quarantine due to contact tracing.

The NBA’s incentives for vaccination are extending off the court as well. The Miami Heat will be opening two sections in the lower bowl at its home arena for fully vaccinated fans starting April 1 — no, this is not a joke — and while masks will be required still, social distancing rules will be relaxed in the sections.

The two sections will have pods of groups separated by one seat. Those fans will be admitted through a separate gate and required to show their CDC vaccination card, or proof thereof, along with valid identification. Fans would have to have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days to be eligible to be in those sections. Miami is one of the teams that have been allowing fans at games to this point this season; only eight teams have not had fans at home games yet.

“You’re already getting a sense that things are starting to change and go in a much more positive direction,” Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Just the environment in our building, I remember those first couple games we had at the beginning of the year when there was literally nobody here, that was an eerie experience.”

The Heat are also one of four teams along with Portland, New Orleans and Atlanta to acknowledge that some players and staff members have started the vaccination process. Twelve Trail Blazers players have received their first dose of the vaccine along with 14 Atlanta Hawks players and dozens of eligible members of the Pelicans organization, including multiple players.

“I think it’s a great motivation to get everybody vaccinated and to me that’s paramount, obviously,” Portland Trail Blazers Coach Terry Stotts said recently. “And it should be good motivation to get vaccinated. But I look forward to that day when we are able to take advantage of all those things that are being loosen up.”

Dallas Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle, meanwhile, reminded others that there is no protocol to force players to get the shot: “Vaccination is certainly going to be their choice,” he said of Dallas’ players. “It’s not something that will be required. My feeling is it will be encouraged, but it’s going to be their choice alone. They won’t be forced to do it.”

While vaccinations continue to increase throughout the country, there are also reminders of the dangers of the virus and its still-strong hold on the country. New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose revealed this week that several members of his family, including children, along with himself all tested positive and dealt with symptoms. Rose missed eight games while on the NBA’s COVID-19 list and is still regaining his conditioning.

“I never felt anything like that before,” Rose said. “I’ve had the flu. It was nothing like the flu. You are drained of everything. It was like that times 10 … I couldn’t exercise. I couldn’t do anything but just be around my family and read. Just leaving the house, it’s something we take for granted. Just breathing. Just everything. I went through a lot in quarantine. I’m just thankful very thankful.”

COLLEGE SPORTS: Two Teams Withdraw From NCAA Hockey Tournament

Notre Dame’s men’s hockey team was forced on Thursday to forfeit its first-round game in the NCAA Men’s Division I Tournament on Thursday after COVID-19 issues after testing was done on teams arriving to the Northeast Region’s site in Albany, New York. The Irish was scheduled to play No. 1 seed Boston College at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Times Union Center. The game will now be ruled a no contest.

Notre Dame was in tournament because St. Lawrence University, the ECAC Tournament champions, withdrew because of positives on its team. The deadline to withdraw from the tournament was Monday; the withdrawal of SLU and inserting the Irish into the field kept alive Notre Dame’s streak of making the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s an unfortunate situation and I feel for our guys, especially our seniors,” Notre Dame Coach Jeff Jackson said. “The team was excited about returning to the NCAA tournament and ready to continue competing after earning the opportunity. But with the multiple positives and subsequent contact tracing it became clear that for the safety of our team and the others in the tournament we could not proceed.”

Michigan joined Notre Dame on the sidelines on Friday morning, announcing that the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Regional will be withdrawing and No. 3 seed Minnesota-Duluth will advance via walkover. Michigan said there were an unspecified number of positive COVID-19 tests within its Tier 1 testing group.

“I’m devastated for these players. These student-athletes have done a wonderful job all year of making sacrifices to get to this point of the year,” said Michigan Coach Mel Pearson. “It’s unfortunate. I don’t completely understand the final decision but I have to respect it.”

Thursday, March 25

COLLEGE SPORTS: NCAA Announces Independent Equity Review As Basketball Tournament Controversy Continues

NCAA President Mark Emmert has released a statement saying that an independent review will be undertaken about how the organization sets up its collegiate championships after the past week and multiple stories about the differences between the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tournament.

“While many of the operational issues identified have been resolved, we must continue to make sure we are doing all we can to support gender equity in sports,” Emmert’s statement read in part. “As part of this effort, we are evaluating the current and previous resource allocation to each championship, so we have a clear understanding of costs, spend and revenue.

“Furthermore, we are examining all championships in all three Divisions to identify any other gaps that need to be addressed, both qualitatively and quantitively, to achieve gender equity. To assist the NCAA in this effort, we are retaining the law firm of Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP, which has significant experience in Title IX and gender equity issues, to evaluate our practices and policies and provide recommendations on steps we can take to get better.”

The statement concluded that the NCAA hopes to have preliminary assessments in late April with a final report in the summer after all of our championships are completed.

The controversy that erupted over the differences between controlled environments in San Antonio for the women compared to Indianapolis for the men reached a new stage on Wednesday when the Washington Post reported that 36 House Democrats demanded answers from Emmert in a letter while raising questions about the organization’s role in fueling inequity.

Along with photos of the infamous weight room facilities for the women’s players in San Antonio, there was also issues with gift bags for the two tournaments, food options and the type of COVID-19 testing. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the NCAA executives overseeing women’s basketball requested to use the famous March Madness brand in recent years and were rebuffed by the NCAA.

The congressional letter spearheaded by New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill said “despite having corrected at least some of these infractions, the NCAA’s clear disregard for women cannot be tolerated.”

SOCCER: Major League Soccer Releases Schedule as Liga MX Relationship Continues to Grow Closer

Major League Soccer’s 26^th season schedule was released on Wednesday with more national network broadcasts than ever before, including five games on ABC for the first time since 1998 and seven more games on Fox spotlighting the newest expansion team in Austin FC as well as showcase David Beckham’s Inter Miami and rivalry games between the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders plus ‘El Trafico’ between the Los Angeles Galaxy and LAFC.

The 34-game schedule will almost entirely be against in-conference opponents to cut down on travel distances. The three teams opening stadiums got its official home openers as well: FC Cincinnati will open West End Stadium against Inter Miami on May 16, Austin FC will open Q2 Stadium on June 16 and Columbus will open Crew Stadium on July 3 against New England.

The relationship between Major League Soccer and Liga MX continues to grow as well, playing against each other regularly in the CONCACAF Champions League — an event won every year by Liga MX since its rebranding — as well as this year’s rescheduled All-Star Game in Los Angeles will be between the MLS All-Stars and a Liga MX All-Star team at Banc of California Stadium.

The leagues also this week released details of two more joint competitions that were put on hiatus in 2020 but will return this summer: The Leagues Cup, an eight-team, single-elimination tournament that will feature four teams from each league and start in August with the championship in September. The Campeones Cup, an annual clash of both leagues’ champions, will also be in September, featuring MLS Cup Champion Columbus Crew SC hosting the winner of this summer’s Liga MX Campeón de Campeones.

Columbus Crew players celebrate after defeating the Seattle Sounders in the MLS Cup on December 12, 2020, in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew won 3-0. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

“We’re excited to re-start the Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup competitions in 2021 and continue to build on our partnership with Liga MX,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “We have seen the great rivalry that exists on the field between MLS and Liga MX clubs, and these events provide a unique opportunity for fans to see their club compete in meaningful international competition while creating enormous interest and attention for both leagues.”

And with every release about the relationship and every mention of the impending 2026 FIFA World Cup inevitably comes one topic on social media: What if the leagues merged?

The topic came up again last week when — of all people — FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, “I think the potential in the United States and Mexico is enormous, each country by itself. But of course if you could bring those two together that would be incredible and that could quite well be the best league in the world.”

FIFA traditionally has emphasized national leagues rather than regional ones. But the Belgian Pro League this month unanimously voted in favor of an “agreement in principle” for what it calls the BeNeLeague, merging with the Dutch Eredivisie. The details and format have been discussed for months between Dutch and Belgian clubs; a formal proposal has yet to be unveiled.

That potential merger would be more of a case where the leagues would be able to package a better media deal and increase competitiveness on the broader European club scene. Any potential North American Super League would have one main benefit to the teams and leagues involved: A lot more money.

Mexico’s football federation president Yon de Luisa did not dismiss talk of a merger during a Tuesday news conference, saying “there are several really good projects between MLS and Liga MX, and it’s good that any future alliances are approved of at an international level. We’ll see if those are [a merger] or the creation of new cups or new leagues that can allow for better development for soccer and the enjoyment of our fans in the United States and Mexico.”

In an interview with ESPN in December, Garber was asked about the possibility of a merger with Liga MX, responding “Could there ever be a moment where the leagues come together in a more formal way than just playing with interleague play? Perhaps.” But he also pointed out significant differences between the leagues with labor negotiations and collective bargaining in MLS compared to Liga MX.

Those comments are further than Garber has gone in years past. Fans who want the merger to happen soon can forget about it, given the CBA between Major League Soccer and the players union was extended recently through 2027.

But after that? A six-year leadup, in theory, would give plenty of time to iron out details. Given the financial losses MLS has sustained in the past year, to have a potential big payday in the long-term could be enticing. The potential opportunity to tap into the Hispanic market and combine MLS’ following with Liga MX, whose U.S. television broadcasts outdraw MLS, cannot be overstated. MLS will expand to 30 teams by 2023 while Liga MX has been traditionally an 18-team league; could in 2028 you see a combined league with 48 teams — gasp! — split into two group with promotion and relegation between the divisions?

“The challenges and obstacles are many, but the opportunity is great,” Garber said. “Like everything with us, we’ll do the work and figure out if it can be possible at some point way in the future.”

HOCKEY: COVID List Increases Over Past Week

The National Hockey League’s list of players out because of COVID-19 protocols has grown in the past week after a short period of time in which the league was able to hold games without interruption for nearly a month.

The Anaheim Ducks added four players on the list this week, joining two players from the Montreal Canadiens and several others from the Boston Bruins. There have been 41 games postponed overall in the shortened 56-game campaign that started January 13 with 157 players who have spent at least one day in COVID-19 protocols this season. Calgary is the only team to not have a player listed so far this season.

The NHL has postponed all Canadiens games through March 28, the first time that any games has had to be postponed in the league’s realigned North Division that is made up of the NHL’s seven Canadian teams. The postponements, in addition to the others that have happened, makes the playoffs’ originally scheduled start date unlikely.

One of the impacts, I believe, will be the NHL having to schedule games past Monday, May 10, which it had been able to avoid so far. But the schedule is so jammed in the second half, I think it's unavoidable for Montreal and Edmonton. Which will delay the start of the playoffs.— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 23, 2021

The Bruins were on schedule to return from its COVID-19 shutdown on Thursday night against the New York Islanders at home, which would be the first pro sports event in Massachusetts with paying fans in the crowd since last March.

Wednesday, March 24

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Off-Court Inequalities Overshadow Highlights-Filled Start to NCAA Women’s Tournament

What has happened off the court at the NCAA Women’s Tournament in the controlled environment of San Antonio, Texas, overshadowed what ended up being an exciting start on the court — and in an era where women’s sports have never been more popular, there are many reasons why.

First, there was the weight room. Well, you can’t really call it a weight room. It was one rack of weights and some yoga mats, thrown together in what could have been a small bedroom. Only after Oregon forward Sedonia Prince’s video went viral on social media with 16 million views, did the situation change.

Stanford players warm up before their game against Utah Valley in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament at the Alamodome in San Antonio on March 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The NCAA said the items in the video were equipment for teams to use while they waited to get onto the practice court as it was being sanitized and that a full weight facility would be ready for the Sweet 16. But within 24 hours, teams were able to go to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and, when not on one of the nine practice courts, utilize heavier weights, squat racks, benches, resistance bands and exercise balls along with exercise bikes, rowing machines, treadmills and, of course, the yoga mats. Did all of the equipment show up out of nowhere? No — it was already in San Antonio and had not been laid out for use.

The levels of inequity between the men’s and women’s players did not stop there. NCAA officials said gift bags for the two tournaments were of equal value, but social media posts showed the amount of gifts given were anything but. Inequalities in the food options available and the type of COVID-19 testing for the two events were plain to see. South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley pointed out how the NCAA describes its official Twitter account for March Madness as “all things Division I/NCAA Men’s Basketball” without mentioning the women’s game.

The March Madness trademark discrepancy literally extends to the court as well. In Indianapolis at the men’s tournament, each venue has an NCAA-branded court with “March Madness” at the center circle. For the women’s event, only two NCAA-branded courts are being used — both in the Alamodome — and they have “NCAA Women’s Basketball” on it. The phrasing took on additional meaning when the Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the NCAA executives overseeing women’s basketball requested to use the March Madness brand in recent years and were rebuffed by the NCAA.

Lynn Holzman, the NCAA vice president of women’s basketball, said how the weight room controversy unfolded, in particular, “pulled the curtain back on some of the issues surrounding our sport” in a lengthy interview with ESPN. “Women in sport and in many other aspects of our lives, we’ve been fighting uphill battles for years. In a lot of ways, this is no different. … This year, that was a miss. That was a communication, operational miss. There are other things for women in sport that are bigger systemic issues that I have devoted my career to, and there’s many others who have been fighting these battles. At the NCAA we are committed to supporting our women. Where there are those issues, we’re going to address them. I’m going to continue to fight these battles to make sure that happens.”

In a letter to staff the day before the tournament started, NCAA President Mark Emmert admitted that “a number of balls were dropped.” Emmert followed up with another letter on Tuesday in which he wrote that he would be calling for “an independent review” of the processes that led to the disparities.

Several high-profile coaches, though, have made it clear they will not stop raising the issue of inequality no matter the number of statements that Emmert puts out.

“Women athletes and coaches are done waiting, not just for upgrades of a weight room, but for equity in every facet of life,” Stanford Coach Tara VanDerveer said Saturday. “Seeing men’s health valued at a higher level than that of women, as evidenced by different testing protocols at both tournaments, is disheartening. This cannot continue to be business as usual. There are necessary changes that need to be made.”

“Thank you for using the three biggest weeks of your organization’s year to expose exactly how you feel about women’s basketball — an afterthought,” Georgia Tech Coach Nell Fortner said Tuesday. “Thank you for showing off the disparities between the men’s and women’s tournament that are on full display in San Antonio, from coronavirus testing, to lack of weight training facilities, to game floors that hardly tell anyone that it’s the NCAA Tournament and many more. But these disparities are just a snapshot of larger, more pervasive issues when it comes to women’s sports and the NCAA.”

There also should be applause for the 64 traveling parties who have combined for only one confirmed positive COVID-19 test even as the state of Texas is famously “100 percent open” with hundreds of people walking around San Antonio on a daily basis, a mix of masked and unmasked, while the players remain secluded rather than be exposed to COVID-19.

“(The River Walk is) packed, no one had masks on. It’s kind of weird,” Kentucky All-American Rhyne Howard said on an AP All-America chat. “Little kids, babies, old people, no masks.”

There is plenty of good happening off the court in San Antonio; the Alamodome is not only home for two courts of games, it remains a vaccination center for local residents during the NCAA Tournament, providing at least 5,000 doses daily. “The NCAA has been very gracious and very helpful in making sure the city can continue everything,” San Antonio Sports Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jenny Carnes said this week.

And as we said at the beginning, you cannot discount what has happened on the court. Two double-digit seeds pulled off upsets in the first round; Fifth-seeded Iowa in the River Walk region’s second round beat No. 4 Kentucky as freshman Caitlin Clark outscored the Wildcats herself in the first half 24-22 on the way to a total of 35 points in an 86-72 win.

All four top seeds advanced to the Sweet 16 in dominant fashion on Tuesday, but three of the other four games saw the lower-seeded team upset a higher-seeded team. Michigan made the Sweet 16 for the first time ever — could more new names get through today? Will traditional powerhouses reassert their dominance instead? We will have to wait and see … and focus on the court, not off.

Tuesday, March 23

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: NCAA Men’s Tournament Has Lots of Upsets, One COVID Outbreak

The NCAA Men’s Tournament heads into a few days off before the Sweet 16 starts on Saturday with a multitude of storylines in Indianapolis, many of them positive.

There has been the number of upsets with a record figure of double-digit seeds advancing to the Sweet Sixteen, everything from No. 15 seed Oral Roberts in the South to the Midwest Region, which has the No. 2 seed Houston still alive but no other seed higher than No. 8 remaining. There has been the resurgence of the Pac-12 with four teams still alive, more than any other conference, and the underachievement of the Big Ten, widely believed to be the best league in the regular season but with only one of its nine selected teams remaining in the bracket.

Oregon’s Eugene Omoruyi drives against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 22, 2021 in Indianapolis. (Photo by Joe Robbins/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

The adjusted tournament schedule also has drawn strong reviews, from the First Four being a quadruple header on Thursday to the first two rounds starting a day later on Friday, pushing second-round games into Monday which in this work-from-home era was perfect for many fans. The Sweet 16 will also be a test run for scheduling; starting on Saturday instead of Thursday, the lineup will allow for each game to have its own national TV window, something NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt said on the SportsTravel Podcast previewing the tournament he was excited about seeing and could be a permanent fixture in the future.

But one of the biggest storylines is what happened off the court on Saturday night, when what fans feared could happen did happen — a team was forced to forfeit its game because of an outbreak of COVID-19 within the program.

Oregon, which is in the Sweet 16, won its first-round game via walkover after No. 10 seed VCU was withdrawn from the tournament “in consultation with the Marion County Public Health Department,” according to the NCAA when announcing the no-contest. The Rams were out of the tournament after having multiple positive tests within the program after it had entered the controlled environment in Indianapolis.

The Rams flew home Saturday night, with those who tested positive traveling separately. VCU Athletic Director Ed McLaughlin said the team found out only a few hours before the scheduled tipoff that the game was off.

The Rams arrived in Indianapolis on Sunday after playing in the Atlantic 10 tournament game against St. Bonaventure the Sunday before the tournament in Dayton, Ohio. In order to get into the controlled environment in Indianapolis, teams had to show seven consecutive days of negative COVID-19 tests. Once in Indianapolis, teams would undergo daily testing and that is when VCU’s positives first popped up. The NCAA made Tuesday night its deadline for replacement teams to enter the field; no teams had issues at that time.

“I want to make sure it’s clear. This isn’t something where our team broke protocol and did the wrong thing,” McLaughlin said. “We don’t know how this happened, but it certainly wasn’t bad behavior on our side whatsoever.”

Gavitt said before the tournament started that a team could continue playing as long as it had five “eligible and healthy” players. Because of that policy, both McLaughlin and VCU Coach Mike Rhoades thought VCU would be able to play Saturday.

“We thought we were still going to have enough to play, but the county, the health department and the NCAA, the medical committee made a decision that we weren’t playing, that it was a no-contest and Oregon was going to move on and we were done,” Rhoades said.

NCAA Spokesman David Worlock wrote in an email to The Associated Press: “With potential risks to all involved in the game, we could not guarantee or be comfortable that five or more players would be available without risk.”

Before the tournament started, two players had to be removed from Indianapolis because of positive tests: De’Vion Harmon, Oklahoma’s second-leading scorer, and Georgia Tech’s Moses Wright, the ACC Player of the Year. Six officials got sent home before the tourney and one, Roger Ayers, is home fighting against serious effects of the virus.

Ayers was one of the referees during the A-10 title game between VCU and St. Bonaventure. Reports later indicated the virus may have spread to the Rams during the team’s stay in Dayton but did not show up in testing until Wednesday while only luck spared St. Bonaventure from having any positives before the Bonnies’ first-round loss to LSU on Friday.

MORE: VCU, Bonaventure and A-10 title game refs all stayed in same Dayton hotel for conf. title game—along w/ the public, including many who weren’t wearing masks. One ref is struggling mightily with the virus.

Story, including statement from A-10.https://t.co/KGfzMTo4Rg— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 21, 2021

Whether some of the remaining tournament’s players also wear a shirt with the phrase “#NotNCAAProperty” on it will also be watched going forward. Michigan forward Isaiah Livers wore the shirt during his team’s first two games and several players, led by Rutgers’ Geo Baker, have been vocal about the cause on social media. There is proposed federal legislation that would provide a national framework for allowing athletes to market themselves and make money off their own ability; on March 31, the Supreme Court is set to hear an appeal of a lower-court ruling that the NCAA’s eligibility rules are a violation of antitrust law.

Monday, March 22

OLYMPICS: Tokyo 2020 Organizers Say No Foreign Fans Allowed at Games

Whether you call it the worst-kept secret ahead of the rescheduled 2021 Tokyo Olympic Summer Games or the most drawn-out decision ahead of this summer’s event, it is official: There will be no foreign fans allowed.

The decision was announced Saturday after an online meeting of the International Olympic Committee, the Japanese government, the Tokyo government, the International Paralympic Committee and local organizers.

Tokyo 2020 last year revealed the designs for tickets that would be used at the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games. Each ticket features a sport and venue pictogram as well as the Tokyo 2020 emblem. The Games were delayed until 2021 and now, foreign fans will not be allowed to attend.

“In order to give clarity to ticket holders living overseas and to enable them to adjust their travel plans at this stage, the parties on the Japanese side have come to the conclusion that they will not be able to enter into Japan at the time of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” the Tokyo organizing committee said in a statement on Saturday.

Seiko Hashimoto, the president of the organizing committee, had promised a decision before the torch relay opens Thursday in Fukushima. The announcement was expected after “five-party” talks last week with the IOC, local organizers, the Japanese government, the Tokyo metropolitan government and the International Paralympic Committee.

“That spectators are not able to attend the Games from abroad — that is very disappointing and it’s regrettable,” she said. “It was an unavoidable decision.”

Japanese media have said for several weeks that a decision on the ban had already been reached, almost serving as a trial balloon to test national and international reaction. About 4.5 million tickets have been sold to Japan residents with 600,000 tickets sold to fans outside Japan.

“We know that this is a great sacrifice for everybody,” IOC president Thomas Bach said. “We have said from the very beginning of this pandemic that it will require sacrifices. But we have also said that the first principle is safety. I know that our Japanese partners and friends did not reach this conclusion lightly.”

Toshiro Muto, the chief executive officer of the Tokyo organizing committee, has said ticket holders from abroad would receive refunds but final decisions will be made by Authorized Ticket Resellers appointed by national Olympic committees to handle sales outside of Japan. These dealers charge fees of up to 20% above the ticket price. It is not clear if the fees will be refunded.

Muto also seemed to rule out fans entering from outside of Japan who may have received tickets from deep-pocketed sponsors.

“If they are part of the operation of the Games, if they are somewhat involved in the operation then there is still a possibility they may be able to enter into Japan,” Muto said. “But solely as spectators for watching games — no, they will not be allowed to make an entry.”

The decision to not have fans is not a massive blow for the IOC’s bank account; worldwide broadcast rights of the Games account for 73 percent of the IOC’s revenues. But for Japan’s economy, the decision to not have fans come in from abroad is a hammer blow; Tokyo’s organizing committee budgeted income of $800 million from ticket sales and any shortfall will have to be made up by Japanese government entities, which already have had to cover rising costs.

The official cost for the Games is $15.4 billion, though two government audits suggest it might be twice that much with the one-year delay in the Games costing a reported $2.8 billion. A recent Fortune article cited Katsuhiro Miyamoto, an honorary economics professor at Kansai University, saying Japan’s economy will suffer a $13 billion shortfall even if the stands are half-full.

The Olympics and Paralympics will involve 15,400 athletes from more than 200 nations. Tens of thousands of officials, judges, sponsors, media, VIPs and broadcasters will also be on hand, although whether that will be streamlined for incoming countries has not been officially announced given the hospitality venues that many national Olympic committees operate on site.

“Over the past year, we have witnessed event hosts in the U.S. and around the world forced to make similar, and very hard, decisions,” USOPC Chief Executive Officer Sarah Hirshland said. “The grief, frustration and disappointment being felt by all whose plans have been ruined is understandable. It is truly sad that the families, friends and fans from around the world, who help make the Games a global celebration, will not be able to attend. We can only try to imagine the weight of the responsibility felt by the hosts — along with the IOC and IPC — to offer the participants and the host community the safest possible environment, and we acknowledge that safety has to be the priority.”

While Japan has attributed about 8,700 deaths to COVID-19 and handled the virus better than most countries, polls about the Games’ viability this summer has shown widespread skepticism about hosting the event with up to 80% opposing the Games being held. The torch relay starting Thursday will feature 10,000 runners crisscrossing Japan to reach the opening ceremony on July 23. Organizers are asking crowds to stay away and are reserving the right to stop or reroute the relay.

Saturday, March 20

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Outbreak Takes VCU Out of Men’s Tournament As Oregon Advances To Second Round

Saturday’s NCAA Men’s Tournament first-round game between Oregon and VCU has been declared a no-contest because of COVID-19 protocols within VCU’s program, the NCAA announced hours before tipoff of what was going to be the final game of Saturday’s schedule.

“The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee has declared the VCU-Oregon game scheduled for Saturday night at Indiana Farmers Coliseum a no-contest because of COVID-19 protocols,” the NCAA’s statement read. “This decision was made in consultation with the Marion County Public Health Department. As a result, Oregon will advance to the next round of the tournament. The NCAA and the committee regret that VCU’s student-athletes and coaching staff will not be able to play in a tournament in which they earned the right to participate. Because of privacy issues we cannot provide further details.”

Source to @CBSSports: VCU had its first positive surface on Wednesday, then two more positives surfaced Friday night, which prompted Marion County health officials and the NCAA to decide allowing VCU to move forward and play its game vs. Oregon was too risky.— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 20, 2021

This is the first NCAA game declared a no-contest due to COVID-19 issues. The NCAA made Tuesday night its deadline for replacement teams to enter the field.

“We’ve been tested every day for the past three weeks, but within the past 48 hours we’ve received multiple positive tests,” VCU Coach Mike Rhoades said. “We are devastated for our players and coaches. It has been a dream for all of us to play in the NCAA Tournament.”

VCU had played last Sunday in the Atlantic 10 Tournament championship game, losing to St. Bonaventure. One of the referees in that game was scheduled to officiate games in Indianapolis, but tested positive for COVID once arriving in the city. St. Bonaventure was able to clear protocols and played on Saturday afternoon, losing to LSU.

The men’s tournament was having success with keeping positives almost completely out of its controlled environment; NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt said on Friday through 9,100 COVID-19 tests, only eight between Tier 1, 2 and 3 personnel combined had come up positive.

Friday, March 19

BASKETBALL: NCAA Admits ‘Disrespectful’ Differences as Players, Coaches Publicize Unequal Accommodations at Men’s, Women’s Tournaments

As it says in the song … the ball is tipped.

The NCAA Men’s Tournament got underway on Thursday night with the First Four games, three of the four being close games and the high-profile game between UCLA and Michigan State ending with the Bruins rallying from an 11-point halftime deficit to win in overtime. It was fun for fans, cathartic given a year ago the tournament’s cancellation was another reminder of the growing pandemic that was sweeping the country and it was the perfect kickoff for the next four days of action that starts early in the day and goes into the night.

On social media though, a growing storm was gathering over the inequity between the controlled environment in Indianapolis and what the NCAA Women’s Tournament teams had landed to in San Antonio, Texas. And players and staffers from the teams were not shy in sharing what they saw and experienced on social media.

Let me put it on Twitter too cause this needs the attention pic.twitter.com/t0DWKL2YHR— SEDONA (@sedonaprince_) March 19, 2021

“We are all grateful to be here and it took a lot of effort for them to put this all together,” UConn All-American Paige Bueckers said on an AP Twitter chat Thursday night. “It’s more of a principle thing. It’s not just a weight room that’s a problem. It’s the inequality of the weight rooms that’s the problem. There’s another tweet going around with the swag bag. It’s not just the weight room. It’s the inequalities and the better stuff the men get.”

Arizona Coach Adia Barnes added on a video call “the fact is, when I look around the convention center where we just left, there’s plenty of room. There’s plenty of open areas, which I’ve walked through. I think that’s just not acceptable. Someone dropped the ball on it. It’s fine; we can fix this. There’s nothing to do but fix it, because it’s not right. I was embarrassed when I saw it.”

One of the biggest questions posted by hundreds on social media was how the NCAA could not have forseen this becoming an issue, especially with a rising emphasis on equality between men’s and women’s sports. The ever-growing power of college athletes on social media all but guaranteed that once players got into the different controlled environments, that any unequal treatment would be highlighted.

“I apologize to the women’s basketball student-athletes, to the coaches, women’s basketball committee for dropping the ball, frankly, on the weight room issue in San Antonio,” said NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt, who oversees both the men’s and women’s tournaments. “I apologize and feel terrible about anything that falls short of our lofty expectations. … We’ll get it fixed as soon as possible.”

The issue of equality will not be going away once the weight facilities in San Antonio are updated. UConn Coach Geno Auriemma — who is in quarantine and will miss the women’s opening weekend after testing positive for COVID-19 — said inside the two controlled environments, the men’s teams are using daily PCR tests and women’s teams are using daily antigen tests, which are less accurate than the “gold standard” of PCR testing. Others have taken note of the different setups the NCAA has for the Division II Men’s Tournament in Evansville, Indiana, compared to the Women’s Tournament in Columbus, Ohio.

this photo was just sent to me re: the DII @NCAA tourney. men are playing in the ford center in evansville (11k capacity) w/ tickets on sale (left), women are playing in an event center ballroom with 36 guest passes per team (right). the disparity is present here too. pic.twitter.com/L6opOPZw9Y— Emily Caron (@_emcaron) March 19, 2021

NCAA Senior Vice President of Women’s Basketball Lynn Holzman said the original setup was limited because of a lack of available space in San Antonio, with plans to expand once the tournament field shrunk in the later rounds but the NCAA would try to quickly improve the equipment available.

“When it is personal, it is as real as it can get,” Holzman said during a video conference with reporters. “And when people passionately care about something — in this case, women’s basketball — our fans, our student-athletes who are playing this game, it is our responsibility to give them a great championship experience and one they can be proud of.”

“There’s just a lot of things that have to change,” Barnes said. “But it takes people like me that were pro players being a voice for things to change. There’s a lot of voices out there. People care now. The fact that the NCAA responded so fast, I think that’s good. That’s meaningful.”

One positive out of San Antonio: all 64 teams announced Monday in the bracket have arrived safely in Texas so no replacement teams will be needed.

There also was one wrinkle in the men’s plans for attendance. Six Indianapolis-area venues will be used to host the 2021 NCAA men’s baseball tournament–with capacities ranging from 8,500 at one of the Lucas Oil Stadium courts (22 percent capacity) to the 500 fans, or 3 percent capacity, for Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

The NCAA planned on running five of its six Indianapolis-area venues at 25 percent capacity, but after examining seating arrangements and social distancing guidelines, the capacities will instead be decreasing at each of the sites Lucas Oil Stadium (two courts), Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Mackey Arena and Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall are hosting games.

Indiana’s Assembly Hall will allow only 500 spectators, or 3% capacity (limited to family and staff)
Mackey Arena will allow 1,350 fans (9% capacity)
Hinkle Fieldhouse will have 1,250 fans (14% capacity)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse will have between 2,500 and 3,800 fans (13-19% capacity), depending on the ability to clean the arena between games. • Lucas Oil Stadium will allow 6,900 fans for games at Equality Court and 8,500 fans for games at Unity Court (22% capacity).

“Our venues and host institutions and conferences have things very well in place. Many of these venues have hosted some level of fans recently,” Gavitt said. “We’re confident they have had some experience in welcoming guests and have those plans in place to keep everybody healthy and safe.”

FOOTBALL: NFL Proves Pandemic-Resistant in Announcing Billions in TV Deals Through 2033 Season

While the National Football League said it lost nearly $4 billion this past season without having fans at games, the league’s announcement on Thursday reinforced the belief that there is no sports organization more pandemic-proof than the NFL.

The NFL announced its new media rights deals with multiple reports saying the league will make $110 billion — with a B — through 2033. And aside from one part of the various packages, there will be little change for fans’ viewing routines.

The normal working order remains with the AFC on CBS, NFC on Fox plus Sunday night games on NBC and Monday night games on ESPN, making the gigantic increase in rights fees even more impressive. While many observers have believed at some point there will be a major move by an online streamer such as Amazon or Facebook to get into sports media rights — and Amazon will have the Thursday night package exclusively starting in 2023 — that there are few outside bidders and the NFL not only demanded but received more than double the previous yearly average reinforces the league’s reputation as the most popular sports league in the country.

The group of ESPN, NBC, CBS and Fox will pay an average 108 percent increase compared to the current packages. Each of the deals start with the 2023 season and run through 2033. One of the notable changes includes ABC earning the rights to two Super Bowl broadcasts and the NFL will be able to flex games onto Monday night. With both the Monday night and Thursday night games required to be on broadcast stations in the local markets, the NFL remains the only league with all of its games on over-the-air television.

The Super Bowl rotation will see CBS (2023, 2027, 2031), Fox (2024, 2028, 2032) and NBC (2025, 2029, 2033) carry three games each compared to two for ABC, which has not broadcast a Super Bowl since 2006. As part of the ESPN deal, not only will ABC broadcast two Super Bowls, the network will have the rights for up to three Monday night games per year as part of MNF doubleheaders.

“These new media deals will provide our fans even greater access to the games they love,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “Along with our recently completed labor agreement with the NFLPA, these distribution agreements bring an unprecedented era of stability to the league and will permit us to continue to grow and improve our game.”

A large part of the increase comes from the NFL having extra inventory; under the CBA with the players approved before the pandemic, the league negotiated the option to add a 17th game to the regular season schedule starting in 2021, something players long opposed but ultimately agreed to as part of getting 48 percent of the league’s revenue, up from 47 percent previously.

NFL team owners are expected to approve the additional game in late March with the likely scenario including the elimination of one preseason game. Depending on the calendar, the date for Super Bowl LVI in Inglewood, California, may be pushed back to February 13 from February 6.

And there could be even more money coming soon for the NFL; the rights to the popular Sunday Ticket subscription service where fans can watch out-of-market games expires in 2022. DirecTV, which has the contract, is widely expected to let the deal lapse and ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro admitted Thursday the network has “had exploratory conversations with the league” with an eye toward adding the package to ESPN Plus.

Along with the network TV deals, each of the networks also won rights to put games on their streaming services between CBS and Paramount Plus, NBC and Peacock, Fox and Tubi along with ESPN Plus. While continuing to have a firm hold on over-the-air television, the amount of content that each network will be able to stream along with the Amazon package does also make a decisive move into streaming for the NFL.

“With today’s deals, we make another large step in that direction,” Patriots Owner and NFL media committee Chair Robert Kraft said. “Our fans want this option and our media partners and the league understands that streaming is truly the future.”

Thursday, March 18

SPORTS: Yankees, Warriors Among Teams Ready To Welcome Fans Back Soon

A few of the things that venues where fans were allowed to attend sports events have done over the past year will never change, industry leaders said during a webinar on Wednesday.

“I think this has changed everything forever,” said Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob during Sportico’s Return to the Stands virtual event. “Arenas are going to be cashless now going forward. Ventilation in buildings — we happen to have a new building (with the Chase Center) and the ventilation is spectacular but even we made upgrades recently to make it better. We’re going to see people paying attention to a lot of those details.”

New York Yankees pitcher Adam Ottavino faces Miami’s Lewis Brinson during the seventh inning of a game at Yankee Stadium on September 26, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)

Legends President and CEO Shervin Mirhashemi agreed, especially with the move to cashless venues. He added that more venues than ever before will also be focusing on a frictionless fan experience whether it be entry into the venue, concessions and merchandise purchases and more.

“We’re going to be smarter and better than we ever have before,” Mirhashemi said, adding that being a business that operates across the country has also made it spend the past 12 months adapting to a variety of different health and safety protocols. One thing that Legends has done, he added, was divide work forces at stadiums into pods so if a positive test is recorded and mandatory quarantine is needed, only one pod is affected by contact tracing instead of an entire work force.

No matter the location or size of venue going forward, “whether it’s open to 30 percent capacity or 100 percent capacity, we’re going to implement the same concepts we’ve learned about and accelerate them as we return to normalcy,” in regard to technology, Mirhashemi said.

While Lacob’s team has not yet hosted fans, nearly two-thirds of the NBA by this point have been able to reopen their doors to a restricted level of attendance. The league’s four California-based teams between the Warriors, Sacramento Kings, L.A. Clippers and L.A. Lakers may be able to have fans by the end of the season depending on the tiers that their respective counties are in as part of California’s re-opening process.

Lacob said the Warriors will lose an estimated $200 million this season with not having had fans yet this season at home games. As a trained epidemiologist, he also said the recovery process throughout the United States — while feeling slow to millions who have been cooped up in small homes and apartments the past year-plus — has been “pretty damn good.”

“Science moved faster in creating the vaccines than anybody thought was possible,” Lacob said. “… numbers are coming down and vaccines are going out. The pandemic’s coming to an end. This is a numbers game with the virus and the numbers are working in our favor over the next several months.”

Speaking of vaccines, one of the looming issues for the NBA will be if players will get vaccinated. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said during the All-Star break that the league won’t require players to get the vaccine, but he believes most will. Some members of the New Orleans Pelicans who met Louisiana’s newly expanded eligibility requirements received the vaccine last weekend.

“If the players could get it, I would be in favor of it,” Lacob said. “I want my entire organization to get vaccinated — I just think it’s the right thing to do. We’re engaged with the public. It’s a safety thing.”

The New York Yankees were not able to have fans last season like every other team in Major League Baseball, but it is expecting to host 10 percent capacity (approximately 5,400) fans on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. As well as state requirements that all fans show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours, as well as mandatory temperature checks, the venue itself spent last summer earning a WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management. The rating incorporates guidance developed by the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, global disease control and prevention centers and emergency management agencies.

“We’ve looked at disinfection very differently than we ever have in the past,” said Doug Behar, senior vice president of stadium operations for the Yankees. “We treated Yankee Stadium like a hospital (and) started to think about what terminal cleaning meant and started to do that. We took biological swabs of surfaces and (figured) how do we go about correctly attacking those pathogens in a way that is safe for our housekeeping staff.”

Behar said fans who are able to be at Yankee Stadium will see some of the work that has been put in to earn the WELL rating — things such as signage communicating health protocols for fans — but there also is a lot that goes on behind the scenes by addressing one area of concern: The Yankees knew how to clean the facility, but how do you disinfect a facility?

Now that they know more about how to do that, “we’re excited about opening on April 1 and have the opportunity to showcase our stadium to our fans and bring excitement back to baseball,” he said.

Wednesday, March 17

COLLEGE SPORTS: NCAA Field Locked, Teams Ready to Tip Off in Indianapolis

The next 48 hours or so until the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament tips off in Indianapolis will be the tipping point for one of the most important parts of the controlled environment — making sure no teams have to be withdrawn because of positive tests.

The deadline for a team to pull out of the event passed Tuesday afternoon, locking the field ahead of Thursday’s First Four. The NCAA did not get a completely clean first set of tests for those entering the controlled environment — five positives showing up out of 2,300 tests — although no teams will be affected. If a team that received an at-large bid after Tuesday has an outbreak and withdraws, its scheduled opponent will advance. If a program from a conference with only one tournament bid withdraws before the opening round, that team will be replaced with a team from the same conference. Any withdrawn teams after the first round would result in a walkover.

A worker disinfect the seats between sessions of the Big Ten Conference tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on March 12, 2021. The venue is one of the ones being used for the NCAA Men’s Division I Tournament. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

But it is unclear which players will be available for two teams that received at-large bids after they withdrew from their respective conference tournaments because of COVID-19 issues: Kansas of the Big 12 and Virginia of the ACC. Kansas Coach Bill Self said on Sunday that his team was keeping three players behind when it left for Indianapolis but added “the other ones we hope to get there this next week as long as nothing negative happens in the meantime.”

Virginia’s situation is more perilous; the team would not leave Charlottesville for Indianapolis until its players and staff are out of quarantine after a positive test during the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Cavaliers’ first round game is scheduled for Saturday.

Virginia's tentative schedule is a doozy: arrive Friday early afternoon, get tested upon arrival at hotel; go into quarantine in rooms; get tested again after midnight; if tests are negative, practice Saturday morning; play Saturday night.— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) March 17, 2021

While teams have to have seven consecutive negative tests for each travel party member before coming to Indianapolis and daily testing as long as they are in the tournament, there was one clarification by NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt about a team’s ability to practice once in town. Those two tests must be separated by at least 12 hours and therefore can occur on the same day, which is how Rick Pitino’s Iona team was able to practice on Monday.

One group that has been affected is the 60 officials for March Madness; six were sent home on Monday night after one referee tested positive with five others ruled out via contact tracing. Stadium’s Jeff Goodman reported the referees arrived to their hotel on Sunday but their rooms weren’t ready and instead of waiting in a secure area, they were allowed to leave for dinner in downtown Indianapolis. Four of the refs will be replaced from a pool of reserves.

“Everyone’s responsibility is to make their own decisions to be safe and healthy and ready to participate,” Gavitt said Tuesday. “Not just from an event standpoint but an individual standpoint, we try to put safeguards in place to protect everyone’s health and safety and the integrity of the event, but it can’t be perfect. It’s not going to ever be perfect in a pandemic.”

While the schedule will not change going forward should a team have to withdraw because of not enough players or coaches, what could force a schedule adjustment could be a deep run by BYU — which, should it reach the Sweet 16, is scheduled to play on Sunday, March 28. BYU school policy prohibits athletic competition on Sundays; in 2003, the selection committee scheduled BYU to play a Sunday game and had to adjust the schedule.

If BYU does reach the Sweet 16 in the East region, those games would be moved to Saturday and Monday for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight while the Midwest region’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games would move to Sunday and Tuesday. That potentially would give the East teams four days of rest between the second round and Sweet 16 while the Midwest teams would have six days of rest.

That being said, “that contingency will only be utilized in the event that BYU were to advance to the Sweet 16,” Gavitt said on NCAA.com. “If they do not, then there would be no change to dates for any teams for regionals.”

The women’s tournament field was unveiled Monday night and one of the four No. 1 seeds, powerhouse Connecticut, will have to get through the first weekend’s games without its legendary coach.

Geno Auriemma tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday — four days after getting his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. According to CDC guidelines, Auriemma, who turns 67 on March 23, remains nine days shy of becoming fully vaccinated.

“They tell you [after the second shot], ‘This is going to take a couple of weeks. Don’t run around and think you’re home safe.’ These are meant to be protection, but nothing in life is 100 percent foolproof,” Auriemma said. “I think if I hadn’t gotten the vaccine and then tested positive, I might be really, really, really sick right now. And I feel really, really good. So, I’m glad I got the vaccine. If there was a third one, I would get the third one. That’s how convinced I am that it’s helping me.”

UConn said contact-tracing showed Auriemma did not have close contact with any team member since Friday and other Tier I personnel have tested negative for COVID-19 since March 9. Associate Head Coach Chris Dailey will be acting head coach until Auriemma returns.

The Huskies were scheduled to leave for the NCAA’s controlled environment in San Antonio on Tuesday. According to CDC and Connecticut Department of Public Health guidelines, Auriemma can rejoin the team on March 24 after a period of isolation.

Tuesday, March 16

BASKETBALL: Lucas Oil Stadium Outlines Preparation for NCAA Concessions

As the NCAA gets ready to launch March Madness in its most unusual form this year, those responsible for catering to the expected spectators are making plans of their own. Centerplate will be the company behind concessions at Lucas Oil Stadium, which will host 15 games over eight days of the men’s Division I tournament, including the Final Four and championship game.

Fortunately, the company already has pandemic experience having hosted fans at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. In Indianapolis, the company plans to invoke many of the measures it undertook in Miami as far as COVID-19 preparation. The games will mark the third basketball championship at Lucas Oil Stadium, but the first, of course, during a pandemic.

“The top priority will be the health and safety of fans, players and our staff,” said Steve Pangburn, CEO of Centerplate/Sodexo Sports & Leisure. “Our heightened protocols are in place to help everyone feel confident, safe and comfortable, and our menu items have also been dialed up a notch to meet the moment of one of the most exciting sporting events that our industry has to offer.”

The leadership at both Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center, which will host team practices for all teams in the tournament, come with experience. General Manager Lynda Fonderoli will be involved with the Final Four for the seventh time in her career, having worked for Centerplate for more than 28 years. The culinary efforts will be led by Chef Shimelis Adem, who has also hosted the three previous college basketball championships at the stadium, as well as the Super Bowl.

For the fans that will be permitted (Lucas Oil will be allowed to host up to 25 percent capacity), they will see these regulations in place, among others:

100 percent cashless points of sale to reduce contact; fans who don’t have credit cards can exchange cash for gift cards to use on game day
Individually packaged flatware
Portion-controlled condiments
Transitioned food service to individual packaging and closed containers
Gloves and masks required for all food-service employees
Social distance markings to encourage and promote distancing guidelines in common areas

As for the food? Here’s a sample of what will be on the menu:

Half-Pound Bracket Burger: all-natural Angus beef double cheeseburger topped with house-made applewood smoked bacon jam, melted cheddar and crispy onions on a fresh baked roll
Heartland Beer Cheese Steak Sandwich: locally sourced shaved beef sirloin, topped with Sun King Brewing Wee Mac Scottish Ale cheese fondue on a freshly baked hoagie roll
Indiana Whiskey Sour Pork Wings: locally sourced smoked pork wings glazed with a house-made whiskey and orange marmalade
Impossible Loaded Peppers: roasted tri-colored sweet bell peppers with meat substitute, drizzled with a house-made sweet chili glaze

At premium hospitality spaces, specialties will include:

Midwestern Madness Pork Chop Sandwich: boneless grilled pork chop marinated in a signature Mango Habanero Madness Sauce, with aged cheddar, grilled kale and caramelized sweet pineapple on a brioche bun
Hoosier Fried Chicken Sandwich: cast iron skillet fried green tomatoes, sharp cheddar pimento spread on a fresh baked brioche bun
Horseradish Crusted Beef Tenderloin Croissant: locally sourced Legacy Maker roasted beef tenderloin, oven-dried tomatoes, fines herbs, caramelized onions and brie, with a spicy horseradish sauce
Chilled Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail: served with Indianapolis’ own St. Elmo’s horseradish cocktail sauce and lemon wedges
The Ultimate Hoagie: Smoking Goose Lomo, Dodge City Salami, Capocollo de Dorman and Salame Cotto with pickled Giardiniera, kalamata and baby greens on sourdough

Monday, March 15

COLLEGE SPORTS: NCAA Tournament Fields Set; Waiting Game for Virginia, Kansas Begins

Now that the NCAA Tournament field has been revealed, the spotlight will shift to two traditional powerhouses and top-four seeds in their respective regions and whether either will be able to play in the Big Dance.

Virginia Coach Tony Bennett said his team, which pulled out of the ACC Tournament on Friday with a positive COVID-19 test, will not travel to Indianapolis until this coming Friday at the earlier because most of the program is in quarantine until Thursday after the positive was revealed.

“We’re going to keep testing daily. Our medical people, who are outstanding, are working with the NCAA to follow every protocol, and that’s why our name was called,” Bennett said. “The timing is never a good time to have it, and this is not ideal, but if you’re going to have it, we took it to about the last day you could have a positive case.”

Virginia earned a fourth seed in the NCAA tournament and is matched up with No. 13 Ohio. Tuesday night is the deadline for the NCAA to introduce a replacement team should the Cavaliers not be able to play in the first round. NCAA protocols state that a player needs to show seven consecutive negative tests before traveling to Indianapolis before undergoing daily testing while inside the controlled environment there.

Kansas Coach Bill Self, meanwhile, says three players will not travel with the team to Indianapolis because of COVID-19. The Jayhawks are the third seed in the West and scheduled to play Eastern Michigan in the first round; like Virginia, Kansas withdrew from its conference tournament on Friday after a positive test.

Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of men’s basketball, said last week that a team needs five healthy players to play in a tournament game.

Several teams decided that ending their seasons would be preferable to playing in the NIT: Louisville, Duke, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Xavier all turned down invitations to the 16-team tournament that will be played in Denton, Texas. Louisville is the first substitute team for the NCAA Tournament if a team is unable to play in Indianapolis.

FOOTBALL: XFL, CFL talking merger

There is no league in any sport that looms larger over a challenger than the NFL does for any football league — the spring is littered with leagues that have barely lasted years and in the case of the XFL 2.0, not even one complete year.

The relaunched XFL last year had to suspend operations in the middle of the season because of the COVID-19 pandemic and then disbanded before it would be able to return, citing financial losses that were unsustainable and joining the previous XFL incarnation as well as the USFL and WFL, among others. But now, the XFL — under new ownership by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and his business partner and chairwoman Dany Garcia — is exploring a collaboration with the Canadian Football League.

“It’s an exciting moment for us to really start talking about how do we collaborate,” CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said. “That’s a great word and it’s at the heart of this. Where that leads we don’t know, but it’s going to be exciting. Sometimes we over-use the phrase world class but they are world-class people.”

The XFL said plans to return in the spring of 2022 are on hold. The CFL, which canceled its 2020 season after being unable to secure $30 million in aid from the Canadian government, is scheduled to play the 2021 season starting with preseason in May.

Statements released last week by Ambrosie and Garcia did not reference the possibility of a merger but the leagues have been linked in history.

The CFL had a U.S. expansion team in Sacramento in 1993 and by 1995 had five American teams with the Baltimore Stallions winning the Grey Cup. The following year the league nearly went under financially but was able to continue operations; three years later in 1999, World Wrestling Federation chairman Vince McMahon was offered the chance to buy the Toronto Argonauts and countered with a proposal to buy the entire league, which the owners refused. McMahon instead started the XFL.

RIDING: PBR Going Full Capacity At New Show

While perhaps not at the forefront of many sports fans’ minds, the Professional Bull Riders started up action in 2020 within six weeks of initially suspending events, having three events in Guthrie, Oklahoma, with the entire tour spread out over two acres with food and necessities delivered to the venue.

Including the stay in Oklahoma, the PBR Tour has held events in 15 states and Commissioner Sean Gleason said events were held in markets where they could commit to having fans. And the day after the Texas Rangers announced it would have opening day in front of a capacity crowd, the PBR Tour announced it would have its first full-capacity event on April 9 at Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The event will be at an ASM Global-managed arena with mobile ticketing instead of printed tickets, contactless concessions with prepackaged food, temperature testing and CDC screenings and COVID-19 testing for all staff and athletes. Since the pandemic began, PBR has hosted more than 131,000 fans at events. South Dakota is one of 16 states without a statewide mask mandate.

Friday, March 12

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Marquee Programs Deal With Outbreaks Before Selection Sunday

Everybody knows how unique this year’s NCAA Men’s Tournament will be. Between the controlled environment in Indianapolis after a regular season unlike any other — and one that people hope never happens again — there have been major on-court storylines going into March Madness between Gonzaga’s search of perfection and high-caliber play in the Big Ten Conference.

This year’s tournament already will stand out as the first since 1976 that Duke and Kentucky will not be participating. But while Kentucky will not hear its name called on Selection Sunday after the Wildcats’ worst season since 1926–1927, Duke’s absence from the Tournament will not be because its bubble burst on an inconsistent season but because it, like three other high-profile programs, have had to deal with the coronavirus at the absolute worst time.

Duke ruled itself out of the ACC tournament after a positive COVID-19 test within the program on Thursday ahead of the team’s scheduled game against Florida State in the tournament quarterfinals. Then on Friday, Virginia announced it too had a positive test and would forfeit its semifinal game against Georgia Tech. The issue with Virginia is more fraught for the NCAA bracket than Duke’s; while the Blue Devils may not have made the field anyway, Virginia was expected to be a top-five seed but quarantine periods for UVA players and staff could cause the team to miss March Madness.

And within hours of Virginia’s withdrawal from the ACC Tournament, Kansas withdrew from the Big 12 Tournament semifinals after it had a player test positive for COVID-19. The Jayhawks had played Thursday night, beating Oklahoma in the quarterfinals with only seven players seeing action. The Jayhawks entered the Big 12 Tournament without two players, including starting center David McCormack, after they were placed in health and safety protocols. Kansas Coach Bill Self said before the tournament he expected both would be available for the NCAA Tournament, but Friday’s news means that the priority is on what contact tracing and quarantining measures will be conducted.

While nearly not as high-profile as Duke, Virginia and Kansas, there have been other teams leaving their conference tournaments because of positive tests: Florida International in the Conference USA Tournament and top seed North Carolina AT&T in the MEAC Tournament.

Per NCAA protocols, playing in Indianapolis requires seven consecutive days of negative test results among Tier 1 personnel before arrival in Indianapolis. NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt, on the SportsTravel Podcast two weeks ago, addressed the issue of trying to get all 68 selected teams into the controlled environment safely.

“It’s going to take a great deal of effort and discipline by every team, every official, anybody that’s around the participating teams,” he said. “So we’re cautiously optimistic, but we know there’s no guarantee. … We are confident in the medical protocols to keep everybody safe and health and have 67 games from start to finish and determine a national champion, but it’s only as effective as the compliance and discipline that’s needed to achieve that end and that will fall on each individual team and everybody involved with the tournament.”

Earlier this week, Gavitt said that the NCAA will allow a team to continue playing in Indianapolis as long as it has five healthy players. “We wrestled with contingencies and thought it was fairest for a team that earned its way, that even if it was compromised, they should have the opportunity to play rather than be replaced,” he said.

The NCAA selection committee started meeting on Thursday to determine the field. The bracket is revealed on Sunday evening; after 6 p.m. EST Tuesday, teams that make the field cannot be replaced if they get sick, and their scheduled opponents would advance.

HOCKEY: NHL Aims to Increase Number of Fans Allowed at Games

One year after the COVID-19 pandemic put the National Hockey League on pause, league officials are now focusing their attention on getting spectators back into league’s venues. Just 13 of the league’s teams are allowing spectators, while four more are set to be added to the list shortly.

“We are optimistic that as we get toward the playoffs that the number of people (allowed) will continue to increase,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said during a press conference marking one year since the previous season shut down. “We’ll continue to adjust to complete the regular season and conduct the playoffs. We remains optimistic we can be pretty darn close if not normal for the start of next season.”

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly noted the league’s teams are governed by a wide range of local restrictions but the league has tried to open as many venues as it could. “We feel comfortable that what’s being required in terms of distancing, masking and — in some jurisdictions — testing creates and maintains a safe environment for all people,” he said.

Daly said the pace of vaccinations, particularly in the United States, is contributing to the league’s optimism about being able to bring in more fans soon.

“We hope we keep moving in the right direction,” he said. “Obviously, the key for us at some point in time for normalcy is having fans in our building and being able to host fans in our buildings not in limited numbers but in large numbers. The world keeps changing and we’re changing with it and hopefully we’ll be able to do that sooner than later.”

While the league had early challenges keeping its own players COVID-free this year, new regulations that were placed on teams — including recommendations that players don’t even go the grocery store during their off time — appear to be working. On February 12, the league had a high of 59 players on the COVID list. On March 10, the number was four.

“We’ve navigated through the first two months of this season under extremely challenging conditions,” Bettman said, “and we’ve been on this every day with medical experts, enhancing our protocols, and it’s gotten us to a better place.”

Daly also noted that the league hopes to return to its international schedule as soon as next season, having to forgo any European or Asian games this year. “On international games, I would love to be in position to do it as early as next fall,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s going to be possible. We’ll have to see what conditions are like in European markets, what the travel restrictions may be. There are a lot of relevant considerations. If we’re not able for whatever reason to launch next fall, I certainly hope and expect we’d be able to do the following season.”

Also on the NHL’s agenda is a potential return to the Olympic Winter Games after opting not to have players participate in 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Daly said talks about the 2022 Games in Beijing are on hold as the IOC deals with more pressing matters around the rescheduled Summer Games in Tokyo this year. But he said the league intends to be back in dialogue soon with the IIHF, the sport’s international federation, for consideration of NHL participation in China. “On our side of the ocean, we and the players association have been in communication and are collaborating on a list of things we need to be satisfied with for Olympic participation to be possible in Beijing,” he said.

Thursday, March 11

BASKETBALL: A Year After the NBA Shut Down, League Determined to Play Through Pandemic This Season

Adam Silver remembers nearly every moment from March 11, 2020. From the moment that he first heard from the Oklahoma commissioner of health to the hurried decision before tipoff to cancel a game between Oklahoma City and Utah after Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.

“At that point,” Silver told Yahoo this week, “I couldn’t have imagined that we were about to shut down NBA as we knew it for essentially the next nine months or so. To me, at least in that moment, it seemed like we would be dealing with a relatively short-term issue.”

Forward to a year later, and Silver’s traditional All-Star Game press conference last weekend was done over Zoom because of the still-ongoing pandemic and the league’s protocols for health and safety.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) shoots ahead next to Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) and center Dwight Howard (39) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

One year to the day that the NBA suspended operations and sent shockwaves throughout the sports world that touched every organization at every level, the NBA’s second half fully gets underway with 11 games. COVID-19 has not left the league by any means; it has remained part of the discussion from the bubble in Orlando last summer to the present day, with two games tipping off on Wednesday as the Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs, in particular, have multiple games to make up from the first half after outbreaks on both teams.

Even the league’s All-Star Game on Sunday, thrown together on short notice in Atlanta, was affected by the coronavirus when Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were ruled out because they had contact with a barber who has since tested positive. The NBA made sure to note that nobody in Atlanta tested positive on the day of the game and after before returning to their home markets.

Silver said it’s not a prerequisite that players get vaccinated, but he has said he believes it will make their lives simpler and he plans to get vaccinated himself once he is eligible. Under the NBA’s health and safety protocols, players are subject to quarantine periods if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive. The NBA has had to postpone 31 games because of league health and safety protocols.

But the question of vaccination remains a hot topic not only throughout the country but among athletes. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was asked before the All-Star Game if he planned to get vaccinated and if he would advise other players to do so, replying “that’s a conversation that my family and I will have … Pretty much keep that to a private thing.”

In an ideal second half, the NBA will finish the second half on May 16, with the 2021 Play-In Tournament between teams in each conference in seeding spots Nos. 7–10 playing for the seventh and eighth playoff seeds. Should the NBA Finals go the full seven games, the season will finish on July 22 — one day before the scheduled Opening Ceremonies at the rescheduled 2021 Tokyo Olympic Summer Games.

All teams are scheduled to play 72 games this season instead of the customary 82, with more than half the league admitting fans. Next season, the league hopes for a return to “normal” with a full 82 game schedule and full arenas.

“I’m fairly optimistic, at this point, that we will be able to start on time,” Silver said from Atlanta at his annual news conference that precedes the All-Star Game. “Roughly half our teams have fans in their arenas right now and, if vaccines continue on the pace they are and they continue to be as effective as they have been against the virus and its variants, we’re hopeful that we’ll have relatively full arenas next season as well.”

OLYMPICS: Team USA Ready for Olympic Summer Games

Ever since the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo were postponed from 2020 to 2021, there has been a continual drumbeat of questions whether the Games would even still happen this year. Through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, sentiment among the Japanese public has risen against the Games because of skyrocketing costs and now, whether fans will be allowed from aboard.

For the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, there appears only a focus on making sure the various upcoming trials go off as scheduled. The USOPC plans to send athletes to Japan regardless of what happens with spectators.

“I think our team is eager and ready to go,” USOPC Chief Executive Officer Sarah Hirshland said on a conference call Wednesday after the organization’s first board meeting of the year.

The chance of fans from outside of Japan looks to be near zero. Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto has said she wants a decision on whether to let in overseas spectators before the start of the torch relay on March 25 while multiple reports from Japan say a decision that foreign fans will not be allowed has been made but not announced.

“Welcoming everyone globally and having a full audience is something we wish we could do,” Hashimoto said last week. “But health-care conditions in Japan have to be well prepared. Otherwise, some people may come as spectators and cause harm.”

Whether that means fans from the United States who had bought tickets for the Games well in advance will be able to use them is an issue that organizers will have to address. But the USOPC seems focused right now on making sure that its delegation is able to compete without any outbreaks of the coronavirus.

“For us, our primary concern is a safe Games for the athletes and for our Japanese hosts as well,” USOPC Board of Directors Chair Susanne Lyons said. “We’re prepared to make whatever sacrifices are needed to allow the athletes to participate.”

One of the things that makes a Games so memorable for participants and those who attend with them is opportunity to have access to hospitality venues that many national Olympic committees operate on site. USA House is no different, although Hirshland said “it will look different. When we know more and have clarity about the delegations, international spectators, things of that nature, we’ll have a more clear answer on what different means.”

There will also be staffing issues that the USOPC will have to adjust to once there is clarity on how many people each delegation can have in Tokyo.

The other main question from media on a conference call was the issue of vaccines and whether the USOPC will encourage athletes to be vaccinated before Tokyo. Neither Lyons nor Hirshland would go so far as to say it would be mandated of athletes, recognizing there are a multitude of privacy issues that would complicate any such policy.

“There will be Team USA athletes who do not choose to take a vaccine and we will respect that right,” Hirshland said, noting that USOPC medical officials are working to make sure athletes know all the pertinent information about vaccinations. “There are a variety of factors that may play into those decisions. … That said, I believe a vast majority of athletes will choose to take the vaccine.”

Still, Hirshland said “we are more optimistic than ever in hoping Team USA athletes will be readily and easily vaccinated before the Games. This is great news and we’re feeling quite positive about the news that we’re seeing around the United States in regard to vaccines.”

The International Olympic Committee and China, meanwhile, have teamed up to offer vaccines to athletes and teams preparing for the upcoming games in both Tokyo and Beijing, an announcement made Thursday during an online IOC meeting.

“We are grateful for this offer, which is in the true Olympic spirit of solidarity,” IOC president Thomas Bach said, adding that the IOC would “pay for extra doses” for Olympic and Paralympic participants.

Whether vaccinated or not, the USOPC also has to make sure that its various trials go off as scheduled. One of the more high-profile trials is for USA Wrestling, which earlier this year announced that its event would be relocated from Penn State University to Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, with a restricted capacity of fans in attendance and strict health protocols. Since that announcement, the state of Texas has declared itself “100 percent open” but Hirshland said that announcement will not change any USOPC protocols in Fort Worth.

Lyons and Hirshland also faced questions about the USOPC’s stance ahead of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Bejing. Several lawmakers have said they would like to see the U.S. boycott the Games because of human rights issues surrounding China.

“We would never want to minimize what is happening from a human rights aspect in China,” Lyons said, before adding the USOPC does not support a boycott. She later added, “You have to understand the impact in 1980 when we boycotted. What was meant to be accomplished by that boycott did not get accomplished.”

Wednesday, March 10

BASEBALL: Texas Rangers To Be First Team With Capacity Crowd Since Pandemic Started

As it becomes almost a full year to the day that the NBA announced it was suspending the season because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sports world began 365 days unlike any other in its history, the Texas Rangers have become the first pro franchise to announce its intentions to have a capacity crowd on hand for a game this calendar year.

For their home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 5 as well as two exhibitions at the end of spring training against Milwaukee on March 29–30, Globe Life Field will be opened for up to 100 percent capacity. After the home opener, the stadium will be at a slightly reduced capacity, making certain sections of Globe Life Field available for “distanced seating” where more space will be allowed between occupied seats in those sections through the months of April and May.

The announcement comes a week after Texas Governor Greg Abbott opened the state and businesses fully and ended the mask mandate that had been in place since early July. Neil Leibman, the Rangers’ president of business operations, said the organization was waiting for direction from the governor’s office before making any plans for the 2021 season.

Health and safety protocols will continue to be enforced at Globe Life Field in 2021, including fans were masking except when eating or drinking at their seats; all transactions will be cashless; no bags will be permitted into the stadium except for medical reasons or diaper bags for infants and young children; and social distancing in concession lines and retail locations.

Globe Life Field opened last season but without fans in attendance during the regular season. It was the host for the National League Championship Series and World Series with up to 11,500 fans in attendance at the World Series, won by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

OLYMPICS: Spectator Issue Still Unresolved at Olympic Summer Games

For every Olympian feat of power and grace, videos and photos not only capture the moment of the athlete. Oftentimes, they capture spectators reacting to those moments. Whether it’s the barrage of flashes at the start of a 100-meter run or the phones that are held up to capture a gymnast’s tumbling run, those memories are made because of the whole atmosphere, not only the athlete.

The ability for that to happen at this year’s rescheduled Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo is looking less likely by the day.

Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Organizing Committee speaks during the Tokyo 2020 Executive Board meeting in Tokyo. (Yuichi Yamazaki/Pool Photo via AP)

Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto has said she wants a decision on whether to let in overseas spectators before the start of the torch relay on March 25. The Mainichi newspaper reported recently that foreign fans will not be allowed; that report was followed by another by the Kyodo news agency on Tuesday, confirming the Mainichi report and saying that the opening ceremony for the March 25 torch relay would also be held without spectators.

As the International Olympic Committee meets this week for its 127th Session, it appears an answer may not be imminent. Earlier in the week, an Olympic spokesman said a decision will likely come by the end of the month.

And at a press conference Wednesday shortly after he was elected to a new term as IOC president, Thomas Bach said no decision has been made but that when it comes, it will be the result of conversations with all involved, including, of course, the organizing committee in Tokyo.

Asked to respond to a report that Japanese officials may be open to foreign spectators invited by Olympic sponsors, Bach said: “We are standing shoulder to shoulder with our Japanese partners and friends. We are supporting them without any reservation.”

Tokyo 2020 will provide an update on Games preparations to the IOC on Thursday, where more information may be forthcoming.

While the decision to potentially ban foreign fans from the Olympic Summer Games can be understandable given the concerns of the Japanese public and the still-evolving matter of COVID-19’s spread throughout the world, a loss of spectators would undoubtedly be a massive financial hit throughout the country’s economy.

The delay from 2020 to 2021 cost the Tokyo organizing committee a reported $2.8 billion. A recent Fortune article cited Katsuhiro Miyamoto, an honorary economics professor at Kansai University, saying Japan’s economy will suffer a $22 billion shortfall if spectators are banned with a $13 billion shortfall even if the stands are half-full.

This year’s rescheduled Games will cost at least $15.4 billion, more than double what the organizers estimated when they won the bid in 2013. A full cancellation of the event — something that the IOC and Tokyo organizers say is not an option this summer — would be billions more in losses for both the organizing committee and also the IOC, which earned roughly $1 billion in worldwide TV rights for the Olympics.

Economic consequences aside, there appears strong appetite within the Japanese public to not have foreign fans attend. Already with a majority polling against having the Olympics proceed this summer, a Yomiuri newspaper poll recently showed 77 percent of respondents were against allowing foreign fans to attend, versus 18 percent in favor. In the poll, 48 percent said they were against allowing any spectators into venues.

Given the doubts within her own country about the Games’ prospects, Hashimoto has begun holding weekly news conferences hoping to win over the public. The Olympics open July 23, followed by the Paralympics on August 24 with tens of thousands of Olympians, Paralympians and more coming to Tokyo.

“The situation around coronavirus doesn’t go easy on us,” Hashimoto said. “I understand there are a lot of people in Tokyo and in Japan who have concerns about the games in Tokyo this summer. I’d like to share my thoughts and alleviate some of those concerns.”

Tuesday, March 9

BASEBALL: MLB Likely to Have Fans at Every Game This Season

Following the trend of allowing limited fans at spring training in Arizona and Florida, Major League Baseball is preparing to welcome fans back to the ballpark in the regular season after having gone without any spectators during the truncated 2020 campaign.

The city of Chicago announced on Monday that the Cubs and White Sox will be allowed to have fans, the Cubs starting on April 1’s Opening Day and the White Sox in time for their home opener on April 8. Capacity will be 20 percent for both venues, equaling 8,274 for the Cubs and 8,122 for the White Sox.

Seats sit empty during a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Minnesota Twins on September 20, 2020, in Chicago. The MLB games were fan free in 2020 due to the Covid 19 virus. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

“As a die-hard sports fan myself,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said, “I’m personally excited to have Chicago take its first, cautious steps toward safely reopening our beloved baseball stadiums to fans this season.”

The Cubs and White Sox will have to include new measures designed to comply with local mandates, including cashless concessions and merchandise sales. Everybody in attendance will be required to wear a mask.

“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I thank Mayor Lightfoot for her shared commitment to a responsible resumption of fan attendance in Chicago, under protocols designed to promote safety,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “MLB will continue to urge fans to follow best practices for health and safety in the fight against COVID-19.”

For the five teams in California, the outlook is also brightening. Based on new state guidelines, only one of MLB’s five California teams — the San Francisco Giants — would be able to start the season in front of more than 100 fans if the season started today. But should trends continue for the rest of March, both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels would be able to have fans on hand as well as the Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres.

Under the state’s color-coded tier system, teams in counties in the purple tier can admit no more than 100 fans without the ability to have concessions or fans from outside the county. Teams in counties in the red tier can play to 20 percent of capacity and sell concessions.

The Giants and Athletics are the only teams in California that play in a county that is in the red tier — meaning the Giants could have approximately 8,000 fans at Oracle Park and the A’s could have fans as well for its home games, although the total would depend on what the team lists as its official seating capacity.

Should both L.A. County and Orange County move into the red tier, which they are close to doing, the Dodgers would be able to have 11,200 fans for the April 9 home opener against the Washington Nationals and the Angels could have about 9,000 fans for Opening Day against the White Sox. The Padres in San Diego County believe they are progressing on the same path as the Dodgers and Angels, which would allow them to have around 8,500 fans.

Between decisions in Chicago and the state of California, baseball may have fans at every game in time for Opening Day. At least 25 of the league’s 30 teams have announced that fans will be in attendance to some degree; the Washington Nationals are the one team for which a closed stadium may be possible. The Nationals’ most recent request to host fans at Nationals Park was denied by the District of Columbia but the government will revisit the issue in about two weeks.

Major League Baseball did not have fans at any games until the National League Championship Series and World Series, both held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, with approximately 11,500 fans allowed. The Wall Street Journal has reported that 40 percent of each team’s annual revenue comes from ticket sales and other game-day fan activities.

Monday, March 8

SOCCER: Major League Soccer’s Canadian Clubs Starting Season in U.S. Again

The three Canadian teams in Major League Soccer had to spend most of last season away from their homes and families, playing games at the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, Florida, before playing multiple games at temporary home bases in the United States because of cross-border travel restrictions between the United States and Canada.

Alejandro Pozuelo of Toronto FC looks for a teammate during a game against Montreal Impact during last year’s MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, Florida. Both teams will start the 2021 MLS season away from their homes in Canada. Photo by Major League Soccer/Matthew Stith and Jared Martinez

That will continue to start the 2021 season, a situation that is not ideal for any team or league — and it leads again to a team from Toronto in part setting up a temporary home base in Tampa, Florida.

Toronto FC will make Florida their home base for the start of the 2021 MLS season, the club announced Friday. The club will use facilities at the Omni Resort at ChampionsGate in Orlando for training and could play home matches in both Orlando and Tampa, depending on the MLS schedule dates. Orlando City SC plays at Exploria Stadium while the Rowdies of the USL Championship play at the 7,500-seat Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg.

The length of the team’s stay in Florida will be contingent upon health and safety regulations as borders re-open in Canada.

“We are unable to make BMO Field in Toronto our home for the start of the MLS season,” said TFC general manager Ali Curtis in a club release. “But we will continue to work with local and federal officials to monitor the situation back home and return as soon as possible.”

Toronto FC joins the NBA’s Raptors and MLB’s Blue Jays in being in Florida. The Raptors are playing out of Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay while the Blue Jays, who played in Buffalo, New York, last season, are holding at least their first two regular-season homestands in Dunedin. The Jays will review the situation after that, with a return to Buffalo a possible next step.

Toronto FC made East Hartford, Connecticut, their home base following MLS’ return to home markets in August 2020. Montreal played its games in Harrison, New Jersey, while Vancouver played its “home” games in Portland, Oregon.

Montreal — which rebranded in the offseason to CF Montreal — will play its home base in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the home of Inter Miami CF Stadium. Montreal’s uncertainty already led to staff changes with head coach Thierry Henry leaving after one season, citing family issues.

“It is with a heavy heart that I’ve decided to take this decision,” Henry said in a club statement. “The last year has been an extremely difficult one for me personally. Due to the worldwide pandemic, I was unable to see my children. Unfortunately due to the ongoing restrictions and the fact that we will have to relocate to the US again for several months will be no different. The separation is too much of a strain for me and my kids.”

Vancouver has not announced its temporary home bases; reports have said Vancouver will start the season in Salt Lake City.

The upcoming international break on the world soccer calendar was scheduled to have, in South America, a pair of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. But the South American Football Confederation had to cancel the games because of strict quarantine restrictions on cross-border travel, especially for players who would be leaving European countries and then trying to return to their club teams.

Postponements come after prominent managers such as Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp spoke out against releasing players for the games. All 10 South American countries feature on the U.K. government’s “red list” travel ban, which does not include exemptions for athletes and sports people. Any U.K.-based players who went to South America would face 10 days in quarantine on return.

WOMEN’S SPORTS: NWHL Playoffs Resume in March

The National Women’s Hockey League’s Isobel Cup Playoffs will be held March 26–27 in Brighton, Massachusetts, with four teams competing for the title after the league’s bubble concept in Lake Placid, New York, in February was postponed after several positive tests on multiple teams.

The games will be played with no fans in attendance at Warrior Ice Arena, which is home of the Boston Bruins training facility and home ice for the NWHL’s Boston Pride. Daily COVID-19 testing will be administered for all players and staff.

The NWHL’s sixth season will culminate with semifinals on March 26 between Toronto and Boston, followed by Minnesota and Connecticut. The championship game will be at 7 p.m. EST on March 27. NBCSN will broadcast all of the games, the first women’s professional hockey league championship games to air on a major national network in the United States.

“International Women’s Day is the perfect time to promote our athletes who will have the platform to make ‘HERstory’ by finishing what they started in a safe environment,” said NWHL Commissioner Tyler Tumminia. “It means a great deal to our athletes to have the opportunity to compete to lift the Isobel Cup and to be supported by partners who are committed to growing the women’s game.”

Friday, March 5

NBA: All-Star Weekend Unlike Any Other in Atlanta

It has not been a smooth first half of the season for the NBA. The league has had COVID-related outbreaks on multiple teams, most notably the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors. The Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies both have second-half schedules that barely have a day off before the end of the regular season in an attempt to get each team to the targeted 72 games.

The NBA has even faced criticism from outside and within the league from its own players for this weekend’s impromptu All-Star Game showcase in Atlanta. Multiple players were dismayed by the game’s inclusion during what was supposed to be a week-plus break between the two halves of the season. But this event, like many others in other professional and collegiate leagues, is being added to the schedule for mainly one reason: TV commitments to its broadcast partners.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver again discouraged fans from traveling to the game, which is being played without fans, telling ESPN “There will be no NBA functions [for fans] to participate in. We appreciate their support and hope they’ll watch our All-Star Game on television … this is a television-only event in Atlanta.”

That said, the NBA has tried to turn the weekend away from a conversation about the game’s appropriateness, or the COVID testing from throughout the season and concerns about the openness of some of the league’s cities, into a celebration and show of support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities as well as communities of color impacted by COVID-19.

Players on Team LeBron James and Team Kevin Durant will compete for $1.75 million spread between the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and UNCF (United Negro College Fund). Each organization will receive $500,000 at tipoff and at the end of each quarter, an additional $150,000 will be awarded to the leading team’s selected organization. A further $300,000 will be awarded to the winning team’s selected organization.

The focus on HBCUs will extend beyond the game itself. Participants in the Slam Dunk, 3-Point and Skills competitions will also be representing HBCU schools. The three officials are all HBCU graduates; the court will be specially designed as well.

The 2021 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta on Sunday will feature a HBCU-themed basketball court. pic.twitter.com/OAIw1ioFk8— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 4, 2021

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Tournaments Underway With Eye on Indianapolis

Get your NCAA Tournament dancing shoes on, everybody. There are 14 conference tournaments in action this weekend with the first automatic bid being awarded on Saturday night in the Ohio Valley Conference championship game, followed by three more on Sunday in the Big South, Missouri Valley and Atlantic Sun conferences.

That the conference tournament season has started is a reminder of how different things were almost a year ago and also of the road that the college basketball season has taken to get here — at one point this season, a CBS Sports survey of 41 coaches found 27 percent were opposed to the idea of having conference tournaments in the men’s game.

The NCAA men’s basketball committee even reminded conferences of the February 26 deadline to make clear how their respective champions would be determined. But it did not say that postseason tournaments would be the sole way for automatic qualifiers to be crowned.

“The committee spent considerable time if they should weigh in on some formal or informal way in this environment,” NCAA Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt said during a recent episode of the SportsTravel Podcast. “Ultimately, they decided not to do that. … What the tournament committee can’t control is before (the NCAA Tournament), only upon inclusion and arrival will be our responsibility. Whatever happens before has to be decided at the conference level.”

The Big Ten’s relocated conference tournament in Indianapolis will have up to 8,000 fans at its event in Lucas Oil Stadium ahead of the NCAA Tournament but overall, there is no consistent policy for spectators this week other than relying on face coverings and social distancing should fans be in attendance.

Then there is the case of Las Vegas, in which it’s not which site, but which conference. Sin City has started hosting 95 schools from the Pac-12, Mountain West, West Coast Conference, Big West Conference and Western Athletic Conference with the aim of having 10 tournaments — five men, five women — completed within 12 days. If not for the pandemic, it would have been possibly the greatest single week for a college basketball junkie to be in-person at … but no, there is no in-person attendance for any tournament.

Big West commissioner Dan Butterly told CBS Sports that his conference would have 650 people involved, which in theory means several thousand people in Las Vegas just connected to the tournaments. The full Las Vegas organization, according to CBS, includes the following: Four arenas used (Pac-12 at T-Mobile Arena while Orleans Arena hosts four tournaments, Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra has three and UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Arena has two). Most most teams who win an automatic bid will stay secluded in Las Vegas before heading to Indianapolis for the NCAA Tournament. Teams are staying in the Mandalay Bay and Delano, South Point, Aria and Park MGM, meaning the city will have hundreds if not more than 1,000 room nights secured over the next two weeks.

But back to one of the tournaments that will be finished on Sunday — not in Las Vegas, but St. Louis. The Missouri Valley Conference is known as one of the strongest mid-major conferences in college basketball and any team that gets an NCAA Tournament bid, automatic or at-large, is almost always listed as a Cinderella to watch. What may be even more impressive than any March run by an MVC team is this: According to Wichita Eagle reporter Taylor Eldridge, the Missouri Valley was the only Division I conference to get every matchup in this season, either regularly scheduled or rescheduled.

With the regular season nearly complete, here's a look at how all 31 conferences fared this season in trying to get their conference games in. I'm impressed the national average was 85.9%.@ValleyHoops was the only conference in the country to play 100% of its scheduled games. pic.twitter.com/BaG8V1C15t— Taylor Eldridge (@tayloreldridge) March 3, 2021

Thursday, March 4

OLYMPICS: Signs Point to No Foreign Fans At Rescheduled Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo

The torch relay is set. National governing bodies across the United States are preparing for their Olympic trials to go on as scheduled. The International Olympic Committee has issued playbooks to outline procedures for athletes, officials and media. And in recent weeks, the IOC has been insistent to the point of annoyance that it will not even consider canceling or postponing the Olympic Summer Games in late July and the Paralympic Games in August.

But as the event’s organization continues, two issues always rise to the top:

Will the Olympic Summer Games have fans on hand?
Will there be a formal policy about vaccinated athletes?

The fans issue has come into greater focus after Wednesday’s report in the Japanese newspaper Mainichi that a decision has been made to not allow foreign fans — a report that the new president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee neither confirmed nor denied after online talks with IOC President Thomas Bach.

“If the situation is tough and it would make the [Japanese] consumers concerned, that is a situation we need to avoid from happening,” Seiko Hashimoto said, adding that a decision on foreign fans would come by the end of March.

Hashimoto confirmed that the subject of fans was a key part of the recent “five-party” talks with Bach, International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa. Hashimoto said a “zero-fans option” was not discussed.

“We will focus on the essentials,” Bach said. “That means mainly the competitions. This has to be the clear focus. In this respect we may have to set one or another priority.”

Japan has attributed about 8,000 deaths to COVID-19 but has controlled it better than most countries. But its spread around the world forced the cancellation of the Games to this summer and in the time since, the Olympics have become extremely unpopular in Japan with up to 80 percent wanting the event either postponed again or outright canceled.

While the IOC gets a vast majority of its revenue from TV rights and not from ticket sales, that is not the case for the host city. Tokyo’s organizing committee has budgeted income of $800 million from ticket sales and any shortfall will have to be made up by Japanese government entities, which already have had to cover rising costs. The official cost for the Games is $15.4 billion, though two government audits suggest it might be twice that much; all but $6.7 billion is public money.

Now to the question of vaccinated athletes. When it comes to the host country, Japan’s national vaccination campaign started on February 17 and was delayed within one week; vaccines in the country are not scheduled to be available to the mass public until late spring.

And while the IOC is encouraging the countries to vaccinate their athletes, Bach went on the record in January, saying “we always made it clear we are not in favor of athletes jumping the queue.” He added to the conversation on Wednesday, saying his hope was “to have as many participants as possible arriving vaccinated to Tokyo.”

The IOC has implemented several requirements for athletes ahead of the Games that include taking a temperature test before entering an event, proof of a negative COVID test within 72 hours of flying to Tokyo and not using public transport during the Games without permission. The IOC says face masks must be worn at “all times” except when sleeping, eating or outdoors and everyone attending the Games must download Japan’s contact tracing app. The general plan is to isolate athletes in the Olympic Village alongside Tokyo Bay.

Many countries are not putting athletes near the top of the list to be vaccinated. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee has not issued an official policy, but Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jonathan Finnoff said U.S. athletes would not jump to the front of any lines to get a shot.

“Athletes in the U.S. agree that they should wait their proper place in line,” said Bree Schaaf, an Olympian and current chair of Team USA Athletes’ Advisory Council.

Israel’s Olympic committee is planning to ensure all of its athletes are vaccinated by the end of May. Hungary’s National Olympic Committee says it will have athletes start the vaccination process in a few weeks and Denmark hopes to have approximately 150 athletes and 200 officials vaccinated by the end of June. Greece’s Olympic Committee president, Spyros Capralos, has asked the government to prioritize athletes after medical staff and the elderly. Mexico’s president has placed athletes in a priority group and Lithuania began administering vaccine shots to Olympians weeks ago.

But in Germany, the National Olympic Committee has said they would “wait in line” and in Italy, the Olympic committee is opposed to prioritizing athlete vaccinations.

“We already know there are many countries where national athletes are about to be vaccinated,” The head of Italy’s Olympic Committee Giovanni Malago said on January 30. “We will never ask for this and we don’t want it, either. An elderly person has a sacred right to be vaccinated before a 20-year-old athlete is.”

Tokyo’s preparations have continued unabated, but with some slight adjustments. The Olympic torch relay will start March 25 but Tokyo 2020 has asked those who attend parts of the event to not cheer or shout and wear masks at all times. “Please cheer by clapping your hands,” Yukihiko Nunomura, a senior member of the organizing committee, said.

The relay will begin in Fukushima, which was hit by an earthquake and a tsunami in 2011. The flame is supposed to travel through all of Japan’s 47 prefectures but the route may be modified. It will be live-streamed to deter mass gatherings on streets. During the two weeks before running, torchbearers are being asked to refrain from anything that might expose them to COVID-19 and they will be asked to complete a daily health checklist and wear masks when not running.

While the hope is obviously that the torch relay goes off without issues, the simple fact is the planning for Tokyo has been full of issues even before the pandemic. A bribery scandal tied to the bid in 2013 forced the resignation two years ago of Japanese Olympic Committee president Tsunekazu Takeda, who denied any wrongdoing. Last month, former organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori was forced to resign after making sexist comments about women and replaced by Hashimoto, who referenced the past when also looking ahead for unpredictable problems that await.

“The biggest challenges is the countermeasures against COVID-19,” she said. “Nobody can foresee how the situation will be this summer.”

Wednesday, March 3

SPORTS: Will Texas’ Reversal on Wearing Masks Affect Future Big Events?

Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s announcement that the state’s mask mandate has been rescinded and the state is “OPEN 100%. EVERYTHING” per his announcement on Twitter has naturally led to questions about several high-profile sports events that are scheduled to be held imminently throughout the state.

At the top of mind is the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament, which will start March 21 and be held in a controlled environment in San Antonio. The tournament will have first- and second-round games at five sites between San Antonio and the University of Texas in Austin before having the rest of the tournament at the Alamodome in San Antonio with a restricted number of fans in attendance.

Dallas Stars coach Rick Bowness stands behind players as fans sitting a distance away watch the first period of the team’s game against the Nashville Predators in Dallas on January 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

“Protecting the health and safety of participants and fans during NCAA championships remains the NCAA’s priority,” the organization said in a statement Tuesday evening. “In preparation for the 2021 Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), as well as all other championships, the NCAA has monitored ongoing COVID-19 developments in all states since the onset of the pandemic. We will continue to work closely with local medical authorities, the NCAA COVID-19 Medical Advisory Group, and CDC guidelines to determine the appropriate health and safety protocols for our events.”

USA Wrestling has scheduled its 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, from April 2–3. When the announcement was made, USA Wrestling said “a limited number of spectators will be permitted.” The organization on Wednesday morning announced that its Last Chance Qualifier ahead of the Trials would be March 26–27 at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, also with a limited number of fans on hand.

“Our hosts in Fort Worth are meeting with local health authorities to see what this means in regards to protocols already approved,” USA Wrestling Director of Communications Gary Abbott said in an email on Wednesday. “The COVID safety plan is ultimately approved by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, which will be included in any changes, if there are any.”

The Trials were originally scheduled for April 4–5 at University Park, Pennsylvania, before USA Wrestling moved the event to Fort Worth. When USA Wrestling announced that the Trials would be relocated, it cited COVID-19 health and safety guidelines and the desire to accommodate participants, staff and fans; on Monday, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf allowed indoor venues to host sporting events with fans at 15 percent of capacity.

Because of its inherent close contact between competitors, wrestling’s viability during the COVID-19 pandemic has been an ongoing issue for administrators at the high school and college athletic levels. On the collegiate level, the NCAA Division I and Division II national championships are still scheduled for later this month — Division II from March 12–13 and Division I from March 18–20, both in St. Louis. But the Division III championships were canceled by the NCAA; the National Wrestling Coaches Association in response will hold a Division III Coaches Association championship at the Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, on March 12–13 with fans in attendance.

USA Hockey also announced this week site changes for several of its 2021 national championships, including the move of its Youth Tier I 14U, 15U and Youth Tier II 14U events to Dallas from April 28 through May 3. It previously had announced that the 2021 IIHF Under-18 Men’s Championship would be held April 26–May 6 in Frisco and Plano, Texas.

“USA Hockey is still scheduled to host the Chipotle USA Hockey National Championships across the country, including those tournaments in Texas,” the organization said in a statement. “Our number one priority is the safety of players, coaches, their families, volunteers and staff. With that in mind, our staff and volunteers are working diligently to put in place minimum safety requirements for all participants, in addition to local and state guidelines. Those details will be made available to everyone participating in Nationals in due time.”

HOCKEY: As NHL Welcomes More Fans in Arenas, Sidney Crosby Lands on COVID List

Once Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf allowed indoor venues to host sporting events with fans on Monday, within 24 hours both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers announced that they would be soon hosting fans at 15 percent of capacity.

For the Penguins, that meant Tuesday’s game at PPG Paints Arena would be in front of 2,800 fans, the first time with fans in attendance for a home game in nearly a year.

“We’re very excited for our fans, who get an opportunity to watch this great hockey team perform on the ice,” Penguins President and CEO David Morehouse said. “We’re excited for our players, who have a chance to play in front of a building with people in it.”

Pittsburgh Penguins fans celebrate the second goal of the period by Kasperi Kapanen against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period of a game on March 2, 2021, in Pittsburgh. It was the first game a limited number of fans were allowed to attend in Pittsburgh after some COVID 19 crowd restrictions were lifted buy the state earlier this week. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

The excitement surrounding the return of fans was also tempered by the reminder that the pandemic is still a part of everyday life with the announcement that Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby has been put on the NHL’s COVID-19 list.

Crosby leads the Penguins in scoring with seven goals and 11 assists in 20 games. He played in Pittsburgh’s most recent game, a loss to the New York Islanders on Sunday.

While Crosby is a massive name, his addition to the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list is also notable because of the small number of players on the list — Crosby, Nashville’s Ryan Johansen and San Jose’s Tomas Hertl.

The protocol list has been in single digits for nine days, compared with a season-high of 59 on February 12. The league has had several low moments this season, including the Dallas Stars’ season delayed because of an outbreak within the team and mid-February’s issues that had some suggesting a delay in the season would be in the league’s best interests with 37 games canceled overall.

Instead, the league has stayed the course. While several teams have plenty of games to make up, there has been no NHL-wide pause. The news about the Penguins and Flyers allowing fans means that more than half the league’s teams — 17 out of 31 overall — will have limited numbers of fans at games.

RUGBY: Women’s World Cup Postponed

New Zealand has been the envy of the world for its ability to control the coronavirus through strict government controls that have since led to, in some instances, sold-out crowds at sporting events.

But part of the reason that New Zealand has been able to control COVID is because of its strict border controls. And that, in a tangential way, is why the Women’s Rugby World Cup scheduled for later this year will be postponed to 2022.

World Rugby cited the “challenging global COVID-19 landscape” for its recommendation to delay the tournament, scheduled to start September 18.

The recommendation will be considered by the Rugby World Cup board and World Rugby executive committee next week. Nine teams including the United States have qualified for the 12-team tournament.

“While appreciating the recommendation is extremely disappointing for teams and fans, it has their interests at heart, and gives the tournament the best opportunity to be all it can be for them, all New Zealanders and the global rugby family,” World Rugby said in a statement. “The recommendation is based on the evolution of the uncertain and challenging global COVID-19 landscape. … The challenges include uncertainty and the ability for teams to prepare adequately for a Rugby World Cup tournament both before and on arrival in New Zealand and challenging global travel restrictions.”

BASEBALL: Triple-A Season Delayed

The Triple-A baseball season, scheduled to start on April 6, will instead be delayed a month until May and will open at the same time as Double-A and Single-A.

“This is a prudent step to complete the major league and minor league seasons as safely as possible, and we look forward to having fans back in ballparks across the country very soon,” Morgan Sword, MLB’s executive vice president of baseball operations, said in a statement to ESPN.

ESPN reported that MLB teams hope the delay allows for players to be vaccinated before starting the minor league season. Spring training started this week and only 20 positive tests were recorded before the start of team camps among more than 20,000 tests conducted by MLB. The low positivity rate, along with the pace of vaccination, has made league and team officials optimistic about a full season with limited issues.

Tuesday, March 2

COLLEGE SPORTS: NCAA Tournament a Financial Boost to Universities

Last March, as the coronavirus began to spread throughout the United States, one of the biggest moments of realization as to the virus’ seriousness was when the NCAA basketball tournament was canceled on less than two weeks’ notice.

This year’s event, scheduled for controlled environments in Indianapolis and San Antonio, have been promoted by people within the NCAA as both a chance to give players the national stage they missed out on last year and also the chance to show that they are able to hold events in a safe and healthy fashion. Those reasons are true — but it would be remiss to ignore that there are enormous financial ramifications to hold the event.

The monetary might of the NCAA tournament leaves the organization reliant upon it as a single event perhaps more than any league or organization does upon one event. The $800 million in revenue annually produced by the event is 72 percent of the NCAA’s total revenue. The NCAA’s contract with CBS and Turner to broadcast the men’s tournament goes through 2032 at approximately $1 billion per year.

That’s why the confirmation from the NCAA that its usual $613 million revenue distribution will be paid to members should the events be completed is significant. Last year’s cancellation was a financial catastrophe to the NCAA; insurance covered $270 million, leaving only $225 million distributed to membership.

“What [the NCAA] received is the largest event cancellation payout in the history of event cancellation,” John Beam, the broker of the policy held by the NCAA said to CBS Sports.

But still, the revenue hit — combined with the lack of ticket revenue compared to pre-pandemic times for on-campus events — has led colleges and universities throughout the country to cut sports, pointing to financial concerns.

Even ahead of the NCAA tournament and knowing the importance of having that financial benefit from participating, conferences are also realizing the abnormalities of this season and adjusting some of their tournament procedures. The Southland Conference has agreed to expand its postseason tournaments for men and women to 10 teams from the previous eight. The Patriot League also waived a rule that requires teams to play 12 conference games to be eligible for the conference tournament for men and women; the Bucknell women’s team is undefeated at 6-0 while only one women’s team has played 12 games so far.

While the NCAA tournament is obviously the biggest and most prestigious postseason event, there are others. One, the CIT tournament made up of mid-major teams, already has announced it will not be held this spring. But the NIT, which for decades outshone the NCAA tournament and now is a clear No. 2 behind the NCAA for attention, will be held this year in conditions similar to the NCAA tournaments.

The NIT will start on March 17 with 16 teams instead of 32 and, instead of being held at campus sites until the semifinals and finals in New York City, will be entirely held in the Dallas-Fort Worth region at the Comerica Center in Frisco and the University of North Texas Coliseum in Denton. All 16 games through the March 28 championship will be broadcast on either ESPN or ESPN2.

“The decision to conduct the NIT in one geographic location was made with the interests of having a safe and healthy environment for all participants,” the NCAA said in a statement.

Because of the reduced field size, all 16 teams will be selected as at-large participants, and there will be no automatic qualifiers for the NIT. Since 2017, all regular-season champions who didn’t win their conference tournament received an automatic bid to the NIT, with the rest of the field filled by at-large selections.

The NIT, which began in 1938, is the nation’s oldest postseason tournament. In 2019, Texas won the NIT title over Lipscomb.

Monday, March 1

BASEBALL: Spring Training Starts With Fans on Hand

A spring training trip in the best of circumstances can be a wonderful experience. With the smaller stadiums, the intimate seating in most stadiums gives you a small-town feel for a major league sport. Yes, not many stars play the full game but to even see a big name closer than you ordinarily would for a few innings pitched, or two at-bats and maybe a home run, can be something to remember for years to come.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Cionel Perez warms up in the bullpen as fans sit in their COVID-19 restricted pods during a spring training baseball game against the Cleveland Indians on February 28, 2021, in Goodyear, Arizona. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Spring training last year is known mostly for how it ended — abruptly, as the coronavirus first started making its way into the front pages of newspapers and eventually onto the sports pages. But if spring training is lauded each year by baseball fans as a rebirth of a new year and harkening to spring, this year’s spring training is a tenative step into a more open sports industry as vaccinations increase but still with health and safety on the minds of all.

A downward trend in COVID-19 cases throughout most of the country has meant that a limited amount of fans are allowed in spring training facilities throughout Arizona and Florida. At Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, home for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, the crowd was capped at about 2,200 fans, which is 16% of the usual capacity.

“It seemed like forever,” said Brandon Ramsey, who went to a Cincinnati Reds-Cleveland Indians game at a different site in Goodyear, Arizona, on Sunday. “Last year got cut a little short. To come out here for opening day is just fantastic. They did a great job in socially distancing. They made sure we were safe.”
It was the first time that fans were allowed at baseball games since March 12 — aside from the World Series and National League Championship Series held last year at a neutral site in Arlington, Texas. Fans in the outfield berns beyond the fences in Arizona are to stay in spray-painted squares while those in the stands are spread out in small pods of two, four or six people. Masks are worn except when eating and drinking.

Every team is allowing fans at spring training games — the Cubs have the most at 3,630 and the Giants the fewest at 1,000 in Arizona, while the Yankees and Twins in Florida have up to 28% of capacity allowed. Demand for any tickets have been hot: The Rockies and Diamondbacks both sold out their entire spring ticket allotments about 24 hours after they went public.

The full impact of restricted attendance will still be a downturn for both states’ economies. A study from Arizona State University found that the Cactus League’s season generated an estimated economic impact of $363.6 million in 2020 before the shutdown in mid-March, which was down nearly $300 million from the estimated $644.2 million generated in 2018.

“This is normally the busiest time of year for Scottsdale’s tourism industry, largely because of Cactus League spring training,” Stephanie Pressler, who is the director of community affairs for Experience Scottsdale, told the AP in an email. “Understandably, our expectations are muted this year given the ongoing pandemic, though Experience Scottsdale is excited that the season is moving forward in a way that will keep teams, fans, employees and residents safe.”

Friday, February 26

FOOTBALL: If the 2021 Draft Goes Virtual, the NFL Will Be Ready

The days of football coaches arriving in the early mornings of NFL facilities and staying until after dinner — even setting up cots for overnight naps in some extreme situations — may be a thing of the past after a season in which the league dramatically increased the use of virtual meetings for coaching staffs, front offices and players.

“Virtual meetings have now become standard in the NFL; we are not going to have as much (in-person) meetings when we get back,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday at the NFL Women’s Careers in Football Forum. “I think technology is something we have embraced and will make us better.”

The NFL Draft was supposed to be held last year in Las Vegas but had to go virtual instead. Whether this year’s draft will be held entirely in person in Cleveland has not been announced.

“When I told the teams what we were planning to do, to say there was outcry would be an understatement,” said Goodell of last year’s virtual draft. “They had to adapt, to use technology properly. … The number of notes I got about being at home with their families and having them experience it (with the players). … And there was not one complaint from a club, which is almost impossible to do. They didn’t feel they were unprepared for the draft.”

The virtual environment continued throughout the NFL season with enhanced health and safety protocols leading to teams having meetings virtually each week between games. While in-person gatherings won’t entirely disappear, teams found that the virtual environment to be a positive.

“We got together as a coaching team,” said Callie Brownson, Cleveland’s chief of staff, “and our coaches said we got better at teaching because we had to find a way to get better. The eagerness to adapt and learn and change is such a valuable commodity as a coach.”

While teams were able to survive virtually during game preparations, it is unanimous that the atmospheres on Sunday without capacity crowds were a downer. But NFL teams are now growing in optimism about capacity crowds because of the expected rate of vaccination through the summer. While the NFL hosted more than 1 million fans last season, one of its biggest markets — New York City — did not have fans at Jets or Giants games in 2020. But it should be able to in the fall with at least 12,000 fans after a recent announcement by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and both the Giants and Jets said “as the months go on, we are hopeful that the data will continue to be positive and the number of people allowed into MetLife Stadium will steadily increase.”

The league also is pointing to a recent study done by a team led by Hockey Graphs’ Asmae Toumi that compared COVID rates in 361 counties that hosted games with fans to similar counties without NFL or college football, showing local COVID-19 caseloads do not appear to be affected by football crowds.

And while fans — with the expectation of being able to go to games this fall — are waiting to see what the schedules will look like, the fact is the NFL has not finished the rules for a 2021 schedule. The Washington Post reported that the league is working to put together a 17-game regular season, an increase of one game from previous years, as well as a three-game preseason. The deliberations about when to implement a 17-game season are tied in part to the soon-to-be-announced new TV contracts, the Post reported.

Of course, football in the fall is not limited to the NFL and college teams were mostly having fans in attendance at small quantities by the end of their seasons. Optimism for greater numbers is growing on the college scene as well; the University of Texas’ athletic director said on Twitter that he expects full stadiums after the Longhorns limited attendance to 25,000 people last fall.

And its biggest rival — while not an active rival, the teams not having played since 2011 because of Power 5 conference realignment — has said the same, with Texas A&M Athletic Director Ross Bjork saying on a Facebook Live the approach for the fall is “full stadium, full season ticket allotment. 12th Man section, student section full. People are going to be vaccinated at a really, really high level. Those are all the projections right. The whole herd immunity.”

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: NCAA Tournaments Outline More Medical Protocols

One of the key topics surrounding the organization of this year’s controlled environments for the NCAA Tournaments, both for the men in Indianapolis and the women in San Antonio, has been what the NCAA would do if a team is unable to participate because it did not have enough consecutive days of negative tests.

The two basketball committees took a public step toward answering that issue on Thursday, detailing various scenarios relating to coronavirus testing and how it would be organized. Among the highlights in the document are

Once the bracket is released, teams will not be reseeded and changes will not be made to the bracket.
No replacement teams will be brought into the controlled environments once the tournaments begin
Every conference will have the opportunity to have at least one team compete
If there is a replacement team needed before the tournaments begin, they must be “among the best teams being considered for an at-large bid.”

In this May 27, 2015, file photo, workers at Lucas Oil Stadium install the court in Indianapolis as they prepare to host the men’s NCAA Final Four. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

Replacement teams will only be introduced into the championship within 48 hours after the announcement of the field, and at no time thereafter. The NCAA will have four teams, ranked in order, to be announced during the Selection Show; those teams would be the top four seeds for the NIT but they will also be considered replacement teams should one or more be needed.

Essentially, the announcement means that should a top-four seed not be able to enter the controlled environment because of positive tests within the program, one of the four replacement teams would slide into that spot. But for one-bid leagues, those respective leagues would determine a replacement team and send them as needed to take the spot of their league representative in the same line on the bracket.

One thing I got clarity on: Say the SEC lost its AQ (Alabama) Tues AM. The SEC does not get to replace its AQ w/ another team. It’s a multi-bid league, so Bama would get replaced with highest-ranked standby team. Only 1-bid confs in Sel. Sunday field of 68 bracket can do this.— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) February 25, 2021

The ability to make sure that teams enter the controlled environments at each site without any positive tests has been addressed by NCAA Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt and NCAA Vice President of Women’s Basketball Lynn Holzman in recent interviews.

“It’s going to take a great deal of effort and discipline by every team, every official, anybody that’s around the participating teams,” Gavitt said during the SportsTravel Podcast, released on Monday. “Out of respect for this virus and the challenge it represents, the message is we’re all in this together, because the weakest link, anyone that makes a poor decision, could have significant impact on that team or teams that come in contact with.”

“It is very unique to this year given what the pandemic dictates and how we mitigate that risk as best as possible to create a safe environment for all involved,” Holzman said. “That’s what this whole thing is about: We need people safe when they come in, safe on arrival and safe as we conduct the games and throughout all of that, we have to put different layers and different strategies in to mitigate the risk.”

The NCAA’s latest announcement came within hours of an announcement by Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett giving bars, restaurants and other venues more leeway when it comes to capacity. Among the moves is allowing bar capacity to increase to 50 percent as long as social distancing is followed and indoor restaurant capacity will increase to 75 percent.

The curfew for bars, restaurants and music venues will move from midnight to 2 a.m. Hogsett said the decision was not influenced by the upcoming NCAA tournament or the Big Ten Conference Tournament, which will be held in Indianapolis before Selection Sunday.

“Those events are wonderful byproducts of a city that has worked very hard to get to a place where public health data and public health experts are confident that we can make these changes safely,” said Hogsett. “With great opportunity comes great responsibility and so we’re making these changes today because the data and because public health experts … have told me the progress that we together have made is making a substantial difference.”

Thursday, February 25

BASEBALL: Minor Leagues Reveal Plans For First Revamped Season With Less Travel

Warmer temperatures never feel closer than when baseball spring training begins. With all of the Major League Baseball teams starting preseason in Arizona and Florida, there is another sign that baseball is around the corner — the schedule releases for a revamped minor league system.

Minor League Baseball underwent a historic contraction and realignment during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of affiliated farm teams cut to 120 from 160 after the end of the Professional Baseball Agreement between Major League Baseball and the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, which governed the minors.

Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City is the home for the Salt Lake Bees, who will remain the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels in the realigned minor league baseball setup. Photo by Matt Traub.

The PBA, which existed since 1901, was allowed to expire at the end of 2020 as MLB took over running the minors with a clear focus on trimming expenses. Many small cities throughout the United States reacted with fury at the changes, understandable given the losses they felt with teams that had been community strongholds being ripped away. But MLB continued undeterred. The New York-Penn League, which started in 1939, was eliminated and the Pioneer League became an independent partner league. The Appalachian League was converted to a college summer league as well.

Baseball’s minor leagues will shift to regionalized six-game series with a common off day to cut scheduled travel mileage by up to 56 percent in some cases. Triple-A games are scheduled to begin April 6 with a 142-game schedule while Double- and Single-A will have 120-game schedules starting May 4 — which is when Triple-A leagues may end up starting anyway because of the pandemic.

Triple-A will be split into East and West Leagues and each league will be off every Monday, except for Triple-A West, which will be off each Wednesday. Teams in the Triple-A East League’s Northeast Division — Buffalo, Lehigh Valley, Rochester, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Syracuse and Worcester — will play entirely within their division for additional savings.

All minor league seasons are scheduled to end September 19, except for in the Triple-A West, which will end September 21. There are three new affiliates: the St. Paul Saints at Triple-A for Minnesota, the Sugar Land Skeeters at Triple-A for Houston, and the Somerset Patriots at Double-A for the New York Yankees.

In trying to move past last year’s controversial realignment, Minor League Baseball seems to be rejuvenated. But the road is still hard for any minor league and that was emphasized recently when one of the two Canadian hockey teams in the ECHL had to stop operations and folded. The Brampton Beast in Ontario, which had opted out of the league’s 2021 season after having shut down before the 2020 season could be completed, is no more after President and General Manager Cary Kaplan said “three seasons of Covid was just too much for our modest hockey team to sustain.”

The Beast had been in the ECHL for seven seasons with multiple affiliations including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens. The ECHL, minor league hockey’s second tier behind the AHL, has undergone a season of upheaval because of the pandemic. The season started in December with 13 teams playing — later increasing to 14 when Fort Wayne started playing — but 12 others decided to suspend operations for the season. The league recently announced its second half schedule and plans to still crown a Kelly Cup champion in June.

Wednesday, February 24

Pro, College Teams Allowing More Fans Than Ever Before in Pandemic

While professional sports leagues navigate the tricky issues of allowing fans at events, there is no mistaking the slowly growing sense the rules are relaxing — especially for outdoor events.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are one instance of fan demand that will certainly outweigh inventory. Coming off its first World Series championship since 1988, the Dodgers — who had planned to unveil a $100 million renovation at Dodger Stadium last season — are not even sure that they will be able to have fans in the stands when the season starts in early April. Team President Stan Kasten told season-ticket holders that the team would work with local and state officials to have a restricted number of fans. But home opener tickets have already made their way onto resale sites StubHub and Vivid Seats — with prices ranging at up to $9,000 for one seat on the reserved level on Stubhub and Vivid Seats listing 94 tickets for sale with one group of spots in the left-field pavilion selling for $8,644 for the team’s scheduled home opener on April 9 against the Washington Nationals.

Before the regular season will begin in Los Angeles, first the Dodgers will have fans on hand at its spring training facility in Glendale, Arizona. And the few tickets that are available to the public are already gone — L.A. sold out its games in less than two hours. Demand is high throughout the Cactus League’s 15 teams. Four of them — the Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies — have all sold out their entire spring training inventory with fans socially distanced.

One other outdoor sport that has the ability to socially distance fans is golf. While the PGA Tour’s California swing through San Diego for the Farmers Insurance Open and this past weekend’s Genesis Invitational at Riviera Golf Course in Los Angeles were held without fans, one of the year’s four majors has already announced it will have spectators. The 2021 PGA Championship will allow 10,000 fans at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina each day from May 17–23, the PGA of America announced Tuesday. The number of daily spectators was decided upon with the help of South Carolina state officials, MUSC Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We’re excited to welcome spectators back to the PGA Championship this May in a way that is responsible and aligned with current South Carolina health protocols,” said PGA of America President Jim Richerson. “… While crowds will be smaller than originally planned, we know the passion for golf in the Carolinas will create a memorable atmosphere on-course and excitement throughout the region.”

It is not just the outdoor venues that are starting to see momentum growing toward restricted numbers of fans in attendance as vaccination efforts slowly build up steam. The NBA has more than a dozen teams playing in front of fans and both the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will have fans in attendance. The NHL has been slower but with the recent announcements in Nevada, New York and New Jersey that sports venues can be opened, the Vegas Golden Knights, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils are setting spectator policies that will make a total of nine hockey teams with fans on hand; the largest crowds currently allowed are 5,000 apiece for the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers.

Tuesday, February 23

COLLEGE SPORTS: Conference Tournaments Try to Balance Competition, Safety Issues

Throughout the college basketball season, there has been constant attention paid on the NCAA Division I Tournaments and how March Madness would be able to go on for both the men’s and women’s games.

With those health and safety protocols established and plans prepared for the men’s event in Indianapolis and women’s event in San Antonio, there is increasing attention on the conference tournaments that are both just as much a part of the March tapestry and a potential pothole ahead as teams go into the controlled environments in Indiana and Texas.

The NCAA men’s basketball committee reminded conferences of the February 26 deadline to make clear how their respective champions would be determined. But it did not say that postseason tournaments would be the sole way for automatic qualifiers to be crowned.

“The committee spent considerable time if they should weigh in on some formal or informal way in this environment,” NCAA Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt said during the SportsTravel Podcast released on Monday. “Ultimately, they decided not to do that. … What the tournament committee can’t control is before (the NCAA Tournament), only upon inclusion and arrival will be our responsibility. Whatever happens before has to be decided at the conference level.”

How conference tournaments will handle attendance at events will also be a local decision.

The ACC will not have the broader public in attendance in Greensboro, North Carolina, and only will allow family and guests of team personnel. The Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City will have 20 percent capacity at the T-Mobile Center; the Big Ten Tournament will have its conference tournament in Indianapolis instead of Chicago so the conference champion — and other teams likely to be awarded at-large NCAA bids — will already be in the region and can enter the controlled environment quickly.

The Southeastern Conference has not announced a ticket policy for its postseason tournament in Nashville, Tennessee. Neither has the Pac-12 for its event in Las Vegas, although the conference did announce a modified format for its event with only 11 teams eligible for the tournament — Arizona not participating since it will be serving a postseason ban. One of the other conference tournaments that is held in Las Vegas in early March, the Big West Conference, said its event will be off-limits to fans including family members of players.

What makes college basketball so different than football, of course, is that the game is much more than just Power 5 leagues. Part of the NCAA tournament’s annual attraction for casual fans is the chance to see Cinderella from one-bid leagues — such as the Big West — upset a higher seed.

For those small leagues, the postseason tournament is everything — and this year, the unpredictability of the season can make even the lowest-rated teams dream. But the question is whether those teams will be available to participate; three of the MAAC’s 11 teams are currently on a pause, with the conference tournament scheduled to begin in two weeks in Atlantic City, New Jersey, so the question for the MAAC is a two-part one: Will the league have all of its teams available to play in the conference tournament and how can they possibly have the seedings done in an equitable fashion?

Another conference that made a change on the fly is the Atlantic 10, which will flip the dates of its men’s and women’s conference tournaments. The men’s tournament will be held March 3–6 at VCU and Richmond in Virginia with the title game on March 14 at the University of Dayton so that teams can go directly to Indianapolis. The women’s tournament will be March 10–14, also in Richmond, which made some men’s coaches question why the regular season was shortened by a week, potentially depriving some teams of additional games that could help their NCAA at-large profiles.

“The decision to flip-flop the [men’s and women’s] championships was based on the fact that we had VCU available because they already had reserved their building because they were going to host the women,” Atlantic-10 Commissioner Bernadette McGlade said. “We didn’t have Richmond’s facility, nor was that brought up in our administrative call when this concept got brought to the forefront about 10 days ago.”

Monday, February 22

HOCKEY: NHL’s Lake Tahoe Weekend Highlighted By Great Views, Poor Ice

What the NHL was hoping would be a big weekend for the league on social media came true — but not in the way the league was striving for on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday’s Lake Tahoe game at the Edgewood Tahoe resort on the golf course’s 18^th fairway started at 12:12 p.m. local time under bright sun and was suspended after the first period when the ice conditions made it unsafe to continue, forcing an eight-hour suspension of play. The game restarted at 9 p.m. local time, with the Avalanche winning 3-2.

Members of the Colorado Avalanche, in white, and the Vegas Golden Knights, red play during the first period of the Outdoor Lake Tahoe NHL hockey game in Stateline, Nevada, on February 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli))

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the conditions on Saturday included clouds and that the league had been confident that any sunshine would not be for long periods of time that would affect the ice.

“Unfortunately, after that, we didn’t get any more cloud cover,” Daly said. “The ice became problematic early on, and that was solely because of the strength of the sun.”

“We knew that unabated sunshine was a problem,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said on NBC. “After consulting with our icemakers and both teams, we didn’t think it was safe or appropriate to continue this game at this time. Some of the players wanted to continue playing. Others were more concerned. I felt the most prudent thing to do was to discontinue the game now.”

NHL had temporary lights around the rink so it was able to adapt and have the game resume at night when the ice conditions were much improved.

“There was a reason why we postponed it,” Vegas defenseman Alec Martinez said. “They did the best that they could, but the sun was beating down on it a little bit too much. It was melting the ice. … I think the league did the right thing in postponing it. When we came back, the ice was great.”

Sunday’s game between Philadelphia and Boston, scheduled originally for 11 a.m. local time, was pushed back to 4:30 p.m. and was able to be held without interruption after a slight delay because of mechanical issues with a Zamboni before the Bruins won in a 7-2 rout.

The NHL was able on Sunday to have the game in primetime for the East Coast and the sunset over the mountains provided plenty of eye-catching views.

The backdrop on this Charlie McAvoy goal is unreal #NHLOutdoors pic.twitter.com/dLFNfUHSUt— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) February 22, 2021

But the league, because of the delay on Saturday and the time change on Sunday, had to move the broadcasts from NBC to NBCSN, potentially losing out on big viewership numbers. The Saturday night game, in particular, did not start until midnight on the East Coast, which will hardly help the TV ratings when they are revealed this week.

The Lake Tahoe weekend was the latest evolution in the league’s tradition of having outdoor games. What started with the inaugural Winter Classic less than two decades ago has spawned multiple outdoor events each season under regular times; the league in 2014 had six separate outdoor events. But none of those events until this year had been held without fans.

Friday, February 19

HOCKEY: NHL Ready for Lake Tahoe Showcase

The National Hockey League, like any entity trying to play through a pandemic, has had its bumps and bruises in the 2021 season.

With more than two dozen postponements from a season that is already shortened to 56 games, the NHL may have issues getting each of its teams to that number by the time the postseason will come around. While the NBA has more than a dozen teams bringing in restricted numbers of fans at this point of its season, the NHL will only next week go up to 10 teams with fans in attendance, a devastating blow to team finances.

The league is trying to mitigate those losses as much as possible; teams are allowed to have helmet sponsors for the first time and on Thursday, the league struck a landmark partnership with Bally’s Corporation becoming the NHL’s Official Betting Partner, the first time a major pro league has struck an official betting partnership. In trying to limit the amount of travel for teams this season, the NHL realigned divisions and instituted division-only play and that has actually become well-received from fans — especially the North Division, made up entirely of Canadian-based teams.

Yet even with new league partners and fans who like the regular season schedules, there is one event that will attract multiples more attention than anything the league has done this season: This weekend when the league has two games at Lake Tahoe, Nevada, as the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights play in the Bridgestone NHL Outdoors Saturday before the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers play in the Honda NHL Outdoors Sunday.

“I think we’re hearing the buzz,” NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer said last week as preparations for the event began. “We think this is going to be an incredible event. I think the proof will be probably afterwards in terms of how our fans took to this game, our sponsors, and how we were able to execute it and pull it off as to whether we do these in the future.”

The initial announcement of having the Lake Tahoe event was well-received by many casual fans of the NHL and some of the early photos of the Populous-designed setup have drawn rave reviews with the rink set up on a fairway by the lake at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort and a ‘chalet’ that will house the locker rooms and assorted event personnel and media.

The amount of buzz generated by the event has led the NHL to not discount the chances of turning this into more than a standalone event. The NHL had looked into destinations including Park City, Utah, and Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, before deciding on Lake Tahoe.

You could tie in the fan response 13 years ago to the league’s plans this weekend. It was January 1, 2008 that the league held the inaugural Winter Classic with the Pittsburgh Penguins beating the Buffalo Sabres in a shootout with more than 71,000 on hand at Ralph Wilson Stadium in New York. The iconic video of Penguins star Sidney Crosby’s shootout winner as snow fell turned a hockey event into a broader sports event; since that day, there have been 28 outdoor games throughout the NHL with each new, unique venue being one of the league’s most highly-anticipated regular season events.

“If we do get a great response, I think at the league office, we’ll talk about what the future of games in crazy, beautiful, wonderful, landmark places happens to be as we look to the future,” Mayer said.

COLLEGE SPORTS: Ivy League Cancels Spring Season

The Ivy League will not sponsor league-wide competition or sponsor championships in the spring for its athletic teams, citing “rigorous limitations” on its members campuses due to the coronavirus and meaning that no athletic contests will be held during the 2020–2021 academic year.

“We know that this news will come as a disappointment to many in our community,” the university presidents wrote in a joint statement. “We regret the many sacrifices that have been required in response to the pandemic, and we appreciate the resilience of our student-athletes, coaches and staff in the face of adversity during this difficult and unusual year. While we would like nothing better than to deliver a complete season of competition, these are the necessary decisions for the Ivy League in the face of the health concerns posed by the ongoing and dangerous pandemic.”

There was the slightest caveat at the end of the statement: “We will continue to monitor the situation as we move forward so that our universities can determine whether Ivy League principles and evolving health conditions might allow for limited, local competition later this spring.”

The decision will reverberate especially in both men’s and women’s lacrosse, where the league has several nationally recognizable programs. Between the talent in the league and Ivy League’s alums with deep pockets, it is not a surprise that several prominent people tried to impress on the league the desire to have a spring season, most notably with Yale lacrosse alum and billionaire businessman Joe Tsai offering to cover all costs for a men’s and women’s lacrosse bubble — an offer that was rejected.

In addition to men’s and women’s lacrosse, the spring cancellations also apply to baseball, softball, men’s and women’s outdoor track, men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s tennis. Whether the Ivy League’s decision has broader ramifications on the spring college season is to be seen. When the league canceled its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in March 2020, the initial reaction was disbelief and shock — but within days not only did every other conference tournament follow suit, but the NCAA Tournament was also canceled and professional sports went on a sustained pause.

The league was also the first to announce that it would not have a fall or winter sports seasons and while nearly every FCS league followed suit and rescheduled for the spring, most of the college sports landscape has gone on in modified forms this season. The Ivy League earlier this month announced — in a reverse of its traditional rules — current senior student-athletes would be given an extra year of eligibility as full-time graduate students during the 2021-2022 academic year if admitted “through regular channels” at their undergraduate university and given approval from their fifth-year advisor and the league’s office.

Thursday, February 18

BASEBALL: Spring Training Begins A Crucial Season for Major League Baseball

Quarantines almost complete, Major League Baseball will start spring training shortly as players and staff throughout every team are returning to some of the same protocols — and some of them tightened — that they lived and played through in an abbreviated 2020 season.

New standards include requiring players, staffers and other team personnel to wear electronic tracing wristbands for ballpark access as MLB, which played only 60 games last season, will attempt to play a full 162 games in 2021.

Wally the Green Monster, the team’s mascot, right, waves as a Boston Red Sox baseball equipment truck departs Fenway Park on February 8, 2021, on its way to the team’s spring training facility in Fort Myers, Florida. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

“Between the players’ union and MLB, the agreement I think is pretty rock-solid when it comes to player safety, staff safety,” Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito said Tuesday. “There’s going to be a few things that are a little more, what’s the word for it, given more importance. I think some of the workouts are going to be in smaller groups, a lot more on point with mask wearing and things like that. I don’t think it will affect our work too much. We’ll certainly be able to get done what we need to get done.”

All 30 teams will sell spring training tickets in Arizona and Florida, even after the Cactus League initially expressed reticence toward having teams — and any assorted visitors — descending upon the Phoenix metropolitan region this month.

With the season going back to its regularly scheduled 162 games, some of the unique twists from last season have been extinguished. There will be no universal designated hitter; while last year’s postseason was expanded to 16 teams, this year will go back to how it has been in previous years with 10 teams, five in each league, advancing to the postseason. There are no plans — for now, at least — for the playoffs to be held at neutral sites unlike in 2020 when the division series, league championship series and World Series were played at neutral sites.

But there are also aspects of last season that remain. For at least the start of the season, the Toronto Blue Jays will not play at home but instead at its spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida. If a game goes into extra innings, both teams will start the at-bat with a runner on second base. In the case of a doubleheader this season, both games will be seven-innings; last season those twinbills were much more prevalent because of the number of games needing to be rescheduled, although this season there will remain that chance until there is a greater percentage of the league’s players being vaccinated.

And that brings up the big question that faces Major League Baseball, perhaps even more so than the NHL or NBA: How the promised increase in the speed and amount of vaccinations to the general public will be handled by the league and its players because in theory, the closer to herd immunity that the country gets, the better the chance that MLB will by season’s end be able to play in front of much larger crowds than it will at the start of the season.

ESPN reported that in a phone call with general managers, Commissioner Rob Manfred said vaccination of players and staff is something the league will do as soon as possible. Because it involves professional sports, the question of if players “skip the line” and get vaccinated ahead of the general public also has been a topic of discussion. Until there is a relaxing of health protocols, players will not be allowed to be at indoor restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and cannot be at a gathering with 10 or more people; there will also be tests every other day during spring training and throughout the regular season with twice-daily temperature checks. And players who test positive will be required to isolate for a minimum of 10 days and be cleared to resume playing only following a mandatory cardiac evaluation and a determination that the individual no longer presents a risk of infection to others.

St. Louis Cardinals president John Mozeliak’s first thing to do after arriving at his team’s complex in Jupiter, Florida, was to request a list from the medical staff of players and coaches who tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies to know which players have at least some measure of protection from COVID-19. He also expressed hope that some staff and players could begin receiving a vaccine by opening day.

“But I certainly understand, collectively, you’re dealing with a pretty healthy group of young people,” he said, “and when you’re looking across our country, there are people more deserving of that opportunity than this group. But clearly if you were vaccinated, it would ease up a lot of the protocols we have in a sense of where you can go and where you can’t.”

Through the spring training protocols and games in front of restricted number of fans, opening day is still on tap for April 1. Unlike last regular season, which was played without fans in attendance at any ballpark, one team has already announced its plan for the season with the Miami Marlins planning to allow 25 percent of capacity at Marlins Park, approximately 9,300 fans, at home games. It was an announcement that prompted many jokes about the Marlins and whether the team will be able to fill even that capacity, a sure sign that baseball is around the corner.

SOCCER: Border Restrictions Force Neutral Site Games

Away goals never had such meaning in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League before.

National border restrictions throughout Europe that pertain to certain countries in certain situations have forced five games this week in two of the biggest club competitions in the world to be moved to new sites with more coming in the following weeks.

Among the moves was England’s Liverpool playing Germany’s RB Leipzig in Budapest, Hungary, after German authorities refused to let Liverpool enter the country because of the British strain of COVID-19. Budapest will host a game next week between two more teams from those two countries with Manchester City plays Borussia Mönchengladbach.

A third English team in the Champions League, Chelsea, will play Atletico Madrid next week in Bucharest, Romania. The three English teams may still have the second-leg games played at home but that may be adjusted if health authorities in Germany and Spain insist teams then quarantine upon their return, which would force them to postpone league games.

Thursday’s games in the Europa League include Spain’s Real Sociedad “hosting” England’s Manchester United in Italy; England’s Tottenham is visiting Austrian club Wolfsberg in Hungary and Norway’s Molde plays Germany’s Hoffenheim in Spain. Both games in a home-and-home series between England’s Arsenal and Portugal’s Benfica have been moved to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome and Olympiacos’ stadium in Piraeus, Greece, respectively.

All of the site shifting, while necessary to keep the competition on schedule, was not universally endorsed.

“Professional soccer, and other sports too, seem to be living in another cosmos where consideration is a foreign word,” Dagmar Freitag, who chairs the German parliament’s sports committee, told radio broadcaster DLF on Saturday.

Wednesday, February 17

TENNIS: Players Suggest Bubble For Rest Of Season

The Australian Open is days away from its conclusion and for both the ATP and WTA Tours, the question is how both can expect to get through the rest of a globetrotting season safely?

The WTA Tour will have one more tournament in Australia this month before heading to seven countries throughout March. The ATP Tour will have a similar look for the next few weeks with tournaments in multiple countries throughout Europe, plus South America and the Middle East before both tours arrive in Miami for the Miami Open starting March 22 — the first scheduled U.S. stop for both tours with the postponement for a second straight spring of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California.

If the amount of tournaments in various countries sounds ambitious given the different restrictions in travel and entrance requirements for countries throughout the world, that’s because it is. Two prominent men’s players, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev, have both suggested the tours are taking on more than they can handle and a different path is needed.

“We can’t have a traveling circuit right now,” Zverev said after losing to Djokovic in the men’s quarterfinals on Tuesday night. “I think what the ATP should do and should look into is maybe having a venue like here and play multiple weeks at one place. Multiple tournaments, multiple weeks. Because, at the end of the day, in Europe right now, we can’t have spectators anyways, so what difference does it really make where we play the tournament?”

The Australian Open has gone off without any players having to forfeit matches because of a positive COVID-19 test. There have been several players in the men’s draw that have dealt with injuries and Djokovic suggested the two weeks of quarantine players had to go through before the tournament may be connected.

“We have to find a way, you know, whether it’s something like an NBA bubble, because I heard some players talk about that, and I don’t mind to discuss about that kind of idea,” Djokovic added. “Select one place and we play all the tournaments on that surface and that place. … we just have to discuss options, because I don’t know honestly if this is going to work.”

The tournament’s semifinals and finals will have the return of fans after a five-day lockdown in the state of Victoria after a rise in COVID-19 cases. The exact number of fans is to be determined; the tournament had earlier been capped at 30,000 fans per day.

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi released a statement that said: “The nature of our Tour is truly global — a move away from that structure would present significant challenges compared to many other sports or leagues. We’ll continue to evaluate all viable options to keep the Tour operating and ensure the best possible conditions for players amid today’s challenging circumstances.”

Should the tours make it through the next few weeks without any major outbreaks before the Miami Open, players will be performing in front of fans on hand. The event’s organizers said a limited number of fans will be allowed on the grounds; the Miami Herald reported the event is planning to allow approximately 15 percent of the Grandstand Court capacity, or roughly 750 fans per session.

NBA: Atlanta Mayor Wants No Parties, Out-of-Town Visitors For All-Star Game

Several NBA stars have already spoken out about their reluctance to participate in the league’s hastily schedule All-Star Game on March 7 in Atlanta.

Players have addressed concerns ranging from unhappiness about having a previously scheduled break messed with, especially given the compressed schedule after a short offseason. Whether it be LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kawhi Leonard, players have bluntly criticized the All-Star Game as a money grab by the NBA and pointed out that while the league wants its players and their families to essentially act and behave as if they are in a bubble environment and restrict contact with the rest of the world, the league is putting the event in Atlanta — a city that is very open for socializing compared to other markets.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is restrained by an official as he reacts to a fan in the second half of a game against the Atlanta Hawks on February 1, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Well, open for some things. But Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms admitted on Tuesday that she also has major concerns about the event, specifically the idea of fans coming to town for events. Bottoms said there will be “no NBA sanctioned events open to the public” and the city strongly encourages local businesses “not to host events in the city related to this game.”

“Under normal circumstances, we would be extremely grateful for the opportunity to host the NBA All-Star Game, but this is not a typical year,” Bottoms said. “We are in agreement that this is a made-for-TV event only, and people should not travel to Atlanta to party.”

One player who early in the season showed the potential to be an All-Star was Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. But after missing five games due to a positive COVID-19 test in January, Tatum admitted to reporters on Tuesday that he still is not fully recovered.

“I think it messes with your breathing a little bit,” Tatum said after the team’s shootaround ahead of hosting the Denver Nuggets. “I have experienced some games where, I don’t want to say [I was] struggling to breathe, but, you know, you get fatigued a lot quicker than normal. Just running up and down the court a few times, it’s easier to get out of breath or tired a lot faster. I’ve noticed that since I’ve had COVID. It’s just something I’m working on.”

Tatum was averaging 26.9 points per game before he tested positive. While he has not been ordinary by any means, he still has averaged two points per game less since his return. What is noticeable is his field goal percentage, down to 42.7 percent overall from 47.4 percent pre-COVID and 36.5 percent from 3-point range from 43.8 percent prior.

The NBA, which had seen the number of positives in recent rounds of player testing drop significantly, also had to postpone several games over the weekend after a number of San Antonio Spurs players tested positive. The Spurs’ next three games through Monday have been canceled after four positive tests; the team has been quarantining in Charlotte since Sunday after beating the Hornets last Saturday.

The Hornets’ next two games are also postponed via contact tracing. The league also had to postpone a game in Dallas between the Mavericks and Detroit Pistons because of the winter storms in Texas, the 31st postponed game this season. The Pistons will instead play at the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night since the Bulls had an open date because of the Hornets’ pause.

Tuesday, February 16

COLLEGE SPORTS: Spring Football Ready To Kick Off

If you thought the college football season was done just because Alabama won the College Football Playoff title game in January over Ohio State, think again.

The Football Championship Subdivision started play this past weekend and will kick into high gear on Friday with a unique spring season that could bring its own twists and turns.

The FCS season will last until mid-April with conference play and some leagues allowing for non-conference games as well. The playoff field will be streamlined to 16 teams from the original 24. The postseason field will be announced on April 18 and four rounds of playoff football will be played until the FCS Championship Game on Saturday, May 15, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, which has hosted the title game since 2010.

The only league in the FCS that will not have a spring season is the Ivy League. One of the leagues that was scheduled to play this spring, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, has already had to suspend play because six of its nine schools opted out of the season. Delaware State, Howard and South Carolina State will still play as many games as possible.

“While it is tremendously disappointing to suspend the spring 2021 football season, it is the right decision with regards to the health and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans,” MEAC Commissioner Dennis E. Thomas said. “As I have stated since the beginning of the pandemic, health and safety will continue to be at the forefront of every decision. We support those institutions who will continue to play.”

The other conferences will have policies depending on the schools they have. The Big Sky will play six conference games apiece with open dates for potential rescheduled games. The Big South will play four conference games and up to four non-conference games as well.

Playing in the spring was a decision forced by the COVID-19 pandemic but the question going forward is should a spring season be responded to favorably by fan bases and any television ratings, would the FCS contemplate switching to spring football permanently? The flip side of that, of course, is that small-college NFL draft prospects would have their stock drop significantly with the draft being held in April. There are also financial ramifications of such a move because many FCS teams can get big paydays from guarantee games at Football Bowl Subdivision powerhouses that those FCS programs then use to subsidize many of their athletic operations.

Monday, February 15

FOOTBALL: NFL Enters Offseason With Many Burning Questions

The NFL, after a season unlike any other, is now facing an offseason where continuing to adapt will be incredibly important.

The NFL is not as reliant on game-day revenues as other professional leagues but the league still carries an enormous financial windfall. With each week’s news about increased access to vaccinations, one of the topics that will be addressed especially as the season gets closer to kickoff is whether the league will be able to roll back some of the enhanced health and safety protocols because of vaccinated players but also have capacity crowds at each of its stadiums — hopes that, as of now, the league and union are trying to ever so slightly tamper down.

“The reality is — just the math, there’s 253 million adults in the country. The country needs to reach 75, 85 percent of those people to be vaccinated in order for us to reach herd immunity,” NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith said before the Super Bowl. “To think that we’re going to be at a vaccine-neutral state in September is probably not the case.”

“We think the priorities that are established by the health experts to get the front-line workers and others, teachers, vaccinated are things that are necessary,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also said. “It’s too early to say whether vaccines will be part of the solution. We expect that they will, we hope much of our society will be vaccinated by the summer because it’s in the best interest of our country and the health of our people.”

Goodell and Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer, have indicated several protocols could remain beyond the pandemic and Goodell referenced “virtual is going to be part of our life” before the Super Bowl during his State of the League press conference last week.

The improved relationship with the NFL Players Association will also come into play.

NFLPA President JC Tretter of the Cleveland Browns said players were sharper both physically and mentally at season’s end because of the reduced time spent at facilities. Tretter at the end of the regular season called for the end to previously mandatory offseason programs and elimination of preseason games, writing in a blog post “the argument in favor of these offseason practices is based on the assumption that players need reps during OTAs to develop and learn while teams need the practices to gel. Yet, the lack of OTAs this year demonstrated that those theories aren’t substantiated.”

There are many other issues that the NFL will be addressing in the offseason as well, including;

The NFL draft in late April is scheduled for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and organizers there have insisted that things are a full-go in their planning. Given that the NFL Combine has already been adapted and will not be in-person in Indianapolis, league observers believe it’s doubtful that the event — should it happen in Cleveland — would be near the scale of previous drafts such as Nashville in 2019.
While most believed even the NFL would prove impenetrable to the downturn in sports viewership during the pandemic, those beliefs were incorrect; the league’s ratings went down about 7 percent before the Super Bowl and the Buccaneers’ win itself had one of the lowest ratings in the game’s history. No matter those ratings, the league will assuredly sign massive new television contracts (most likely with its traditional partners) with substantial increases that will instantly be the envy of every other sports property.
The question of what will happen when the league invokes its ability to add a 17th game to the schedule and how that will break down for teams. Goodell said before the Super Bowl that the league plans to have its now-traditional international games in London and Mexico City; will the league investigate adding more to the inventory since there will be more inventory overall?
David Baker, the president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is predicting “the greatest football gathering ever” in Canton, Ohio, in August between the recently elected class of 2021 including Peyton Manning, but also the delayed enshrinement of the class of 2020 and a special group of centennial selections. Should there be an exhibition game as well, the Cowboys and Steelers are two of the most devoted fan bases in the NFL.
To this point, the NFL has slow-walked its embrace of sports gambling compared to other pro leagues. But given the potential financial windfall, do not expect that to continue. The league’s teams have signed nearly 23 gaming and lottery deals in the past year and there are many more frontiers to explore, including in-play wagerings and a league-wide sponsor.
There is also a financial aspect to making sure the safety of the season extends to the offseason but also to the NFL’s vested interests. The league’s investment arm, 32 Equity, is among the latest group of backers for secure identity company Clear after it launched Health Pass, a new mobile app that makes it safer and easier for people to attend events.

Saturday, February 13

AUTO RACING: NASCAR Ready For 30,000 Fans at Daytona 500

One of the biggest gatherings of sports fans in the world since the COVID-19 pandemic began will be this weekend at Daytona Beach, Florida as the Daytona 500 will kick off the 2021 NASCAR Cup season with approximately 30,000 fans in attendance.

“It’s going to be the largest sporting event that happens in the United States since COVID hit,” said Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile. “We’re abiding by every state and federal regulation to ensure the safety of our fans.”

Entry into the race will be done with health screenings and temperature checks upon entry as well as required facial coverings once inside the massive Daytona International Speedway facility. Even with 30,000 spectators, that is only 30 percent of Daytona’s capacity. Rain is in the forecast for the weekend, though.

NASCAR has assive venues throughout the country so the ability to have a solid amount of fans in attendance while still maintaining social distancing is possible. The Cup season in 2020 did go on hiatus like every other major professional sport, but it was one of the first to return to action with fans slowly allowed into venues in restricted numbers. And even before racing in person was resumed, NASCAR capitalized on iRacing to surprising television audiences that have turned it into a broadcast complement each week this season in addition to the real-life racing.

The 2021 Cup schedule includes many of the traditional fan favorite venues such as Daytona and stops in Charlotte, Atlanta, Arizona, California, Tennessee, Virginia and Darlington, South Carolina. There are a few changes though with three new stops at the Circuit of the Americans in Austin, Texas; Road America in Wisconsin; and Nashville Superspeedway plus a total of six road-course races, double last season’s amount. One of the Cup Series stops in Bristol will be a dirt race, the first time that has happened since 1970 for NASCAR’s top series.

Friday, February 12

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: NCAA Makes Tournament Qualifier Policy More Flexible

The NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees will allow conferences to have flexibility in case some want to cancel their postseason tournaments, adjusting the submission date for each league’s automatic qualifier policy for the 2021 NCAA Tournaments to February 26 in case.

The form will include whether a league determines its automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournaments via a conference tournament or a regular-season champion.

“Both committees have had considerable discussion around the topic of conference championships and the value of participation,” the NCAA said in a statement. “Ultimately, the committees believe the authority on conference championships should reflect current policy, which leaves decision-making at the conference and institutional level. However, if a conference elects to hold a tournament and have that champion represent the league as its AQ, then the committees encourage full participation of all teams that qualify for a conference championship and are eligible for the NCAA tournament.”

Selection Sunday is almost a month away and in men’s college basketball, all 30 conferences playing this season are currently planning to hold tournaments to determine their automatic bids to the 68-team field. But a recent CBS Sports survey of 41 coaches found 27% were opposed to the idea of doing so in the men’s game and UConn women’s coach Geno Auriemma recently said it wouldn’t bother him if the Big East women’s tournament was canceled.

Two of the Power Five conferences have moved their tournaments to limit travel ahead of league teams heading to Indianapolis for the Big Dance. The Big Ten moved its tournament from Chicago to Indianapolis and the ACC will its games in Greensboro, North Carolina, instead of Washington. The SEC (Nashville) and Big 12 (Kansas City) are remaining in their current locations. Baylor coach Scott Drew said the Big 12 has told coaches their setup would be like a bubble similar to the NCAA Tournament.

The Pac-12 and West Coast – along with the Mountain West, Western Athletic and Big West Conferences – are playing in Las Vegas.

There are, of course, financial implications to any decision a conference would make. Most have television contract commitments to honor by playing a conference tournament, especially on the heels of most of them being canceled last year as the pandemic started to spread throughout the United States. Some coaches have floated the idea of using the time to make up lost regular-season games — No. 2 Baylor has six games postponed, for example — although how that would work out with from a scheduling standpoint is unclear.

TENNIS: Australian Open Goes Behind Closed Doors

One of the unique parts for any sports fan watching the Australian Open this week was the presence of fans throughout the grounds — allowing up to 30,000 fans per day at the venue was part of the early charm of the year’s first Grand Slam hosted in one of the few countries that has been able to combat the COVID-19 pandemic effectively.

But after a spate of 13 positive cases of the more infectious British strain of COVID-19 were identified at a local hotel in Melbourne, the state of Victoria is entering a five-day lockdown, meaning no more fans in attendance — although the tournament will go on with players and tournament staff classified as essential athletes and workers.

Residents in the state of Victoria may only leave home for essential reasons, such as grocery shopping and family care. There remains the chance that the championship matches at the end of the tournament would still be able to have fans in attendance.

Thursday, February 11

SOCCER: MLS Delays Openers But Season Is On After CBA Agreement

Some teams in Major League Soccer do not know where they will play this season, but each of the league’s teams now know when MLS’ 26th season will open.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced that the season will start on April 17 during a press conference on Wednesday in which he gave his first comments on the recently agreed upon Collective Bargaining Agreement with the MLS Players Association but also touched on a variety of other issues surrounding the league.

“This agreement is going to allow our owners, our clubs, our players, all of our partners, both commercial partners and media partners, as well as all of our fans, to continue this quest that we’re on that will be to build one of the great soccer leagues in the world,” Garber said.

The April 17 start is a two-week delay from the originally scheduled date. It will make the season even more compressed for MLS, which is scheduled to have a 34-game regular season plus various teams playing in the CONCACAF Champions League, All-Star Game and Leagues Cup (a multi-team competition between MLS and teams from Mexico’s Liga MX) during the summer.

MLS clubs also will participate in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and Canadian Championship while several teams will miss players at points throughout the summer on international duty. The number of games and competitions means the league may look to spread out which teams compete in the U.S. Open Cup compared to the Leagues Cup, as an example.

Under the new CBA, which will be extended through 2027, there will be a two-year freeze to the salary cap and allocation money that clubs are allowed to spend. Many other issues including free agency and the union’s share of future media-rights revenue were also included in the agreement. One underlying important part of the league’s operations are that, according to Garber, all teams will be traveling to road games exclusively via charter flights — something not typically done in pre-pandemic times.

This month’s agreement marks the third time in the past year that the two sides have negotiated a CBA. The two sides reached an agreement in principle on a CBA last February, but neither side formally ratified the deal. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, MLS reopened negotiations, with the sides agreeing on a revised deal in June with a force majeure clause inserted.

Negotiations on a revised CBA were reopened after MLS invoked force majeure on December 29, citing revenue losses stemming for an absence of game-day revenue with most MLS teams not having fans at games last season — and an element of this season that Garber is not optimistic about.

“I don’t have any sense that fans are going to be in our stadiums in large numbers for probably most, if not all, of the season,” he said, adding that he “can’t imagine a world where we would” require players to be vaccinated once made available to the broader public.

Beyond vaccinations, fan attendance and when the season starts for MLS is where three of its teams will play; because of cross-border travel restrictions between the United States and Canada, the Montreal Impact, Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps were forced to play “home” games in the United States for the final part of the 2020 season. Garber said MLS is “really close to being able to announce where our Canadian teams will play.”

Vancouver finished last season playing home games in Portland, Oregon, and is reported to be starting the season with a temporary home base in Salt Lake City. Toronto FC played home games in Hartford, Connecticut, last season and Montreal played in Harrison, New Jersey.

“We continue to work with our teams to engage with the Canadian authorities, Health Canada, and we’re going to abide by whatever the rules are as established by Health Canada,” Garber said. “All three of our teams are working on alternative plans as to where they’re going to be, certainly in the short term, playing their games, because it doesn’t look like we will have immediate (solutions) to this in the near term.”

MLS does provide financial support for the Canadian clubs for costs related to the inability to train and play home games in their own markets, Garber added.

Wednesday, February 10

BASEBALL: No Universal DH or Vaccine Mandate for 2021 Season

Multiple reports say that MLB players will not be required to take the COVID-19 vaccine but that it will be “strongly encouraged” by the union and league when it becomes widely available to professional athletes. As part of the league’s broader health and safety protocols this season, players will be required to wear Kinexon wristbands at team facilities in order to conduct contact tracing in case of a positive test. They’ll also be subject to fines based on days missed due to quarantines if they don’t follow protocols up to and including no indoor dining; no gatherings of 10 or more people; and not leaving hotels when on the road unless when given permission.

Players will be required to quarantine for five days before spring training then undergo intake testing once in Arizona or Florida. Testing will continue at least every other day throughout spring training and the regular season.

The agreed protocols are part of the broader agreement to get the season underway, which the league and union agreed to on Monday. While there will not be a designated hitter in the National League or expanded 16-team playoffs, which the league sorely wanted, there will be seven-inning doubleheaders and runners on second base to start extra innings.

Spring training opens February 17 with the season starting on April 1 after the union rejected a MLB proposal to delay spring training and shorten the regular season to 154 games from the normal 162. Last season’s start was delayed by COVID-19 until July 23 with a 60-game season played by most but not all teams after several games early in the season were postponed because of outbreaks among teams, notably the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals. Overall there were 45 games postponed with two between St. Louis and Detroit not made up. There were 56 doubleheaders, the most since 76 in 1984.

HOCKEY: NHL Enhances Health Protocols As Team Outbreaks Increase

The National Hockey League knew that this season would be a difficult one. There was a hard deadline to finish the season so that its television partner, NBC, would be able to devote its airtime to the Olympic Summer Games. The league would not be playing the entire season in a bubble environment, unlike the format in which it finished the 2019–2020 season over the summer.

And as such, this week’s latest news is of a trend that has slowly developed as the season has progressed; Monday brought the cancellation of seven games scheduled for this week, all involving either the Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils or Buffalo Sabres, bringing the season total to 33 canceled games with 15 remaining to be rescheduled.

As of Sunday’s COVID-19 protocol-related absences report, the Sabres had nine players plus coach Ralph Krueger, the Devils had 16 players and the Wild had nine. The Wild have not played since February 2 and the Devils have not played since January 31 at the Sabres. Almost 100 players have been taken off the ice since the season began — and the season was already abbreviated to 56 games with all games being in-division play.

Due to updated COVID-19 protocols, the glass has been removed from behind the team benches as workers take measurements for additional safety methods prior to an NHL game between the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on February 4, 2021, in New York. (Bruce Bennett/Pool Photo via AP)

While some of this season’s unique aspects have shown some signs of fan approval — especially the all-Canadian division — the protocols that the league and union agreed upon have not worked flawlessly. The league last week put in more enhanced protocols including taking out the glass behind the player benches in arenas to improve air flow.

“Our priority has been and will continue to be to act conservatively with an abundance of caution, understanding that there are many things about the transmission of COVID-19 that are still being discovered,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said last week. “As a result, we won’t hesitate to take additional measures as indicated by what we are learning and as directed by our medical advisers.”

Tuesday, February 9

NBA: League Plans All-Star Weekend Even If Its Stars Don’t Want To Be There

The NBA All-Star Weekend traditionally is multiple days of parties, sponsor activations and the actual game itself is the least important part of the event. Destinations that host the event get a giant boost in sports tourism revenue as celebrities flock to parties at the most exclusive spots in town.

In normal times, having the All-Star Game in Atlanta on March 7 would be a mega-event. But this season, many high-profile players are treating the idea of participating as something to be avoided, not envied, given the NBA’s insistence on having the event during a season already compressed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I don’t even know why we’re having an All-Star Game,” Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James said after a 114-93 win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, sparking a cascading list of players who echoed his sentiments.

“I really, right now, I don’t care about the All-Star Game,” Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo said the night after James’ comments. “I got zero energy, zero excitement.”

“We all know why we’re playing it,” Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard added later that night after his team’s game against Boston. “It’s money on the line. It’s opportunity to make more money. Just putting money over health right now, pretty much.”

“There’s so much going on as far as we’re trying to calm the virus down — and we’re putting on an event, you know?” Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden said. “I know what the reasoning is for, but I feel like, especially with a condensed schedule, it feels like everything was forced upon players.”

Players had anticipated at the start of the season that March 5–10 would be time to rest between the first and second halves of the season; the league postponed a February All-Star Weekend set for Indianapolis, giving the city the 2024 event instead. But now, the single-night All-Star event will encompass the East-West game as well as the skills competitions.

Multiple players have not only shown reticence toward being part of the All-Star Game between the time and travel involved during a season that has been marred by the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is also hesitation about the game being in Atlanta because of the state of Georgia’s openness compared to other NBA markets. The Hawks have been one of the teams in the league allowing fans to attend; the Lakers’ victory against the Hawks recently was overshadowed by four courtside fans that were ejected during the fourth quarter of the game after one of them got into a shouting match with James, followed by another of the attendees taking her mask off to yell at James before going on Instagram to rant about the encounter.

Players’ annoyance with having to congregate in Atlanta for an exhibition game was magnified after the NBA told players, coaches and other employees they may not go to a Super Bowl party outside their homes and to keep any party invitation lists basically to family only. The league had 27 players test positive in a two-week span, which forced the postponement of 21 games between January 10–27, although last week’s round of testing returned only one new player positive.

The NBA’s protocols have been, in the eyes of detractors, inconsistent in their application. One notable mini-drama was on Friday night when Nets star Kevin Durant — who had already missed three games entering Brooklyn’s game against the Toronto Raptors — was forced out of the starting lineup, then allowed to play and entered in the first quarter, then was removed from the game in the second quarter.

Durant, who tested positive for COVID-19 in March while recovering from Achilles surgery, was around a team employee before the game with neither wearing masks. The employee first registered an inconclusive test and while it was being reviewed, Durant was allowed to play. But the employee then was confirmed to have a positive test and Durant was taken out during the next timeout.

Should he be cleared by the time the All-Star Game tip off, Durant would assuredly be named to the Eastern Conference team. Whether any of the players involved are happy to be there will be an open question.

Monday, February 8

NFL: As Bucs Celebrate Victory, Momentum Builds Toward Another Tampa Bay Super Bowl

Tampa Bay may be the best sports town in the United States right now.

Already home of the reigning Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay Lightning, ALCS champion Tampa Bay Rays and USL co-champion Tampa Bay Rowdies, the region added another championship when the hometown Buccaneers and Most Valuable Player Tom Brady routed the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl 55 against the Kansas City Chiefs on February 7, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs 31-9. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

“This wasn’t a game, this wasn’t an event, this was truly a movement,” Tampa Bay Sports Commission Executive Director and Tampa Bay Host Committee President and CEO Rob Higgins said, mentioning how the region had to adjust from showcasing itself for the first time since 2009 to turning the event into a different type of hosting experience. “It’s been incredible the adjustments that have been made. There are going to be other cities with bigger stadiums and bigger hotels and bigger regions. I’m biased, but none of them have a bigger heart and I think that’s what we got a chance to showcase.”

The game was played in front of approximately 22,000 fans, with 7,500 of them being vaccinated front-line healthcare workers from the Tampa region. Tens of thousands of cutouts tried to give the appearance of a sold-out stadium.

“At this event a year ago I don’t think any of us imagined the challenges that we would going to have to face,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at Monday’s post-Super Bowl press conference. “All of us at the NFL will forever be grateful. We really believe that the folks down here know how to do events. The people have been quite extraordinary.”

Each fan in attendance was given personal protective equipment as one of myriad safety protocols. Other protocols included social distancing, all tickets being on mobile devices and an entirely cashless experience inside the stadium. As Higgins said on Monday, “health and safety drove every decision throughout the entire event.”

Still, there were outliers with nearby Ybor City in particular drawing lots of social media attention for its various parties that included large groups of mask-less people.

“It is a little frustrating because we worked so hard and in cooperation with the NFL and counties and a number of different entities putting the executive order in place to wear masks,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said. “The upside is the majority of individuals understood the significance of wearing a mask. Yes, we did see some videos of people that weren’t wearing masks and at this point in dealing with COVID-19, there is a level of frustration when you see that.”

The next two Super Bowls are in Los Angeles in 2022 and Glendale, Arizona, in 2023. New Orleans was scheduled to host in 2024 but instead is shifting to 2025 because of a conflict between the NFL’s expanding schedule and Mardi Gras; the now-open 2024 Super Bowl is widely expected to go to the new stadium in Las Vegas, where the Raiders moved this season.

The 2022 Super Bowl will be at the new SoFi Stadium, which opened this year without fans in attendance for Los Angeles Rams and L.A. Chargers games. Mentioned throughout the leadup to Super Bowl 55 was that it was originally awarded to Los Angeles, but a one-year delay in the opening of SoFi Stadium because of torrential rainfall in 2017 meant Sunday’s game ended up in Tampa Bay instead.

“It is remarkable,” Goodell said of SoFi Stadium during Thursday’s State of the League address. “Not just the facility and stadium itself but the surrounding area. We think that stadium is going to set a new standard in the world. I don’t know what the environment is going to be for that; it’s to be seen. We hope it will be filled with fans not just in the stadium but around the stadium and that we’ll be back to a more normal cadence.”

Having the first post-pandemic Super Bowl in Los Angeles could potentially be a record-breaking event from a commercial and ticketing standpoint. The millions in lost revenue because of the pandemic has resulted in discussion over whether the NFL would return to Tampa at the next possible open Super Bowl, which would be in 2026.

“It’s ultimately an ownership vote, but I think everyone knows the unique circumstances that we’ve faced this season,” Goodell said on Thursday. “They also know how extraordinary Tampa has been in working through that. I think that will be a big consideration in their minds when they do sit down and vote. In some ways this whole pandemic and ability to work through this is a reflection on this community’s can-do attitude. They never wavered on moving forward with this game. Those are the kind of people who make this world special and I think the NFL will recognize that going forward.”

Saturday, February 6

NFL: Finally, A Pandemic Season Concludes With Super Bowl

The National Football League season was at a tipping point. Its marquee Thanksgiving Day game in prime time featuring rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore had been postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak within the Ravens locker room affecting 22 players.

The game was postponed once, then twice and rescheduled for December 2. The NFL waited for a round of testing two days prior to come back from Baltimore knowing if there were any new positives, “we would have had a week 18,” Commissioner Roger Goodell admitted on Thursday.

The round of tests was clean. Another round of testing the day before the game also came back negative. The game was a go. Fast forward to this weekend and the NFL has one game left to play this season — the Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Florida.

“Decisions are easy when you have certainty and you know this is going to happen, that is going to happen,” Goodell said during his state of the league address. “What was difficult during this season was trying to manage things where there was a lot of uncertainty.”

The NFL had to adjust on the fly like never before this season. The league played at least one game on every day of the week for the first time. Multiple teams had their schedules shuffled early in the season when the Tennessee Titans had 13 players test positive, forcing a one-week postponement of its game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first real test of the NFL’s ability to conduct the season. Several other games were postponed — notably the Steelers vs. Ravens — but there were also games that did not get postponed no matter a team’s competitive disadvantage such as the Denver Broncos playing without a quarterback against the New Orleans Saints, or the Cleveland Browns missing nearly every wide receiver against the New York Jets.

But no matter what some fan bases may have felt about scheduling decisions, the games got played.

“This was an extraordinary collective effort,” Goodell said. “There were people that didn’t believe we could do it. Obviously, we had a lot of unknowns ourselves. But we believed that staying on schedule and working toward trying to get to 256 games done — as we say, avoid the asterisk. I think we were able to do that, but we’ve still got a few days left here.”

The league revealed Wednesday that its positivity rate from daily testing this season was 0.08% — by comparison, the state of Florida’s positivity rate according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center during the pandemic has been 8.84%. “We don’t think there was a safer place to be than NFL facilities,” Goodell said.

And if it was, it was because of protocols that were strict at the start of the season and then intensified in mid-November with teams not allowed to have in-person meetings, wearing masks on the sidelines and several other stringent measures.

“Our whole concept here was not to avoid positives — we knew that that was not possible when you’re dealing with 7,500 people in our system who were being tested almost every day,” Goodell said. “That was not going to happen. But the idea is to test frequently, identify when you have a positive and isolate. And make sure that you trace that properly to identify people who may have been in close contact.”

Goodell noted one of the biggest achievements off the field was the evolution of the league’s relationship with the NFL Players Association. Having agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement shortly before the pandemic started, the league and union worked together on this season’s health and safety protocols. In an era where there has been labor drama in Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and the National Hockey League, the collaborative nature between the NFL and NFLPA stood out.

“We’ve done a lot of things together this year that we’ve never done before,” NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith said. “Football can evolve. We’ve learned that we can go outside our comfort level and work better and work smarter.”

Smith and Goodell, opponents in previous labor negotiations and with a relationship that could have been described as antagonistic, shared the dais for a few minutes Thursday and looked like a buddy-buddy movie, cracking wise about their previous dust-ups. Between hosting the virtual draft in his basement and getting the season completed on time, Goodell has seen his public approval ratings rise perhaps more than any other league commissioner in professional sports.

“This season it really took all of us to get through this,” Smith said. “… We’re a labor union and if we have to mix it up, we have to mix it up. But this year across the businesses in the country, this has been one of the best examples of labor and management working together to do something that we couldn’t do alone.”

While Goodell and the NFL have taken pains to say the season is not over and they want to get through Sunday’s game before focusing on the offseason, it is unavoidable that future topics would come up. Goodell was non-committal about how fans could return in full-capacity stadiums in the fall depending on vaccinations cross the country; it was reported on Friday that he has told President Biden that each of the league’s 32 teams “will make its stadium available for mass vaccinations of the general public” in the offseason.

The league has the ability as well to implement a 17-game regular season and while that is not official, the NFL will almost assuredly add to the season because even for a league that seemingly prints money, this season’s dent in team revenues can be mitigated by the extra TV revenue an extra game would generate. Before there is a 2021 regular season there will be the offseason with the NFL already making changes to turn the combine into a virtual event. Other events such as organized team activities still have to be determined in consultation with the NFLPA and as Goodell noted, “virtual is going to be part of our life” going forward.

“I don’t know when normal will occur again and I don’t know if normal ever will happen again,” Goodell said. “I know this: We have learned to operate in a very difficult environment. We have found solutions. And we’ll do it again. That’s what we believe is a lesson for us this year … one of the most impressive things to me (this season) is hearing clubs and the NFLPA say our relationship has never been stronger. The trust that has been built here will help us going forward.”

Friday, February 5

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: NCAA Moves Entire Division I Women’s Tournament to San Antonio

The NCAA will hold the entirety of its Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament in San Antonio and the surrounding region, the organization officially announced on Friday.

The tournament will feature 64 teams competing from March 21 through April 4. Six rounds featuring 63 games will be played using five venues and six courts in San Antonio, Austin and San Marcos, Texas, with the Alamodome hosting two courts. The NCAA is in discussions for games to be played at the following venues:

First-round play March 21–22 at the Alamodome, Bill Greehey Arena on the campus of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Frank Erwin Center on the campus at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas State’s University Events Center in Marcos, Texas, and the UTSA Convocation Center.
Second-round play March 23–24 at the Alamodome and Bill Greehey Arena.
Sweet 16 games played March 27–28, Elite Eight games held March 29–30 and the Women’s Final Four conducted April 2 and 4, all at the Alamodome.

“We’re fortunate to be working with San Antonio, which features one of the most experienced local organizing committees in the country,” said Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president of women’s basketball. “Our No. 1 priority is to focus on creating and implementing safety controls in an environment for student-athletes, coaches, administrators, officials and everyone else associated with the championship.”

Connecticut players celebrate following the women’s NCAA Final Four championship game against Stanford on April 6, 2010, in San Antonio. Connecticut won 53-47. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

March will be the third time the Alamodome hosts the Women’s Final Four along with 2002 and 2010, which set the NCAA title game attendance record with 29,619 as UConn beat Stanford. Holzman said that no decision has been made yet on attendance for this year’s event, adding “if general public attendance is determined to be appropriate, it will follow local health guidelines.” Holzman said the NCAA hopes to allow up to six family members and friends of student-athletes to attend games, but county health authorities will have the final say.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said hosting all teams and personnel associated with the championship will bring more than 35,000 room nights to the downtown San Antonio area and “the impact that 64 games and 63 nationally televised TV games brings to our region is immeasurable and will not be taken lightly. … When we got notified of the opportunity to host the entire tournament, we jumped at the opportunity.”

Friday’s announcement was the latest in a series of moves to have championships held at a single site by the NCAA, which already moved the Division I and Division II men’s basketball tournaments to Indianapolis and the women’s volleyball tournament to Omaha, Nebraska. The NCAA women’s regionals were scheduled for Austin; Albany, New York; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Spokane, Washington.

Dr. Colleen Bridger, San Antonio assistant city manager with oversight of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, said the health and safety protocols for teams coming to San Antonio will be similar to those for the NCAA Men’s Tournament in Indianapolis: Participants will be required to have seven negative tests before departing to San Antonio, then they must travel via private charter to avoid outside exposure. Once in San Antonio, teams will stay in separate “pods” to avoid cross-exposure and wear contact-tracing bracelets in case there is a positive case from someone that is part of the tournament’s infrastructure.

“One of the first things we did was bring in Metro Health to be part of the conversation and be part of the planning process,” San Antonio Sports Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jenny Carnes said. “They’ve been wonderful to work with and have been by our side. That’s been an important component to this since day one.”

Thursday, February 4

NFL: League Emphasizes Vaccinations, Masks In Fight Against Coronavirus

While the NFL’s season is scheduled to end on Sunday with the Super Bowl, the league’s work will continue into the offseason with an emphasis on vaccinations in the continuing fight against COVID-19.

Several stadiums that have spent the past months hosting NFL games have become vaccination centers in their markets and while there was debate about whether or not players would “jump in line” to get vaccinated during the season, an issue that was swiftly rejected by the league and never happened, you can be sure that vaccination education for the greater public — and among the league — will be something seen and heard repeatedly.

“Let’s make no mistake about it, both us and the players association medical leadership believe very strongly in vaccinations,” said NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills during a Super Bowl press conference on Wednesday. “We believe it’s safe. We believe it’s effective. We believe it’s imperative as a way forward out of this pandemic.”

But that also raises the question of whether the league would make vaccination a requirement for players, coaches and staff members — a moral issue that goes beyond even something that would be part of any collective bargaining issue.

“As it becomes our turn, if you will, I think we will certainly have those conversations and we will make sure whether it’s players, coaches, staff, that everyone who is eligible and able to be vaccinated has that opportunity,” Sills said.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden adjusts his protective mask along the sideline in the second half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Sills said the league’s success in getting the season almost to the finish line without any canceled games is down to several elements. While there was a focus on the daily testing done at each facility, using point of care PCR tests compared to antigen testing allowed the league and teams to get rapid results to detect cases earlier than would have been first possible. The NFL also modified its definition of high-risk contacts beyond guidelines such as six feet of distance between people and 15 minutes of close contact commonly used for contact tracing. Sills’ other point of emphasis was strengthening protocols across the league in mid-November with teams not allowed to have in-person meetings, wearing masks on the sidelines and several other stringent measures.

“The uniform implementation of the intensive protocols across the board was a very valuable strategy,” Sills said. “That implementation allowed us to see our cases go down at a time where the cases in the country were going in the opposite direction.”

Sills announced that from August 1 through January 31, the league had 262 positives among players and 463 among other personnel for a positivity rate of 0.08 percent — “we feel that our club facilities truly were some of the safest possible locations,” he said. He also strongly advocated for wearing facial coverings, which was required (although not always followed, it must be said) for entry into regular season games. Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, said the NFL had more than 1.2 million people at over 100 regular season games when attendance was allowed this season.

“Masks work,” Sills said. “They are probably the most important risk mitigation strategy. … When everyone wears a mask and does so consistently, and when you think about ventilation and open-air environments and other points we mentioned, you can really block transmission. In fact, our data shows that’s the key element to preventing transmission. Preventing transmission is not complicated but it isn’t easy. And we have to execute it every single day by every person.”

In what could be described as karmic timing, as the NFL’s press conference where the emphasis on contact-tracing protocols was concluding, ESPN reported the Chiefs had 20 people, including star quarterback Patrick Mahomes in line for a haircut Sunday with a barber who tested positive for COVID-19. ESPN said that the barber’s test result came back with center Daniel Kilgore in the chair, leaving him with half a trim; Kilgore and wide receiver Demarcus Robinson were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday but could be in line to be eligible to play in the Super Bowl as long as they continue to test negative the rest of this week.

While neither Kilgore nor Robinson is a household name, the NFL is also not celebrating just yet: “This season is not over,” Miller said. “We have one really big game we’re looking forward to on Sunday but our work isn’t finished.” To that point, ESPN radio asked NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith if the union would agree to move the Super Bowl if a star such as Mahomes or Tampa Bay QB Tom Brady tested positive before the game.

“I don’t see any scenario where we would agree with the league to move the Super Bowl,” Smith replied. “… We’ve had teams in Cleveland, where I think JC Tretter, our union president, was breaking down film because they didn’t have a coach; we saw the Denver Broncos head into a [game] without a number of quarterbacks. I think it wouldn’t be fair to the rigor and the discipline that we’ve insisted that players have this year to move the Super Bowl. My hope, and certainly everybody’s hope, is that our players will continue to double down, do the great job that they’ve done all season, and we’ll get this fantastic game kicked off on time.”

TENNIS: Positive Test Puts Players In Isolation

If you have been following the saga of players and staff preparing for the Australian Open, the news from Wednesday will not surprise you — because the state of Victoria, Australia, is not messing around.

Wednesday’s play at all six Australian Open warmup events was canceled after one person at one of the Melbourne quarantine hotels that players and staff are staying at tested positive for COVID-19. The year’s first Grand Slam is scheduled to start on Monday and players must isolate at their hotels until they test negative for coronavirus.

Anyone who quarantined at the Grand Hyatt hotel was deemed to be casual contacts of the infected person are required to remain in their hotels until they test negative and everyone in the city will be required to wear masks while indoors.

Australian Open organizers didn’t immediately have details of how many players would have to isolate. Victoria State Premier Daniel Andrews said “at this stage, no impact on the (Australian Open) proper.” Depending on test results, the warmup events should resume on Friday and finish on Sunday with players potentially having to play twice in one day to get the event completed on time.

Organizers had planned to have up to 30,000 spectators daily at Melbourne Park for the event. The buildup to the Australian Open has been marked by attention paid to the strict quarantine protocols in which everyone must have a mandatory 14-day quarantine during which players were tested every day and weren’t allowed to leave their hotels without a negative result.

HOCKEY: NWHL Bubble Season Suspended

The NWHL began its two-week bubble season with high hopes. Six teams were set to play in Lake Placid, New York, the league secured several new sponsors and its Isobel Cup playoff games were to be broadcast live on NBCSN for the first time.

The bubble burst, however, with two teams pulling out during the event after positive virus tests. Now the season has been suspended, two days before the semifinals were scheduled to begin. Multiple outlets reported that of the four remaining teams, there were positive tests still after the latest round of examination. ESPN reported Wednesday of concerns around the “restricted zone” and social distancing.

The Metropolitan Riveters and Connecticut Whale previously withdrew due to COVID concerns and the league was going to try and play on before Wednesday’s decision based upon tests from the remaining players; it had even announced Dick’s Sporting Goods as a playoff sponsor of the Isobel Cup Final MVP award on Tuesday.

Wednesday, February 3

OLYMPICS: IOC Will Not Require Vaccines at Olympics, But Outlines First Requirements for Stakeholders

The International Olympic Committee will not require vaccines for athletes, media and other accredited officials traveling to the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games but has begun to outline how those groups will be tested and monitored for COVID-19 during the events in Tokyo.

The IOC and Tokyo 2020 have released the first of four “playbooks” with initial details of the COVID-mitigation plan, spelling out what will be required of international federation representatives and technical officials, including judges and referees, during the Games. While playbooks for athletes, broadcast media and accredited press will be released in coming days, the IF playbook is expected to be an indication of what the IOC will require for anyone traveling to Tokyo. Updates to the documents are expected in April and June, although the first version highlights the baseline measures the IOC and Tokyo 2020 intend to take.

“We have learned a lot from the best practices of other events and the playbooks reflect what we have seen across many other sports,” said Christophe Dubi, the IOC’s Olympic Games Executive Director, during a briefing on the first release.

IF officials and referees will be asked to begin their journey to the Games 14 days in advance by monitoring their temperature and health daily. They will then require proof of a negative test within 72 hours of leaving for Japan via a PCR, LAMP or antigen test; a negative test at the airport in Tokyo upon arrival; and a negative test before departure to their home country. The group has also been advised not to take public transportation while in Tokyo and will have to provide an activity log outlining where they intend to be at all times and who they plan to be in contact with for contact tracing purposes. While it may be less of a concern for officials and judges, the playbook also notes that athletes should be supported by clapping, not by singing or chanting, which may factor into future recommendations for spectators if they are allowed.

A page from the playbook for international federations and technical officials outlining what will be required of their time in Japan for the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games.

Other requirements include the types of measures people around the world have been asked to take to prevent the spread of the disease: facial coverings, hand washing, social distancing. IF officials have been advised in the playbook to bring more masks than they think are necessary, noting that hot and humid conditions in Tokyo during the summer may require the need for more regular replacement.

While details of the athlete requirements were not released, IOC officials said that group can expect to be tested every four days during their stay. Others will be tested regularly as well depending on their roles. A smartphone application will also be administered for health monitoring and contact tracing.

“There will be a number of constraints and conditions that participants will have to respect and follow, which will have an impact on their experience, particularly the social experience of what we know an Olympic Games can be,” said Pierre Ducrey, Olympic Games operations director.

Meanwhile, vaccines, will not be required for those stakeholders traveling to Tokyo, although the IOC encourages all stakeholders to receive the vaccine when they are available in their home countries. The mere possibility of vaccines has also given the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee confidence they can proceed with the Games in a way that wasn’t possible one year ago when the decision was made to postpone both events to 2021.

“In February 2020, vaccines were a distant hope,” said Craig Spence, chief brand officer for the IPC. “In February 2021, they are a reality.”

The efforts, the IOC said, are of course aimed at those that may travel to the Games, but also to reassure the Japanese public that measures are being taken to limit any potential spread from visitors. Recent polling has shown the majority of Japanese citizens are no longer in favor of hosting the events this summer.

And in perhaps a telling sign, the IOC has no immediate plans to issue a playbook or guidance for overseas spectators. While the IOC and Tokyo organizers have been resolute in their determination and public affirmations of holding the Olympics, they have been notably less so about the subject of having fans at the events. Mitt Romney and Sebastian Coe, both of whom have previously organized Olympic Games, have recommended that there be nobody in the stands.

Dubi said it’s still early to tell whether spectators will be permitted and that a decision is several weeks away at a minimum. Among the factors that will go into that decision will be the COVID situation on the ground in Tokyo in the weeks to come. “At no way do we want the Games to take precedence (over health),” he said. “How do we use the resources available to make it safe for the Japanese people and those visiting. That’s really important to strike that balance.”

In any scenario, the IOC and Tokyo officials have made it clear they still intend to move forward with the event. The amount of debate over whether the Games would occur this summer has seemed to frustrate both the IOC and Tokyo organizers — regardless of who raises the doubts. That lent itself to an extraordinary moment on Tuesday when the president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee, Yoshiro Mori, said, “No matter what situation would be with the coronavirus, we will hold the Games. We should pass on the discussion of whether we will hold the games or not, but instead discuss how we should hold it” while talking to lawmakers of his own political party. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Tuesday extended for another month a state of emergency order for Tokyo, which many in the country believe is to continue a push to decrease cases ahead of the Olympics.

“The Canadian Olympic Committee has confidence that the Games can be staged safely and successfully given what has been learned in sport over the last several months and the emphasis the IOC and Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee have placed on COVID-19 countermeasures,” Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker said in a statement that surely resonates throughout the IOC community since it was the first country in 2020 to announce that it would not send athletes to Tokyo.

And while most professional leagues in the United States and even beyond have seen the extension of the pandemic cut even more into their bottom lines because of the revenue that is generated from fans via ticket sales, merchandise and food and drinks purchased at games, the IOC and Olympics are perhaps uniquely insulated from that being a big financial impact. Worldwide broadcast rights of the Games account for 73 percent of the IOC’s revenues but within that is a major caveat; according to Bloomberg, Olympics broadcasters such as NBC only make up to 10 percent of their payments before the Games with the majority of the rights fees being delivered after the Games are completed.

IOC President Thomas Bach has insisted throughout the spring that “there is no Plan B” when it comes to the torch being lit on July 23. It is important to note, though, that he said the same thing in March 2020 and within a week the IOC postponed the Games for the first time in modern history.

Tuesday, February 2

SPORTS: Two Big Events Planning Fans in Stands

Two events on two continents will be having up to 30,000 fans in attendance in the coming month — the Daytona 500 in Florida and the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile told the Daytona Beach News Journal about his track’s plans for the NASCAR season opener on February 14, promising “it’s going to be the largest sporting event that happens in the United States since COVID hit.”

The total of 30,000 in the stands would be around 30 percent capacity of the grandstand along with others to be located in the track’s infield. Daytona International can hold 101,500 spectators and doesn’t announce official attendance numbers. It did host the Rolex 24 at Daytona over the weekend with fans in attendance. COVID protocols that will be in place include health screenings, temperature checks and required face-coverings.

NASCAR was one of the first sports leagues to come back last summer after the initial surge of COVID-19 cases throughout the country and held all of its events at in-market tracks, although several of the initial events were held without fans. But the sport overall, with its large venue capacities and spread out bleacher seating, can lend itself to socially distanced crowds more than other professional stadiums.

The Daytona 500 will be one week after another spotlight event in Florida, Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay, which will have around 22,000 fans at Raymond James Stadium.

The Australian Open will have half its usual daily attendance with the cap imposed by the sports minister of the state of Victoria because of COVID-19 restrictions. Australia has some of the tightest COVID restrictions in the world, which led to more than its fair share of attention when players coming into the country that had either tested positive or were a close contact of somebody who tested positive were put into a strict quarantine for two weeks.

All players have now been able to leave quarantine and are free to practice ahead of the start of the tournament next Monday. The 30,000 cap will be reduced to 25,000 for the final five days of the tournament, which starts February 8 and lasts for two weeks.

“It will not be the same as the last few years, but it will be the most significant international event with crowds that the world has seen in many, many months,” said Martin Pakula, sports minister for Victoria.

The confirmed attendance comes after Tennis Australia in December set out an initial plan with a zone-based ticket scheme. Melbourne Park will be divided into three zones for the three biggest courts — Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena.

Three of the four Grand Slams in tennis were able to be held last year — Wimbledon being the lone cancellation. The All England Lawn & Tennis Club is planning to hold this year’s event starting June 28 and reportedly are considering three separate plans for its organization ranging from full capacity attendance to having no fans on the club’s grounds. Last year’s Wimbledon was the first to be canceled since World War II.

Monday, February 1

BASEBALL: MLB Proposes Delaying 2021 Season, Surprising Players

There seems to be nothing easy and smooth when it comes to Major League Baseball during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last season saw an abbreviated campaign that started with multiple team coronavirus outbreaks. Even after the end of the season was completed in relatively smooth fashion, the final game of the World Series saw a Los Angeles Dodger player test positive in the middle of the clinching game — then come out and celebrate with his teammate without wearing a mask, which led to inestimable criticism.

Any hopes of this season being smoother were laid by the wayside over the weekend as the league proposed to the MLB Players Association delaying the start of the 2021 season and having 154 games instead of 162, moving the season opener to late April. Included in the proposal was an expanded playoff and many of the same rules that were put in place on a one-time-only basis last season.

The proposal would move the start of spring training back to late March right as many players have made or are finishing arrangements on housing in Arizona and Florida. The offer also conveniently comes right after Cactus League officials made public a request to delay spring training because of a surge in cases throughout Arizona — a letter that was later reported to have been encouraged by Major League Baseball itself.

There may be no professional sport in the U.S. right now with as bitter a relationship between the league and players union as there is between MLB and the MLBPA, especially after last year’s fractured relationship nearly saw the season canceled. ESPN reports that the players’ main concern with this weekend’s offer was that the league will use it to try and grant Commissioner Rob Manfred increased power to cancel games and cut into players’ pay. The late notice toward a delayed spring training and season as players are preparing to head to team complexes obviously throws in another layer of frustration.

Like every other league, MLB also is dealing with the fallout of lost revenue from last year when it comes to not having fans at games — the league did not have a single person in attendance until the playoffs, during which fans were allowed at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, for the NLCS and World Series. The potential exists that in a delayed season, the hopes of having enough people vaccinated to allow for restricted numbers of fans at games would give a small boost to MLB’s bottom line. Manfred has claimed MLB lost billions of dollars last season, which has not been independently verified.

MLB would not be the only professional league that has a shortened season in 2021 — the NBA and NHL both are playing fewer regular-season games than usual. But that also comes with a big caveat in that those two leagues had the 2019–2020 seasons finish much later than usual whereas MLB’s 2020 season finished on time.

According to ESPN, there are two likely outcomes from this weekend’s proposal: The players show up at spring training and begin practicing as scheduled, or Manfred invokes a clause in the CBA that suspends the uniform player contract and forces the sides into legal proceedings. Either way, the off-field bitterness from last season seems guaranteed to linger into 2021.

Friday, January 29

FOOTBALL: What the NFL Taught the CDC About Contact Tracing And Community Spread

The NFL regular season was more than just 32 teams competing in 16 games each. It was in many ways also a grand science experiment as scientists were able to try and better understand the idea of COVID-19 through community spread and contact tracing.

The season itself has only one game left — the biggest game of the season, the Super Bowl on February 7 between the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Through there were some close calls with multiple games delayed into unique broadcast windows and multiple shuffling of off weeks, the NFL was able to finish the regular season on time. And because of the amount of games it played and how protocols were stiffened throughout the season to reflect nationwide surges of the coronavirus, a recent paper jointly authored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and NFL-NFLPA medical experts and epidemiologists showcases many of the findings from the season and how the virus can spread in various social settings.

A sercurity guard urges fans to wear masks during the second half of a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Chargers on October 4 in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

The NFL found that transmission of the virus occurred in less than 15 minutes of cumulative interaction between individuals, the timeframe initially used in the CDC’s definition of “close contact.” Evidence generated by the data has led to a revised definition of high-risk contacts that led contact tracers and medical experts to consider information beyond duration and distance, such as masking and ventilation when making safety recommendations. That data also was a driving factor in the midseason launch of the stricter sets of virus prevention measures imposed at teams in response to a positive case and eventually adopted throughout the league that included virtual-only meetings, limited outdoor gatherings, increased physical distancing and mask wearing at all times even during practices and on the sidelines at games.

Lessons from the season are applicable to non-sports settings such as essential workplaces, long-term care facilities and schools, the publication said.

“We are grateful for the CDC’s ongoing guidance and collaboration since the beginning of this COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer and a co-author of the paper. “The publication today is a demonstration of the league’s commitment to meaningfully contribute to the body of medical and scientific knowledge about the virus. Partnering with the CDC to share findings from our season with the public health community is important to society as other workplaces, institutions and organizations look for effective strategies to reduce the risk of the virus.”

The research paper, titled “Implementation and Evolution of Mitigation Measures, Testing, and Contact Tracing in the National Football League, August 9–November 21, 2020,” was published in in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. It concludes, in part: “In the NFL, COVID-19 transmission was identified in persons with <15 minutes of consecutive or cumulative interaction and was reduced through implementation of an intensive protocol focused on environmental change, increased personal protection, avoidance of high-risk interactions such as vehicle sharing, eating in the same room or common areas, and expansion of the components of contact tracing to incorporate high-risk contact designations. Although the protocols implemented by the NFL were resource-intensive, strategies such as accounting for the specific characteristics of the close contact, in addition to time and duration, and creation of an intensive protocol are applicable to other settings, including essential workplaces, long-term care facilities, and schools.”

Typically, this weekend is the start of a series of festivities and parties in the Super Bowl’s host city, but this year will be different. While there will be plenty of fan activations still in place in Tampa Bay, which will have its hometown Buccaneers in the game, the AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs will not arrive in town until the day before the game, treating the biggest game of the season like every other game of the season. The NFL has also been spending the past week-plus working to take down many of the Buccaneer banners around Raymond James Stadium and putting up NFL or Super Bowl ones to give the appearance of a neutral site, even if it clearly will not be.

Around Tampa, the Super Bowl Experience area has already been booked full for the week with fans having to reserve time slots for the in-person event along the Tampa Bay Riverwalk area, And Mayor Jane Castor issued an executive order on Thursday requiring masks to be worn outdoors within areas of downtown Tampa and the area surrounding Raymond James Stadium and “entertainment districts.”

“Thank you to Mayor Castor and the City of Tampa for quickly implementing this Executive Order to enhance the health and safety of Super Bowl Experience presented by Lowe’s along with other key surrounding areas,” said Rob Higgins, president and chief executive officer of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee. “This is yet another example of how Team Tampa Bay and the NFL are working tirelessly to create lifelong Super Bowl memories for local and visiting fans in the safest fashion possible.”

HOCKEY: NWHL Team Leaves Bubble After Positive Tests

The National Women’s Hockey League, which is conducting a two-week season among its teams before having the playoffs nationally broadcast for the first time, will have to finish the bubble campaign with five teams after the Metropolitan Riveters withdrew upon several members testing positive for COVID-19 in Lake Placid, New York.

Teams were scheduled to face each other once then be seeded based on standings and play a two-game, round-robin tournament. The four best teams would advance to the semifinals on NBCSN, followed by the championship game the next day. The NWHL has not disclosed how many players had tested positive or when the positive results came back.

“The priority of the NWHL is the health of our players, coaches, officials and staff,” the league said in announcing the test results. “The season will move forward with five teams and the League will continue to strictly adhere to the medical protocols to protect everyone’s safety.”

The NHL has had several postponements but has not had to shut a single team down for an extended period of time since the Dallas Stars at the start of the season. The AHL is expected to begin its season on February 5 and given cross-border travel restrictions, one of the NHL’s Canadian teams, the Calgary Flames, are for this season only relocating its AHL affiliate from Stockton, California, to Calgary. The move leaves the Vancouver Canucks (Utica, New York) and Edmonton Oilers (Bakersfield, California) as the Canadian teams with American-based affiliates.

Thursday, January 28

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Conference Tournaments May Be at Risk of Cancellation

While the NCAA Tournaments get so much prestige and attention and have made March Madness part of the everyday lexicon of sports, there is more than just that event in the college basketball season in the month of March.

Conference tournaments in each of their own ways can be an amazing experience. Fan bases from every team come to one city for days at a time for a true hoops overload: Games starting in the early afternoon and sometimes not ending until late at night, each team’s seating areas making the arena a virtual rainbow of shirts and signs. After watching their favorite team in person, fans often go to a nearby sports bar with other fans and watch — you guessed it — more college basketball conference tournaments.

A worker removes a banner after the 2020 ACC basketball tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus in Greensboro, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

The NCAA Tournament is a wonderful feast for basketball fans by its own but in many ways, it’s not a true March Madness unless you start with the conference tournaments as the best appetizer possible. But while the NCAA Tournament has settled on its setup for this season with an Indianapolis-based bubble, conferences are now being faced with a multitude of questions about their sites, setups and viability in a COVID-affected season.

CBS Sports reported last week that more than one in four coaches say there should not be conference tournaments this season. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who sits on a National Association of Basketball Coaches committee that has guided the sport this season, said this week that the group has “begun discussions about the questions surrounding the conference tournaments.”

“I would consider (skipping the ACC Tournament),” Louisville Coach Chris Mack told USA Today. “It probably wouldn’t be my decision alone. That’d be a hell of a choice.”

For the leagues that will hold conference tournaments, some are moving the event. The Atlantic 10 Conference will have its postseason tournament co-hosted by VCU and Richmond in Virginia instead of Barclays Center in Brooklyn because of COVID restrictions involving fans in New York City; the Colonial Athletic Association will move its event from Washington, D.C., to James Madison University in Virginia because of the additional space at the venue.

Because nothing is without intrigue in college sports, watchers of the sport and even some coaches have raised the question of whether teams would opt out of their conference tournament in hopes of protecting their at-large viability for the NCAA Tournament or to make sure thatchy don’t have any positive tests or contact-tracing issues that stem from being at a conference tournament.

The NCAA has said that any team going to the Indianapolis bubble must have seven consecutive days of negative test results before they can travel, leaving the issue of what would happen if a team gets an automatic bid by winning its conference tournament but then is unable to travel to Indianapolis. The Big Ten Conference has reportedly looked into moving its conference tournament to Indianapolis so that any team is already in the region.

“If you’re on the bubble or you know you’re not in the tournament, that may be a way to get in,” Pittsburgh Coach Jeff Capel said. “You go and play and maybe you hope those teams don’t show up. There could be some gamesmanship there.”

There is more than just a berth in the NCAA Tournament at stake for both the teams involved and the governing body itself. Last year’s NCAA Tournament cancellation cost the NCAA $600 million in revenue, USA Today reported, after it only received $113.1 million from broadcast partners CBS and Turner. The NCAA had anticipated receiving $827 million for a full event. The NCAA received $270 million in event cancelation insurance and distributed $246 million in 2020, down from $611 million in 2019.

And teams continue to have issues even getting through the rest of the regular season before heading into any potential postseason action. Two of the top 10 teams in the country have been hit by COVID-19 this week; Texas’ coach, Shaka Smart, is self-isolating after a positive test and Michigan is in the midst of a two-week pause enforced by the state health department after positive tests on campus. According to one fan site’s daily research, 178 out of the 346 programs playing — 51.4 percent overall — have paused at least once since November 25.

RUNNING: Major Marathons Moving to Fall

The worldwide marathon schedule will be an extremely full fall after announcements that events in both Boston and Los Angeles will be rescheduled from the spring because of the coronavirus.

The B.A.A. announced that the 2021 Boston Marathon will be staged October 11, having already postponed its event from the traditional April date. But the organizers also said that the marathon will only take place if Massachusetts’ reopening plan allows for road races by the fall. The 2021 Los Angeles Marathon, previously moved from March 21 to May 23, will instead be held at a later date in the fall, race organizers said on Tuesday, along with the Rose Bowl Half Marathon & 5K and the LABig5K.

With reschedulings and the Olympic Summer Games looming as well, the schedule will be packed for elite competitors and raise questions as to how many races at which they would be able to compete. The women’s Olympic marathon is August 7 with the men’s marathon the day after, followed by the Berlin Marathon on September 26 and London Marathon on October 3. One week later is the Chicago Marathon on October 10, then the Boston Marathon the day after, and the Tokyo Marathon on October 17 before the New York City Marathon on November 7.

Wednesday, January 27

OLYMPICS: IOC Shoots Down Speculation of Postponed or Canceled Games

The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday pushed back on speculation that the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games would be postponed or canceled, saying playbooks with specific plans to combat COVID-19 will be delivered in early February to National Olympic Committees and the Games will proceed as planned.

“There is no blueprint for this and we are learning every day,” IOC President Thomas Bach during a press conference following an IOC Executive Board meeting. “This fight against the virus, as you all know from your personal circumstances, is a tough one. But we are fighting this fight for and like Olympic athletes.”

IOC President Thomas Bach said the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games will proceed as planned in Tokyo in 2021. Photo: IOC

Bach set aside recent reports that the Japanese government has discussed canceling the event set to begin July 23, as well as speculation that the event or portions of it could be moved to different locations. “All these speculations are hurting the athletes in their preparations who have already had to overcome the challenges in their daily training and competition with all the restrictions they are facing in their countries when it comes to traveling,” he said.

Bach responded to several specific scenarios about postponement, insisting the Games will proceed as scheduled:

On the possibility of canceling the Games and having Tokyo host in 2032: “I want to say good luck if you would have to discuss this with an athlete who is preparing for the Olympic Games in 2021.”
On the possibility of a different host city this summer: “There are some proposals to move it to another city, which everybody who knows about the complexity of the Olympic Games (knows) is not possible in such a short period of time. For all these reasons we are not losing our time and energy on speculations but we are fully concentrating on the Opening Ceremony on the 23^rd of July this year. We are not speculating on whether the Games are taking place, we are working on how the Games will take place.”
On the possibility that the event will take place without spectators: “This I cannot tell you. Our priority is to ensure a safe Olympic Games. We will do whatever is needed to organize safe Olympic Games. I think everybody would love to have fully capacity stadia and roaring crowds. But if that is not possible, we will respect our principles and that is the safe organization. This is the first priority.”
On polls showing 80 percent of the Japanese public do not want the Games to proceed this year: “From a human point of view I can understand everybody who has concerns about Olympic Games when he or she is living in a lockdown, does not know whether you can go to a restaurant or to see your friends or family. In this circumstance, it is extremely difficult to imagine the Olympic Games. But the responsibility of the government and the IOC is to look beyond this situation and there again we have many good reasons to say it’s not about the whether the Games are taking place, it’s about the how.”

Bach said the IOC will deliver playbooks to the world’s National Olympic Committees in early February that will begin to spell out details of how each stakeholder group will be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures in Tokyo. Those details, he noted, will likely change as more data becomes available. But with qualification tournaments currently taking place around the world, Bach said the organization is confident the Games can proceed. He noted that international federations have organized 7,000 events this winter and conducted 175,000 COVID tests. Only 0.18 percent have come back positive, leading the IOC to have confidence that measures to contain the virus will succeed in Tokyo as well.

To put a final point on the IOC’s position, Bach said: “If we would think it would be irresponsible and we would think the Games would not be safe, we would not go for it.”

Still, there are signs of the challenges that remain. Six months before the Opening Ceremonies are scheduled, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga placed Tokyo under a state of emergency Jan. 7. The IOC in advance of this week’s meetings have asked potential competitors to minimize their time in the Athletes Village, arriving five days before and leaving 48 hours after their events when possible.

Any concern over the final schedule of events also has ramifications on the American sports scene. Both the NBA and NHL seasons, which were delayed in starting, are abbreviated in the number of regular season games so that both leagues can finish the playoffs before the Opening Ceremonies — the NHL because its broadcast partners at NBC are committed to emphatic Olympic coverage and would not have the time slots for hockey games, the NBA because many of its players would be participating in Tokyo. Should Tokyo 2021 become canceled, both leagues would have extended time in the summer to finish their seasons instead of being on a hard deadline.

What must make all of the attention frustrating on Tokyo organizers is that for a while, things were slowly starting to turn in the right direction in Japan. More than 24,000 socially distanced spectators attended the season finale of Japan’s professional soccer league at the National Stadium, where the Opening Ceremonies are scheduled to take place.

But there have also been plenty of setbacks. Earlier this month, 65 wrestlers were forced to withdraw from a national sumo tournament after contracting the virus or being a close contact with someone who had. Japan’s 22-member badminton team withdrew from the Thailand Open and the opening of Japan’s Top League rugby matches was put on hold after 67 players and staff tested positive according to the Washington Post.

The attention around if the Games will occur passed a fever pitch and descended to strange depths when one government official from the state of Florida proposed moving the Olympics to his state. It got so much attention that it was brought up at Tuesday’s White House press briefing and referred to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which told The Washington Post: “We were not made aware of the letter to President Bach in advance. We invite American cities to indicate to us their interest in hosting a future Olympic and Paralympic Games, and we are happy to work with them through the education and fact-finding process. We stand in support of the Tokyo Organizing Committee and Japanese government who have given more than seven years of focus and dedication to welcoming the athletes of the world, and honor their efforts to host a safe and successful Games this summer.”

For his part, Bach said he has received no official notification from anyone in Florida about their interest.

And through every news cycle, whether filled with subtle hints or outright troll proposals, those in the Olympic movement have been emphatic in the resolve to hold the Games: “The Tokyo Games are definitely on,” Australian Olympic Committee chief Matt Carroll said on January 22. “The flame will be lit on the 23rd of July.”

SOCCER: As MLS Plans Season, FIFA Plans 2026 Selection Process

Major League Soccer, which was one of the few professional leagues to have a 2020 season held in both a centralized bubble environment and in home markets, is planning on starting the 2021 season on April 3.

Under MLS’ plan, the playoffs would start on November 19 with MLS Cup on December 11. Clubs will be permitted to open preseason training on February 22 and players will be required to quarantine and conduct individual trainings upon reporting to their clubs.

The season will be a busy one for the league beyond the 34 scheduled regular season matches. The league plans on having the MLS All-Star game against the Liga MX All-Stars in Los Angeles as well as the two leagues facing in the Campeones Cup and Leagues Cup. MLS clubs also will participate in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Canadian Championship and CONCACAF Champions League in 2021 — in addition to players being called up to their respective national teams for events such as FIFA 2022 World Cup qualifying, CONCACAF Nations League Finals, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Copa América, European Championship and Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo.

Similar to the 2020 season, MLS will have players, technical staff and essential club staff tested every other day, including the day before each match day. Clubs will take chartered flights for all road trips until further notice. With Austin FC joining MLS, the 2021 season will feature 27 clubs, 14 in the Eastern Conference and 13 in the Western Conference.

One big question about the organization of the season will be what the league does with teams in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver given travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada. The league said on Monday “more details on plans for the Canadian teams will be announced in the near future.”

But the biggest question is off the field. MLS has been locked in tenuous and frankly bitter negotiations with the MLS Players Association about the collective bargaining agreement that threatens the plans for the season. “Although no agreement has been reached, MLS is committed to meet as many times as necessary with the MLSPA in the coming days to finalize an agreement,” the league said.

The first major professional sports league to have resumed action last summer was the NWSL, which held the Challenge Cup in Utah to great reviews and TV ratings. Given the Cup’s success and how the league was able to hold additional in-market matches, the league has decided to keep that format for the most part this season, releasing key dates for 2021.

The NWSL Challenge Cup will start on April 9 with full details coming at a later date. After the Cup’s completion, the league’s 10 teams — with Racing Louisville FC joining as an expansion franchise and Kansas City as a new team after relocating from Utah — will have a 24-game regular season starting May 15 without a break for the 2021 Olympic Summer Games, with playoffs starting November 6 and the NWSL Championship on November 20.

While MLS and the NWSL are shooting to be on the field this spring, one of the biggest soccer storylines in the United States this year will take place off the field as FIFA selections the host cities for the 2026 World Cup that will be jointly organized by Canada, Mexico and the United States. FIFA will organize virtual one-on-one meetings with each host city candidate in April 2021 and plans to visit cities beginning in July “bearing in mind the constantly changing circumstances with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Should the in-person site visits be held, FIFA said the plan is to have host cities announced “in the last quarter of 2021.” The plan has been to have 17 cities host the 48-team event; it is expected that FIFA will pick 10 U.S. cities along with three from both Mexico and Canada, although that could change. The U.S. cities that are candidates to host games are Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York/New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, January 26

Fans pack Scottsdale Stadium to watch a spring training game between the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals in 2017 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Photo By Matt Traub

BASEBALL: Cactus League Asks MLB to Delay Spring Training But Will Still Host Teams

Last year’s Major League Baseball season was memorable for many reasons, from the on-field success of the Los Angeles Dodgers winning a long-awaited World Series title for the first time in more than three decades to the emergence of several young stars in both the American and National leagues.

But regardless of what happened on the field, off-field machinations dominated a lot of the discussion. What has for decades been a 162-game season was shortened to 60 games, with the St. Louis Cardinals not even reaching that total because of an early-season outbreak inside the clubhouse. The playoffs were expanded, new rules were put in — some temporary, some perhaps becoming permanent — but the acrimony between MLB management and the players union before games got underway was the focus of national attention. It was only MLB’s luck that once the World Series ended, most of the attention was focused on the Dodgers’ Justin Turner testing positive for COVID-19 on the night of the clinching game and still coming out to celebrate a championship with his teammates.

So while every professional league could be forgiven for looking toward 2021 thankful that it was past 2020, Major League Baseball may have ranked at the top of that list. Yet now, with about a month to go before spring training would be starting in cities throughout Arizona and Florida, the Cactus League has asked for a delay — while also telling ESPN that they will host teams if MLB starts on schedule and ignores the request.

“In view of the current state of the pandemic in Maricopa County — with one of the nation’s highest infection rates — we believe it is wise to delay the start of spring training to allow for the COVID-19 situation here,” reads the letter acquired by Phoenix TV station KPNX. “This position is based on public data from University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which projects a sharp decline in infections in Arizona by Mid-March.”

“If it is determined that spring training is going to start on February 27, we’re prepared for that,” Cactus League Executive Director Bridget Binsbacher told ESPN. “Our focus is having a safe, secure experience for all involved. We believe we can do that on the 27th. We believe we can do that a month from the 27th.”

The letter from the Cactus League to MLB was signed by Binsbacher and mayors, city managers and a president of a tribal community in areas where 15 MLB teams are scheduled to arrive within weeks.

That there is hesitation on the part of Arizona’s spring training sites reflect the nature of spring training’s economic drivers. While there obviously are local fans that will attend games, the vast majority of those who attend spring training travel in from out of town for either a long weekend or full week, going to exhibitions but also enjoying time surrounding the ballpark area in areas such as downtown Scottsdale or the Salt River Fields complex where the hometown Diamondbacks train.

But in today’s current climate, that also increases the risk of spreading the coronavirus. Arizona currently leads the country in COVID case rate and death rate, averaging nearly twice as many cases per 100,000 people than the U.S. average.

The backdrop to preparations for spring training is that the Los Angeles Times reported last month that MLB does not plan to mandate fans provide either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test before attending games.

In a memo sent to teams, MLB noted that state and local authorities could mandate more restrictive standards and all policies are subject to change. During the 2020 postseason when a limited number of fans were allowed to attend the National League Championship Series and World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, temperature checks were not required.

According to the L.A. Times, MLB told teams it would mandate fans wear a mask except when eating or drinking at their seats; that social distancing be enforced; and a buffer zone of at least six feet be established between fans and the playing field.

Monday, January 25

NBA: Heat To Utilized COVID-Sniffing Dogs For Attendance

The Miami Heat are the latest NBA team to bring back some fans to home games — with help from some COVID-19-sniffing dogs.

The Heat will use coronavirus-sniffing dogs at AmericanAirlines Arena to screen fans starting with Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, which season-ticket holders will be able to attend. The highly trained dogs have been in place for some Heat games this season where the team has allowed friends and family of players and staff.

“If you think about it, detection dogs are not new,” said Matthew Jafarian, the Heat’s executive vice president for business strategy. “You’ve seen them in airports, they’ve been used in mission critical situations by the police and the military. We’ve used them at the arena for years to detect explosives.”

The Heat will keep attendance under 2,000 for now, or less than 10% of the arena’s typical capacity. Fans arriving for the game will be brought to a screening area and the detection dogs will walk past. If the dog keeps going, the fan is cleared; if the dog sits, that’s a sign it detects the virus and the fan will be denied entry.
If a fan is allergic to or afraid of dogs, the Heat are offering an option to skip the dog screening and submit to a rapid antigen test instead. The Heat say those tests can be processed in less than 45 minutes.

While the Heat will add to the list of NBA teams that are allowing fans, there are still games being canceled because of contact tracing through the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Wednesday’s game scheduled between the Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies has been postponed, the fifth consecutive game for Memphis and sixth overall this season. The Grizzlies are not scheduled to play again until Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs.

Memphis and the Washington Wizards both have had six games postponed this season, tops in the NBA, which has had 20 of its teams see at least one game postponed. The league has only released the first half of its 72-game schedule and planned to have a week’s break between the first and second halves; whether that it able to happen or if it is used to make up all of the games that have been postponed has not yet been determined. The Bulls-Grizzlies postponement is the 21st game the league has postponed, all but one of which have come in the last two weeks.

Friday, January 22

NFL: League Announces Super Bowl Attendance Policy

Should the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Sunday’s NFC Championship Game at the Green Bay Packers, it would be the first team to play at home in the Super Bowl. That would certainly bring even more attention on two pieces of the Super Bowl LV planning: Stadium capacity and ticket prices.

The Super Bowl is always one of the richest tickets in sports and between a severely restricted capacity and potential for a home team being involved, the market for tickets will do anything but soften. The NFL’s official hospitality provider, On Location Experiences, is currently selling tickets for $7,000 with fees involved, up nearly $2,000 from a month ago. And as for stadium capacity, which fans and media had been waiting for official word on for weeks, that came Friday morning: The NFL will invite 7,500 vaccinated health care workers along with 14,500 others to be at the game for a total of 22,000; the Buccaneers were allowing about 16,000 at home games this season.

The majority of the health care workers will come from hospitals and health care systems in the Tampa and central Florida area. All 32 NFL clubs will select vaccinated health care workers from their communities to attend the Super Bowl as well. Gameday protocols at the stadium will include mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing plus seating in pods, touchless in-stadium experiences for concessions and restrooms as well as controlled entry and egress.

“These dedicated health care workers continue to put their own lives at risk to serve others, and we owe them our ongoing gratitude,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We hope in a small way that this initiative will inspire our country and recognize these true American heroes. This is also an opportunity to promote the importance of vaccination and appropriate health practices, including wearing masks in public settings.”

The NFL’s official announcement followed discussions with public health officials, including the CDC, the Florida Department of Health, and area hospitals and health care systems. The Super Bowl capacity will be a little less than what the AFC and NFL Championship Games combined will have for attendance.

“While this was already shaping up to be the most meaningful Super Bowl in our hometown’s history, the NFL deciding to welcome and honor our local vaccinated healthcare workers to Super Bowl LV takes the importance of the event to an all-new level,” said Derrick Brooks and Will Weatherford, co-chairs of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee. “The unsolicited outpouring of appreciation that we’ve received in support of this initiative from our local healthcare workers across the community has been truly amazing. These heroes inspire us every day, so we couldn’t be more thankful to the NFL for working to safely create this monumental effort to celebrate them.”

When the Packers beat the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoffs last weekend, it was not too surprising given the home team’s traditional postseason dominance at Lambeau Field.

There was one notable difference in the atmosphere, though; the Packers’ victory was the first time this season that the team allowed fans into the historic stadium. After allowing the families of team employees to attend the final three games of the regular season, about 6,000 season-ticket holders along with employees’ families and invited front-line healthcare workers brought the total attendance to 8,456.

“Oh man, talk about just pure joy, running out of that tunnel,” Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said after the game. “We’ve had a few hundred for a couple games, but it felt like 50,000 when we ran out of the tunnel. It really did. It was such a special moment. I forgot how much you truly, truly miss having a crowd there and obviously that wasn’t a normal like last year against Seattle type of crowd. But it felt like 50, 60,000. It really did.”

The Packers will have a slight increase in attendance for the NFC Championship game against Tom Brady’s Buccaneers: 6,500 plus families and workers will be welcome on Sunday.

By comparison, the Kansas City Chiefs — who host the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game — have had fans at every home game this season. The team has been allowed to host up to 16,811 fans this season; the Chiefs have averaged 13,153.

The Packers say protocols for last weekend’s game will continue on Sunday with fans in socially distanced groups throughout the stadium and no access to suites or club suites because they are indoor venues. The team also said tailgating will be prohibited; it said the same before last weekend’s win although there was plenty of evidence that the policy was not strictly adhered to.

Fans tailgate outside of Lambeau Field before the Packers’ home playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams on January 16, 2021, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

While the season remains in play, the league is already looking ahead to one of its prime offseason events and making changes. The NFL Combine, which typically brings thousands of prospective draftees plus coaches, scouts and team executives to Indianapolis, will not be held in its traditional form. Instead, this year’s draft prospects will have on-field workouts held on campus with the league working to have a uniform process for each prospect. A memo obtained by ESPN says the league does not outline what precautions will be in place but indicates that more details will come at a later date. All team interviews will be done virtually.

Sunday’s Games
Tampa Bay at Green Bay, 12:05 p.m. EST: Up to 6,500 fans will be allowed
Buffalo at Kansas City, 3:40 p.m. EST: Up to 16,811 fans will be allowed

Thursday, January 21

OLYMPICS: Concern Over Tokyo’s Ability to Host Rescheduled Games Persists

With less than 200 days from the rescheduled Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga recently declared a second state of emergency after another wave of COVID-19 cases throughout the country and expects to lift the emergency order on February 7. The moves, however, reinforce the size of the task the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 organizers are trying to accomplish with a rescheduled Games.

There is continued negativity throughout Japan about the rescheduled Games; recent polls by the Japanese news agency Kyodo and Japanese broadcaster TBS show over 80 percent want the Olympics canceled or postponed or believe they will not take place. Some recent messages are leaving up in the air whether the Olympics will require testing and quarantines for athletes coming into Japan, let alone spectators. IOC senior member Richard Pound recently said making athletes a priority for vaccination would be “the most realistic way of it (Olympics) going ahead,” which is the opposite of IOC President Thomas Bach’s comments encouraging participants to be vaccinated while saying vaccines will not be required for athletes.

And given the scale of what the Olympics means in the sporting world, plenty of headlines were generated by Sir Keith Mills, deputy chairman of the London Organizing Committee for the 2012 Olympic Summer Games, telling BBC Radio 5 that it “looks unlikely” in his view that the event would be held. “If I was sitting in the shoes of the organizing committee in Tokyo,” he added, “I would be making plans for a cancellation and I’m sure they have plans for a cancellation.”

Putting aside the absurdity of how much attention was given to the opinion of a person who has no role whatsoever in the planning for this summer, Tokyo’s view since the postponement has been consistent and was reinforced again on Tuesday when CEO Toshiro Muto said “we are not discussing cancellation. Holding the Games is our unwavering policy and at this point in time we’re not discussing anything other than that,” according to the Japan Times.

Muto did make the allowance that it was “not desirable to hold the Olympics without fans, but not out of the question,” which would be an economic punch in the gut — to put it mildly — to the host city. But it was also notable given the realization of the scale or what Tokyo and the IOC face when it comes to making sure that the Olympic Summer Games are held, finally, this summer. Bach’s comments on Thursday to the Kyodo News were along the same lines, saying “we have at this moment no reason whatsoever to believe that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will not open on the 23rd of July in the Olympic stadium in Tokyo.” But, like Muto, Bach said the possibility exists of reducing the number of spectators.

Whether some of the comments out of Tokyo are essentially a trial balloon sent into the world to measure public opinion, there is no doubting that the rescheduled Games are becoming as stressful to organize this year as they were in 2020. What it will almost assuredly come down to is economics.

Tokyo 2020 organizers have reportedly spent as much as $15.4 billion with nearly $1 billion related to COVID-19. The Olympic Games, whether Summer or Winter, generate revenue that the IOC distributes to international sports federations and more than 200 national Olympic committees. The Games itself are the lifeblood of the IOC’s own bank account; its long-term broadcast deal with NBC alone is 40 percent of the IOC’s total income and worldwide broadcast rights bring in 73 percent of the IOC’s revenues.

All involved in the event’s organization have been firm on one point: If the Summer Games are not held starting July 23 with the opening ceremony, they will be canceled completely especially with the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing scheduled to start in 13 months. And with that opening date in mind, another date to watch closely: March 25, when the torch relay is scheduled to begin in Japan with more than 10,000 participants. It was in late March last year that the Olympics were also postponed to this summer.

If the recent talk surrounding the Games had not drawn enough attention, the debate broke into even broader view when the Times of London on late Thursday published a story claiming the Japanese government has privately concluded that the Games will have to be cancelled because of the coronavirus, adding that the organizers’ focus was going to shift toward securing the Games for the city in 2032. The story — based on one anonymous source — spread like wildfire to the point that the USOPC released a statement on Twitter: “Any official communication on the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 will come from the IOC, Tokyo Organizing Committee and the Japanese government. We have not received any information suggesting the Games will not happen as planned, and our focus remains on the health and preparedness of Team USA athletes ahead of the Games this summer.”

Wednesday, January 20

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: This Won’t Be Your Traditional March Madness in Indianapolis

For what will be an NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament unlike any other, the schedule will be fittingly different than what college basketball fanatics have seemingly known by heart for decades.

The NCAA has announced dates for the 2021 preliminary rounds that will be played in Indianapolis and the surrounding area. Mackey Arena in West Lafayette and Assembly Hall in Bloomington will each host two First Four games and will join Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum and Lucas Oil Stadium as hosts of first-round games on Friday and Saturday, March 19 and 20.

The four venues in Indianapolis will host the remainder of the championship, including second-round games Sunday and Monday, March 21 and 22. The Sweet 16 will be played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday and Sunday, March 27 and 28, with each of the eight games getting its own television window. The Elite Eight will take place in prime time Monday and Tuesday, March 29 and 30, and the Final Four is scheduled for Saturday and Monday, April 3 and 5, at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The preliminary rounds have typically taken place on back-to-back Thursday-Sunday weekends. But with teams needing to fly to Indianapolis after Selection Sunday and go through testing, having First Four games within 48 hours would have been too quick a turnaround.

“The 2021 March Madness schedule is primarily a function of the health and safety protocols for all participants, respecting conference tournaments, balancing time away from campus for college student-athletes, competitive considerations for a national championship and fan engagement during a relatively traditional tournament timetable,” said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball.

Moving to a single-site NCAA Tournament will be a boost for Indianapolis as a destination — and the city may end up with more than just March Madness. The ability to be in the city right away before the NCAA event is why CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported that the Big Ten may move its conference tournament, scheduled to be held in Chicago, to Indianapolis because of the convenience for the teams involved. The Big Ten typically has its championship game on the afternoon of Selection Sunday, so it could make sense for the league to make sure that whatever team wins the tournament is right in Indianapolis and in a controlled environment.

One of the Big Ten’s teams will be going on a pause this week, though, as Nebraska announced over the weekend that Coach Fred Hoiberg and seven players, plus four other team staffers, have contracted COVID-19. Hoiberg said he tested positive on Friday and has been isolating since and is experiencing symptoms; the number of positives on Nebraska was eye-catching but the Cornhuskers are far from the only team that have had an outbreak in the past week or two: Michigan State, Georgetown, West Virginia, Iowa State and Oregon all either paused activities or have dealt with outbreaks.

Some of the conferences have kept to normal scheduling practices this season, leading to some turnarounds that could be seen as questionable given the status of COVID-19 in the country — the ACC has Syracuse playing at home on Saturday, January 23 against Virginia Tech and then traveling to play 48 hours later at Virginia before another home game five days later against North Carolina State. But there have been a few mid-major conferences that have changed its traditional scheduling and gone to compressed weekends in an attempt to limit travel as much as possible and therefore lessen exposure — the Mountain West has teams playing on weekends only with one day between games and the America East has teams playing on consecutive days over weekends.

While both the men’s and women’s college basketball landscapes have been full of pauses and canceled games this season, no major men’s programs have decided to end their seasons early — but Virginia’s women’s team did so last week and Vanderbilt became the fifth women’s major program to stop its season. The Commodores, a traditionally strong team in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference, were 4-4 at the time of stopping and only had seven players available for its most recent game on Sunday.

“As a staff we have and will always prioritize the health and safety our student-athletes,” Vanderbilt Coach Stephanie White said in a statement. “We are coaching a group of young women who have been resilient in dealing with opt-outs, injuries, COVID-19 protocols as well as the physical, mental and emotional toll that comes with COVID-19. We respect our student-athletes’ decision and support them as we continue to move forward.”

Vanderbilt and Virginia joined Duke, SMU and San Jose State in shutting down while the season was ongoing. The Ivy League made the decision to not play winter sports in advance of the season opening.

Tuesday, January 19

TENNIS: Coronavirus Cases Damaging Australian Open’s Quarantine Plans

The 2020 Grand Slam season for tennis was known for as much about what happened off the court. The Australian Open was held as wildfires raged throughout the country with air quality issues throughout the two-week event. Wimbledon was canceled for the first time since World War II and the French Open was held in the fall in Paris instead of the spring, with a host of players missing and a semi-bubble format that drew some criticism.

Of the Slams, the U.S. Open was the one that fared best, so to speak. While held without fans, the event in New York was held under COVID-19 protocols with consistent testing and players were given plenty of room throughout the Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center to stretch out. Given that the venue had served as a COVID-19 staging site earlier in the summer, the event’s powerful significance was repeatedly referenced by players and news media. It was, as much as any event can be during this pandemic, a complete success.

The Australian Open this year knew that it would have to take on many of the U.S. Open’s protocols — and then some. Given the country’s extremely strict protocols in fighting coronavirus, which many would also point out has made Australia one of the few countries in the world successful in preventing widespread outbreaks, the Australian Open organizers got players to agree to a series of moves that would ensure the event could be held smoothly and without the risk of infection and contact tracing issues that could mar any event in which players and coaches from around the world are meeting.

But instead, weeks before the tournament is scheduled to start, there is widespread frustration from players at the protocols now that they are having to be put in place.

Players who began arriving last week from the qualifying tournament site in Doha, Qatar, plus other chartered flights in groups from around the world, agreed that once in the country, they would have a mandatory quarantine with only five hours per day spent outside of their hotel rooms. And players knew that if they were on a flight with somebody who tested positive upon arriving in Australia, they would be forced to stay inside their room 24 hours each day as a precaution.

That protocol is now being enforced after multiple flights arrived with passengers who have since tested positive, meaning that 72 players currently are in full isolation in their rooms. Two players are among the three latest cases from testing conducted on passengers who arrived on charter flights, that coming in addition to six positive tests connected to flights from Los Angeles, Abu Dhabi and Doha.

All passengers on those flights, including the 72 players, were classified by local health authorities as close contacts of people infected with the coronavirus and forced into hard lockdown for 14 days. The six infected people, including a member of the aircrew on one flight and two coaches on different flights, were transferred to a medical hotel, according to The Associated Press.

The situation has put the Open organizers into damage control in multiple forms. Even before players began arriving, there was disappointment throughout parts of Australia that players would even be allowed outside during quarantine for any amount of time especially with how regular Australians had lived their lives for months. In a four-month span in 2020, residents were only allowed outside for up to two hours per day, which is why Australia still has one of the lowest per capita rates of infection among large countries in the world.

Organizers now have to deal with complaints from players who are forced into hard quarantine with no outside time. Many of them have taken to social media, some complaining about food options and others humorously showing themselves using beds stacked against walls as a backboard to get some practice shots in. Bernard Tomic’s girlfriend, Vanessa Sierra, has been criticized after complaining that the food served at their quarantine hotel room was cold, adding on her YouTube channel that “I don’t wash my own hair. I’ve never washed my own hair. It’s just not something that I do. I normally have hairdressers that do it twice a week for me. This is the situation that we’re dealing with. I can’t wait to get out of quarantine just so I can get my hair done.”

The people who have complained about the quarantine have predictably received backlash among ordinary citizens, leaving Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley walking a fine line.

“These are high-performing athletes and it is hard to keep a high-performing athlete in a room,” Tiley said. “This is the contribution that they have to make in order to get the privilege of when they do come out to compete for ($62 million) in prize money.”

Tiley then also had to deal with reports that Novak Djokovic, the No. 1 player on the ATP Tour, issued a series of demands including reducing the isolation period for players who continued to test negative and moving as many players as possible to private homes with a tennis court to facilitate training.

“These weren’t demands, they were suggestions,” Tiley said. “But he, too, is understanding what two weeks of lockdown means … every player coming down knew that if they were going to be close contacts or test positive that these were going to be the conditions.”

To no one’s surprise, health officials rejected Djokovic’s demands, or suggestions, or however you want to frame them. And first serve for the Australian Open remains on track for February 8.

Friday, January 15

NFL: A Landmark Moment This Season With Fans in Attendance at Every Game This Weekend

The NFL will have fans at each of its games this weekend for the first time all season, even with the asterisk that only one of the home teams will be allowing more than 7,000 fans to attend.

The Green Bay Packers, who kick off the Divisional Round weekend on Saturday afternoon against the Los Angeles Rams, will have season-ticket holders as well as invited frontline health care workers and first responders in the stands for the first time this season. A total of approximately 6,000 fans will be at Lambeau Field with tickets in socially distanced groups of two, four and six tickets.

The team has had a small number of team employees and their families at the last four regular season home games as a test to see how the stadium’s health and safety protocols could work for a postseason game. Along with the socially distanced pods of tickets, fans must stay in their seats unless they are getting concessions or using the bathroom. Face coverings are required while the entire fan experience is cashless and contactless with hand sanitizer stations set up throughout the concourses. Tailgating will be prohibited.

“Our players have enjoyed the energy provided by the limited fans we’ve had over the past four games,” Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy said. “We’re looking forward to welcoming our season ticket holders to add to that atmosphere in the playoffs. We’ve seen our COVID-19 protocols in action and are confident we can safely add additional fans.”

The Saturday nightcap is Baltimore at Buffalo with 6,700 fans on hand at Bills Stadium. It will be the second consecutive game that the Bills Mafia, as its fanbase is known, will be able to see their team in person after having been shut out during the entire regular season.

Buffalo’s 27-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC wild card round in front of a “capacity” crowd of 6,700 was allowed by the local and state health authorities under the condition that each person entering the stadium test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of kickoff. The team and state announced that before the game, 7,157 people took a rapid test and 137 tested positive, a positive rate of 1.9 percent — far lower than the seven-day average of 7.2 percent in Erie County through last week.

Sunday’s games will be hosted by teams that have fans for most if not all of the season. The Kansas City Chiefs will host Cleveland with up to 16,000 fans allowed, having had 100,000 fans attend games in the regular season; Chiefs President Mark Donovan told the team’s website that the team has spent $1 million in safety-related protocols this season. The final game of the day, Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers against Drew Brees’ New Orleans Saints, will have up to 3,000 fans in the Superdome.

One thing to watch this weekend will be whether having fans at every game will make a difference for home-field advantage. In the first four games of the playoffs, the home team won only once — New Orleans beating Chicago. Two of the three home teams that lost, Seattle and Washington, did not have fans for its games while the Tennessee Titans lost to Baltimore in front of 14,029 fans. That continues the trend from the regular season in which home teams were 127-128-1, the first time that home teams did not win a majority of the games in an NFL season; the home win percentage was as high as .602 in 2018.

Another thing heading into the weekend; after last weekend’s Browns win over the Pittsburgh Steelers was even more remarkable considering the team’s COVID-19 situation, missing several key players as well as Coach Kevin Stefanski, a mid-week round of testing each remaining team returned no positive tests among players.

Saturday’s Games
L.A. Rams at Green Bay: Up to 6,000 fans will be allowed
Baltimore at Buffalo: Up to 6,700 fans will be allowed

Sunday’s Games
Cleveland at Kansas City: Up to 16,000 fans will be allowed
Tampa Bay at New Orleans: Up to 3,000 fans will be allowed

Thursday, January 14

BASKETBALL: NBA Strengthens COVID Protocols in Attempt to Stop Outbreaks

The NBA, which less than a month into its already abbreviated 2020–2021 season has seen players sidelined because of COVID-19 testing and contact tracing protocols, will continue to move forward with the season in the hopes that tightened protocols for the movement and social interactions of players and coaches pays off.

The league and National Basketball Players Association formally announced the measures on Tuesday, which essentially close off players and staff to any type of movement outside team-approved activities whether at home or on the road. Non-team guests will no longer be allowed to visit road hotels — family members included — and for the next two weeks, players and staff when at home must self-isolate unless they are going to a team-related activity or exercising outside.

In addition, pregame team meetings can only last 10 minutes and every other team meeting must happen either on the court or in a room big enough to allow for at least six feet of distance between every individual — and even then, everybody must wear masks at all times. Players can no longer arrive for home games more than three hours early and interaction between opponents will be monitored to keep from extended close contact.

What it all means? The NBA is trying to set up a restricted bubble environment in the real world that isn’t a bubble akin to what it organized last summer in Orlando, Florida.

The enhanced protocols were announced on Tuesday — one day before the league announced that in the most recent round of COVID-19 testing, 16 players had tested positive in an eight-day span. After entering last weekend with only one postponed game, there have been four consecutive days with at least one game affected. Wednesday had three postponements on the schedule: Utah at Washington, Orlando at Boston and Atlanta at Phoenix.

The contact tracing string began in Boston with a mix of positive tests and players ruled ineligible for contact tracing, which then affected Washington since it had played Boston in its most recent game, before going to the Suns since their most recent game was against the Wizards. Two games scheduled for Friday, Phoenix against Golden State and Washington vs. Detroit, have already been postponed. Along with the trio of Boston, Washington and Phoenix, other teams that have had issues include Miami, Philadelphia and Chicago.

At this pace, the week-long break between the first and second halves of this season will instead be filled with rescheduled contests. But with the Olympic Summer Games on the horizon, there is also a hard deadline for the league to finish the season no matter what — including the loss to revenue in the league, which one person told Reuters could be $3 billion this season league-wide.

So why, one would ask, is the league still pushing full speed ahead on a season and not pausing the season? The answer is simple.

$ome out there are wondering how the NBA (and it$ player$ union) can continue on with game$ a$ more and more player$ are $idelined — or at lea$t quarantined — due to the coronaviru$. If only there wa$ one factor that drove all of thi$.— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) January 9, 2021

Wednesday, January 13

HOCKEY: Tahoe Series Aside, NHL’s Season Will Be Full of Losses

The NHL’s 2020 Canadian bubble in Toronto and Edmonton was marked with an expanded playoffs, a first-time Stanley Cup champion in the Tampa Bay Lightning and most impressively, the season being completed with tens of thousands of negative COVID-19 tests.

But as the league prepares to start its abbreviated 2021 season, last season’s runner-up, the Dallas Stars, is already showing how playing games in home markets will be more difficult — the Stars’ season will not start until at least January 19, a week later than other teams, because of a COVID-19 outbreak among the franchise.

What the NHL has set up for 2021 is a 56-game regular season with realigned divisions to cut down on travel and all-divisional play, with unique interest in the all-Canadian division. There is limited room for rescheduling games should more teams have outbreaks that require postponements; unlike last season, when the NHL had a semi-moveable deadline to get the season finished before an abbreviated 2021 campaign, the league’s TV partner, NBC, is committed to broadcasting the Olympic Summer Games in late July, making the timeline to complete this year less flexible.

While the St. Louis Blues have said it will allow a small group of medical workers to attend its home games, only three teams officially will have fans at home games: Dallas, the Florida Panthers and the Arizona Coyotes. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins may be allowed to host fans soon; the Lightning planned to have fans at home games but announced over last weekend that fans will not be at Amalie Arena until at least February 5 after a surge in local cases.

The All-Star Weekend has been postponed as well as its traditional set of outdoor games but in a decision that drew widespread attention on social media leading to Monday’s official announcement, the league will play two outdoor games at the Edgewood Resort in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, with a view that should prove spectacular no matter what device fans use to watch.

The NHL, like many professional leagues, is finding that the pandemic is having a multi-season effect on the financial revenues. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Monday that revenue generated by fans attending and spending money at games is roughly 50 percent of the league’s overall revenue — hence the decision by the league, for this year at least, to allow teams to sell spots on player helmets to advertisers. The league also has sold the naming rights to each of its realigned divisions, another move the league emphasized was for this season only.

Bettman also said on Monday that the league is losing money by playing this season, which is not something the NBA has said. In fact, Bettman said “the magnitude of the loss starts with a ‘B.’ We’re out of the ‘M’ range and into the ‘B’ range,” essentially stating there will be billion-dollar losses sustained by the league and its teams.

“We’re coming back to play this season because we think it’s important for the game, because our fans and our players want us to, and it may give people — particularly in isolation, or where there are curfews — a sense of normalcy and something to do,” Bettman said. “We’re going to lose more money, at the club level and the league level, by playing than by not playing.”

Whether those statements mean the advertising and naming rights changes become permanent — more professional leagues seemingly would want to keep any advertising options open such as helmet ads at minimum, and fans reacted positively to this season’s revamped playoff format — will remain to be seen. But as the NBA has already faced multiple outbreaks on teams within a month of tipping off, the NHL will also have to resign itself to the fact that games may very well be canceled and players will test positive, as evidenced by the league’s first reporting of COVID-19 test results with 27 player positives during training camp and nine teams affected.

Tuesday, January 12

COLLEGE SPORTS: Somehow, Someway, the College Football Season is Over

Well, that was a long year—wait, you mean the college football season only lasted four-plus months?

It only felt like forever because of the daily stress for fans, no matter which team they were cheering for. What started Labor Day weekend finally culminated with Monday’s College Football Playoff championship game, Alabama beating Ohio State 52-24 in front of 14,926 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida — short of the 16,000 maximum capacity allowed for the game.

“Perseverance probably is the one word that describes this team the best in terms of what they’ve had to overcome all season long to go undefeated and win a championship,” said Alabama Coach Nick Saban, who missed his team’s regular-season finale against Auburn because he tested positive for COVID-19.

Alabama wide receiver John Metchie III, left, congratulates wide receiver DeVonta Smith after a touchdown against Ohio State during the first half of the College Football Playoff championship game on January 11, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

Nothing about this season was normal because how could it be? COVID-19 caused the postponement or cancellation of nearly 130 games. More than 20 schools opted out of bowl games and 16 games were canceled, a 39 percent cancellation rate that was twice the regular-season rate of 19.7 percent. BYU played 12 games this season, including a game against Coastal Carolina that was scheduled only days before kickoff; its biggest rival, Utah played five games, the first not coming until November 21 after its first two scheduled contests were canceled.

No game in FBS this season was played in front of a capacity crowd and outside of the SEC and Big 12, few teams allowed more than 15 percent of capacity to be in the stands. The Big Ten and Pac-12 sealed off games except for families of players — and only then for programs that had those plans approved by the local and state health departments, an issue that led to the Rose Bowl being moved from Pasadena, California, for only the second time ever.

Even one of Monday’s title game participants, Ohio State, got there after some debate. The Big Ten Conference initially decided that it would postpone the season until the spring, a move the Pac-12 quickly followed suit with. After the leagues reversed their decisions, Ohio State did not start until October 24 and only played five regular-season games — one under the league’s minimum to reach the conference title game — before the Big Ten changed the rule to allow the Buckeyes’ season to continue. Ohio State was without 13 players on Monday night and while the school didn’t give a reason, Buckeyes Coach Ryan Day, who also missed a game this year with COVID-19, acknowledged the Buckeyes were dealing with new cases.

The inconsistency of how the Big Ten organized the season was criticized by many but remember, the college football season is not organized by the NCAA. So while people were constantly wondering who was in charge, the answer was: nobody. Not because somebody didn’t want to be in charge, but because the FBS setup leaves no one in charge. To be fair, it made for some terrific off-field storylines — Clemson’s Dabo Swinney “disrespecting” Ohio State in his coaches poll before losing to the Buckeyes in the CFP semifinals, multiple SEC coaches taking not-so-subtle jabs about the Buckeyes’ strength of schedule, Florida Coach Dan Mullen pushing his school to open the entire stadium to fans and then contracting COVID within days and numerous coaches consistently urging players to follow health protocols but showcasing some of the worst mask adherence in the country — but most of the spotlight this season was focused not on the field.

The question of where college football goes after this season and if anything will change post-pandemic is easy: No, not really. Alabama and Ohio State will still sign more five-star recruits than nearly every other team. Teams such as Auburn and Florida will build training facilities for their programs that cost in the millions while some other Power 5 programs struggle to raise money. The Crimson Tide will have a training staff the size of what some mid-major programs have for their entire coaching staff. Should Power 5 conferences look to eliminate some of the non-conference games they traditionally would play, that will leave more schools on the outside looking in and raise further questions about the competitive balance in a sport where making the CFP has become seemingly a members-only enterprise.

There will still be football in the spring; Football Championship Subdivision programs plan to kick off in late February with an FCS title game scheduled for mid-May in Frisco, Texas. And now that the CFP title game is over, Hard Rock Stadium will revert from football to its new purpose for the coming weeks: The state of Florida began offering vaccines last week to health care workers and those 65 and over at the home of the Miami Dolphins. Vaccination and testing operations closed early Monday so the site could prepare for the game.

GOLF: Genesis Invitational Set Without Fans

The 2021 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles will be played without spectators in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament is scheduled to be held February 15–21. The tournament is taking its family village virtual in 2021 with digital activities, challenges, education resources and more for kids ages 5–12.

“The health and well-being of the community, our players and everyone at The Genesis Invitational remains our top priority,” Tournament Director Mike Antolini said. “Throughout our extensive planning, it became clear that due to the pandemic the best way to ensure the safety for all involved is to hold the tournament without spectators. We are certainly going to miss the roars of the crowds, but we look forward to welcoming everyone back to Riviera next year.”

AUTO RACING: Formula 1 Adjusts Schedule

Formula 1 has announced that races in Australia and China have been postponed, with the 2021 season beginning in Bahrain on March 28. Australia will now host its race on November 21 and the Chinese Grand Prix will be held at a later date. F1 said there is potential to reschedule the race for later in the season “if possible.”

The 23-race calendar also stops in Austin, Texas, on October 24 and finishes in Abu Dhabi on December 12. F1 said it expects fans to return for the 2021 season after the majority of last year’s races were held behind closed doors.

“The global pandemic has not yet allowed life to return to normal, but we showed in 2020 that we can race safely as the first international sport to return and we have the experience and plans in place to deliver on our season,” F1 President and Chief Executive Officer Stefano Domenicali said. ““It is great news that we have already been able to agree a rescheduled date for the Australian Grand Prix in November and are continuing to work with our Chinese colleagues to find a solution to race there in 2021 if something changes.”

Monday, January 11

NBA: League Already Facing Questions About Season’s Viability

Neither players, coaches or league officials at the NBA made any qualms about how difficult doing the 2020–2021 season would be especially when compared to the safety of the summer bubble environment in Orlando, Florida.

But within a month of the season tipping off, the league is already facing multiple questions about whether its desire to have a full season should be outweighed by the health issues involved.

The NBA had to cancel a game on Sunday night between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics because of health and safety protocols that left the Heat with less than the minimum eight players available. Even if the Heat had been fully healthy, the game was under a cloud because the Celtics would have only had eight players healthy themselves after star Jayson Tatum tested positive, forcing several others to be ruled out.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum drives against Washington’s Davis Bertans and Moritz Wagner (21) in the second half of an NBA game on January 8, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Coming the day after the Philadelphia 76ers played a game with only eight players — and maybe not for the last time depending on protocols that the team will face that situation — the league is trying to calm nerves. In the past week, the 76ers, Mavericks, Bulls, Celtics and the Heat have seen multiple players go on the injury report because of either a positive test or contact tracing that caused them not to be available.

“We anticipated that there would be game postponements this season and planned this season accordingly,” NBA Spokesman Mike Bass told The New York Times. “There are no plans to pause the season. We will continue to be guided by our medical experts and our health and safety protocols.”

Whether those protocols will be modified as soon as today will be put to the test since the league has had to cancel two more games, Monday’s contest between the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks and Tuesday’s game between the Celtics and Chicago Bulls. In a statement, the league said “the NBA and NBPA will be meeting today about modifying the league’s Health and Safety Protocols.”

“I don’t think we should (play),” Philadelphia Coach Doc Rivers said before his team’s short-handed game on Saturday, a loss to the Denver Nuggets. “It’s not for me to express that. I do worry about our player health on the floor.”

The 76ers had eight healthy players in that game but only used seven because one of them, Mike Scott, was just returning from injury. Rivers made the point that not only does the league have to worry about players either contracting COVID-19 or coming into contact with somebody who has the virus, playing games with depleted rosters after a shortened offseason raises the risk of serious injury for those who do play.

The NBA was praised last season for its response to the coronavirus, being the first professional league to suspend operations after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive. The road from suspending operations because one player tested positive to now, where the league has made teams play despite being shorthanded because of COVID-19 complications, is in many ways a financially motivated one.

The league had lost substantial amounts of revenue last season even after resuming play in the summer and having a successful bubble environment and this season would lose even more hundreds of millions of dollars. The NBA also has a deadline to meet; whereas last summer the league had time on its side to complete the playoffs before a shortened offseason, this season must finish by late July so that players can be available to play in the rescheduled Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo.

“I think we are prepared for isolated cases,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said before the season. “In fact, based on what we’ve seen in the preseason, based on watching other leagues operating outside the bubble, unfortunately it seems somewhat inevitable. But we’re prepared for all contingencies.”

Twenty days after the season has tipped off, some of those contingencies may have to be dealt with. The idea of having the league go back into a bubble environment has been universally negative among players who missed their families last summer. And with teams less than a dozen games into the season, the idea that each of them will be able to fulfill itst 72-game seasons is rapidly fading.

“The numbers are spiking,” Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said Saturday night. “That is the reality. We are committed to proceeding with our industry and we’re doing it with all the best science and adherence to the protocols. But ultimately, we are not in control.”

Friday, January 8

NFL: Outbreak Will Not Force Browns Out of Playoffs

As congratulations rolled in from everywhere — including this site — on the completion of the regular season, this week has been a reminder that while getting through nearly 300 regular-season games was an impressive feat, the NFL’s biggest feat may be completing the playoffs on time as the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of abating throughout the country.

Sunday’s playoff game at the Pittsburgh Steelers will be the first postseason appearance for the Cleveland Browns since 2002 and a chance to win the franchise’s first playoff game since 1994. But Coach Kevin Stefanski and four of his assistants will be missing the game because of COVID-19 protocols, as well as seven starters, including star defensive back Denzel Ward.

Cleveland’s facility has been closed because of league protocols all week and the team held a virtual walk-through on Wednesday because the team is not allowed to gather in-person. NFL rules say that anyone who has tested positive for the coronavirus must sit out at least 10 days. The NFL cleared the team to practice Friday.

“Just gotta put a plan together, go find a way to win,” said Stefanski, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. Special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer has been named acting head coach and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt would call plays.

The news about the Browns comes as COVID-19 cases among the NFL’s players reached a high in the last week of the season with 34 player positives. The league finished with 688 total positive tests between players, coaches and staffs during the regular season; more than three-quarters of that number have come since Halloween. And while the league was able to adjust schedules during the regular season with special games on Tuesday and Wednesday at points, the ability to adjust to near-impossible when facing the compressed postseason schedule.

Browns Center JC Tretter, who before the season was voted the NFL Players Association President, acknowledged while the regular season was completed on time, “there’s no victory lap. There are still 40-plus days until the Super Bowl and we’re trying to get there safely and on time.”

The playoffs will also be held under the same strict protocols that the league and players association have agreed to all season. While there was plenty of online debate about whether going to a bubble format in the postseason would be used, the league decided weeks ago that teams would not set up even a modified bubble format or be allowed to require players and staff member to stay at a hotel during the playoffs other than the night before a game.

Whether the Browns’ absences will affect the game is up for some debate, although teams with widespread outbreaks have struggled during the season. The Baltimore Ravens were undermanned in Week 12, losing to the Steelers, while missing several players during a locker room outbreak that stemmed from a strength coach not wearing a mask in the team facility. There was also the infamous 31-3 loss to the Saints for the Denver Broncos with all four of their quarterbacks on the COVID-19 list. The Browns also sustained a near-devastating loss in Week 16 to the New York Jets while missing almost every one of its regular wide receivers; the loss forced Cleveland to win its regular season finale against the same Steelers they face this weekend in the playoffs.

As for fans at the games, four of the six scheduled for this weekend will have people in the stands. The biggest crowd will be in Tennessee, where up to 14,520 fans will be allowed to attend as the Titans host the Ravens on Sunday afternoon. The rowdiest crowd will almost certainly be in Buffalo, where the Bills host the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday afternoon with up to 6,700 members of Bills Mafia — shut out of the stadium for the entire regular season — allowed.

The allowance of fans in Buffalo comes after a unique plan was developed and then approved by the state of New York that will require everyone in attendance to undergo COVID-19 testing and register a negative test in the days leading to the game. Those who were able to secure the rare tickets paid an extra $63 to have the cost of testing included; contact tracing will also be conducted after the game to make sure that there is no community spread of the coronavirus.

The first playoff weekend will close with the Browns — fingers crossed there are no late developments — at Pittsburgh, where local and state health authorities have decreed that only family members and close friends of players will be allowed. The team did have up to 5,500 fans at home games in October and November before the state shut down attendance as positive cases rose throughout Pennsylvania.

“I hate it for the fans,” Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “I think about what Heinz Field would be like Sunday night. Anyone who has been there knows how special it would be. I hate it for them. I hate it for the Steelers, for the energy and excitement that it brings. But once again, that is what we are doing. That is what we are living in.”

Yes, Ben. It is.

But wait, there’s more! While the Saints are hosting 3,000 fans for its home game on Sunday against the Chicago Bears, in an argument on trying to boost the team’s home-field advantage, New Orleans Coach Sean Payton made what some would assume is a truly astounding comment.

“I brought up the idea of testing 50,000 people and quarantining them in a hotel, and having the most safest Superdome known to man, scientifically,” Payton said. “Bus them, they’ve tested every day, and you’ve got a COVID-free facility — I think that’s possible.”

Possible, yes. Will it happen? No.

Saturday’s Games

Indianapolis at Buffalo: Up to 6,700 fans allowed.
L.A. Rams at Seattle: No fans will be allowed.
Tampa Bay at Washington: No fans will be allowed.

Sunday’s Games

Baltimore at Tennessee: Up to 14,520 fans allowed.
Chicago at New Orleans: Up to 3,000 fans allowed.
Cleveland at Pittsburgh: Friends and family members of the players will be allowed.

ATHLETICS: Indoor Nationals Canceled

The United States Track & Field Indoor Championships, scheduled for February 20–21 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, have been canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Indoor Combined Events are also canceled.

“USATF’s COVID-19 Working Group of medical and scientific experts worked diligently to develop a rigorous set of COVID-19 protocols for conducting the Championships,” the national governing body said in a statement. “However, it has become apparent that statewide restrictions in New Mexico and other logistical challenges for the event are too severe to overcome.”

World Athletics announced that the 2020 World Indoor Championships scheduled for March 19-21, 2021, would be moved to March 2023.

Thursday, January 7

NBA: League’s Start Filled With COVID-Enforced Absences

The NBA knew when it started the 2020–2021 season that it would have complications because of COVID-19. No longer secure in a bubble environment, the league readily admitted that there would be doubts over games being postponed and players being ruled out because of the coronavirus.

The angle of games being postponed happened within a few days of the season beginning, as the Houston Rockets’ season opener was postponed with the team having an insufficient number of eligible players because of a combination of positive COVID tests as well as contact tracing.

That was highlighted again this week as Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, who started the season strongly after missing last season with a torn Achilles, will miss all four of his team’s games this week — starting with Tuesday’s win over the Utah Jazz — after exposure to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Durant already went through the coronavirus in May and has tested negative in recent days, but the league’s protocols have been clear since before the season started and no matter the player, the league will not relent on any situation.

While Durant was the biggest name, he is not the only player affected. Chicago Bulls guard Tomas Satoransky, forward Chandler Hutchison and a support-staff member have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Coach Billy Donovan. Chicago had a separate positive test by guard Garrett Temple in November before the preseason started. And seven members of the LA Clippers’ support staff are in quarantine away from the team, sources told ESPN, after a staffer tested positive for COVID-19 and contact tracing of the positive test led back to a New Year’s Eve staff gathering at a Salt Lake City team hotel while the team was in town to play the Utah Jazz.

The NBA’s COVID-19 protocols do not distinguish between players who have antibodies after having COVID-19 themselves and those who do not. Family members and close contacts are allowed to be regularly tested and once an individual tests positive, the player enters contact tracing/quarantine protocols. The league, according to ESPN, also is requiring players and many team staffers to wear sensor devices during all team-organized activities outside of games. Players on active rosters will also be required to wear face coverings in the bench areas until they are on the court and all players and coaches must wear coverings when outside the team environment if they are around other players and coaches.

The NBA has made it clear that it does not see the bubble format that it finished the 2019–20 season under as being something that could be used for a long period of time this season — but the G League season will reportedly be played in a Disney World Bubble with 18 of the league’s 29 teams agreeing to participate. Held at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports, it would not be a full season; instead it would be up to 15 games followed by the postseason with teams reporting to Orlando in mid-January and the season starting in early February.

Wednesday, January 6

COLLEGE SPORTS: Ohio State Deals with Rumors of Outbreak, Alabama Postponement

In a college football season filled with turmoil on how to deal with COVID-19, it would only end like this.

Social media was ablaze on Tuesday as reports that Ohio State, less than a week ahead of its national championship game against Alabama, was experiencing COVID-19 issues and that the game scheduled for January 11 in Miami Gardens, Florida, would have to be postponed.

Both schools and the College Football Playoff pushed back against those reports, with Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith telling Yahoo Sports “we are on track to play” while CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock told ESPN “there are no changes,” both statements that were backed up by Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne on Twitter.

Ohio State AD Gene Smith and I have had multiple conversations. Both schools are focused on playing in the @CFBPlayoff Championship Game on January 11th. #RollTide— Greg Byrne (@Greg_Byrne) January 5, 2021

Sports Illustrated reported, as well as Yahoo, that the Buckeyes have had positive tests within the program but not enough to trigger a postponement. The CFP had previously said that should the title game be postponed, it would be rescheduled for January 18. SI also reported that both teams have thresholds for 53 total healthy players on each roster with commissioners on the CFP committee who work outside the SEC and Big Ten being a “final arbiter” on game decisions.

Clearly, the attention being on COVID-19 test results rather than the on-field matchups is the last thing that college football needs. At first glance, it would seem to be a matchup that could bring in record television ratings; Alabama and Ohio State, two national names with deep traditions and fan bases that extend beyond their regions and make them nationally recognizable. Plus, both teams are coming off noteworthy performances with Alabama beating Notre Dame in a relocated Rose Bowl at Arlington, Texas, while Ohio State upsetting Clemson in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

On the other hand, it is entirely normal that COVID would be looming over the matchup. While Alabama played a conference-only season in the SEC, Ohio State’s season nearly did not happen when the Big Ten initially postponed football until the spring, then reversed field and set up an abbreviated eight-game season. Then when the Buckeyes had three games canceled, including its rivalry matchup with Michigan, the Big Ten had to change its rules to allow Ohio State to play in the Big Ten championship game with only five games instead of the minimum six that it had previously agreed upon.

At least with one football game remaining, the collegiate landscape can move over to basketball season where things … ugh. This virus, man.

One of the marquee women’s basketball games of the season, between No. 3 UConn and No. 6 Baylor, has been canceled after Bears Coach Kim Mulkey tested positive for COVID-19. The Bears will restrict team activities, the school said, and additional COVID-19 testing will determine the length of the restriction.

Mulkey said she was exposed to a family member who tested positive on December 25.

“While I am disappointed and hate to be away from the program, Baylor women’s basketball is in good hands with our coaches and support staff,” Mulkey said. “The safety of our student-athletes is paramount and will take precedent over any basketball activity during this pandemic.”

A win in the game, if it had been played as scheduled, would tie UConn Coach Geno Auriemma with the late Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt with 1,098 career victories. The Huskies have already had to postpone an earlier non-conference matchup against No. 2 Louisville; UConn itself had to delay its season because of COVID protocols.

Having a spotlight women’s game canceled comes a few days after a powerhouse men’s program, Villanova, had to postpone three games. The team paused activities within 24 hours of having resumed practice following COVID-19 issues within the program, including Coach Jay Wright, that forced a stoppage on December 27. And Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski is self-isolating with his wife, Mickie, after they were exposed to a family member who later tested positive; the Blue Devils coach will miss Wednesday’s game against Boston College and possibly a scheduled game Saturday against Wake Forest. Krzyzewski is one of several coaches who have been critical of playing the season, having earlier canceled the rest of their non-conference schedule over coronavirus concerns.

Given the number of pauses among college basketball’s biggest programs, it was equally notable when the Patriot League started league play this weekend after having none of its teams play a non-conference schedule. Drawing the most attention was the game between Boston University and Holy Cross, played on BU’s campus, where players for both teams wore masks in the game. Stadium reported this week that Boston University has mandated its opponents wear masks during games on the school’s campus while the Terriers’ players will wear masks also at road games.

Holy Cross at Boston University game today at BU.

Masks for both teams. pic.twitter.com/WYC4tdxs7N— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 5, 2021

Tuesday, January 5

HOCKEY: NHL Heads to Tahoe as Divisions Get Naming Rights Sponsors

Part of the National Hockey League’s fabric for more than a decade has been its one-off events each season bringing the game to new outdoor venues. From the inaugural Winter Classic in Buffalo played in a picturesque snowfall to recent games held at historic venues such as Fenway Park and the Cotton Bowl, the league has consistently expanded its footprint for outdoor games, sometimes having more than one per season.

As negotiations for a shortened 2021 season dragged, the league was forced to postpone its two planned outdoor events — the New Year’s Day Winter Classic scheduled for Target Field in Minneapolis and the NHL Stadium Series game scheduled for Raleigh, North Carolina, in February. While those announcements gave the impression that the league would be going indoors-only this season, that turns out not to be the case.

Instead, the NHL will still have an outdoor event — one that is unique in its idealism and potentially replicable across the league should this year’s event be a success.

As first reported by Sportsnet in Canada and further confirmed by ESPN and The Athletic, the NHL will have two outdoor games at Edgewood Tahoe Resort in Stateline, Nevada, on the banks of Lake Tahoe. The Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights will play on February 20, with the next day’s game featuring the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers.

The second matchup may sound a little out of the box, given that the league is going to regionalized scheduling this year as well as the league ignoring the San Jose Sharks, who are the closest NHL franchise to Lake Tahoe. But the TV markets involved with the Bruins and Flyers likely solidified the decision.

Sportsnet said that the games will be held around the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th holes at the Edgewood Resort — home each summer to the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament. No fans will be allowed to attend; having the event on the Nevada side of the Lake Tahoe region also makes it easier for the league given that current California COVID-19 restrictions prohibit non-essential travel in and out of the Tahoe area.

Both Sportsnet and ESPN reported the NHL looked into other locations, specifically Lake Louise, Alberta, which could have hosted Canadian-only matchups, and Park City, Utah. Should the Tahoe event provide a boost to viewership, the league would in theory be able to add inventory to its traditional series of outdoor games. Could the NHL have a Winter Classic at a mega-stadium, a Stadium Series in a smaller market and then a one-off Outdoor Weekend at resorts in the future?

Give the NHL this much — it is not scared to break down walls for new events or for sponsorship, announcing on Tuesday that the official division names for the 2020–2021 season are the Scotia NHL North Division, Honda NHL West Division, Discover NHL Central Division and the MassMutual NHL East Division. And given the pandemic-related dive in revenue that any sports league has experienced, amateur or professional, the ability to innovate and create new inventory that would prove attractive to commercial sponsors and destinations will likely be needed for any organization.

Meanwhile, the NHL’s top feeder league, the American Hockey League, has announced its season will begin on February 5. Along with having a shortened schedule of games, the league will look different with three teams opting out of the season and four others being temporarily relocated.

The AHL will have 28 teams this season with the Charlotte (North Carolina) Checkers, Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Admirals and Springfield (Massachusetts) Thunderbirds opting out ahead of a return in 2021–2022. Four other teams will have a one-season relocation — the Binghamton (New York) Devils will play in Newark, New Jersey; the Ontario (California) Reign will play in El Segundo, California; the Providence (Rhode Island) Bruins will play in Marlborough, Massachusetts; and the San Diego Gulls will play in Irvine, California.

And while the NHL’s early buzz is surrounding its outdoor games, USA Hockey has cancelled the 2021 USA Hockey/Labatt Blue Pond Hockey National Championships, which were set for February 4–7 in Eagle River, Wisconsin.

“The health and safety of the players, volunteers and the Eagle River community is of utmost importance during these unprecedented times,” said Ashley Bevan, USA Hockey’s senior director of adult hockey. “Reaching this decision with our partners was extremely difficult, but we jointly believe it’s the right thing to do and we look forward to the 2022 USA Hockey/Labatt Blue Pond Hockey National Championships.”

Monday, January 4

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: NCAA Tournament Officially Heads to Indianapolis Bubble

The NCAA has made it official, announcing that the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will be entirely staged in Indiana with the majority of the tournament’s 67 games taking place in Indianapolis.

The tournament will be hosted by Ball State University, Butler University, the Horizon League, Indiana University, IUPUI and Purdue University. The Indiana Convention Center will be used as a practice facility with multiple courts set up inside the venue. All teams will be housed on dedicated hotel floors with physically distanced meeting and dining rooms, as well as secure transportation to and from competition venues.

Games will be played on two courts inside Lucas Oil Stadium as well as Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Mackey Arena in West Lafayette and Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington. Only one game at a time will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Minneapolis hosted the last NCAA Final Four in 2019 at U.S. Bank Stadium, but will miss out on a Regional stop in 2021. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

“The 2021 version of March Madness will be one to remember, if for no other reason than the uniqueness of the event,” said NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt. “With the direction of the men’s basketball committee, we are making the most of the circumstances the global pandemic has presented. We’re fortunate to have neighbors and partners in Indianapolis and surrounding communities who not only love the game of basketball as much as anyone else in the country but have a storied history when it comes to staging major sporting events.

“This is going to be complicated and difficult; there’s no question about that. We appreciate the collaboration among the men’s basketball committee and staff, our hosts and local organizers, the staffs at each practice and competition venue, and our broadcast and corporate partners. We will all pull together and stage a terrific national championship.”

Selection Sunday is still scheduled for March 14 and plans remain to have the Final Four April 3 and 5, with exact preliminary round dates to be determined.

The NCAA will partner with a local health provider to administer COVID-19 testing within the controlled environment for players, coaching staffs, administrators and officials. The NCAA said in its release that it will monitor local conditions and work with officials to determine whether or not fans will be allowed at games; the NCAA did say a limited number of family members of each participating teams’ student-athletes and coaches will be permitted to attend their team’s games.

“This is a historic moment for NCAA members and the state of Indiana,” said NCAA President Mark Emmert. “We have worked tirelessly to reimagine a tournament structure that maintains our unique championship opportunity for college athletes. The reality of today’s announcement was possible thanks to the tremendous leadership of our membership, local authorities and staff.”

Indiana Governor Eric Holcolmb later told reporters Monday that the Division II tournament will be held in Evansville and the Division III tournament will be held in Fort Wayne.

AUTO RACING: Formula One Already Resetting 2021 Schedule

The Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne is likely to be rescheduled from its season-opening slot on March 21 to later in the year due to COVID-19 pandemic as well as the tightening of local quarantine rules.

Tickets for the March 21 race at Albert Park have yet to go on sale, according to Reuters. Various reports said a postponement was likely to be announced later in January after the race was canceled last year, hours before the first practice was about to start as a member of one of the competing teams tested positive.

The Formula One season eventually started in Austria in July, with the calendar reduced to 17 races from the planned 22 and nearly all of the events in Europe and the Middle East.

Having the race in March in Melbourne would involve a period of mandatory isolation. The ATP and WTA Tour will have all of the participating players for the Australian Open spend 14 days in quarantine before the event starts on February 8.

Thursday, December 31

FOOTBALL: The NFL Will Finish Its Regular Season, Outbreaks or Not

Well, the NFL made it. Against what many bettors would have predicted was not possible, the league will complete its regular season on time this weekend with a full slate of games on Sunday with all 256 games being completed.

That is not to say that it has been easy — far from it. The league has had to reshuffle schedules multiple times in the season, including having more than one doubleheader on Monday nights and special Tuesday and Wednesday night games.

Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter gestures during a game against the New York Jets on December 27, 2020, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

The protocols, seemingly strict at the start of the season, have only been tightened. It is almost jarring now to see anybody on a sideline not wearing a mask, whether a player or coach. Coaches now know that the idea of pulling down their mask to yell at an official is a fine waiting to be docked from their savings account.

Teams no longer meet in person during the week, and practices are under strict social distancing. The lack of offseason team activities and workouts, done this year because of precautions about the virus, could become permanently ended if the NFLPA has anything to do with it. Browns’ center JC Tretter, head of the players association, called for that to be enacted this week.

Close contact protocols are an entirely different topic altogether, but the league’s overall number of positive COVID-19 tests among players and staff members, which had mirrored the country’s rise in past week, actually declined a small amount in the most recent round. Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer, said that as the postseason approaches, “we’re doing calls with the teams headed or potentially headed to the playoffs to share what we have learned over five months and how we can double down as we enter the playoffs. We had a call last night looking at planning for the offseason” for such items as cadence of testing and contact tracing.

Ah yes, contact tracing. That is the protocol that has given the league perhaps the most headaches this season, and it remained a hot topic for teams last weekend. Detroit Lions Interim Coach Darrell Bevell missed his team’s blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as well as several defensive assistants, because of contact tracing protocols. The Lions were left without five coaches in total and had some quality control assistants with no game experiences working the sidelines.

The following day, the Cleveland Browns sustained an upset loss at the New York Jets while playing down four of their top five wide receivers, all ruled out because they were close contacts to Browns linebacker B.J. Goodson, who tested positive for COVID-19 the day before the game. The Browns’ flight to New Jersey was delayed and a walkthrough with practice squad receivers had to be held in a parking lot less than six hours before the game.

The Browns on Wednesday shut down their facility for the second time in five days due to positive tests within the organization. Ten players are on the Browns’ COVID-19 list ahead of playing AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in a win-and-in game to reach the playoffs.

Cleveland fans, of course, will want to wonder why its team had to play last week without having the chance to have the game delayed a day, or why delaying this Sunday’s game is not an option when earlier this season, the Tennessee Titans had a game delayed. And while the NFL has said it wouldn’t postpone or cancel games for competitive reasons, Denver Broncos fans wonder why that was the case when it had no healthy quarterbacks last month and had to use a practice squad wide receiver at the position when the Baltimore Ravens had multiple games moved around while its team had an outbreak.

The answer: The NFL made the decision and it doesn’t have to explain itself more than it wants.

Of the seven games this final regular-season weekend that will have fans in attendance, one of them will have a downsized amount. The Carolina Panthers, which had been allowing just short of 6,000 in recent games, will allow only 1,500 friends and family members of players for the Panthers and New Orleans Saints to be in the stands.

“This decision was made as a result of an ongoing conversation with local government and public health officials and a review of the latest COVID-19 data and guidance,” said Mark Hart, Tepper Sports & Entertainment vice president and chief operating officer. “As we have done throughout this season, we look forward to providing a safe and enjoyable game day experience for all those in attendance.”

There have been 102 fans present at games this year going into the final weekend and the league maintains that there are no documented cases of superspreader events at NFL games. The league made the declaration during a Wednesday call with reporters while announcing that over 1 million fans had been at games this season.

And what was reported last week was made official on Wednesday as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that Bills Stadium will be open to 6,772 fans for the playoffs. Buffalo’s games had been closed to fans for the regular season as part of the state’s COVID-19 protocols.

The plan requires attendees needing to register a negative COVID-19 test before being granted entrance. The team will work with the state’s Department of Health to conduct contact tracing afterward. Dr. Howard Zucker, the Commissioner of Health for New York, called it “a public health model that’s never been done anywhere in the country before.”

NFL Attendance Chart

Team	Games	Total	Avg.
Dallas	8	219,021	27,377
Jacksonville	8	127,355	15,919
Tampa Bay	6	85,374	14,229
Kansas City	7	91,988	13,141
Houston	6	74,296	12,382
Miami	8	98,352	12,294
Tennessee	7	84,527	12,075
Indianapolis	7	69,584	9,940
Cleveland	7	68,451	9,778
Cincinnati	6	56,466	9,411
Atlanta	6	50,657	8,442
Carolina	6	32,729	5,454
Pittsburgh	3	15,877	5,292
Denver	4	21,122	5,280
Baltimore	1	4,345	4,345
New Orleans	7	22,476	3,210
Arizona	3	9,600	3,200
Washington	1	3,000	3,000

Sunday’s Games
Minnesota at Detroit: No fans allowed
Atlanta at Tampa Bay: Up to 16,000 fans allowed
N.Y. Jets at New England: No fans allowed
Miami at Buffalo: No fans allowed
Pittsburgh at Cleveland: Up to 12,000 fans allowed
Dallas at N.Y. Giants: No fans allowed
Baltimore at Cincinnati: Up to 12,000 fans allowed
Jacksonville at Indianapolis: Up to 10,000 fans allowed
Tennessee at Houston: Up to 14,444 allowed
Arizona at L.A. Rams: No fans allowed
New Orleans at Carolina: Up to 1,500 friends and family members will be allowed
Green Bay at Chicago: No fans allowed
L.A. Chargers at Kansas City: Up to 16,811 fans allowed
Seattle vs. San Francisco at Glendale, Arizona: No fans allowed
Las Vegas at Denver: No fans allowed
Washington at Philadelphia: No fans allowed

Tuesday, December 29

TENNIS: Indian Wells Postponed Again as ATP Tour Makes Up Schedule

For all the deserved attention we give to the professional, collegiate and amateur sports leagues that are trying to put together seasons this past 2020 and already looking into 2021, there may be no more difficult task than to have a truly international sport go on as scheduled in the coronavirus era — as the ATP Tour is showing.

The tour has scheduled its first 13 weeks of the season with many tournaments being in new spots — including the January 5 season-opening event in Delray Beach, Florida, traditionally held in the spring — but the biggest adjustment recently announced was the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, one of the biggest non-Grand Slam events of the year, postponed indefinitely. The other major non-major U.S. event in the spring, the Miami Open, is currently scheduled to be held in its traditional date of March 22, making it the first U.S. event on the schedule after Delray Beach.

The first seven weeks of the season had already been released with the Australian Open, although delayed, still on the calendar. Qualifying for the first Grand Slam of the season will take place in Doha, Qatar, from January 10–13 before all players and support staff will travel to Melbourne for a 14-day quarantine period from January 15–31 in accordance with requirements of Australian public health and immigration authorities. The controlled environment will enable allow players to prepare for a 12-team ATP Cup in Melbourne, played alongside the relocated Adelaide International, as well as an additional ATP tournament in Melbourne, before the Australian Open starts February 8.

The ATP Tour says that all subsequent sections of the 2021 calendar after the Miami Open remain unchanged at this time.

The 2020 schedule was able to have 33 events overall but none were held from mid-March until August 24. The tennis world was able to have three Grand Slams with the Australian Open held pre-pandemic, then the U.S. Open held on its traditional dates in a strict bubble environment before the rescheduled French Open was held in late September. Nearly 40 events were cancelled including multiple traditional American stops including not only Indian Wells but Miami, Washington and the U.S. Open Series held in the summer at destinations throughout the Eastern United States.

Newcastle’s DeAndre Yedlin, left, challenges Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling during the Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at the Etihad stadium in Manchester on December 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson, Pool)

SOCCER: Multiple Premier League Teams Deal With Outbreaks

The Premier League, the most-followed soccer league in the world, has reportedly discussed a two-week break in what is already a condensed 2020–2021 season after an increasing number of COVID-19 cases throughout multiple clubs, including title challengers Manchester City.

Manchester City’s scheduled game against Everton on Monday was postponed about 90 minutes before kickoff after the team announced that it had multiple additional positive cases in addition to two players already confirmed to have COVID-19. The Premier League earlier this season postponed a game between Newcastle United and Aston Villa when Newcastle had approximately a dozen players infected.

A game scheduled for Tuesday between Sheffield United and Burnley took place despite Sheffield United recording ‘numerous positives’ and Southampton manager Ralph Hassenhuttl missed his side’s match with West Ham after a member of his household tested positive.

The mounting scale of the problem was illustrated on Tuesday when the Premier League announced a record 18 new positive tests among players and staff from tests conducted last week, the highest in a single round of testing since the season began in August. The league does one round of tests each week while many other teams do a second round at their own cost.

While a two-week break would in theory help for the league in trying to get cases under control, there is the competitive issue of a schedule already pressed tighter than a hot panini sandwich. Tottenham Hotspur has played as many as three matches in a five-day period earlier this season and the holiday period in England is traditionally the most hectic point of the season with all teams playing at least three times in 10 days.

The league also must finish by May 23 so that players can be released to their national teams for summer events such as the rescheduled European Championship and Copa America, which begins June 11, as well as the CONCACAF Gold Cup which starts in July.

Monday, December 28

COLLEGE SPORTS: Citing Mental Health, Teams Suspending Seasons

The college basketball season is already a torrent of cancellations and program pauses because of positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing protocols. And with months to go before the NCAA Tournament, the road to Indianapolis remains as full of potholes as ever — with some teams in both the men’s and women’s games deciding that the constant stop and start nature of the season is not worth it.

One of the biggest names in women’s basketball, Duke University, announced that it would be ending the season. The Blue Devils started 3-1 but had three postponed games already and had paused the season on December 16 originally for two positive tests within the program and contact tracing protocols.

The Blue Devils are the first Power 5 to cancel its season in the women’s game, although the Ivy League had cancelled its women’s season earlier this season. The powerhouse Duke men’s team will continue its season, although Coach Mike Krzyzewski has openly wondered about why the season was being played; in what perhaps was a hint for the Blue Devil women’s program’s eventual decision, new Coach Kara Lawson had said weeks ago “I don’t think we should be playing right now. That’s my opinion on it.”

The decision by the Duke women’s program was a few days after the first non-Ivy League men’s team announced that it would be shutting down the season. Chicago State, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, announced before Christmas that it would be suspending its men’s program for the remainder of the season. The Cougars made the decision after starting the season 0-9, none of the games played at home, before postponing a December 22 game at Iowa State because of not having enough players available to participate.

“It was a difficult decision, but a necessary decision in order to prioritize the health, wellness, and academic success of the student athletes,” Chicago State Athletic Director Elliott Charles said.

To be fair, Chicago State is not a national name for college basketball — and while Duke has said that its men’s team will not follow the women’s lead, there are two other nationally recognized programs that have paused its respective seasons and not for the first time.

The Syracuse men’s basketball program is in its third program pause in a six-week period after stopped two days after an overtime win over the University of Buffalo on December 19. The Bulls had a player test positive two days after the game, triggering contact tracing protocols. The Orange already have postponed games against Notre Dame on December 22, Wake Forest on December 30 and North Carolina on January 2. Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim and an unnamed player tested positive in mid-November and team activities were paused for two weeks; a walk-on also tested positive in late November, forcing a three-day pause.

Villanova’s Jay Wright coaches during a game against Butler on December 16, 2020, in Villanova, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Then, Villanova Coach Jay Wright announced on Sunday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and the No. 5 Wildcats will stop all team activities for the time being. The pause will postpone at least one game, scheduled for January 2 against Xavier in a battle of Top 25 teams.

Villanova earlier postponed a game against St. John’s scheduled for December 30 so the Wildcats’ players could go home and take a break — one of many decisions that have been made this month in collegiate sports with a nod toward the mental health of players who have been under tremendous stress the past months between trying to keep up with academic responsibilities along with major college sports in an era where the uneven rhythms of the sport have been more of a rollercoaster than ever.

But for any college basketball team that continues its season, or college sports in general, the biggest fear is for an athlete’s long-term health after they contract COVID-19. Often discussed ahead of college football’s season was the issue of players that would later test positive for myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. That fear has reportedly been realized at the University of Florida and its star player, Keyontae Johnson, who according to the Gainesville Sun has been diagnosed with acute myocarditis and will sit out the rest of the season. Johnson collapsed early in a game recently at Florida State and had an extended stay in a Tallahassee hospital; the Associated Press has reported that Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 during the preseason.

Wednesday, December 23

NFL: The Infamous Bills Mafia May Be Let Loose on the Playoffs

One of the NFL’s most famously wild fan bases, away from the stadium for the entire regular season, may in part be allowed back in the stands as the Buffalo Bills end a long drought of home postseason games.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says the Bills have proposed to have 6,700 fans in its stadium for the playoffs, and the State Department of Health is looking at the model.

Fans watch during the first half of a game between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets at New Era Stadium in 2019 in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker says fans would have to prove they’ve tested negative for COVID-19 before entering the stadium and that the Bills will set up contact tracing protocols for all in attendance after the game. Fans without masks would be thrown out.

The governor clarified the plan is “in development.” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, however, did caution a decision to allow fans must be made no later than next week and that the county does not have the capacity to do rapid testing on 6,700 individuals in either a pre-game or prior day setting.

While the Bills will not be home or have fans at home games until the playoffs, this week there will be six games played with fans in attendance, highlighted by the Dallas Cowboys and its plans to have up to — and possibly in excess of — 30,000 fans. The Cowboys have steadily increased its attendance this season and currently average just under 27,000 per game, but several other teams that have had a consistent number of fans allowed this year have not exactly been seeing “sellouts” happen.

The Miami Dolphins have nearly averaged a “sellout” of 12,294, only six under its capacity of 13,000. The Jacksonville Jaguars have allowed up to 16,791 fans per game all season but are averaging 15,701; the Kansas City Chiefs have been allowing up to 16,811 fans per game but are only averaging 13,086.

The NFL’s third team in Florida, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have been having approximately 25 percent of capacity at home games at Raymond James Stadium, the site of this season’s Super Bowl on February 7. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has floated the idea of the NFL inviting health-care workers to be at the game after they received the vaccine.

Friday’s Game
Minnesota at New Orleans: Up to 3,000 fans allowed

Saturday’s Games

Tampa Bay at Detroit: No fans allowed
San Francisco at Arizona: No fans allowed
Miami at Las Vegas: No fans allowed

Sunday’s Games

N.Y. Giants at Baltimore: No fans allowed
Atlanta at Kansas City: Up to 16,811 fans allowed
Carolina at Washington: No fans allowed
Cleveland at N.Y. Jets: No fans allowed
Chicago at Jacksonville: Up to 16,791 fans allowed
Cincinnati at Houston: Up to 14,444 fans allowed
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh: No fans allowed
Denver at L.A. Chargers: No fans allowed
Philadelphia at Dallas: Up to 30,000-plus fans allowed
L.A. Rams at Seattle: No fans allowed
Tennessee at Green Bay: Up to 500 employees and family members allowed

Monday’s Game

Buffalo at New England: No fans allowed

Tuesday, December 22

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Disorganized, Controversial: Bowl Season Is In Disarray

There may not be a rollercoaster ride with as many emotional ups and downs as that for a college football fan.

While the NFL put in strict protocols, including fines for coaches who did not keep their facial coverings on during games, college football has been filled with enough highlights of coaches going crazy with a mask pulled down around their necks for a six-part miniseries. While each school is a member of the NCAA, the college structure has significantly fractured in recent years. That was highlighted this season with conferences starting at different times, with different schedules and testing protocols along with contact tracing and eligibility rules. Add in health and safety protocols depending on the location of a school and the end result was an astonishing 139 regular-season games canceled.

Dan Mullen doesn’t know how to wear a mask or headphones. pic.twitter.com/N8QocnafYe— Rob Quinn (@RobJQuinn) December 13, 2020

And bowl season, within days of beginning, has proven to be as inconsistent to keep track of. The Guaranteed Rate, Independence, Military, and Birmingham bowls were canceled. Two new bowls in Boston and Los Angeles did not get off the ground and if you’ve never heard of the Montgomery Bowl, don’t worry about it — the game was created out of nowhere to fill in ESPN’s schedule and bowl inventory and is a one-time event.

It adds up to this: There were 42 bowls scheduled before the season’s opening kickoff and instead, 28 were scheduled to be held. But as COVID-19 surges throughout the country, it has been no surprise that the postseason has been as unorganized as the regular season.

It started with nearly two dozen teams deciding they would not play in a bowl game, citing the mental health of players who have been stuck on campus for months without a break. The Frisco Bowl, the scheduled opening game of Bowl Season, had to be canceled when SMU withdrew because of a COVID-19 outbreak. The Liberty Bowl had to replace Tennessee with Army, a team that won nine games in the regular season but was somehow left out of a bowl game while six losing teams in the SEC earned spots.

One of those teams, 2-8 South Carolina, was scheduled to play in the Gasparilla Bowl on Saturday and its interim head coach, Mike Bobo, said earlier in the week opting out of the postseason was not an option. “There’s no vote in the SEC. You come to play in the SEC, you come to play ball,” Bobo said.

Well, you’re scheduled to play ball at least. Two days after those comments, the Gamecocks announced they were pulling out of the game because of an outbreak among players. The bowl game shortly after then announced it, too, would be canceled.

Even beyond the games that have been canceled or had matchups adjusted on the fly, there is always the College Football Playoff — a hot topic in an ordinary season and even more so this season. Whether it was conferences changing rules on the fly to ensure teams had a week off before the conference title game (ACC), conferences switching rules on title-game eligibility the week before the game (Big Ten) or those taking subtle shots about not switching anything because it just meant more (SEC), the CFP became not only a debate on which teams would be in, but then extended to what sites they would play at.

Between the debate about which teams would make the CFP and where they would play, the irony siren surrounding the CFP was roaring nearly 24 hours a day. Notre Dame Coach Brian Kelly said his team would consider sitting out the College Football Playoff if the Rose Bowl would not allow family members to attend the game — a threat that got attention but to be totally frank, would anybody really expect the Irish to skip the game? Kelly also said of the Rose Bowl, “we’re worshipping the ashes of tradition,” a particularly rich quote for a coach at Notre Dame, which until this year has guarded its football independence with the intensity of a lion guarding its newborn cubs and will leave the ACC in football as quickly in the offseason as it joined in the preseason.

Then, after Kelly’s public posturing, his desires were granted: The Rose Bowl, which started the whole concept of bowl games nearly a century ago and is both criticized by some who believe its tradition should not be bowed to and worshipped by those who believe its tradition is exactly why it should have special status, was moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. While the CFP took pains to say it was moving the game out of Pasadena, California, because of “the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Southern California,” it would be remiss to note the COVID-19 positivity rate in L.A. County is 14.7 percent … compared to Tarrant County, Texas, where the positivity rate is 17 percent. But, because of the differences between state regulations in California and Texas, the game will have 16,000 fans instead of zero.

And what happens if one of the teams in the CFP — Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Notre Dame — have an issue with COVID-19 outbreaks before the games?

“We are planning to play the games when they’re scheduled,” CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock told ESPN. “We’ve said all along that we will be ready for any circumstance, and we will. But if one or both teams are not available and have to postpone a bowl game or the championship game, we will do it.”

They have to, after all. There’s TV money at stake, championships at stake, conference pride at stake. Those are understandable reasons. But even with some of the magical moments that have happened this season, or the fun that came about from having matchups thrown together on days’ notice, the chances of people looking back fondly on this college football season are slim.

Monday, December 21

OLYMPICS: No Jumping In Line to Get Vaccine, USOPC Says

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee will encourage athletes to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available but as of now will continue to monitor health trends throughout the country as the International Olympic Committee has said it will not require vaccination for those competing in the rescheduled 2021 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.

USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said during a Monday conference call that the USOPC is approximately six weeks from finalizing a vaccine plan for its Tokyo-bound delegation. The United States will send up to 600 athletes to Tokyo next summer and hundreds more in support staff and coaches. IOC President Thomas Bach said this month the IOC would not require the vaccine of its athletes but would encourage immunization.

“We’ll have discussions about access, availability, the proper timing, ensuring we understand any potential allergy reactions, side effects, things of that nature,” Hirshland said. “Suffice it to say, we will encourage and make available to those who desire it, a vaccine.”

Many leagues and sport organizers are hoping the vaccine brings some normalcy but also treading carefully about the topic of when their competitors will get a vaccine, knowing the pushback that would bring from a public relations standpoint should athletes get the vaccine before any high-risk individuals or front-line workers. Hirshland said the country’s vaccination priorities should be people who are high-risk and those working on the front-line of the health care system.

“As time goes on and the vaccine becomes more readily available, we certainly will be ready to be supportive of our athletes and the rest of the delegation as we think about going abroad,” she said.

HOCKEY: NHL Ready To Drop Puck

The National Hockey League will have a lot of rivalry games this season, as an abbreviated 56-game season will start on January 13 with division-only play and a revamped setup of divisions based on regional scheduling highlighted by an all-Canadian division.

The Stanley Cup playoffs would be scheduled to end by mid-July in time for the Summer Olympic Games, and give the NHL the chance to reset its traditional calendar and have an October start and full 2021–22 season.

The Canadian division with seven teams will be the only division that does not have eight teams. Plans are to have the teams play in their home country but it has not been made official yet because of local province regulations throughout the country. In the U.S., the San Jose Sharks will have its training camp in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the home of the Arizona Coyotes because of Santa Clara County health regulations.

Teams in the East, Central and West will play each other eight times. Teams in the North will play each other nine or 10 times. The league will go back to a 16-team playoffs. The top four teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs and the four teams that advance to the semifinals will be seeded by their point totals, leaving open the possibility of two teams in the traditional West or East Conferences facing each other for the Stanley Cup.

“The National Hockey League looks forward to the opening of our 2020-21 season, especially since the Return to Play in 2019-20 was so successful in crowning a Stanley Cup champion,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “While we are well aware of the challenges ahead, as was the case last spring and summer, we are continuing to prioritize the health and safety of our participants and the communities in which we live and play. And, as was the case last spring and summer, I thank the NHLPA, particularly Executive Director Don Fehr, for working cooperatively with us to get our League back on the ice.”

Friday, December 18

FOOTBALL: How the NFL Educated America About COVID-19

The NFL has played through a pandemic that nearly enveloped two teams, has affected every single team and forced dozens of games to be played in stadiums closed off to fans.

And through it all, what many could have called a fool’s errand may instead have been not only a way to entertain football fans throughout the country but also a way to show how the coronavirus can and cannot spread in social settings — as well as lessons in how the spread of COVID-19 could have been potentially contained in normal settings.

Denver Broncos quarterback Kendall Hinton (2) throws against the New Orleans Saints during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

The biggest point of emphasis is daily testing and contact tracing. The NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed to daily testing during preseason camps and when the union insisted on that continuing into the season, the league agreed to do so. As a result, since August 1, players and staff members from the NFL’s teams have been tested more than 750,000 times, with nearly 10,000 people wearing contact tracing devices each day. By being able to use this information to see how the virus spreads from those infected to those who are not, the league has — perhaps unwittingly — provided a thorough case study for medical professionals to study.

Plus, the playing of games this season has so far shown that one of the biggest fears going into the year — the potential for the virus to be transmitted through physical contact in games — has not happened. NFL’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Allen Sills, pointed out to the Boston Globe that in the days after the Tennessee Titans played the Minnesota Vikings, more than two dozen Titans later were shown to be COVID-19 positive but no Vikings player was infected.

To say that the league has handled the season flawlessly would be incorrect. The Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens had team outbreaks that threatened games not only for their respective teams, but necessitated schedule changes that affected several other teams. The Raiders earlier this season and the Carolina Panthers this week had players fined for not complying with the league’s COVID-19 protocols by either not wearing masks when in social settings or gathering in groups when expressly told not to do so. The Raiders and Saints have had late-round 2021 NFL Draft picks taken away for breaking protocols and other teams have had fines levied.

But as COVID-19 has surged throughout the country, the NFL has been able to keep the schedule on track by tightening its protocols. Teams no longer are able to meet in person on Mondays and Tuesdays each week. Travel protocols have been strengthened to where players are barely able to leave their hotel rooms except when going to the game. The emphasis on masks was reinforced by the league’s close contact protocols, which meant the Denver Broncos had to sit all of its quarterbacks for a game because of one position group’s lapse of judgement in meeting without masks and breaking protocol. Accountability, already stressed within teams, has only seemed to increase.

And based in part because of its success in completing every game to this point, the NFL and the Players Association have agreed that there will not be a playoff bubble for postseason teams, NFL.com reported. There was belief that teams would want players and staff members to stay in a hotel during the playoffs in a modified bubble format to keep from getting the virus from the outside world, but that will not be required by the league. This week’s decision on the future comes as the league’s most recent week of COVID-19 testing revealed a .09 percent positivity rate among players.

As far as the culmination of the season, there has not been a clear decision yet on attendance numbers and other protocols for the Super Bowl, said Commissioner Roger Goodell, who attended a Tampa Bay Buccaneers home game last Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, which will host the game.

“My family sat out in the stands for a quarter-and-a-half,” Goodell said on a Monday conference call. “The pods seemed to work really well and safe. People wearing PPE and staying safe. A lot of assistance around the stadium if needed.”

Goodell said the number of fans allowed at the Super Bowl “is all about (the) safety of our fans and local public health officials. I’m not sure there’s a specific number we’re confident in saying.” Tampa Bay has played in front of crowds at 25 precent of capacity at Raymond James since Week 6 of the season, which works out to around 16,000 fans.

Super Bowl LV is scheduled for February 7. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gave Florida stadiums approval to open up their full capacity back in the fall but none of the state’s NFL or college football teams have taken him up on that “offer.”

“We’re going to try to bring in as many fans as we can safely do into Raymond James Stadium,” Goodell said. “I’m not sure there is a specific number that we are confident saying, ‘This is what it will be,’ but obviously our focus will be on keeping them safe.”

While Tampa Bay will not be at home this weekend, it will be playing in one of the seven games this weekend that will have fans in attendance. But two teams this week — Arizona and Washington — reversed course and will not let fans in for the final few weeks of the season, having allowed fans at different points earlier. And two other teams will decrease the number of fans they let into the stadium; the Indianapolis Colts will lower its attendance to 10,000 for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans from its previous cap of 12,500 and the New Orleans Saints, who were planning to have as many as 15,000 fans for this week’s spotlight game against the Kansas City Chiefs, will instead only have 3,000 fans inside the Superdome.

Finally, for those who wonder if not having fans at games this season would change the definition of “home-field advantage,” they were right: Entering last weekend, home teams were 97-95-1, a .505 winning percentage that would be the lowest home win percentage in more than 20 years.

Thursday’s Game
L.A. Chargers at Las Vegas: No fans were allowed

Saturday’s Games
Buffalo at Denver: No fans allowed
Carolina at Green Bay: No fans allowed

Sunday’s Games

Houston at Indianapolis: Up to 10,000 fans will be allowed
Detroit at Tennessee: Up to 14,520 fans will be allowed
Chicago at Minnesota: No fans allowed
Seattle at Washington: No fans allowed
New England at Miami: Up to 13,000 fans will be allowed
Jacksonville at Baltimore: No fans allowed
Tampa Bay at Atlanta: A “limited” number of fans will be allowed
San Francisco at Dallas: A “limited” number of fans will be allowed
Philadelphia at Arizona: No fans allowed
N.Y. Jets at L.A. Rams: No fans allowed
Kansas City at New Orleans: Up to 3,000 fans will be allowed
Cleveland at N.Y. Giants: No fans allowed

Monday’s Game
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati: Up to 12,000 fans will be allowed

MOTORSPORTS: Long Beach Grand Prix Moved to September

For decades, the Long Beach Grand Prix has been a staple of the IndyCar schedule in mid-April. But with restrictions in place across California preventing gatherings, the series has made the pre-emptive move to reschedule the 2021 race for September 26. The move will create a three-race, three-weekend West Coast swing to complete the season championship. Portland International Raceway will host a race on September 12 and the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will be staged September 19.

“It is important to have Long Beach rescheduled to continue the history and tradition for one of the series’ hallmark events in one of the nation’s premier media markets,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “Further, it’s a tremendous opportunity to wrap up the season with three-straight iconic venues for what we believe will be our most exciting season yet. As we did during the 2020 season, we will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and maintain flexibility across our schedule. We are committed to an action-packed and exhilarating 2021 NTT IndyCar Series.”

ACTION SPORTS: 2021 Winter Dew Tour Moved to 2022

The 2021 Winter Dew Tour at Copper Mountain in Colorado will be postponed to 2021 due to safety regulations and guidelines concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.

The four-day Winter Dew Tour organized by Adventure Sports Network includes the world’s best male and female skiers and snowboarders competing in individual halfpipe, slopestyle, Dew Tour’s signature Team Challenge competition, an industry award shows and a calendar of fan-based activities. The 2020 event was held in February, the first time in the event’s history at Copper Mountain after years being held in Breckenridge, Colorado.

“Our first Winter Dew Tour at Copper was a combination of teamwork, fun and progression,” said Courtney Gresik, Dew Tour vice president and general manager. “But the health and safety of the athletes, fans, partners and staff remain the priority. As we continue to monitor the state of COVID worldwide, and see the numbers continue to rise, we must make the difficult decision to postpone the event.”

Thursday, December 17

BASKETBALL: The NBA Thought Finishing Last Season Was Tough. This Season Will Be Tougher.

For as ambitious as the NBA’s bubble in Orlando, Florida, was to allow the league to finish the 2019–2020 season in a safe and healthy fashion, there is a case to be made that plans for the upcoming season that opens December 22 will be even more so.

Houston’s James Harden goes up for a shot as Los Angeles’ Alex Caruso defends during the second half of an NBA playoff game on September 10, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

The league knows what is at stake, especially given the desire to finish before the Olympic Summer Games in late July as many NBA players are hoping to participate. As such, the league has sent multiple memos to teams about how it intends to organize the season and play through the COVID-19 surge in as healthy and safe a fashion as possible, including — according to ESPN — a lengthy document detailing safety protocols and warning that violations that lead to team outbreaks and postponed games would result in “fines, suspensions, adjustment or loss of draft choices and game forfeitures.”

The NBA is taking a risk in trying to play the season in home markets while rising virus numbers throughout the country have overwhelmed ICU units in many of the league’s markets. While professional leagues have played games without being in a bubble atmosphere, the Major League Baseball season was nearly suspended right after it began before steadying itself for the final few months of games and Major League Soccer had multiple postponements of games once it left its own bubble in Orlando.

Knowing the risks, the league has told players and teams that it may “conduct unannounced in-person inspections of team facilities.” It may also enforce in-season quarantines and fines for players that violate rules such as being seen at bars or clubs, visiting public gyms or indoor social gatherings of more than 15 people.

The NBA is going so far to try and maintain the feeling of a bubble-type atmosphere as to detail for teams which restaurants are approved for players to eat at while on the road — establishments that meet league-approved criteria such as being outdoors or having a private indoor room for players only.

The 2020–2021 season opens on December 22 with teams scheduled to play 72 games each. With the NBA Finals finishing in the bubble in mid-October, it will be the shortest turnaround in modern NBA history from one season to another. That means the league will not only face the issue of having the season organized in a safe and healthy fashion but also the ability of players to get enough rest and recovery after an abbreviated summer.

“I was like, ‘Wow!’ And I said, ‘Oh, (bleep),’” L.A. Lakers superstar LeBron James said after the Lakers’ second day of practice. “Being completely honest, I wasn’t expecting that because the early conversations that were going on, I was hearing it would kind of be a mid-January start and training camp would kind of start after Christmas. We would have an opportunity to spend Christmas with our families. So, I had already planned a vacation with my family, which I haven’t been able to do obviously since I’ve been in the league. So, I had to switch up a lot of things.”

The league sent out another long policy document to teams about the issue of resting players, which has each season become an increasingly hot topic especially for fans who only get one chance to be at a game in person and want to see their favorite player on the court, not on the bench in a suit.

NBA teams will be given the chance to rest players in non-nationally televised games (resting in a TV game could earn teams a $100,000 fine) and in some scenarios for teams playing back-to-back games. Qualifying factors for a player to rest include age, injury history, season and career workload and schedule issues — including how many games a team has recently played and how many consecutive road games it has played.

“Every game matters, but we’re competing for something that’s high,” James said when asked about his load management. “… I think it’s 71 days that the offseason is going to be, the shortest [offseason] for any professional sport ever. We’re very conscientious about what we’re going to do going forward, as far as me personally.”

Wednesday, December 16

Football: Rose Bowl Under Threat as College Football Playoff Debate Rages

The College Football Playoff traditionally is one of the most anticipated events in the college sports calendar. Four of the best teams in college football face off during the holidays. Fans don’t know who the four teams that will be until the conference title games are completed, but they usually always know where the semifinal games will be.

But … 2020.

Fans react as Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert scores against Wisconsin during first half of the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2020, in Pasadena, California. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

One of this year’s scheduled semifinal sites, the Rose Bowl, has been the center of multiple reports saying the CFP semifinal may be moved because teams and leagues are unhappy with a recent decision by local and state health officials that would prohibit any family members from attending the game in Pasadena, California.

The Rose Bowl is more than just a CFP semifinal. The original bowl game in college football, the Grandaddy of Them All has been played every year since 1916 — through pandemics and World War — although the 1942 game was played in Durham, North Carolina, because it was less than a month after the Pearl Harbor attacks and public gatherings in California had been outlawed by the government.

But three of the four bowl games scheduled in California have been axed and the Tournament of Roses parade, a New Year’s Day tradition, was canceled earlier this year as well. With no serious Pac-12 contender this season there is also debate on social media whether teams that are located on the other side of the Mississippi River should be required to travel to the West Coast in the middle of a pandemic.

Rose Bowl Executive Director and Tournament of Roses CEO David Eads told Yahoo Sports he is “confident we’ll be able to host the Rose Bowl game in the Rose Bowl Stadium this season” and the iconic venue has been host to three UCLA home games this season. Bill Hancock, the CFP’s executive director, said Tuesday “at this moment, the College Football Playoff looks forward to playing one of the two semifinal playoff games at the Rose Bowl, as scheduled. As we move forward with our planning, we continue to hope that the Rose Bowl’s appeal to government officials to allow the families of student-athletes to attend will be permitted.”

The College Football Playoff itself, traditionally an event that draws rigorous debate with each release of the rankings, is not only facing the spotlight on the reports about the Rose Bowl’s feasibility. Also factoring into the debate are how the Power 5 conferences have differed in their scheduling. Those inconsistencies have led to fierce criticism and cross-conference shots across the bow in the past two weeks, reaching a crescendo as commissioners from the ACC and SEC as well as coaches in each league have fired back-and-forth barbs.

No. 3 Clemson and No. 2 Notre Dame will both play their 11^th game of the season on Saturday in the ACC title game while Alabama, No. 1 in the CFP, has played 10 games heading into its title game against No. 6 Florida on Saturday in front of a restricted number of fans in Atlanta.

The sniping started with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey criticizing the ACC’s decision to give both the Tigers and Irish an open date ahead of this week’s title game instead of playing — and potentially being upset by an unranked team and dealing a killer blow to both teams’ CFP hopes. “I don’t think there’s anybody else that I’m aware of that has played more games than Clemson and Notre Dame, and certainly not more games than the ACC, so that rings pretty hollow to me,” Sankey told ESPN. “We look at our league. We don’t worry a whole lot about other leagues.”

Swofford saying he doesn’t worry about other leagues — while criticizing another league — did not go unnoticed by the ACC. League Commissioner John Swofford pushed back against Sankey, responding to ESPN that the complaint “rings pretty hollow.” And Clemson coach Dabo Swinney added, “If the ACC was trying to really protect Clemson and Notre Dame, why would we even play a game this week? I mean, if six wins can get you in the playoff, shouldn’t nine get you there?”

That, of course, is a reference to Ohio State, which is No. 4 in the CFP with a 5-0 record ahead of Saturday’s Big Ten championship game against Northwestern. The Big Ten’s original rule this year was that a team would have to play at least six games to qualify for the league title game. But that rule was changed last week once it became clear that the Buckeyes would only have five regular season games. Hence the criticism by Swinney for the league changing its rules in the middle of the season to accommodate a playoff-contending team … which his league did for his team.

With all the controversy raging off the field, in normal times the chance to have bowl games would be almost the easy part. But because we are in the middle of a global pandemic, the rest of the Bowl Season admits that game organizers are walking a tight rope at this point hoping for games to be played. The first bowl game was actually supposed to be played on Saturday, the Tropical Smoothie Frisco Bowl — but, in echoes of what this whole season has been like, the matchup between SMU and UTSA was canceled after contact tracing in the Mustangs’ program left them with an insufficient number of players. UTSA will instead play in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on December 26 against a yet-to-be determined opponent (it hopes).

And while the extended regular season will mostly take a backseat to the assorted conference championship games, there is one notable cancelation already. Purdue and Indiana, which have played for the Old Oaken Bucket every season since 1920, will not be able to have their rivalry game for the second week in a row after both teams have a number of positive cases and players out because of contact tracing. The last time that Indiana and Purdue did not play in football was in 1919. And 1919, of course, was the last time there was a pandemic in the United States.

Tuesday, December 15

MLB: Playoffs Expansion That Isn’t Approved Already Sold to ESPN

Since there is not much time left to say it: This story is sooooooo 2020.

According to the New York Post, Major League Baseball is working on a new TV deal with ESPN that would give the network exclusive rights to the first round of the playoffs — which does not exist. Not as if they haven’t agreed on a format or whether it’s a best-of-three games, or if it would be at a neutral site or one home field throughout. The first round of the playoffs literally does not exist.

Now, it did technically exist this year, but that was after MLB and the Players Association agreed upon an extra round of the postseason with an expanded 16-team field. The move was designed to help drive additional revenue to make up for a portion of what was lost because of the shortened season with no fans in attendance until the tail end of the postseason. But the 16-team playoffs with a bonus first round was a one-off and any resumption of the format would have to be collectively bargained. Given how icy this past year’s talks were just to have a shortened season, the odds of there being an easy agreement would not be one to bet on in Las Vegas.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has already begun trying to lay the public pressure on players, telling a Hofstra University business school event in September he hopes the expanded postseason “will become a permanent part of our landscape.” The reason, frankly, is money: More postseason games means more revenue from TV deals such as the one discussed with ESPN. And with the CBA ending after the 2021 season, Major League Baseball will be like every other sports league in trying to use as many different avenues — more games, advertising, etc. — to financially over-perform in the future and overcome the losses of 2020.

But first things first … and let’s see if the 2021 season can at least get off the ground.

HOCKEY: Vaccine Report Puts NHL on Defensive

The authorization of COVID-19 vaccines has been heralded — deservedly — as a medical miracle and one of the great achievements of the still-new century. From a purely selfish point of view, any sports league is hoping that the vaccination process is as speedy as possible so that not only can teams welcome fans back into arenas and stadiums, but that players and staffers take the vaccine to eliminate outbreaks to avoid the shutdowns and delays leagues and teams have already experienced.

But one recent report in Canada put the National Hockey League in the crosshairs of a controversy.

Source confirms that the NHL is planning the private purchase of a COVID vaccine for all constituents involved in the potential upcoming season.— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) December 10, 2020

For clarification…

The NHL is interested in securing vaccine when and if it’s available for private purchase.

Is it at this point? — no.

The league also is adamant they would not jump the line to do so.— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) December 11, 2020

The report came after Health Canada approved a COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech last Wednesday, with doses of the vaccine in Canada first going to the elderly, long-term care home residents and staff, health workers and Indigenous communities according to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. And its reporting put the league immediately on the defensive, with NHL Vice President of Communications Gary Meagher telling the Globe & Mail that “we would only look at the possibility of accessing vaccines in the context of the availability of excess capacity so as not to deprive health care workers, vulnerable populations and symptomatic individuals from access.”

The reporting from Shannon and the NHL’s quick reaction to it spotlights the issue of pro leagues that have been able to secure large quantities of COVID-19 testing, whether it be rapid testing or PCR testing, while some health care providers have not been as lucky. The league itself has not even announced officially its plans for a 2021 season, though multiple reports have indicated that it will start in mid-January with a 56-game schedule and restructured divisions for this season only, including an all-Canadian division because of travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada.

Monday, December 14

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Very Little Going Right to Start Regular Season

The college basketball season in recent years has had enough trouble getting national attention when it starts a season. Between the end of college football and the NFL, while there can be several high-profile matchups, the sport itself has seen its non-conference play traditionally shuttled to the inside pages of the newspapers and last part of the highlights show.

This season’s biggest game of the year was going to be No. 1 Gonzaga against No. 2 Baylor in Indianapolis, one of the rare times that the top two teams in the AP Top 25 meet early in the season. And in a fashion befitting 2020, the game scheduled for last weekend was canceled because of an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Zags’ program.

Villanova celebrates a win in 2k Empire Classic against Arizona State on November 26, 2020, in Uncasville, Connecticut. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Entering Monday, there are 16 teams in Division I that still have not played a game. Several of them were scheduled to be in the Bubbleville event in Uncasville, Connecticut, but did not participate after having a positive test that required a 14-day shutdown. Eleven of those teams are from the Northeast.

Some teams have had multiple games canceled; St. Bonaventure was scheduled to play four games at Bubbleville before a positive test caused a program shutdown, then its rescheduled opener on Saturday afternoon was canceled less than 90 minutes before tipoff because of a positive test on its opponent’s team.

The daily uncertainty of the season, within three weeks of opening night, has already led Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski to cancel the rest of his team’s non-conference games after a second consecutive home loss last Tuesday against Illinois. After the Blue Devils’ game against Notre Dame on December 16, the team will take a 13-day break before a game against Pittsburgh.

“I would just like for the safety, the mental and physical health of players and staff to assess where we’re at,” Krzyzewski said.

Krzyzewski said his decision was made because of the rising number of COVID-19 cases throughout the country and in North Carolina, not because of his team’s 2-2 start — even though Alabama Coach Nate Oats did not resist the chance to take a jab at his counterpart, saying “Do you think if Coach K hadn’t lost his two nonconference games at home that he would still be saying that?” the day after Duke’s announcement.

Still, the decision by Krzyzewski highlighted what will be a crucial next few weeks for college basketball. Players on teams throughout the country have spent months in near-isolation, trying to get through the fall semester without catching the virus so that they could play games. For many of them, the chance to be able to take a week off and go home and see friends and families would be vital for mental health.

On the other hand, there is the train of thought that with college campuses emptying out, basketball teams will be able to have fewer “distractions” with classes and more importantly additional people around campus to increase the risk of COVID-19 on campus. Traditionally, the winter semester break was used to get in a bunch of games and practices.

“We’re being advised by our government not to travel over the holidays and yet these players are traveling,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said Tuesday during the Duke-Illinois game. “There are a lot of questions that need to be asked and we have not had that national conversation and that’s been a failure of leadership.”

Bilas continued throughout the game, pointing to the same issues that many coaches have had already this season: The NCAA and each conference in college basketball have different rules and protocols when it comes to testing and contact tracing. On top of that, there is the issue of traveling in and out of different states and counties and what that entails in terms of different health and safety regulations.

All the meanwhile, the games will go on. Because frankly, there is too much money involved and for athletic departments that have had a fall season where football revenues have plummeted. The need to make sure there is a college basketball season culminating with the NCAA Tournament is imperative.

“I don’t think anyone can say anymore that these young men are amateurs,” Pittsburgh coach Jeff Capel said after one of his team’s recent games. “That’s out the window because they are not. They absolutely are not. They are laying it on the line to entertain people. Something doesn’t feel right about it right now.”

NCAA Women’s Tournament Eyeing San Antonio Bubble

While the regular season is already under pressure, the NCAA Tournament is on track for March, with the strong likelihood of a bubble-type setup in Indianapolis. When the NCAA announced in November that it was planning on that format for its marquee event, the question then followed to what the NCAA Women’s Tournament would do. The NCAA on Monday morning released that plan, saying it has begun preliminary talks with Final Four host site San Antonio and the surrounding region to serve as the landing spot for the 64-team tournament.

“San Antonio was the perfect region for us to explore because it already has an established and fully operational local organizing committee in place for the 2021 Women’s Final Four,” said Lynn Holzman, vice president of women’s basketball at the NCAA. “We look forward to working with Bexar County, San Antonio and the state of Texas to further determine a path for creating a special championship experience for all 64 participating school while ensuring the safest possible environment for college athletes and officials.”

The announcement was not a complete surprise, with Jenny Carnes, senior vice president and chief operating officer for San Antonio Sports and the executive director of the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee for the Final Four, telling SportsTravel in November that “We’ve proposed that (one-site) concept to the NCAA for months now, thinking it would be a tremendous opportunity for our city. It would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. (The NCAA) has been looking at a number of different contingency plans and one would include an one-site tournament.”

Friday, December 11

FOOTBALL: The NFL Season Won’t Be Canceled. But Finishing It Will Be Difficult.

And then there were zero.

With more than 200 players going on the NFL’s COVID-19/Reserve list this season, whether for a positive test or contact tracing reasons, there was one team that until last weekend had not one person be affected: The Seattle Seahawks. That was until Saturday, when defensive tackle Bryan Mone had been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

While some would snark that accomplishing the feat of being the last team standing against COVID-19 may be worth a banner right next to the one it won at Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014, that will not be the case, least of all because Seattle Coach Pete Carroll was fined $100,000 in September for not wearing a mask during a game.

“It was a good reminder that I just got sloppy in that instance, and I can’t afford to be,’’ Carroll said. “I can’t afford to represent that in an effort to try to do this thing better than anybody’s ever done this before. So, I needed to get my own butt kicked, and I didn’t mind that one bit.’’

Overall this week, the vibe from the NFL was actually quite positive. There have also been no games threatened because of positive tests within a team, although the game-day positive of Dez Bryant on the Baltimore Ravens temporarily had fans in an understandable panic, given the team’s issues recently — the Tuesday night game was rescheduled because of last week’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, itself pushed back nearly a week after the team had 10 consecutive days of positive tests, and at least a dozen players were diagnosed with coronavirus, notably league MVP Lamar Jackson.

The league released its weekly testing results on Tuesday and the rate of positive tests fell last week to 0.11 percent from 0.20 percent the previous week with 18 new confirmed positive tests last week among players and 27 among other personnel. That raised the numbers to 173 players and 297 personnel overall since training camp. The numbers are a decrease in positives from the previous round and gives the league and players belief that the latest round of new protocols, which includes no in-person meetings at team facilities and increased use of masks by players on the sidelines during games, is working.

“When we all follow the protocols, they work and they work well,” said NFLPA President JC Tretter, a lineman on the Cleveland Browns. “The contact tracing, getting everyone who potentially are exposed out of the building, works to stop the spread of the virus. It will all come down to how well we follow those protocols and we will continue to evolve those protocols as needed. We know they work and we need to make sure we have 100 percent compliance to finish the season.”

Believing in the ability of players and coaches to police themselves has been the policy as the season has gone on but there are infectious disease experts who say a bubble would be the best way to finish the season.

“We’re in the most dangerous period in modern public-health history, and I feel it would be smarter to do a real bubble and truly quarantine the way that the NBA and NHL did,” Dr. Anne Rimoin, professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, said to the Los Angeles Times.

But NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith said during a virtual news conference on Tuesday that epidemiologists the union consults with have advised that moving into a bubble for the postseason has its own risks because given the size of an NFL team roster, one positive could make an outbreak even more pronounced.

“We’re in a world where things won’t all be perfect,” Smith said. “We have to make decisions on the information and data we have at the time.”

Smith need not tell the players on the San Francisco 49ers that things won’t all be perfect, given that the team was forced to relocate to Arizona indefinitely because of Santa Clara County restrictions on contact sports. And one other team that is able to remain home, the Green Bay Packers, officially backed off plans to allow a restricted number of fans to attend home games on Tuesday; the team had been allowing team employees and their families to attend the past two home games in a test run for larger crowds. But in a statement, the team said: “While infection rates in Brown County and in many areas in Wisconsin currently are trending in a better direction, the rate overall remains at a high level locally. Also, with the holiday season coming up there is concern that the rate may spike again.”

Thursday’s Game

New England at L.A. Rams: No fans were allowed

Sunday’s Games

Tennessee at Jacksonville: Up to 16,791 fans will be allowed
Minnesota at Tampa Bay: Up to 16,000 fans will be allowed
Kansas City at Miami: Up to 13,000 fans will be allowed
Denver at Carolina: Up to 5,240 fans will be allowed
Houston at Chicago: No fans will be allowed
Arizona at N.Y. Giants: No fans will be allowed
Dallas at Cincinnati: Up to 12,000 fans will be allowed
Indianapolis at Las Vegas: No fans will be allowed
N.Y. Jets at Seattle: No fans will be allowed
Green Bay at Detroit: No fans will be allowed
Atlanta at L.A. Chargers: No fans will be allowed
Washington vs. San Francisco at Glendale, Arizona: No fans will be allowed
New Orleans at Philadelphia: No fans will be allowed
Pittsburgh at Buffalo: No fans will be allowed

Monday’s Game

Baltimore at Cleveland: Up to 12,000 fans will be allowed

Thursday December 10

SOCCER: MLS Gauges Success as a Most Unusual Season Comes to a Close

Things were looking so bright for Major League Soccer in February. The league was about to start its 25^th season with star power in Inter Miami with David Beckham as owner, 26 teams deep with four more franchises prepared to begin play within a few years. There would be a spotlight event with the All-Star Game aagainst a selection of Liga MX All-Stars at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and two weeks into the season the league suspended play. Expansion plans were reshuffled; Austin will still join the league next year while Charlotte’s entry will be in 2022, followed by Sacramento and St. Louis in 2023 for a 30-team league with 27 playing in soccer-specific stadiums.

Seattle Sounders’ Cristian Roldan (7) celebrates a Sounders goal late in the second half of an MLS playoff Western Conference final soccer match against Minnesota United. The Sounders won 3-2. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

After a period of planning its return, MLS was able to pull things back together, resuming in July with 51 matches in 35 days at the MLS is Back Tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. The league also played the rest of the regular season with in-market matches but had to adjust the postseason qualifying procedures in the final weeks after the Colorado Rapids had an outbreak within the team that forced five matches to be canceled, making the league do playoff seedings by points per game instead of total points.

But the playoffs have gone off without a hitch — a few teams have had positive COVID-19 tests but not enough to warrant a postponement — and MLS Commissioner Don Garber made a point of saying “we were the only league in the world to play in a bubble and continue in our markets with a regular season and then complete a postseason in our local markets,” during his State of the League address on Tuesday.

The costs of the season were prohibitive. Garber estimates that leaguewide revenue will be down nearly $1 billion compared with last year with the league incurring unforeseen expenses in organizing the MLS Is Back Tournament. And for the rest of the season, every team traveled on charter flights to cut down on outside exposure other than games.

MLS, compared to the NFL or NBA or MLB, it is a bit more reliant on matchday revenue that includes in-person attendance. MLS was able to have fans in restricted numbers at multiple sites this season, but even should a vaccine be widely available in time for next year, “we are concerned about when we are going to be able to at least have an opportunity to have fans attend our games and revenues from ticketing and sponsorship and concessions related to that,” Garber said.

While the league will be able to celebrate a title game on Saturday between the Seattle Sounders and Columbus Crew with up to 1,500 fans at Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio — the original soccer-specific stadium in the United States hosting its last big event before the Crew open a new downtown stadium next year — the league is looking to firm plans for 2021. Garber said the season would likely start in mid-March as the league tried to fit in games around multiple international competitions such as the CONCACAF Gold Cup and World Cup 2022 qualifying.

“We are concerned about what this will look like leading into 2021,” Garber added. “I am very hopeful 2021 will be a way better year than ’20, because I don’t think any business could sustain the kind of impact we sustained in 2020 for two years in a row.”

While MLS is finishing the season in front of a small number of fans, the league that bills itself as the biggest in world soccer — the English Premier League — last weekend was allowed to have fans in the stands for the first time since the pandemic began in March. Ten teams are in Tier 2 according to UK COVID standards and allowed up to 2,000 fans: Arsenal, Brighton, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Southampton, Tottenham, West Ham. Should any of those clubs’ regions be moved into Tier 1, they would be allowed up to 4,000 fans. Teams in Tier 3 remain closed to fans.

For the teams that did have fans, there were a long list of regulations. They are supposed to wear face masks at all times — each of last weekend’s games had some forgetting that part when shown on television — and have a mandatory temperature check. Fans are asked not to sing loudly, another rule not followed too closely last weekend. And notably, fans are allowed to have drinks but also advised not to use stadium bathrooms during halftime and game’s end, which raises the question of whether or not they should want to drink at the game.

Wednesday, December 9

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: The National Champion in 2020—Chaos

No matter the records, where the teams stood in the national rankings, one of the spotlight games each season in college football is Michigan against Ohio State. Until this year.

For the first time since 1918 — the last time the world was battling a pandemic — the Wolverines and Buckeyes will not play a football game after Michigan’s announcement that it does not have enough players after a rising number of positive COVID-19 cases between players and staffers.

“It became really apparent to us all that no matter how much we wanted to play the game, that we started this back in March with the goal to put the health and safety of our student-athletes, our coaches, our staff, as the first priority,” Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel said. “As numbers continue to grow, we can’t ignore and put first how much we want to play this great game against Ohio State. We have to put their health and safety first.”

For Ohio State, the cancellation not only takes away the chance to record another win over its rival, but the ramifications are far-ranging. The Big Ten announced at the start of the season that a team must play at least six league games to be able to play in the league title game — and Tuesday’s announcement leaves the Buckeyes stuck at five games played. That does not make Ohio State unique in the Big Ten — only four teams enter Wednesday in a position to play all eight scheduled games — but unless the league changes its rules for title game qualification, the matchup in Indianapolis would be Northwestern against Indiana, not Northwestern against Ohio State.

And with no disrespect to the Hoosiers, not having the Buckeyes in the title game would be a gut punch to the league not only in prestige and TV ratings, but could potentially have devastating consequences if not playing in a title game keeps Ohio State out of the College Football Playoff. Those consequences are why the league will reportedly hold a meeting on Wednesday about a potential quick change to the rules to the Buckeyes’ benefit.

“The conference is committed to transparency and will continue to collaborate with its member institution stakeholders to determine Big Ten Football Championship Game participation requirements as well as tiebreakers,” the league said in a statement.

What the Big Ten is deliberating with changing its rules for the conference title game on the fly has already been done and dusted in the ACC, which changed up multiple games before last weekend to ensure that its top two teams, Clemson and Notre Dame, have off weeks before meeting on December 19 in the league’s championship game. The Tigers and Irish are in the top four of the CFP standings, making its rematch of a classic overtime game earlier this season won by Notre Dame a highly anticipated one. It also will match up two of the five ACC teams that will fall short of playing 10 games this season, which the league set as the schedule for each team with one non-conference game allowed to maintain rivalries as much as possible. But Clemson played The Citadel instead of South Carolina and Notre Dame played South Florida instead of USC after the SEC and Pac-12, respectively, implemented policies of no non-conference games.

All during the preseason when there were severe doubts if the sport would play in the fall, the one that was the most steadfast was the Big 12 — which, somehow, will have all of its teams play at least nine conference games ahead of its title game on December 19. The league is also notable from the standpoint of each team at least once this season had fans at every home stadium.

The SEC, the biggest league in college football, had one team — Vanderbilt — mostly prohibit fan attendance this season. The others typically allowed up to a quarter of their stadiums’ capacity to be filled. One team, Texas A&M, averaged 24,876 through its four games. The league entered this week with the chance of having each of its teams, through a series of rescheduled matchups, playing a 10-game conference-only schedule. But this week disrupted those plans with Mississippi’s test results such that the Rebels cannot play against Texas A&M — a blow for the Aggies, who are fifth in the College Football Playoff rankings and need as many games as possible to make an impression on the selection committee since it will not be in the SEC title game, which will match Alabama against Florida on December 19 in front of 17,500 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Then there is the last — figuratively and in the power rankings, literally — Power 5 Conference, the Pac-12. The league has said it will not adapt its plans for a conference title game, which means there is the chance a multi-loss team such as Oregon would be in the title game against an unbeaten USC. Colorado, also unbeaten from the South Division but with one less conference game, would be out of luck because the scheduled USC-Colorado game was canceled when USC couldn’t field enough players. The league planned to have a six-game conference-only schedule, but the omens were there at the beginning when the Arizona-Utah game was canceled before the league opener between USC and Arizona State kicked off. Overall, only three teams out of 12 are on track to have a six-game schedule completed.

For the non-Power 5 conferences, the numbers are not much different. The American Athletic Conference has the rare opportunity to have a team contend for a spot in a New Year’s Six Bowl with No. 7 Cincinnati — but the Bearcats have not played since November 21 and this weekend’s game against Tulsa, which was already rescheduled from earlier in the season, will not be played because of a surge of COVID-19 cases at the University of Cincinnati.

That’s not to say the teams won’t play; they are already scheduled to meet in the AAC championship game on December 19. The hopes are high for the league that the Bearcats would be able to play the game; the Hurricane just hope they have a game to play given that this is the eighth weekend a game on their schedule has been either postponed or rescheduled. Only four of the league’s 11 teams will end up a full eight-game season.

The picture is not much prettier with a few of the other leagues. In the Mountain West, only two of the league’s 12 teams will play the number of games originally scheduled; in Conference USA, none of the league’s teams will play its full schedule of eight conference games. Credit can be given to the Sun Belt, where all 10 teams will play eight or more conference games by next weekend, and the Mid-American Conference will have eight of its 12 teams play the full six-game conference schedule.

All told, there have been more than 100 cancellations this season in college football — and we aren’t even at the postseason yet. The LA Bowl, scheduled to have its inaugural contest later this month, has been canceled and joins 10 other games sidelined by COVID-19: the Bahamas, Celebration, Fenway, Hawai’i, Holiday, Las Vegas, Motor City, Pinstripe, Redbox and Sun bowls. The New Mexico Bowl has not been canceled but it will not be held in New Mexico, temporarily relocating to Frisco, Texas.

“This season is anything but regular,” said Fiesta Bowl Executive Director Mike Nealy during a webinar organized by the LEAD1 Forum last week. “We’re doing what we can and we can’t control what happens, but we’re trying to stay as normal as possible and plan for our games as normal as can be.”

Within days, Nealy and the Fiesta Bowl announced that their game will only have family members of players in attendance. Hours later, the Rose Bowl announced no fans would be allowed at its College Football Playoff semifinal.

Chaotic? Not really. It’s merely college football in 2020.

Tuesday, December 8

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Ohio State vs. Michigan Rivalry Game Canceled

One of the most iconic rivalries in sports, let alone college football, has been cancelled because of COVID-19.

Ohio State vs. Michigan, scheduled for Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, will not be held after the Wolverines athletic department said that an increasing number of positive coronavirus cases within the program has its numbers too low to compete. The rivalry, which began in 1897, had been played every year since 1918.

“The number of positive tests has continued to trend in an upward direction over the last seven days,” said Warde Manuel, Michigan’s athletic director. “We have not been cleared to participate in practice at this time. Unfortunately, we will not be able to field a team due to COVID-19 positives and the associated quarantining required of close-contact individuals. This decision is disappointing for our team and coaches but their health and safety is paramount, and it will always come first in our decision-making.”

The immediate question is what this will do to Ohio State’s future. The Buckeyes are ranked in the top four of the College Football Playoff with a 5-0 record, but the current Big Ten rules for the condensed season is that a team must play at least six games to qualify for the conference championship game. No other Big Ten team has an off week, so the rules must be changed should the league want the Buckeyes in the spotlight conference title game later this month in Indianapolis.

It is the second consecutive game that Michigan has had to cancel because of positive COVID-19 cases within the program after a December 5 cancellation against Maryland.

HOCKEY: Oh, Canada, Will The NHL Season Be Hard to Pull Off

One of the great accomplishments in professional sports during the coronavirus pandemic was the National Hockey League’s ability to finish the 2019–2020 season in two controlled bubble environments in Canada, crowning a Stanley Cup champion and having more than 33,000 COVID-19 tests conducted without a single positive.

That, amazingly, may be easier than what the league is trying to accomplish next.

Negotiations between the league and players association have run into several roadblocks, most of them regarding player compensation and the collective bargaining agreement — although those concerns seem to be dissipating. Because of that, the league’s tentative plan to start the season on January 1 is more likely turning into a beginning date of January 13, reports ESPN, given the time that would be needed to test players before training camp and let them get up to speed without an increased risk of injuries. That would nix the idea of having an 82-game season with a target instead of anywhere from 52 games to 56 at the most.

Regardless of the number of games, the league’s divisions will change because of the restrictions on cross-border travel, leading to what will be a one-year unique look that includes a Canadian division. No matter the number of games or which team plays which, the biggest incentive is financial in the form of television coverage; the league’s TV partner, NBC, will have the rescheduled 2021 Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo starting July 23 and will want to make sure that its schedule is filled with Olympics, not an extended NHL season. Add it all together and you should have a group of highly motivated league and club executives.

Some club executives are so motivated that, according to reports, they are examining the feasibility of having most if not all of their home games moved to outdoor venues given the implied difficulties in having indoor events as COVID-19 continues surging across the country. Multiple outlets have reported that the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks each have explored the chances of doing so; the Kings and Ducks would reportedly try to both play games at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, while the Penguins would play likely at PNC Park and the Bruins at Fenway Park.

The original idea was to try and get some amount of fan attendance, although each of the four teams in the initial report are located in states that currently do not allow attendance at sporting events. Regardless, it would be a sign of the lengths teams are willing to go to so that a season could be played. The NHL had already decided against having its marquee outdoor game events this season such as the Winter Classic, and the idea of having teams playing several games outdoors — if not all of them — would raise concerns from the league office about the novelty of outdoor hockey being lessened.

That the greater sports industry took note of the outdoor plans shows the reports made people talk about the NHL beyond its traditional fan base. Yet, the league remains no closer now to having an agreement for the 2021 season than it did a few weeks ago; and the doubt over how the professional hockey season will get underway extends beyond the NHL and down to its two minor leagues, the AHL and ECHL.

The AHL has tentatively scheduled its season to start February 5; that decision was made by the league’s board of governors in early October, but the league has not made any substantial updates recently. The ECHL, meanwhile, will start its season on December 11 — but 11 of the league’s 26 teams have decided to opt out of the season because of the economic struggles that playing a season without fans would entail. That total includes the entire North Division plus teams in Atlanta; Norfolk, Virginia; and three new opt-outs in Cincinnati, Boise, Idaho, and Kalamazoo, Michigan. Sportsnet has also reported that two other teams in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Toledo, Ohio, have not decided for certain if they will participate in the season.

“This decision for our clubs was immensely difficult amidst the ever-changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic and the inability to return to play throughout our various jurisdictions,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin in a statement. “We look forward to returning fans and ECHL hockey in these great markets as they shift their focus to the 2021-22 season.”

Any of the professional leagues also will be playing under the knowledge that hockey may be the toughest sport to hold this season. The Washington Post reported that youth hockey has already seen a marked rise in cases after tournaments throughout the Northeast; there were more than 100 COVID-19 cases stemming from youth hockey in Massachusetts within a month and on November 12, governors from seven states banned interstate youth hockey competition until New Year’s Day.

The chances of being able to have a coordinated approach from the professional through youth levels is not possible. The chances of being able to at least have the best hockey in the world played this season for fans to watch on television is still almost guaranteed; one would believe the NHL would not cancel an entire season given the enormous financial stakes … until, as hockey fans point out, it happened in 2005.

Monday, December 7

BASKETBALL: Whether college or pro, outbreaks already an issue

Through all of the positive tests and contact tracing protocols in college and pro football, there have been several games postponed because of depleted rosters. But the contact tracing issue will have a bigger impact on indoor sports and especially basketball, given the much smaller rosters in that sport compared to the 50-plus and more rosters in football.

That issue was brought to the forefront on Sunday when the No. 1-ranked team in college basketball, Gonzaga, announced a two-week pause in its program a few hours after another well-known basketball team in the Pacific Northwest, the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, announced it was having to shut down practices as well.

In the Zags’ cases, the shutdown led to the postponement of Saturday’s spotlight game against No. 2 Baylor scheduled for Indianapolis and will also affect games scheduled against Tarleton, Southern, Northern Arizona and Idaho.

“Out of an abundance of caution and the well-being of student-athletes, in accordance with COVID-19 protocols Gonzaga has made the decision to pause men’s basketball competitions through December 14,” the school’s statement said.

I could finally move the Bonnies out of the pause zone and into the "out of quarantine" section.

36 teams are currently paused; 10 canceled their season; 50 are now out of quarantine.

For future reference, here's my full college hoops quarantine list: https://t.co/oSnGVCuF6W— SBUnfurled (@SBUnfurled) December 5, 2020

The program hopes to return on that date, which would give it a few days to prepare for a scheduled December 19 game against No. 3 Iowa at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

It is not the first time that Gonzaga has had COVID-19 issues this season; the team played on November 27, beating Auburn in a tournament in Fort Myers, Florida, the day after a staff member tested positive.

College basketball has suffered dozens of cancellations and postponements due to the coronavirus and the NCAA has already announced it will host the NCAA Tournament in a single site modified bubble format, likely in Indianapolis.

Unlike college basketball, the NBA has a thorough booklet of collectively bargained protocols that in the Trail Blazers’ case were invoked on Sunday, which would have been its first day of group workouts. Instead, the facility underwent a deep cleaning after three positive COVID-19 tests in a four-day span within the organization.

The Trail Blazers are scheduled to open the preseason against the Sacramento Kings on Friday. Portland’s announcement follows the decision of the Golden State Warriors to delay its training camp start because of two positives within the roster. That announcement was made last week as the NBA and NBPA released the first set of test results for the preseason, acknowledging that 8.8 percent of players tested positive for the coronavirus between November 24–30. The Toronto Raptors also will be pausing its preseason plans after three players tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend.

Statement from the Toronto Raptors pic.twitter.com/wModeJv1Fd— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 7, 2020

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: LA Bowl Becomes Latest To Cancel for 2020

The LA Bowl, which was scheduled to host the Pac-12 Conference and Mountain West Conference at the new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, has announced that its inaugural game will not be played in 2020. “While the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented us from having the game this year, we look forward to hosting teams from the Mountain West and Pac-12 Conferences next year,” the bowl said in a statement.

It is the 11th bowl game to announce it will not be played this year; there are still 33 scheduled including the College Football Playoff, which would be the lowest number of bowl games played since 2007.

LA Bowl
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Fenway Bowl
San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Bahamas Bowl
Hawai’i Bowl
Redbox Bowl
Quick Lane Bowl
Celebration Bowl
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Las Vegas Bowl

Saturday, December 5

FOOTBALL: As the NFL Tries to Tackle Virus, Dallas Cowboys Want More Fans

The NFL avoided a major catastrophe to its schedule on Wednesday night when the Baltimore Ravens played at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Each team had its games in Week 13 pushed back – Pittsburgh to this coming Monday, Baltimore to this coming Tuesday — and as a result, the league does not have to implement an extra week to the regular season.

The depth of what the Ravens were facing was revealed on Saturday when the team made a statement saying the NFL found “at least four unique strains” of COVID-19 during a cleaning of the team’s facility.

“Three of the four were stopped and not spread within our organization,” Ravens president Dick Cass said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the fourth was a highly-contagious strain and spread throughout our organization.”

At least one Ravens player tested positive for 10 consecutive days up until kickoff of the rescheduled game as Baltimore placed 23 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Only 10 players remain on the list as of Saturday morning.

“From the outset, we have taken the virus seriously, very seriously,” Cass said. “… Despite our best efforts, the protocol is only as effective as our weakest link. With a dangerous virus like this, everyone must comply with the protocol to avoid infecting many. We now know that not everyone at the Ravens followed the protocol thoroughly,” referring to ESPN’s report that a strength coach was not always wearing a mask at the team facility.

The NFL’s front office and medical advisers know the league is close to accomplishing a regular season schedule without having to go into some type of bubble format. Protocols both around each team’s facility and in-game behavior have been increasingly strengthened the past three weeks. But their resistance to switching to a bubble-type of format in the playoffs is evident, with Commissioner Roger Goodell saying as much during a conference call with the media on Wednesday before the Ravens-Steelers game.

“We don’t see the bubble as I think most of you refer to it as, where we’re all in one location and we’re isolating entirely,” Goodell said. “We feel strongly that our protocols are working. As we’ve demonstrated over the last several weeks, we’re willing to adjust those protocols, adapt those protocols, take additional steps that we think might be meeting the environmental circumstances that we’re dealing with in our communities.”

There was wiggle room, however. Given the multiple challenges the league has faced — the Titans’ outbreak, games rescheduled, the 49ers moving to Arizona and last week’s Broncos game where Denver was forced to play without any of their quarterbacks because of contact tracing — the idea that teams would be isolated at hotels in their home markets still remains possible.

“We may look at different ways to reduce the risk for our personnel — whether they’re players, coaches or other personnel — that would limit exposures to others,” Goodell said. “We will continue to evaluate that and we will continue to make those changes as necessary.”

To that point, the NFL has extended some of its strictest COVID-19 safety protocols, including the banning of in-person meetings on Mondays and Tuesdays after games. Virtual meetings only are permitted during the two-day period.

When it comes to the games itself, fourteen teams have not had fans at home games this season and for several teams that have had a restricted number of fans in attendance, some have reversed course in the past month and closed up stadiums.

And then there is the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys are averaging 26,466 fans through six home games. Its past two home games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Football Team both drew over 30,000. And those numbers will only be increased if owner Jerry Jones has anything to do with it.

“My plan was to increase our fans as we went through the season and move the number up, and we followed that plan,” Jones said recently on 105.3 FM in Dallas. “And that’s not being insensitive to the fact that we got our COVID and outbreak. Some people will say maybe it is, but not when you’re doing it as safe as we are and not when we’re having the results we’re having.”

AT&T Stadium had its air conditioning system upgraded before the season and doors behind each end zone are open to allow fresh air during games. Fans in Dallas, much as at other NFL stadiums, must sit in small groups and are supposed to wear masks except when eating or drinking — but anybody who has watched a Cowboys game knows that rule is not strictly enforced.

The Cowboys’ attendance and policy on increasing attendance has come under a microscope as Tarrant County’s health director recently warned residents against large gatherings. Tarrant County has seen cases jump more than 500 percent since the NFL season started; two weeks ago, county health officials said eight residents tested positive and told contact tracers they had been to a Cowboys game recently.

“Whether it’s a sporting event, whether it’s a demonstration or any other large public gathering, there’s always somebody there who has COVID,” Tarrant County Health Director Dr. Vinny Taneja said before Thanksgiving. “No matter how hard you try, people are people. They’re there to celebrate, they’re there to have a good time. You’re going to have some spread occur.”

Sunday’s Games

New Orleans at Atlanta: A limited amount of fans will be allowed
Cleveland at Tennessee: Up to 14,520 fans will be allowed
Detroit at Chicago: No fans allowed
Cincinnati at Miami: Up to 13,000 fans are allowed
Jacksonville at Minnesota: Up to 250 friends and family members of players will be allowed
Indianapolis at Houston: Up to 14,444 fans will be allowed
Las Vegas at N.Y. Jets: No fans allowed
N.Y. Giants at Seattle: No fans allowed
L.A. Rams at Arizona: No fans allowed
New England at L.A. Chargers: No fans allowed
Philadelphia at Green Bay: Up to 500 employees and family members are allowed
Denver at Kansas City: Up to 16,811 fans will be allowed

Monday’s Games
Washington at Pittsburgh: No fans allowed
Buffalo vs. San Francisco at Glendale, Arizona: No fans allowed

Tuesday’s Game
Dallas at Baltimore: No fans allowed

Thursday, December 3

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl Off-Limits to Spectators

The Rose Bowl, always one of the biggest college football games of the season with its rich tradition and this year the site of a College Football Playoff semifinal game, will not have fans at the January 1 spotlight event in Pasadena, California.

The New Year’s Day sunset looms over the Rose Bowl stadium on January 1, 2020, during the game between the
Oregon Ducks and Wisconsin Badgers. Photo Courtesy Rose Bowl Operating Company

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses announced the decision due to COVID-19 restrictions set forth by the state of California, Los Angeles County and the city of Pasadena. The Tournament of Roses requested special permission to allow for a limited number of spectators or a select number of student-athlete and coach guests but the request was denied.

“While we are disappointed that the Rose Bowl Game will not be played in front of spectators, we are pleased that we are still able to hold the game this year, continuing the 100-year plus tradition of ‘The Granddaddy of Them All,’” said David Eads, executive director and CEO of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. “We continue to work closely with health department officials and the Rose Bowl Stadium to provide the safest possible environment for our game participants.”

The Rose Bowl was the second major bowl game to announce fan restrictions in the past 24 hours, joining the Fiesta Bowl. The game in Glendale, Arizona, will be played on January 2 without fans other than immediate families of the teams participating based on recommendations from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

“While we are disappointed that the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl will not have fans in the stadium to enjoy bowl season this year, we respect the decisions made by the local authorities,” said Fiesta Bowl Executive Director Mike Nealy. “Our staff was incredibly diligent to put health and safety measures in place that earned the endorsement from the Governor’s Office for policies that aligned with recommendations for reducing COVID-19 transmission risk.”

BASKETBALL: NBA Already Dealing With COVID Positives Before Tipoff

The NBA completed its 2019–2020 season in August after spending nearly 100 days of competition in a secure bubble environment at the ESPN Walt Disney Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Florida. But the 2020–2021 season will not be in a bubble, rather with a book-sized list of protocols to follow and there are already fears the season will become even more disrupted than its professional counterparts in the NFL.

The upcoming regular-season schedule itself is being released in two segments, with the first three nights released by the league on Tuesday and Wednesday and the remainder of the first half of the season, from December 22 through March 4, being released on Friday.

First three days of play in the NBA season. pic.twitter.com/QyzqRTM7NC— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) December 2, 2020

But even within each half of a release, there is an acceptance of the road ahead. The schedule for the second half of the season will be released during the latter part of the first half and will include the remainder of each team’s 72 games not previously scheduled— as well as any games postponed that can reasonably be added to the second half.

Daily testing is already underway ahead of training camps opening next week. Among the protocols is that an “expected number” of cases would not require the league to suspend the season while any player who tests positive will have to sit out for 10 days and then be monitored for two additional days before being eligible to play.

Given the issues that pro and college football have had this fall, and the multiple shutdowns already in college basketball in November because of positive tests, the chances of having the regular season go without a postponement or shutdown is certainly not one on which to bet. Philadelphia 76ers Coach Doc Rivers said during his team’s media day that “I’m very concerned if we can pull this off … if one of our guys and two of our key guys gets the virus and they miss 10 days to 14 days, that can be eight games and that can knock you out of the playoffs.”

To Rivers’ point, the NBA released a statement on Wednesday afternoon saying that as league-wide daily testing resumed from November 24 through November 30, “Of the 546 players tested for COVID-19 during this initial return-to-market testing phase, 48 have returned positive tests. Anyone who has returned a confirmed positive test during this initial phase of testing in their team’s market is isolated until they are cleared for leaving isolation under the rules established by the NBA and the Players Association in accordance with CDC guidance.”

When it comes to fans as the season starts December 22, only one team so far has confirmed it plans to have spectators in attendance. The Utah Jazz will have 1,500 fans in the lower bowl seating along with limited seating allowed on the suite level.

The Oklahoma City Thunder had planned to allow a restricted number of fans before reversing course on November 30 and saying it would not have fans in attendance, joining the Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets, L.A. Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks in officially saying no fans would be allowed when the season gets underway. Most of the league’s teams have not officially announced its policies; the Golden State Warriors were hoping to get fans into the Chase Center but the team’s plan was rejected by the San Francisco Department of Health in November.

While most NBA teams have not announced policies, Dr. Anthony Fauci told Yahoo Sports on Monday that having capacity crowds at any point this season is unlikely.

“We’re gonna be vaccinating the highest-priority people [from] the end of December through January, February, March,” Fauci said. “By the time you get to the general public, the people who’ll be going to the basketball games, who don’t have any underlying conditions, that’s gonna be starting the end of April, May, June. So it probably will be well into the end of the summer before you can really feel comfortable [with full sports stadiums] – if a lot of people get vaccinated.”

AUTO RACING: Daytona 500 to Restrict Fan Attendance in 2021

The 63rd Annual Daytona 500 will play host to a limited number of fans in Daytona Beach, Florida, on February 14. The exact number of fans to be allowed has not yet been determined.

“The Daytona 500 is one of the greatest spectacles in all of sports, and fans from all over the world converge in Daytona Beach to be a part of motorsport’s biggest day,” said Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile. “While we won’t be able to have a capacity crowd here in February, we are excited that we can host the Daytona 500 with those in attendance, as well as for the millions who will tune in live on Fox.”

The speedway will work to accommodate guests who have already purchased tickets to the 2021 race. To ensure social distancing, many fans who already have bought tickets will be reseated in new locations, a process that is expected to be complete by early January.

All guests will be screened before entering the facility and will be required to wear face coverings while maintaining six feet social distancing throughout their visit.

WINTER SPORTS: Outdoor Sports Still At Risk

While most of the focus for winter sports has been focused on how events could be held safely as the coronavirus pandemic continues its surge across the United States, there is no lack of concern when it comes to outdoor winter sports as well given the transnational nature of many of the elite international circuits.

Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States competes during the first run of the alpine ski, women’s World Cup slalom in Levi, Finland, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. (Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva via AP)

Between the World Cup ski season as well as bobsled, luge and skeleton, measures are being implemented by international federations to try and keep athletes from being exposed to COVID-19. And while the conventional wisdom is that the risk of infection is lower for outdoor sports compared to indoor sports, that does not mean the concerns are any less.

“Every site must implement and follow strict hygiene and protection plans and every accredited stakeholder must respect these rules,” the International Ski Federation said in a recent statement to the New York Times. “We had a positive start with last weekend’s races in Soelden (Austria) and will continue to work for similar results as the season progresses.”

The ISF requires anybody entering a venue during a competition stop to have had a negative COVID-19 test in the previous 72 hours, while athletes are also to be separate from equipment technicians. But the schedule itself has remained intact contrasted to the International Biathlon Union, which has hosted six events at three locations to start the season instead of at five locations as in the past.

The perils of winter outdoor competition in the COVID-19 era were magnified over the weekend when training and a World Cup bobsled and skeleton race scheduled for March as a 2022 Olympic Winter Games test event in Beijing were canceled, in addition to the World Cup luge event at the same track built in Yanqing. In a letter sent to national federations, International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation Secretary General Heike Groesswang said several weeks of conversations were held about how to move forward with the training week and World Cup “under the challenging circumstances the COVID-19 pandemic causes to all of us.”

Both USA Bobsled and Skeleton and USA Luge announced in the fall that they are sitting out the pre-Christmas portions of the World Cup because of international travel and other pandemic-related issues.

“We are taking every precaution necessary to ensure the safety of our athletes, coaches, and staff members, which means we will not be traveling to Europe for at least the first half of the season,” said USABS Chief Executive Officer Aron McGuire. “We will be utilizing our home tracks to reduce the risk of exposure to Covid-19. We are fortunate to have two world class facilities in our country that we can train and compete on this season.”

Wednesday, December 2

COLLEGE SPORTS: Quarantine period changes the game for basketball

One of the biggest issues in college sports, both football and basketball, has been the issue of how long an athlete has to quarantine. Between NCAA guidelines, then the added layers of different conference regulations and of course the rules from local and state health departments, many teams have had to deal with contact tracing and quarantine periods that for football wipes out a layer of depth on the roster and for basketball simply shuts the program down for 14 days.

That reinforces the enormity of Wednesday’s decision by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that its recommended quarantine time for those exposed to COVID will be cut to seven days for those who test negative themselves and 10 days for those who don’t get a test.

Such a decision would have a massive change for college basketball, which less than a week into its season has seen games cancelled by the dozens and matchups sometimes made as little as 24 hours in advance. The NCAA’s previous guidelines for the sport included not only COVID-19 testing three times per week for players, coaches and officials in the sport, but a 14-day shutdown of any program that has a positive test within its Tier 1 group of players and coaches.

San Fran was originally playing Army today, replacing St. Bonaventure in Bubbleville. Stephen F. Austin leaves among other programs, schedules are shuffled and the Dons get the No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers instead- and win. Bill Russell must be smiling.— Chuckie Maggio (@chuckiemaggio) November 27, 2020

The issue of contact tracing and quarantine in all sports has been a difficult issue to parse, but especially so in college sports. For many college football programs, the positive tests within a program have been one issue — but when a 14-day quarantine is factored in, that has brought several cancellations throughout the country.

That factor is magnified within college basketball given the fewer number of players on a roster.

“We’ve got to do something about this now or the season will be destroyed,” Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim said after his team’s season opener, an 85-84 win over Bryant played the day after the Orange were cleared to practice as a group after a 14-day shutdown. “Because if you have your team sit for 14 days and you can’t practice, then you can’t play. You can’t come off that and play Virginia, Duke or North Carolina. … You would need seven or eight days to even come close to being ready.”

The uneven guidelines across college basketball was magnified by a wild 24 hours for No. 1 Gonzaga at the Fort Myers Tip-Off. After the Zags beat No. 6 Kansas on Thursday, the team tweeted out a video of the team locker room as players and staff — none wearing masks — celebrated Coach Mark Few’s 600^th career win. The next day, Gonzaga beat Auburn while missing two players, one of whom had tested positive for the coronavirus. The celebration video was deleted the next day while questions were asked about how the team was able to play without being a shutdown.

“We had people out for quarantine due to contact tracing, we had a positive test on an administrative staff, then we had a positive test on a player,” Few said. “It’s how the preseason has went. You just wait to get the news on testing, then you have to react, have to stay agile. We followed COVID protocols with the tournament and the Florida health board down here have all been great. Our guys have been incredibly diligent about following all the rules.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: ACC Changes Schedule, Medical Protocols

The ACC will change the remainder of its football schedule to ensure that the top three contenders for the league’s championship game all play the same number of games — leaving both No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 4 Clemson without a game after this Saturday.

The third team still mathematically in the title game chase is Miami, which will play at Duke on Saturday, then is scheduled to play at North Carolina on December 12. If the Hurricanes are not in the title game, it will also have a game on December 19 against Georgia Tech.

Should a game involving Clemson, Miami or Notre Dame not be played this weekend, the ACC could reschedule games on December 12. Notre Dame has already clinched a spot in the title game and Clemson can do the same with a win on Saturday against Virginia Tech.

The ACC started the season with a model that allowed each team to play 10 conference games and one non-conference game. The league has had nine canceled games this season overall, two of them involving Florida State — one of those was against Clemson, a game canceled less than three hours before the scheduled kickoff, which still irks Tigers Coach Dabo Swinney.

The league also announced adjustments for its testing protocols. Each team will be required to have a PCR test on Thursday with a result prior to the visiting team traveling to the game locale, which was the source of controversy for both of Florida State’s cancellations.

Monday, November 30

NFL: Ravens vs. Steelers Again Delayed

The National Football League is officially in damage control mode, pushing back a game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers to Wednesday night — almost a full week from when it was originally scheduled to be played.

ESPN first reported the league’s decision, which was set to be the primetime game on Thanksgiving Night before being moved to Sunday afternoon, then Tuesday night and now Wednesday. The decision comes after the Ravens had a player test positive for the ninth consecutive day, making it 22 players altogether either to test positive or be identified by the NFL as a close contact.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is tackled by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey during a game on November 1, 2020 in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

The league made the move official around 6:44 p.m. ET, saying that the game will be played at 3:40 p.m. ET on Wednesday and broadcast on NBC. The league will also move both the Steelers’ and Ravens’ games for Week 13 back; the Steelers will play the Washington Football Team at 5 p.m. ET on December 7, making it a doubleheader for Monday Night Football, and the Ravens will play the Cowboys at 8:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 8.

The NFL has moved games back repeatedly this season because of COVID-19 outbreaks among teams, most notably when the Tennessee Titans’ game against the Steelers was delayed for a week and set off a chain reaction of schedule adjustments throughout the league. But to have a game switched around so many times this deep into the season is needed for teams such as the Ravens and Steelers who are both deep in the AFC playoff race with the Ravens holding onto a wild-card spot and the Steelers, the NFL’s lone unbeaten team, holding a half-game advantage for the top seed in the AFC and a potential bye for the start of the expanded playoffs.

The spread of coronavirus that has increased as the league’s season has developed raises more questions about if the league will eventually have to go to some type of bubble format to make sure games are completed on schedule. The NFL Network reported over the weekend that the league, which has repeatedly tried to strengthen COVID-19 protocols the past three weeks, will create “local bubbles” for the teams that make the playoffs with players, staffs and team personnel staying isolated in hotels except for practices at the respective team facilities.

All team facilities are already closed for Monday and Tuesday this week with the exception of the Ravens and Steelers and players are now required to wear masks on the sidelines if they’re not substituting into the game or wearing a helmet. The NFL’s count of positive cases among players and staff throughout the league has mirrored the surge that is happening across the United States; there were 18 positives through the first three weeks of the season but in the past two weeks there have been 122 positives.

The reported decision on another Ravens/Steelers postponement comes hours after San Francisco 49ers announced they will be playing home games for two of the next three weeks in Glendale, Arizona. The team will use State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals, for games on December 7 against the Buffalo Bills and December 13 against the Washington Football Team after Santa Clara County on Saturday announced new COVID-19 related restrictions preventing contact sports in the county for at least the next three weeks.

“The Cardinals organization, State Farm Stadium and League officials have been supportive and accommodating as we work through the many logistical issues involved in relocating NFL games,” the 49ers said in a statement.

The Niners still have to figure out where they will practice for the next few weeks and said “Information regarding the future practice arrangements will be shared at the appropriate time.”

Monday, November 30

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Another Week Already Disrupted

College football’s upcoming weekend has already been disrupted with Florida State still experiencing issues getting enough players healthy and recovered from COVID-19, the Pac-12 having four teams with issues of varying degrees and potentially the Big Ten crowning a division champion by default.

The Pac-12 enters the week with USC, Arizona State and Washington State trying to see if each will have enough players available for upcoming games — while Stanford is left trying to find out where it can practice and play home games after Santa Clara County’s order banning high school, collegiate and professional sports for three weeks. Entering this week, the Pac-12 has already had nine cancellations in four weeks since its shortened season was scheduled to get underway with Arizona State accounting for three of the nine. The Big Ten has had six cancellations in six-plus weeks and the SEC has had 10 cancellations in 10 weeks.

Stanford blocks an extra-point kick by California during the second half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 27, 2020, in Berkeley, Calif. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

In another attempt to try and do a more targeted job at contact tracing, the Pac-12 announced it will partner with KINEXON SafeZone technology within its football and men’s and women’s basketball programs. Players, coaches and staffers during all team activities and games will use small lightweight wearables called “SafeTags” to accurately measure the distance and duration between users so chains of infection can be identified immediately and those at risk can be sent into quarantine in real-time, limiting the possibility of large outbreaks. The SafeTags can also be used to enforce physical distancing protocols by flashing a red warning light when certain people are within six feet of each other.

The ACC does not have divisions this year, but it still has an issue with one of its marquee programs, Florida State, getting enough players to field a team. The Seminoles’ game against Clemson was canceled on short notice two weeks ago, a decision that still rankles Tigers Coach Dabo Swinney, before this past Saturday’s game against Louisville was also canceled on the morning of kickoff. Now, this week’s upcoming game against Duke has been canceled as well — with the Miami Hurricanes, who were off this week, going instead to play at Duke.

In the Big Ten, Minnesota’s program revealed on Monday that “since November 19, the program has experienced 47 positive cases, which includes 21 student-athletes and 26 staff.” That has meant not only did the Gophers’ scheduled game this past Saturday against Wisconsin get canceled — the first time the teams have not played since 1906 — but the Gophers’ game this coming weekend against Northwestern will also be canceled. The Wildcats may by the end of the week be crowned Big Ten West Division champions since its 5-2 record can only be bested by Iowa … should the Hawkeyes finish out its schedule, which is never a guarantee this season.

And while the conference seasons are trying to squeeze in as many games as possible, multiple bowls have had to go on hiatus — including the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, traditionally played at Yankee Stadium. The game, scheduled for December 29 between teams from the Big Ten and ACC, will not be played in 2020, joining seven other games to be canceled: The Fenway Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Bahamas Bowl, Hawaii Bowl, Redbox Bowl, Quick Lane Bowl and Celebration Bowl also will not be played this postseason.

“Due to the recent increase in coronavirus cases, which has led to the imposition of various travel restrictions and the cancellation of many college football games, including those in the Big Ten and ACC conferences, we have made the decision out of an abundance of caution and in conjunction with both conferences to cancel the 2020 New Era Pinstripe Bowl,” the bowl game said in a statement.

Sunday, November 29

NFL: Outbreaks Leave NFL at a Crossroads

The National Football League is at a tipping point and a confluence of events is making this weekend the most perilous in the league’s attempt at getting through the season in a global pandemic.

Potentially the weirdest game of what has been an already weird season will be on Sunday in Denver, Colorado, where the Broncos do not have healthy quarterbacks — literally. A backup quarterback, Jeff Driskel, tested positive on Thursday and each of the team’s other quarterbacks — starter Drew Lock and backups Blake Bortles and Brett Rypien — have been ruled out by the league as close contacts. There were also reports from ESPN that the quarterbacks were not wearing masks when together in meeting rooms during the week.

Because the league’s rules preclude an emergency signing because of the time needed for any free-agent signing to clear protocols, the Broncos will play the New Orleans Saints with one of its wide receivers on the practice squad, Kendall Hinton, playing quarterback thanks to his background in the position at college before switching positions. Because of the unique situation, many betting books in Las Vegas have taken the game off the line.

The San Francisco 49ers, meanwhile, are scheduled to play this afternoon at the Los Angeles Rams — and the team will have to get used to playing on the road. Santa Clara County health officials on Saturday banned all contact sports at the high school, collegiate and professional levels through December 21; teams from Stanford University and San Jose State will be affected, as well as the NHL’s San Jose Sharks and NBA’s Golden State Warriors in their preparations for the coming regular season.

But immediately, the 49ers will have to figure out what to do the next three weeks. Not only will the franchise have to leave their training site in Santa Clara, the team also have two scheduled home games over the next three weeks on December 7 against the Buffalo Bills and December 13 against the Washington Football Team.

“We are aware of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department’s emergency directive,” Bob Lange, the 49ers team spokesman, said in a statement. “We are working with the N.F.L. and our partners on operational plans and will share details as they are confirmed.”

On top of all of this is the week-long saga that is Baltimore Ravens, who were scheduled to play on Thanksgiving Day night against the Pittsburgh Steelers before the game was moved to Tuesday night because of an outbreak in the Baltimore locker room. The Ravens now have 18 players on the reserved/COVID list, including reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson, and have disciplined a strength coach who was reportedly not wearing a mask around the team facility. The Steelers also had to place a starter, running back James Conner, on the same list ahead of the game.

Neither team has a bye remaining on the season, so getting the game in by Tuesday night is imperative for the league to keep its schedule on track. The Ravens were already scheduled to play on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys, a game already moved to Monday night.

As all of these things happen at different franchises, the NFL is working to try and clamp down on any potential outbreaks as much as possible. The league has strengthened protocols each of the past wo weeks and on Friday, the league told every team that practices on Monday and Tuesday would not be allowed after players and personnel celebrated Thanksgiving with family and friends. One example of such was the Indianapolis Colts’ running back Jonathan Taylor, who will be on the restricted list — not because he tested positive for COVID but because his girlfriend left the city to go to a family gathering and has since tested positive herself, making Taylor a close contact.

Thursday’s Games
Houston at Detroit: No fans allowed
Washington at Dallas: An unspecified number of fans are allowed
Sunday’s Games
Las Vegas at Atlanta: A limited number of fans are allowed
Miami at N.Y. Jets: No fans allowed
N.Y. Giants at Cincinnati: Up to 12,000 fans allowed
Tennessee at Indianapolis: Up to 12,500 fans allowed
L.A. Chargers at Buffalo: No fans allowed
Cleveland at Jacksonville: Up to 16,791 fans allowed
Arizona at New England: No fans allowed
Carolina at Minnesota: No fans allowed
New Orleans at Denver: No fans allowed
San Francisco at L.A. Rams: No fans allowed
Kansas City at Tampa Bay: Up to 16,000 fans allowed
Chicago at Green Bay: Up to 500 employees and family members are allowed
Monday’s Game
Seattle at Philadelphia: No fans allowed
Tuesday’s Game
Baltimore at Pittsburgh: No fans allowed

Saturday, November 28

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Outbreaks Make Mockery of Schedule

A schedule that for some conferences was already condensed into conference-only matchups is further deteriorating after a series of outbreaks at some of college football’s biggest programs.

On the heels of Alabama Coach Nick Saban testing positive for COVID-19 and being forced to miss the Crimson Tide’s Iron Bowl matchup against Auburn on Saturday, Ohio State Coach Ryan Day tested positive on Friday morning and by the end of the day, the Buckeyes’ game against Illinois was canceled — putting the No. 4-ranked team on the verge of missing the Big Ten Conference championship game.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day looks at the scoreboard during the third quarter of the team’s NCAA college football game against Penn State in State College, Pa., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. Ohio State won 38-25. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

Ohio State already had a game canceled this season with Maryland after an outbreak among the Terrapins’ program. This weekend’s cancellation means if the Buckeyes have one of its final two games canceled, it would be ineligible for the conference championship game.

“We have continued to experience an increase in positive tests over the course of this week,” Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith said. “The health, safety and well-being of our student-athlete is our main concern, and our decisions on their welfare will continue to be guided by our medical staff.”

One team already looks to be ineligible for the Big Ten title game in Wisconsin, which had its game against Minnesota postponed because of positives within the Gophers program. This is the first year since 1906 that the teams have not played; Wisconsin has had three games canceled this season and as it stands would only have five games by the end of the season.

The cancellations continued on Saturday, with Florida State having a second game postponed — this time against Virginia after last week’s postponement against Clemson. The Seminoles may still be able to play a full schedule if it can get next week’s game against Duke in; FSU could play Clemson on a mutual off day December 12, then play Virginia on December 19 since neither team will be in the conference title game.

Another game in a mid-major conference, the Mountain West, between Boise State and San Jose State was also canceled on Saturday morning. The game would have been a key one in the league with both teams sitting at 4-0 in the conference, tied for second place behind unbeaten Nevada.

Colorado’s Pac-12 matchup at USC was already canceled on Thursday night, although within hours the unbeaten Buffaloes found an opponent; it will play host to San Diego State instead in a non-conference game. That was the third Pac-12 game of the week cancelled after Utah against Arizona State was axed because of positives on the Sun Devils, followed by Washington against Washington State after the Cougars did not have enough healthy players. As a result, the Huskies and Utes will play each other on Saturday night.

Cincinnati’s game against Temple was canceled a day after the Bearcats were ranked at No. 7 in the College Football Playoff rankings. And as for the team ranked No. 1 in those standings, Alabama, its game against Auburn is still on — but after a different SEC game between Arkansas and Missouri was canceled, the league made several scheduling adjustments that includes a previously canceled Crimson Tide game against LSU being rescheduled for December 5.

Confused? Welcome to college football in 2020.

Friday, November 27

FOOTBALL: With Byes Completed, NFL Walks Scheduling Tightrope

The NFL is entering the danger zone part of its season. With team byes having wrapped up, it will be a mathematical difficulty to reschedule games should any coronavirus outbreaks happen on a team without extending the regular season a week.

It was easier, so to speak, earlier in the season when the Tennessee Titans had an outbreak. Several teams switched byes, games were moved around and as it turned out, the league was able to hold games almost flawlessly — an unusual Tuesday night game or Monday night doubleheader here or there notwithstanding.

Knowing the tightrope the league now must walk the rest of the regular season, the league has rescheduled what was going to be the spotlight game on Thanksgiving Day, the Baltimore Ravens at the Pittsburgh Steelers, after the Ravens have had five players and four staff members test positive for COVID-19 this week.

The NFL released a statement saying “Should the game be played on Tuesday, the Week 13 Dallas Cowboys at Baltimore Ravens game, originally scheduled for Thursday, December 3, will be moved to Monday, December 7, at 5 p.m. ET … These decisions were made out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts.”
Being able to move the game back to Monday is the best possible outcome for the league, which otherwise would have been forced to contemplate having a bonus “Week 18” for either Ravens-Steelers or Ravens-Cowboys, since both games will have playoff seeding implications.

The Ravens announced that running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday and the numbers have increased since then. While the league has started to take players being put on the COVID/Reserve list more and more as a “next man up” mentality akin to injuries, the looming difficulty of replacing multiple players still makes it a nervous time for any team.

The Ravens later issued a statement saying an unnamed staff member has been disciplined “for conduct surrounding the recent COVID-19 cases that have affected players and staff at the Ravens.”

The postponement comes a few days after the NFL issued even stricter guidance on Monday for team operations, requiring players to wear masks on the sidelines unless they have their helmet on and are preparing the enter the game — changes that begin Thursday night.

The NFL is threatening players with individual discipline if they do not comply. Along with players wearing masks on the sidelines, coaches who call plays will no longer have the option to wear only a face shield and must wear a face mask or double-layered gaiter in addition to the face shield.

It is the second week that the league has further tightened protocols in an attempt to get the rest of the regular season completed amid surging case numbers across the country. The league says they have had 108 positive tests among players and staff in the past two testing periods; in the 11 previous periods, there were 146 cases.

The number of teams that will allow fans in stadiums changed again this week as well, with the Steelers and Eagles reversing previous decisions to allow fans after a state order from Pennsylvania — but surprisingly, the Green Bay Packers will allow up to 500 team employees and family members of players to attend Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football.

“We don’t take this stuff lightly in terms of being able to have people in the stands,” Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy said on Monday. “A couple things that made me feel comfortable about this is, No. 1, obviously, it’s an outside venue. There’s a big difference between outside venues and indoors. When you look at it from the big picture, we’re going to be at less than 1 percent of our total capacity.”

The Packers did not rule out, should it hold Sunday’s game successfully with fans in the stands, allowing a limited number of ticketed fans into games for the remainder of the season. Until recently, Green Bay was the hardest-hit NFL city in terms of COVID-19 infection rates according to NFLPA data from Johns Hopkins University. This week that category is led by Minnesota with an average of 104 new cases per 100,000 people; Green Bay is second at 90.83 and Chicago is third with 89.66.

Wednesday, November 25

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Nick Saban Tests Positive, to Miss Iron Bowl

Alabama coach Nick Saban has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not coach Saturday’s Iron Bowl game against Auburn. Saban earlier this season had tested positive before his team’s game against Georgia but was allowed to coach after the test turned out to be a false positive.

This week’s test is definitely not a false positive. The Crimson Tide, ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings, said that Saban does have “very mild symptoms.”

Alabama head coach Nick Saban, right, talks with Daniel Wright as he walks off the field during the second half of a against Missouri on September 26, 2020, in Columbia, Missouri. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

The game-related fear is that Saban’s positive test may force Saturday’s game to be rescheduled or postponed once Alabama finishes its contact tracing protocols. Saban will have to isolate for at least 10 days, which would put his return on Decemeber 4, one day before the scheduled regular-season finale at Arkansas.

“Based on how we manage things internally in the building, I can’t see any issues with coaches and the players,” Saban said. “But that’s up to [the contact tracing officials].”

Saturday’s head-coaching duties for Alabama will fall to offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. Saban will be able to continue to be part of the Tide’s preparations leading to Saturday’s game through video conferences and watching practice from his home.

ESPN says at least 18 FBS head coaches have tested positive for COVID-19 this season.

HOCKEY: National Women’s Hockey League Going to Bubble Format

The National Women’s Hockey League will play the 2021 season and Isobel Cup Playoffs at the 1980 Rink-Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York, from January 23 through February 5 in partnership with the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority.

The competition will feature the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, and first-year expansion club the Toronto Six without fans in attendance. Beginning January 23, they will each play five games, followed by a playoff round that will determine the four teams advancing to the Isobel Cup semifinals before the title game on February 5.

“The NWHL is excited to provide hockey fans a fast-paced schedule of thrilling games on the road to the Isobel Cup,” said NWHL Interim Commissioner Tyler Tumminia. “At a time of hyper-growth for girls’ and women’s hockey, we see this season as a celebration of the sport. This will be a historic moment as the hallowed arena that was the site of the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980 hosts its first women’s professional championship.”

All of the professional players who signed contracts this year for the NWHL season will be compensated in full and players will be given the opportunity to opt-out of the tournament and still receive their complete salaries. The season remains subject to the final agreement by and among the NWHL, the Olympic Regional Development Authority of New York and the State of New York.

Tuesday, November 24

TRIATHLON: Ironman Shuts Down Remaining Events in 2020

The Ironman Group will shut down the rest of its live events in 2020, including the cancellation of the Ironman 70.3 Florida triathlon in Haines City. The company cited infection rates in key event locations in canceling the year’s remaining events, which in addition to the Florida race was to feature events Arizona (Ironman Arizona, Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona), Tennessee (Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville), and Texas (Ironman 70.3 Texas – Galveston and Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio).

The company has safely held events in some of those markets in recent weeks but said upticks in COVID-19 infections changed its ability to responsibly host events in the weeks to come.

“With COVID-19 infections on the rise around the United States, we are not comfortable hosting any further events in 2020,” said Andrew Messick, president and CEO for the Ironman Group. “While we remain confident that our Safe Return to Racing Guidelines will protect athletes, volunteers and staff, the public health environment at this moment is not conducive to any type of mass gatherings. We expect to be back in action for 2021 with events that follow guidelines and recommendations consistent with the expectations set by public health entities and our race communities.”

SOCCER: England to allow fans at games

Fans of the English Premier League may see a restricted number of fans in attendance when they tune in next month after the government said it would end a lockdown on December 2 and put in a three-tiered system throughout the country in which up to 4,000 fans in low-risk areas can attend sporting events. Up to 2,000 fans will be allowed in second-tier areas but high-risk areas, or Tier 3, will still be closed off to fans.

England is to return to a system of tiered restrictions starting December 2 with gyms, pools, golf courses and leisure facilities allowed to open in all tiers after the government accepted their positive impact on physical and mental health. Indoor events in areas that are either Tier 1 or Tier 2 can have up to 1,000 fans on hand.

The decision to allow fans depending on the region was greeted with widespread relief for those in England’s lower leagues of soccer. Many teams are like American minor league teams in that they are hugely reliant on gate receipts with many teams in League One and League Two raising concerns about their viability financially to survive the full season. The English Football League, which is the organizer of the lower leagues, may shift the schedule around so that matches scheduled right before December 2 get moved to later dates in the month so that teams would have a bonus home game’s worth of attendance revenue.

For teams in the Premier League that have not had fans in attendance since March, the decline in revenues has been stark. Tottenham reported a loss of $85.5 million for the fiscal year ending June 30 after having a $91.8 million profit the previous financial year; the club recently opened a new stadium that cost $1.6 billion and said it would lose another $200 million in the current fiscal year without having fans in attendance. Manchester United said it lost $29 million in the most recent fiscal year after a $24 million profit in the previous one.

Monday, November 23

HOCKEY: Minor Leagues Feeling Economic Pressure

Whether in college or professional sports, one of the biggest issues for leagues playing in the fall and winter is what will happen financially without the ability to have a full house — or any fans in attendance at all.

The ECHL Maine Mariners play their home games at Cross Insurance Arena in downtown Portland, Maine.

The financial crunch is even more magnified in minor league sports, where ticket revenues are the main driver for teams to survive. Not having the ability to have fans in attendance could put franchises on the brink.

One minor league facing that dilemma is the ECHL, which will start its season on December 11 — well, at least some of its teams will, after the North Division’s six teams informed the league that they will be opting out of the upcoming season.

The ECHL earlier released its schedule in a unique format. For 13 teams in the ECHL, the season will be 72 games starting December 11, 2020. The other teams in the league would have a 62-game season that starts on January 15.

The Adirondack Thunder, Brampton Beast, Maine Mariners, Newfoundland Growlers, Reading Royals and Worcester Railers are set to return next year in the 2021–2022 ECHL season. They join the Norfolk Admirals and Atlanta Gladiators as opting out of the upcoming season.

“As we continue to navigate the continually changing regulations across North America, we recognize the difficult nature of this decision,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. “While some of our teams’ host cities have allowed upcoming plans to include fans inside arenas, we unfortunately do not see the same path for these highly-affected areas in the Northeast.”

For many teams in the North, the decision may sound painful but in reality, it was fairly straightforward. Reading Royals General Manager David Farrar told the Reading Eagle “more prudent decision was to swallow the pain of a lost season and have a clean slate in October, when the pandemic is hopefully under control.”

The Maine Mariners also pointed to the economic difficulties of having a season without the revenue that would normally come from having fans in attendance along with things such as local sponsorships. In that state, the department of health and human services has reduced its indoor gathering limit to 50 people.

“The business model as far as minor league hockey is concerned relies heavily on ticket sales, and if we had reduced capacity and then every away trip required a flight, it just wouldn’t have been feasible,” said Maine Mariners Vice President for Business Operations Adam Goldberg.

The ECHL, played almost exclusively in small or mid markets throughout the country, averaged 4,327 fans per game last season before play was suspended. Players on the teams that will opt out for the season will become free agents; players make between $550 and $1,000 weekly during the season with free housing and a food per diem.

The ECHL’s decision comes as the AHL, which planned originally to start in December, has already delayed its anticipated start for the coming season to February 5, 2021. The league’s Board of Governors approved the decision while agreeing to monitor developments and local guidelines in all 31 league cities, several of which are also in Canada.

The AHL and ECHL, like every other minor league in the United States, are much more reliant on revenue that comes from ticket sales, local sponsorships and having fans in attendance. While major leagues such as the NHL were able to complete seasons in a controlled bubble environment, the AHL and ECHL cancelled its seasons and did not have its respective playoffs because for many teams, the financial challenges of playing without fans was substantial.

BASKETBALL: Bubble Tournament (no, not that one) Coming to Indianapolis

The city of Indianapolis is likely to be the sole host for the NCAA Tournament in March, in part because the ability to have games at multiple sites with the indication that it would be able to do so in a safe fashion.

And the city will have a small test run of sorts this week when USA Basketball joins teams from Mexico, Bahamas and Puerto Rico for a series of FIBA AmeriCup qualifying games to be held in a semi-bubble format.

Players, coaches and staff will go through strict testing and other protocols before arriving in Indianapolis and during the event. The U.S. team would likely be made up of G League players and others with European experience who are available for the event, which is FIBA’s championship for the Americas.

Saturday, November 21

FOOTBALL: NFL Moves to ‘Intensive COVID-19 Protocol’ for Rest of Season

It has been said many times before but it bears repeating: Given the physical nature of its sport, the amount of time the season has lasted and the number of COVID-19 positives among players and staff, the fact the NFL has had to reschedule but not postpone a single game this season is an impressive feat.

And with the team entering the final third of its regular season and as positive case counts surge throughout the country, the league knows that it is at a tipping point. While there has been much success to get to this point, there is still hard work to be done. Getting through the final seven weeks of the regular season, then having playoffs before the February 7, 2021, Super Bowl in Tampa Bay, will likely be an entirely more difficult task.

The NFL seems to know this and starting this weekend, it will clamp down on each of its 32 teams, putting them all in “intensive COVID-19 protocol” status for the rest of the season. The league informed each of the teams this week of the decision in a memo.

“It has been said many times that our 2020 season cannot be ‘normal’ because nothing about this year is normal,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wrote. “Flexibility and adaptability have been critical to our success to date and we must continue with that approach.”

For a team to be in intensive protocol status this season, someone in the facility must have either tested positive or played against a team that had a player or staff member test positive. The memo added that since Week 5, teams in intensive protocols have seen a greater than 50 percent reduction in close contacts, which both reduces the chances for spread and makes contact tracing easier and more efficient. Almost every NFL team knows the heightened protocols well; 28 of the league’s teams have spent at least one week this season at that status, the NFL said in its memo, and 16 teams have been in the intensive protocols at least twice this year.

“As we continue through the season, it will likely be necessary to take further steps to address broader conditions,” the memo said.

So for the rest of the season, each team must have all meetings either virtually or in the largest possible indoor space inspected and approved by the NFL and NFLPA; grab-and-go meals in the cafeterias; a limit of 10 players and five coaches at one time in the weight room; limited time in locker rooms and masks or face shields worn by all people at all times throughout the team facilities and practice field; and during medical treatment for a player by a trainer in the training rooms, both the player and trainer must wear not only a mask but also a face shield during treatment.

The moves to tighten up team protocols comes as three teams have rolled back their fan attendance policies. The Washington Football Team, which allowed fans for the first time on November 8 in a loss to the New York Giants, will again have empty stands going forward after discussions with health officials in Prince George’s County, Virginia. The nearby Baltimore Ravens, which had 4,345 on hand for a November 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, will also close M&T Bank Stadium for Sunday’s home game against the Tennessee Titans.

The Philadelphia Eagles were the third team to roll back fan attendance policies after the city of Philadelphia announced new outdoor restrictions this week. The Eagles had been allowed up to 7,500 for the past three home games; the team does not play again at home until November 30 against Seattle and will definitely not have fans in attendance, although the team said it would work with the city if changes to the policy would be allowed for the Eagles’ final two home games in December.

One team that has not played in front of an empty home stadium this season is the Dallas Cowboys and team owner Jerry Jones is proud of it, saying the team will continue to increase attendance at AT&T Stadium after having 31,700 fans at a November 8 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Texas leads the United States in COVID-19 cases but Jones, on Dallas sports radio this week, said “My plan was to increase our fans as we went through the season, and we followed that plan … We’ve had almost a third of the attendance in the NFL, the whole NFL. I’m proud of that.”

While those comments may make some cringe, it is important to note that “no local case clusters have been reported traced back to NFL games,” NFL Vice President of Communications Brian McCarthy said this week. It is also important that while Jones is proud of what the Cowboys have been able to do from an attendance standpoint, the Dallas coaching staff will be staying at the Omni Frisco Hotel near the team’s headquarters as a mini-bubble in an attempt to keep them safe for the rest of the season.

Thursday’s Game
Arizona at Seattle: No fans were allowed

Sunday’s Games
Pittsburgh at Jacksonville: Up to 16,791 fans will be allowed
New England at Houston: Up to 13,300 fans will be allowed
Green Bay at Indianapolis: Up to 12,500 fans will be allowed
Philadelphia at Cleveland: Up to 12,000 fans will be allowed
Atlanta at New Orleans: Up to 6,000 fans will be allowed
Miami at Denver: Up to 5,700 fans will be allowed
Detroit at Carolina: Up to 5,240 fans will be allowed
Cincinnati at Washington: No fans will be allowed
Tennessee at Baltimore: No fans will be allowed
N.Y. Jets at L.A. Chargers: No fans will be allowed
Dallas at Minnesota: No fans will be allowed
Kansas City at Las Vegas: No fans will be allowed

Monday’s Game
L.A. Rams at Tampa Bay: Up to 16,000 fans will be allowed

Friday, November 20

NBA: Toronto Raptors to Start Season in Tampa

The NBA’s Toronto Raptors have announced that they will start the 2020–2021 season by playing home games in Tampa, Florida, as deadlines were looming for the league’s only Canadian team to figure out its plans for the upcoming season. At issue is the ability for the team to travel easily across the Canadian-U.S. border, and for U.S.-based teams to play in Toronto during the ongoing pandemic. Until the situation improves, the Raptors will play their home title at Amalie Arena.

“The Raptors worked diligently with public health officials at the local, provincial and federal level to secure a plan that would permit us to play our 2020-21 season on home soil and on our home court at Scotiabank Arena,” Raptors President Masai Ujiri said in a statement. “These conversations were productive, and we found strong support for the protocols we put forward. Ultimately, the current public health situation facing Canadians, combined with the urgent need to determine where we will play means that we will begin our 2020-21 season in Tampa, Florida.

“We want to thank all levels of government and their public health officials for their dedication to this process, and for looking after the health of Canadians. We commit to continuing our work together, planning for a safe return to play in Toronto. And as an organization, we remain committed to doing all we can to promote and demonstrate public health measures to help combat the spread of COVID-19 in Canada.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Pac-12 Loses Another Game

The Pac-12 has announced that the Washington State–Stanford game will be canceled after a number of Washington State lplayers have received positive COVID-10 tests.

“The Pac-12 has, after consultation with Washington State University, cancelled the Washington State at Stanford football game scheduled for November 21,” the league said in a statement. “This decision was made under the Pac-12’s football game cancellation policy due to Washington State not having the minimum number of scholarship players available for the game as a result of a number of positive football student-athlete COVID-19 cases and resulting isolation of additional football student-athletes under contact tracing protocols. Under conference policy, the game will be declared a no contest.”

The game marks the second Pac-12 contest that will be not be staged after the game between Colorado and Arizona State was also called off because of positive tests in ASU’s program, including Head Coach Herm Edwards.

Thursday, November 19

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Pac-12, SEC Prepare to Adjust Weekly Schedules

When it comes to nonconference scheduling, you can never plan too far out for college football. Some high-profile games are scheduled through the next decade; the University of Alabama already has a non-conference game scheduled for 2035.

But on the heels of a weekend where the Pac-12 threw together a conference matchup between California and UCLA on 43 hours’ notice, the league has made a further distinction that will allow non-conference games to be scheduled on short notice.

USC running back Vavae Malepeai runs into the end zone for a touchdown against UCLA during the second half of a college football game on November 23, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The Pac-12, which planned to only have conference games in its compressed schedule, has had to cancel five games already through two weeks. Because of the compressed season, the league will allow teams to insert a non-conference game into its schedule with a few contingencies: The opponent must meet Pac-12 testing and COVID protocols, the game must be at the Pac-12’s home stadium and a team can only have a non-conference game if there is no other suitable league game possible by Thursday of that game week.

For fans of many teams in the league, that allows the possibility to dream of impromptu revivals of traditional rivalries thought to be on hold this year such as USC-Notre Dame or BYU-Utah. But that comes with major caveats; sorry Trojans fans but Notre Dame’s schedule is booked solid. But BYU has only one game scheduled after Saturday so should Utah be in need of an opponent, that game could be thrown together.

Colorado’s game on Saturday against Arizona State has been canceled and Colorado State’s game against UNLV was axed on Wednesday because of an outbreak in the Rebels program, so the Buffaloes and Rams could have play this weekend — until the Rams said it would be focusing on next week’s game against Air Force, ending the hopes of those fan bases.

Regardless, any quickly thrown-together game the rest of the season will be a boost for the Pac-12’s bank account; the San Jose Mercury News says each game involving a Pac-12 program televised by ESPN or Fox is worth roughly $5 million to the league.

While not as wide-ranging as the Pac-12’s allowance to let teams play non-conference games, the SEC also made changes to its schedule. The league’s championship game will be December 19 — as well as makeup league games for teams that are not in the title game. It will also allow teams that have games postponed due to their opponents’ roster limitations to play each other as long as the decision is made by the Monday before the scheduled Saturday game.

For every conference at this point, any outbreaks within a league program would require a contortionist’s ability to revamp the schedule, especially because of the timeline in December with championship games on December 19 and the College Football Playoff selection committee picking its four teams for the semifinals the day after. Given the number of COVID-19 cases nationally, one would not be surprised that any team that gets a bowl berth would have to deal with quarantine — a potential issue for the College Football Playoff semifinals, scheduled for January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans.

The College Football Playoff management committee met Wednesday with Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott requesting that a discussion take place about delaying the CFP. But ESPN reported the committee will keep the CFP as scheduled with a caveat that if a team is unable to play after its selection, a replacement team would not be chosen.

If any teams selected for 4-team @CFBPlayoff not able to play Jan. 1 because of COVID, those teams will not be replaced, sources told @Stadium. Most likely that @CFBPlayoff game would be moved to later date until it could be played. “Last thing we want is a forfeit,” source said— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 19, 2020

The biggest game this weekend with CFP implications will match No. 3 Ohio State against No. 9 Indiana in Columbus, Ohio, but the Buckeyes will not allow anybody in the stadium for the game — even family members of players and coaches. The school did have family members in the stands earlier during this already abbreviated season, but the Columbus Department of Health instituted a stay-at-home order going into effect on Friday night and lasting for 28 days, highlighted by a 10 p.m. statewide curfew.

Ohio State did say the decision on family members in attendance will be reevaluated prior to its home game against archrival Michigan on December 12. For now, college football is trying to get through each week … and who knows for sure if that Ohio State-Michigan game will be played on that day.

Last week was a record for the season with 15 cancellations out of 59 games, although one was then added back to the schedule; through Thursday morning this week there have been 15 cancellations or postponements for Saturday’s schedule of 62 games. There have been 78 games this season overall cancelled.

Wednesday, November 18

NBA: San Francisco Rejects Golden State Warriors’ Plans for Fans at Chase Center

No fans have been at any collegiate or professional sporting events in the state of California this fall. When NBC has broadcast two Sunday Night Football games involving the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, the broadcasters were required to wear masks on-air. When one Cal football player tested positive for COVID-19 during preparations for the Bears’ season opener against Washington scheduled for November 5, the game was canceled because several players were required to isolate in accordance with local health guidelines on contact tracing.

That has not stopped the Golden State Warriors from, according to ESPN, presenting a plan recently to state and local officials in San Francisco proposing that they open the Chase Center at 50 percent of its 18,064 capacity when the NBA’s 2020–2021 season begins December 22.

Warriors Owner Joe Lacob told ESPN that the franchise would spend “upward of $30 million” on costly rapid PCR tests to test fans, employees and players each day they come to the arena, which opened last year. Lacob told ESPN the team lost $50 million in revenue by not playing the final 17 games on its schedule last season and a full season without fans would cost the team another $400 million in revenue.

“You cannot sustain this league with no fans,” Lacob told ESPN. “You can do it for a year. We’ll all get by for a year. But suppose we’re in this situation next year. Now we’re talking some serious, serious financial damage to a lot of people.”

Perhaps predictable, the San Francisco Department of Public Health rejected the proposal on Wednesday afternoon. The San Francisco Chronicle obtained a letter from the department to the Warriors which in part said “indoor sports with spectators are not currently allowed under the State of California’s COVID-19 restrictions. Morever, and importantly, San Francisco is experiencing a rapid and significant surge in COVID-19 cases.”

The department of public health did tell the Warriors that should the city reach the state’s “yellow tier” of re-opening in the future, they would consider the possibility of allowing up to 25% capacity (4,500) for home games.

The NBA announced how the 72-game schedule will be set up on Tuesday night, with three games against each team in its conference and two games against each team in the opposite conference. The first half of the schedule with games through March 4 will be released when training camps open December 1, then the preseason will start December 11. The All-Star break — without an All-Star game — will be March 5–10 before the second half of the season is held from March 11 through May 16 along with “any games postponed during the First Half that can be reasonably added to the Second Half schedule.”

A new play-in tournament for the playoffs that would involve teams sitting seventh through 10th in each conference’s standings starting May 18 and the playoffs starting May 22. The NBA Finals would conclude no later than July 22, one day before the Opening Ceremony for the rescheduled 2021 Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo.

According to both ESPN and The Athletic, the league does hope to have fans at games in some of its markets depending on health regulations. Initial reports indicate for any team that would have permission to host a restricted number of fans at games, there would be COVID-19 protocols including social distancing and facial coverings strictly mandated; Lacob said the Warriors would make sure fans in their proposed plans follow the league’s requirements.

The Warriors are one of four NBA teams in California; the Los Angeles Lakers and L.A. Clippers have said they will not have fans at home games in the Staples Center until further notice and the Sacramento Kings have not formally announced its policy. Other teams throughout the NBA would almost assuredly be unable to host fans under current governmental restrictions. And given that the NFL has seen three teams reverse its policy on having fans in the stands at outdoor venues because of rising numbers of COVID-19 positive cases in their markets, there would seem to be doubt over the ability to have fans at indoor venues. There also is the unresolved question of where the Toronto Raptors would play if the Canadian government does not grant them a waiver on cross-border travel.

Still, given that in the space of a month during this year it sometimes feels like a year, anything — such as the Warriors’ plans — cannot be entirely discounted.

Tuesday, November 17

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Delay the Playoff? Don’t Expect It

The week was started by the NCAA announcing that the NCAA Men’s Tournament, canceled last March as one of the first big dominos to fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be held as scheduled in March 2021 but entirely at one site. That site will most likely be Indianapolis instead of the traditional schedule of regional sites across the country.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence passes against Syracuse during a game on September 14, 2019, in Syracuse, New York. The ACC will go to a modified schedule this season in football. (AP Photo/Steve Jacobs)

That led to a natural question among those who follow college sports: If basketball is already saying that a “controlled environment” is the only way to hold the NCAA Men’s Tournament, then how would the College Football Playoff expected to be held at multiple sites in January?

As it stands, the CFP would start on New Year’s Day with the semifinals at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, before the January 11 title game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The CFP Management Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday and according to the San Jose Mercury News, one item put on the agenda is the entire schedule being delayed.

The request was made by Pac-12 Conference Commissioner Larry Scott. CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock told the newspaper that, “they’re talking about anything and everything. Larry did suggest considering the dates of the games, which is certainly in the ‘anything and everything’ universe.”

Three of the Power 5 conferences already had to cancel or reschedule games through Monday night: The Pac-12 axed Colorado vs. Arizona State, and the Buffaloes may be matched up this weekend against an opponent to be determined while the Sun Devils work through a team outbreak; the SEC postponed Mississippi at Texas A&M because of quarantining individuals within the Aggies program; and the ACC has rescheduled the next three games for Miami, which will not play this coming weekend then had games scheduled for November 28 against Wake Forest moved to December 5, and a scheduled December 5 game against North Carolina moved to December 12. And the game scheduled for this weekend for Miami against Georgia Tech? It will be now played on December 19, unless Miami is guaranteed a spot in the ACC title game — in which case it would play in that contest. The ACC also had to reschedule three other future games related to the adjustments to Miami’s schedule.

And if that sounds confusing, take a look at this story describing last week for Cal’s coaching staff which, on Friday morning, was told they would have to be ready for five options for the weekend — playing at Arizona State, playing at UCLA, playing Washington either home or away depending on health regulations, or not play at all. The Bears eventually played UCLA on Sunday, losing its season opener.

That makes Cal 0-1 at the same time that BYU, an independent, is 8-0. It’s just another week in the 2020 college football season.

OLYMPICS: IOC’s Bach Confident Of Fans In Tokyo

As many leagues in the United States struggle to keep together a schedule as cases surge, the biggest event in the world — the Olympic Summer Games — remains on schedule for its 2021 date and the International Olympic Committee’s president says he is “very, very confident we can have spectators in the Olympic stadium next year.”

Thomas Bach made the comment during a meeting in Japan checking on progress for the rescheduled event, which will start July 23, 2021. The visit comes after Japan held a gymnastics meet in early November with several thousand in attendance. Athletes who competed in the event quarantined for two weeks and were largely kept in isolation akin to the bubble format that other pro U.S. leagues utilized over the summer, along with taking daily COVID-19 tests.

Japan also this fall had near-capacity crowds for one weekend of exhibition baseball held at the stadium that will host the sport next summer. Japan has about 1,900 deaths attributed to COVID-19. It sealed off its borders until recently and has almost 100 percent mask-wearing by the public.

Whether the Olympics and Paralympics goes off as scheduled in 2021 is not up for debate among the organizers, as Japan’s Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto said the Games must be held “at any cost.” The costs of having to cancel again in 2021 would be prohibitive; the IOC gets almost three-quarters of its revenue from TV deals to broadcast the Games such as NBC’s contract that is worth over $1 billion per Olympics.

The news about a potential vaccination that would be available within the next year also has boosted the hopes for both the IOC and Tokyo organizers.

“In order to protect the Japanese people and out of respect for the Japanese people, the IOC will undertake great effort so that as many (people) as possible — Olympic participants and visitors will arrive here (with a) vaccine, if by then a vaccine is available,” Bach said after talks with Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga this week.

TENNIS: Australia Setting Up 2021 Bubble

Ahead of the 2021 Australian Open, all of the country’s tennis events leading up to the first Grand Slam of the year will be held in the state of Victoria.

With Australia’s COVID-19 restrictions leaving issues with players moving between states and having to quarantine, Tennis Australia — the organizers of the Aussie Open — will move five tournaments traditionally held across the country all into Melbourne and other sites throughout the state.

Under the plan, up to 550 players and their entourages would fly into Melbourne starting in mid-December, where they will be restricted to hotels or a tennis court until they have completed two weeks of quarantine. Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley told the Herald Sun that the tournament, scheduled from January 18–31, hopes to have at least 25 percent crowd capacity.

One thing, though: Victorian state Premier Daniel Andrews told a news conference the plan was “far from a done deal.”

“The notion this is all a done deal and there’s going to be all these tennis players turning up — no, this is not settled at all,” Andrew said, according to Australian Associated Press. “The public health team needs to sign off on all of these arrangements and they are just not settled.”

Monday, November 16

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: NCAA Tournament Moving To “Controlled Environment” In Indianapolis

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee pulled a major surprise on Monday, announcing the relocation of 13 predetermined preliminary round sites for the 2021 NCAA Tournament to one site with discussions ongoing about the entire tournament being held in the city of Indianapolis.

Virginia players celebrates after defeating Texas Tech 85-77 in the overtime in the championship of the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, April 8, 2019, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

“Through these discussions, it became apparent to the committee that conducting the championship at 13 preliminary round sites spread throughout the country would be very difficult to execute in the current pandemic environment,” the committee said in a statement.

“My committee colleagues and I did not come lightly to the difficult decision to relocate the preliminary rounds of the 2021 tournament, as we understand the disappointment 13 communities will feel to miss out on being part of March Madness next year,” said Mitch Barnhart, chair of the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee and University of Kentucky athletics director. “With the University of Kentucky slated to host first- and second-round games in March, this is something that directly impacts our school and community, so we certainly share in their regret. The committee and staff deeply appreciate the efforts of all the host institutions and conferences, and we look forward to bringing the tournament back to the impacted sites in future years.”

FORMER 2021 PREDETERMINED SITES (NEXT SCHEDULED YEAR TO HOST AN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND)

First Four	Dayton, OH, March 16-17 (2022-2026 First Four)
First/Second Round	Boise, ID, March 18/20 (None Scheduled) Dallas, TX, March 18/20 (2024 South Regional) Detroit, MI, March 18/20 (2024 Midwest Regional) Providence, RI, March 18/20 (2025 1st/2nd Rounds) Lexington, KY, March 19/21 (2025 1st/2nd Rounds) Raleigh, NC, March 19/21 (2025 1st/2nd Rounds) San Jose, CA, March 19/21 (2026 West Regional) Wichita, KS, March 19/21 (2025 1st/2nd Rounds)
West Regional	Denver, CO, March 25/27 (2023, 2025 1st/2nd Rounds)
Midwest Regional	Minneapolis, MN, March 25/27 (None Scheduled)
East Regional	Brooklyn, NY, March 26/28 (2024 1st/2nd Rounds)
South Regional	Memphis, TN, March 26/28 (2024 1st/2nd Rounds)

There then were, of course, questions about what format the NCAA Women’s Tournament would take, which necessitated this statement:

Update regarding 2021 Division I women’s basketball tournament: pic.twitter.com/Q9foJNWTZK— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) November 16, 2020

The best laid plans and all of those sayings are pertaining to college basketball, as the season’s November 25 debut is already being put in the spotlight by coaches testing positive for the coronavirus and programs having to pause preseason activities — and two programs on Sunday announcing that their season debuts will be delayed.

Vermont delaying basketball until Dec. 18. https://t.co/KusmsLqPzQ— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) November 16, 2020

Alabama State basketball has decided not to play its non-conference schedule this season. It will only play league games and will start on Jan. 2.— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) November 16, 2020

And less than a week after Michigan State coach Tom Izzo announced he had tested positive, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim announced on Sunday that he has COVID-19, forcing the Orange to pause all team activities because a player also tested positive.

Return from quarantine target dates:

Iona (11/26 or 11/27)
Sacred Heart (Tuesday)
Belmont (Tuesday)
SE LA (11/21 or 11/22)
Rider (aiming for Thursday)
Marshall (Tuesday)
Stetson (11/24)
UMass Lowell (this week)
Oakland (late this week)
USC Upstate (Wednesday) https://t.co/VYeLZzIQ4k— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) November 15, 2020

The pauses in team activities are required through the NCAA’s recommended 14-day quarantine for teams after a player, coach or staffer (Tier I participants, per the guidelines) tests positive. The NCAA’s guidelines can also be superseded by local and state regulations; while the NCAA recommends three tests per week for players and staff in college basketball, ESPN reported that Temple must test athletes seven consecutive days prior to competition under local rules in Philadelphia.

This all comes after the season was delayed by nearly three weeks from its original start date of November 6, which now looks like the wrong move in retrospect because teams will need more time, not less, to get in as many games as possible.

The question of time was raised over the weekend by Rick Pitino, the national championship-winning coach who is now at Iona and has said the season should start at a later date with only conference games being played and the NCAA Tournament, held in March, rescheduled for May instead.

The big-picture question of whether the college basketball season will be held is not really in question. There is too much money at stake for each of the conferences and programs when it comes down to it. But if college football fans have had their heads spin each weekend by not being sure which teams are playing and having games thrown together at the last minute — with two days’ notice in the case of UCLA vs. Cal on Sunday at the Rose Bowl — you may not have seen anything yet once college basketball tips off.

Friday, November 13

FOOTBALL: 19 of 32 NFL Teams Allowing Fans

Going into this weekend of NFL games, 19 out of the league’s 32 teams are allowing fans into the stadium in restricted numbers.

The way that COVID-19 cases are increasing throughout the country, there may not be a 20th team to reach that mark this season.

Fans watch the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Atlanta Falcons in Arlington, Texas on September 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)

In fact, two teams that had kept open the idea of having fans in attendance, the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings, both announced this week that they will not go forward with those plans. The Patriots have not had fans in the stands for any games this season; the Vikings have allowed up to 250 family members of team personnel in attendance but had looked into getting permission to increase that number.

“While we have worked hard to develop a safe and responsible plan to bring back a limited number of fans, our decisions have been based on medical guidance with public health as the top priority,” the Vikings said this week in announcing the decision. “We take seriously Minnesota’s rising COVID infection rates and increasing hospitalizations and believe closing the final four home games to fans is the right decision to help protect our community.”

The teams not allowing fans this season are the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Vikings, Patriots, New York Giants, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. The Packers at the start of the year said they would go without fans for two games, then extended that decision further; Green Bay is located in Brown County, Wisconsin, where the positive rate for COVID-19 hit 32.78 percent this week.

The pandemic is hitting NFL teams in the wallet, according to the sports business intelligence firm Team Marketing Report. Its annual 2020 fan cost index concluded the NFL may lose up to $2.7 billion this season in fan revenue based off their index for each of the 32 teams this season, a figure that includes “four adult non-premium tickets, single-car parking, four hot dogs and two adult-sized adjustable hats.” The highest estimated average would have been the new Las Vegas Raiders at $783.36, given the pricing that was scheduled for Allegiant Stadium, with the league average sitting at $553.53.

For teams that have allowed fans this year, attendance figures have seen mixed results.

The Dallas Cowboys have averaged nearly 26,000 fans per game, which appears to be near the maximum allowed at AT&T Stadium. But for some of the teams that have had fans all season, the average home attendance this year is not near capacity. Even for a fan base as devoted as the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, their team is averaging 13,138 per game this season even though the team is allowed to have up to 16,000 in the stands.

Both teams in Ohio, the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, are averaging under 9,000 per game while being allowed to have up to 12,000. The Houston Texans have allowed up to 13,300 fans in its past three home games; the team is averaging 12,377. And for the two teams in Florida that have had fans at home games all season, the Miami Dolphins are averaging 11,653 (capacity 13,000) and the Jacksonville Jaguars are averaging 15,211 (capacity 16,791).

Thursday’s Game
Indianapolis at Tennessee: Up to 8,297 fans were allowed

Sunday’s Games
L.A. Chargers at Miami: Up to 13,000 fans are allowed
Houston at Cleveland: Up to 12,000 fans are allowed
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh: Up to 5,500 fans allowed
San Francisco at New Orleans: Up to 6,000 fans allowed
Tampa Bay at Carolina: Up to 5,240 fans are allowed
Buffalo at Arizona: Up to 4,200 fans allowed
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants: No fans allowed
Jacksonville at Green Bay: No fans allowed
Washington at Detroit: No fans allowed
Denver at Las Vegas: No fans allowed
Seattle at L.A. Rams: No fans allowed
Baltimore at New England: No fans allowed

Monday’s Game
Minnesota at Chicago: No fans allowed

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Pac-12 Cancels Two Games, Shuffles Schedule

The Pac-12 has announced that the Cal at Arizona State game and the UCLA-Utah games scheduled for November 14 will not be played because of positive COVID-19 tests in the ASU and Utah programs. But in a conference shuffle, the Pac-12 also announced that Cal would play UCLA at 9 a.m. PT on November 15 since both programs appeared unaffected by any outbreaks.

In any case, the conference joins the Big Ten (one game) and the SEC (four games) as Power 5 conferences that will not play games this weekend because of the pandemic.

Among those testing positive, according to ASU, was Head Coach Herm Edwards. “In the past few days our test results included a number of positive cases, including multiple student-athletes and coaching staff members, one of which is Head Coach Herm Edwards,” ASU athletic director Ray Anderson said in a statement. “This put our team below the Pac-12’s minimum threshold of 53 available scholarship student-athletes under the league’s game cancellation policy.”

In a statement, the Pac-12 confirmed that testing revealed the Sun Devils and Utes would not have the minimum number of scholarship players available.

“The cancellation of this game is very disappointing to our student-athletes and our fans,” the league said. “At the same time it is further indication that our health and safety protocols are working in identifying positive cases and contact tracing cases. While all of us want to see our football student-athletes on the field competing, our number one priority must continue to be the health and safety of all those connected to Pac-12 football programs.”

Thursday, November 12

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Ivy League Cancels 2020–2021 Season

The first collegiate sports league to cancel competition in the spring as the COVID-19 pandemic started is now the first to cancel its college basketball season before it even begins. The Ivy League announced on Thursday afternoon that all winter sports will be canceled as the coronavirus surges throughout the country more than ever before.

Cornell’s Jimmy Boeheim pulls down a rebound in front of Penn State’s Mike Watkins and teammate Josh Warren during a game on December 29, 2019, in State College, Pennsylvania. No Ivy League team will play basketball in the 2020–2021 season. (AP Photo/Gary M. Baranec)

“The unanimous decisions by the Ivy League Council of Presidents follow extended consideration of options and strategies to mitigate the transmission of the COVID-19 virus, an analysis of current increasing rates of COVID-19 – locally, regionally and nationally – and the resulting need to continue the campus policies related to travel, group size and visitors to campus that safeguard the campus and community,” the league said in a statement.

Spring sports have been delayed until at least March, the league has decided. Fall sports, which were scheduled to be in the spring of 2021 as well, will also be canceled entirely.

“We look forward to the day when intercollegiate athletics — which are such an important part of the fabric of our campus communities — will safely return in a manner and format we all know and appreciate,” the Ivy League Council of Presidents said in a joint statement.

The college men’s and women’s basketball seasons will start later this month, although teams are already having issues. In New York state alone, Iona, Fordham, Seton Hall, UConn, Albany and Monmouth have had to pause team activities because of positive tests within the program.

HOCKEY: NHL Leans Into Pod Format, Regional Realignment for 2021

One of the many sports that spent its summer playing in a bubble environment, the National Hockey League resumed its 2019–2020 season in two Canadian cities and completed its season through the Stanley Cup Final without a single positive test from the 28 teams that competed, a phenomenal achievement given the stretch of time involved from July 25 through September 25.

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba, left, fights with New York Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau (44) in the third period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Even during the end of the bubble experiment in Toronto and Edmonton, the league was determining how it would be able to organize a 2020–2021 season especially given the transnational travel involved in a typical season with the United States and Canada. Other factors include holding the season in a time of year that is expected to see an increase in COVID-19 cases and how to maintain player health and safety in a sport that is known for its physicality.

It turns out, one option may be that the NHL’s rivalries are about to get even more familiar than usual.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman this week at the Paley International Council Summit suggested that the league — which has not officially set a date to start the season — may hold it in modified bubble formats with regional divisions to try and cut down on travel and player exposure to outside elements. A bubble for the entire season? No, Bettman said, but a hybrid of sorts.

“You’ll play for 10 to 12 days,” Bettman said in a virtual panel discussion with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. “You’ll play a bunch of games without traveling. You’ll go back, go home for a week, be with your family. We’ll have our testing protocols and all the other things you need. It’s not going to be quite as effective as a bubble, but we think we can, if we go this route, minimize the risks to the extent practical and sensible. And so that’s one of the things that we’re talking about.”

The league still targets January 1 as the start date for the season but has already canceled some of its traditional tentpole events such as the Winter Classic and NHL All-Star Weekend. Bettman also admitted that an 82-game season would be unlikely; the NBA has already said that its 2020–2021 season that starts before Christmas will be 72 games instead of 82. The NHL has experience with shortened seasons, having played 48-game seasons in 1994–1995 and 2012–2013 due to labor issues, with teams only playing against other teams in their conference. The Ottawa Sun reported that a potential season may be as few as 48 games but also could be up to 56 games.

The Orange County Register described a plan that would have the NHL season played in four hub cities with the Anaheim Ducks lobbying to be one of the hosts for the Western Conference. One of the realigned divisions would have to be the seven Canadian teams given the closure at the border — anyone entering Canada must quarantine for 14 days, making a schedule near impossible for the NHL.

So if you are a fan of watching the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks or San Jose Sharks play each other, or the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils or New York Islanders, you may get even more of those matchups than usual.

“Obviously, we’re not going to move all seven Canadian franchises south of the 49th Parallel, and so we have to look at alternative ways to play,” Bettman said. “While crossing the U.S.-Canadian border is an issue, we’re also seeing within the United States limitations in terms of quarantining when you go from certain states to other states. It’s again part of having to be flexible. … It may be that we’re better off, particularly if we’re playing a reduced schedule, which we’re contemplating, keeping it geographically centric, more divisional based, and realigning, again on a temporary basis, to deal with the travel issues.”

The NHL’s seven Canadian teams and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors will, because of the rules for traveling in and out of Canada, face the same challenges that MLB and Major League Soccer faced this season. The Toronto Blue Jays had to play their home games this season in Buffalo, New York. The three Canadian teams in MLS played multiple games against each other in Canada before finishing their seasons, playing home games at neutral site. Vancouver was based in Portland, Oregon, and the Montreal Impact based in New Jersey while Toronto FC was in Connecticut.

Wednesday, November 11

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: More Cancellations Pile Up in Power 5

The Southeastern Conference will have more than half of its teams sitting out this weekend after the fourth postponement on the league’s schedule was announced. The Georgia at Missouri game has been postponed due to a combination of positive tests, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the Missouri football program.

Fans sit among cardboard cutouts during the first half of a college football game between Florida and South Carolina on October 3, 2020, in Gainesville, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux, Pool)

When the SEC started play this season, it had an off week before its championship game on December 19 to give teams the chance to reschedule postponed games; but because Missouri already has a game scheduled for December 12, there is a chance that the Bulldogs and Tigers will not be able to reschedule their contest although “the rescheduling of games on the remaining SEC football schedule may include December 19 as a playing date,” the league announced on Wednesday.

The Georgia-Missouri game joins Alabama-LSU, Texas A&M-Tennessee and Auburn-Mississippi State has being postponed ahead of this weekend. The league has had so many postponements that CBS, its broadcast partner, will not have a game on Saturday to show once the network’s third-round coverage of The Masters is completed.

Of the SEC’s remaining games, Arkansas will face Florida without its head coach Sam Pittman, who has tested positive for COVID-19 and Mississippi is scheduled to play South Carolina, although Rebels coach Lane Kiffin, when asked if the team had enough healthy players for the weekend, said “I haven’t looked at numbers that way. I want to play. I think it’s more if you don’t want to play that you look at the numbers. We’re excited to play.”

The first Big Ten cancellation of the weekend was also announced as Maryland football will pause all team-related activities due to an elevated number of COVID-19 cases within the program, forcing the cancellation of Saturday’s game against powerhouse Ohio State. Eight players within the program have tested positive for coronavirus in the past seven days.

“There is nothing more important than the health and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and staff,” Maryland Director of Athletics Damon Evans said. “We realize that this news is disappointing to all of the Maryland fans out there who were looking forward to the Terps taking on an outstanding Ohio State team, but the responsible thing for us to do is pause football activities, given the number of positive cases currently in our program.”

Updated CFB COVID tracker:

– Total games scheduled: 365*
– Games played: 310
– Games postponed/canceled: 55
– Games impacted: 15.06%
*does not include those scheduled for this weekend— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 11, 2020

Youth, High School Sports at High Risk as Restrictions Increase and Virus Surges

There has been outsized attention on the amount of professional and collegiate sports affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with leagues going into bubbles to finish their seasons, leagues enduring outbreaks to complete seasons and the collegiate landscape marred by outbreaks among teams even before the winter surge that many medical professional predicted began to form.

For many cities and towns throughout the United States, the potential inability to host youth or high school events also can have a devastating impact on the economy. Those can be state tournaments for any size market, or youth team events that were held throughout the summer with high restrictions that may still be unable to fully open up for fans in the winter.

A Herriman player wears a mask during a high school football game against Davis on August 13, 2020, in Herriman, Utah. Utah was among the states going forward with high school football this fall despite concerns about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that led other states to postpone games. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Throughout the country, states are already putting in new restrictions — or bringing back old ones — that threaten the status of winter sports at the high school level and youth tournaments.

Multiple states in the Northeast have been active already in planning for winter restrictions. In Rhode Island, Governor Gina M. Raimondo had already tightened restrictions including a ban of spectators at youth sports events and the closing of hockey rinks and indoor sport facilities, while out-of-state travel to tournaments has been banned — a move that New Jersey followed suit on Tuesday. After the Boston Globe reported that new infections in the state are tied to youth hockey events, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association approved a recommendation to not conduct any postseason tournaments at the end of the 2020-21 winter season — if there is a winter season at all. The Connecticut Department of Public Health released youth sports guidance that recommends high-risk sports such as football, lacrosse and wrestling avoid indoor and outdoor team practices and in-state games or contests between two or more teams.

In the Midwest, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has implemented new guidelines for youth and adult winter sports that temporarily halts competition in basketball, hockey and wrestling. Iowa’s governor has extended a public health emergency that restricts attendance at youth sports events to two people per athlete. In Minnesota, state health officials said they have connected more than 3,400 coronavirus cases to sports, including 593 traced to high school athletes and 309 to middle school athletes.

In the South, the Shelby County (Tennessee) Health Department reported that 83 percent of the approximately 500 positive COVID-19 cases from area schools have been traced to sports. And in the West, all high school sports other than the state football playoffs, including winter sports tryouts, will be on hold for at least two weeks, according to the Utah High School Activities Association, after a state health order issued on Sunday night by Governor Gary Herbert.

Whether or not athletic competition contributes to the spread is of debate. A study released in October by the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggested the state’s high school sports have not caused an increase in COVID-19 infections among athletes. But the Aspen Institute talked to multiple medical experts that were skeptical of the findings.

For its part, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has offered several considerations for how youth sports organizations can protect players, families and beyond. But as the organization also noted, “Each community may need to make adjustments to meet its unique needs and circumstances. Implementation should be guided by what is practical, acceptable, and tailored to the needs of each community.”

As it appears, several states have decided that the best way to avoid the potential spread of COVID-19 at youth and high school sporting events is to — for now — not hold them.

Tuesday, November 10

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: LSU-Alabama Postponed As SEC Deals With Multiple Virus Outbreaks

After a weekend in which 10 college games were canceled out of 59 scheduled, this week has already seen multiple games axed — and leagues that do have off weeks figured into their schedules are running out of options just as fast as cases rise throughout the United States.

LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (22) tries to run by Alabama linebacker Terrell Lewis (24) in the first half of a game on November 9, 2019, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)

The Southeastern Conference, the most powerful league in college football, is facing a surge in the number of schools affected by COVID-19 with multiple reports indicating that one of its marquee games — LSU against Alabama, matching last year’s national champions against the current No. 1 team in the country — will be postponed because of an outbreak within the Tigers program.

The Athletic reported on Monday that LSU was down to one scholarship quarterback and no tight ends or long snappers; when it comes to LSU and COVID, remember that coach Ed Orgeron said in the preseason that “most of our players have caught it. I think that hopefully they won’t catch it again, and hopefully they’re not out for games.”

The SEC already had to cancel one game for this coming weekend, Auburn at Mississippi State, because of an outbreak of positives on the Bulldogs. The game will be rescheduled for December 12, which means that neither team has any margin of error the rest of the season with the SEC title game scheduled for December 19. The LSU-Alabama game cannot be rescheduled for December 12, because LSU has a previously postponed game against Florida already rescheduled for that date.

A third SEC game for the weekend, and sixth overall for the season, was also affected as Texas A&M, which had to pause all team-related activities on Monday because of “multiple positive COVID-19 tests within the program,” had its game against Tennessee postponed. That game will be rescheduled for December 12.

And then there is Arkansas, the most improved team in the league thanks to new head coach Sam Pittman — who tested positive on Sunday and will be self-isolating while the defensive coordinator, Barry Odom, serves as the Razorbacks’ interim head coach. Arkansas’ game against Florida is still on as scheduled.

For leagues that only recently started, they also deal with the reality that because of a delayed start, there are no open dates for which to try and reschedule games. That became reality for the Pac-12 when it canceled two games, Cal against Washington and Arizona against Utah, before its opening game of the season even kicked off. Stanford was missing three players for its loss against Oregon and Washington State beat Oregon State despite missing 32 players.

Utah’s next scheduled game, at UCLA, was pushed back from November 13 to November 14 but the Utes are still down to a bare bones roster and may not be able to play. Cal’s availability to play its next game is uncertain because while the Pac-12 has consistent testing across the league, every campus has a different process based on local health officials. That means for the Bears, the City of Berkeley has the final say on things.

Not only the Pac-12, but the Mountain West also has no off weeks worked into its shortened schedule and that already has resulted in a no contest after Air Force at Wyoming, scheduled for this Saturday, was canceled after an outbreak on the Academy campus. It is Air Force’s second consecutive missed game after the November 7 game against Army was postponed.

Oh, you say that maybe the winter sports will be able to learn the fall’s lessons? College basketball made sure to stay in the news when it comes to COVID-19 as well. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, one of the biggest names in the sport, announced that he tested positive on Monday and will isolate for 10 days before he can return to coaching the Spartans.

Oh, well you think that by the time spring sports roll around that colleges and universities will have figured something out? One of the FCS conferences planning to play in the fall, the Big South, will have one less participant after the University of North Alabama said that it will not be competing, leaving five teams playing a four-game schedule before the playoffs.

At this rate, you probably can’t count out the number of teams in the fall playing four games, either.

SOCCER: CONCACAF Champions League Heading to Orlando

CONCACAF’s Champions League tournament, which resumes in December with the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship from December 15–22, will be held at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida, home to Major League Soccer’s Orlando City SC and the NWSL’s Orlando Pride.

The quarterfinals will be held December 15–16 followed by the semifinals on December 19 and championship on December 22. Of the eight teams remaining, three are from Liga MX and four are from Major League Soccer along with CD Olimpia of Honduras. The tournament protocols will include a “high-frequency COVID-19 testing regime before and during the competition.”

“The Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League is our flagship club competition and a huge amount of work has gone into ensuring we can safely resume the tournament and crown a regional club champion in 2020,” said CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani. “Orlando’s Exploria Stadium will provide a great host venue for the final seven matches of this competition.”

Monday, November 9

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Notre Dame Students Storm Field After Win, and Social Media Cringes

College football has had issues with COVID-19 delaying and cancelling games all season long, but Saturday was particularly strong with at least 10 games either postponed or called ‘no contest,’ including two games as part of the Pac-12’s debut weekend.

Fans storm the field after Notre Dame defeated the Clemson 47-40 in two overtimes in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in South Bend, Ind. (Matt Cashore/Pool Photo via AP)

The Pac-12 and Big Ten most prominently, but also leagues such as the Mountain West and Mid-American Conference, will be walking a tightrope all season long as they built in no bye weeks into their shortened seasons, making it an open question if a team such as Wisconsin — having missed two games in a row — could go unbeaten but not qualify for the league title game in the Big 10. Cal’s season opener against Washington was canceled and this coming weekend’s game is also in doubt in the Pac-12.

And against the backdrop of that, there has been the unusual setup in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season with Notre Dame, which has long cherished its independence, as a league member for this season only. Because of that, the Fighting Irish were able to host Clemson on Saturday night in a meeting of No. 1 and No. 4 in the country in front of 11,011 fans.

The game itself was an instant classic, with the No. 4 Irish ending the No. 1 Tigers’ 36-game regular season winning streak in double overtime. The game itself was still affected by the coronavirus; Clemson’s star quarterback Trevor Lawrence, missed his second game in a row after testing positive and showing symptoms. But that aside, the game was of such a high quality that fans were able to just enjoy the skill on display.

And then, once the game was over and the Irish won, what normally would be a scene of jubilation was also a scene that made social media cringe as fans stormed the field. Notre Dame’s public-address announcer repeatedly asked fans to leave the field, but many remained for several minutes.

I mean. pic.twitter.com/0vJ1MRgON2— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) November 8, 2020

Kelly had told his players before the game that when — not if — the Irish won, they would want to run directly to the locker room to avoid being with the crush of students. Most of his players were able to follow directions, but some did get caught up.

“With COVID being as it is, we’ve got to get off the field and get to the tunnel,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said after the game. “Now I beat ’em all to the tunnel. So that didn’t go over so good, but they reminded me that I did tell them that, so my skills of prognostication were pretty good today.”

The scenes were cringeworthy because Notre Dame’s season was already interrupted by an outbreak on the team in September, forcing a scheduled game against Wake Forest to be rescheduled in December. The school also reported 138 positive tests for COVID-19 on campus between Tuesday through Thursday.

The school’s administration definitely noticed the response on social media and beyond, sending a letter to the students on Sunday afternoon. But after Notre Dame president the Rev. John Jenkins tested positive for COVID-19 in October after he appeared at the White House Rose Garden Ceremony to celebrate the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the stance that the school took had a predictable response.

first reply pic.twitter.com/GBH3zSB89D— Josh Crutchmer (@jcrutchmer) November 9, 2020

Friday, November 6

FOOTBALL: NFL Adjusting Rules as Pandemic Continues

In every NFL season, teams have to deal with players missing games. It’s football. It’s not an easy game to play at the highest level.

This year, teams are dealing with players missing games for reasons other than injuries. The COVID-19 protocols enforced by the league have not only made sure that players who have tested positive miss games but also potentially those who come into close contact with a positive player or person away from the team facilities. And as cases spike throughout the country, what at the start of the season — a player testing positive — would send shudders throughout the league is now becoming slowly more accepted. Not un-newsworthy, but accepted with coaching staffs adapting to it just as they would a pulled hamstring.

Five teams alone on Thursday had to announce that they have had a positive test within their facility: Eagles, Chiefs, Texans, Bears and Colts. Thursday night’s game between the Packers and 49ers was played with both teams missing players after positive tests with San Francisco alone having three other players having to sit out because they were considered “high-risk close contacts.” Since Monday, 13 NFL teams have placed 33 players on reserve lists for COVID-19.

Given that it is inevitable for more players to test positive and affect teams, the NFL knows that an outbreak on any team would be near-devastating to the league’s schedule with around half the teams already having their off week. In the latest adjustment to try and mitigate the risk at games, the league issued additional rules for gameday protocols including expanding the sidelines for both teams to between the 20-yard lines for increased social distancing. The league will also require players to wear masks once the game is over before any postgame interaction with an opponent and teams will ask players to wear masks in locker rooms and on the sidelines.

That all said, there is a full schedule of games this weekend planned. Nine teams that host games this weekend will have fans in some quantity, ranging from the limited numbers in Atlanta and — for the first time — Washington, to the now-traditional crowd of up to 25,000 for the Dallas Cowboys. Continuing to be of interest is not just the numbers of fans that teams will allow into the stadiums but whether or not those quantities are all sold; while the Kansas City Chiefs have allowed up to 16,045 fans at home games all season, the team is averaging 13,466 this season. The Jacksonville Jaguars are averaging 15,058 despite the ability to host up to 16,791 fans; the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were allowed to host up to 16,000 fans for its October 18 game against the Green Bay Packers but only had 15,540 in attendance. The Buccaneers are expected to allow another 16,000 fans in attendance for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

Thursday’s Game
Green Bay at San Francisco: No fans allowed

Sunday’s Games
Pittsburgh at Dallas: Approximately 25,000 fans allowed
Houston at Jacksonville: Up to 16,791 fans allowed
Carolina at Kansas City: Up to 16,045 fans allowed
New Orleans at Tampa Bay: Up to 16,000 fans allowed
Baltimore at Indianapolis: Up to 12,500 fans allowed
Chicago at Tennessee: Up to 8,643 fans allowed
Miami at Arizona: Up to 4,200 fans allowed
N.Y. Giants at Washington: A limited number of season-ticket holders will be allowed
Denver at Atlanta: A limited number of fans will be allowed
Detroit at Minnesota: No fans allowed
Seattle at Buffalo: No fans allowed
Las Vegas at L.A. Chargers: No fans allowed

Monday’s Game
New England at N.Y. Jets: No fans allowed

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Pac-12 Calls Off Its Second Game

A day after canceling the Cal-Washington game because of COVID-19 cases, the Pac-12 has announced it will cancel the Arizona at Utah game that was scheduled for Saturday over similar concerns. This is the opening weekend for the Pac-12, which had initially planned to play in the spring but later crafted a seven-game schedule for its member schools.

“This decision was made under the Pac-12’s football game cancellation policy due to Utah not having the minimum number of scholarship players available for the game as a result of a number of positive football student-athlete COVID-19 cases and resulting isolation of additional football student-athletes under contact tracing protocols,” the league said in a statement. “Under conference policy, the game will be declared a no contest.

“The cancellation of this game, following yesterday’s cancellation of the Washington at Cal football game, is of course incredibly disappointing to our student-athletes and our fans. At the same time it is an indication that our health and safety protocols are working in identifying positive cases and contact tracing cases. While all of us want to see our football student-athletes on the field competing, our number one priority must continue to be the health and saety of all those connected to Pac-12 football programs.”

Thursday, November 5

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Pac-12 Readies for Its Delayed Return

Are you ready for some more football?

The college football schedule, which has increased in volume with each passing week, gets its final Power 5 conference back on Saturday as the Pac-12 kicks off an abbreviated seven-game schedule, a few days after the Mid-American Conference and its famous #MACtion hashtag returned to social media with a slate of weekday games.

At least in comparison to the Big Ten, which was racked by criticism during its first announcement of canceling the fall season before reversing field, the Pac-12’s decision when announced in August was almost universally accepted by the league’s coaches and players. But when the league was able to gain access to daily rapid testing for all players and staff members, it accelerated the timetable for a return to play — with the desire to not miss out on a chance to have a team in the College Football Playoff when other Power 5 conferences were going ahead with fall seasons.

The Pac-12’s testing protocols have been laid out by the conference. Along with daily rapid testing there will also be at least one PCR test, considered more reliable, for each player and staff member. Teams must have at least 53 scholarship players to be able to play games; should a game be canceled, for teams to be up for contention to advance to the league championship game, a team must play no less than one fewer conference game than the average number of conference games played by all conference teams.

That policy will come into play immediately because within 48 hours of its season opener, California announced it has a positive test and has undergone contact tracing that led to the cancellation of its game against Washington.

Statement regarding this Saturday's Washington at Cal #Pac12FB game: pic.twitter.com/7xxAmJvlyV— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) November 5, 2020

And because in this virus-affected season there are no ideas that can’t be tried to get attention for your team or conference, especially with no fans in the stands for the Pac-12, the league will start its season at 9 a.m. PT with Arizona State visiting USC, one of the Pac-12’s highest-profile teams. The early kickoff is an attempt to try and get more fans watching games on the East Coast and part of the league scheduling the opening weekend in such a way that a fan at home could conceivably watch up to 14 consecutive hours of Pac-12 action.

The season overall has been disrupted on a weekly basis by the COVID-19 pandemic, with teams postponing and canceling games and trying to throw together games on short notice — unique in a sport where games are sometimes scheduled up to a decade in advance. Even teams that have not had games postponed have been affected, most visibly when No. 1-ranked Clemson lost its star quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, last week and nearly were upset by Boston College. Lawrence will remain on the sidelines when the Tigers play at No. 4 Notre Dame in a high-profile Saturday night kickoff.

One ACC game that will not be able to draw attention away from the Pac-12’s opening weekend is Louisville at Virginia — because the game has been postponed to November 14 after the Cardinals paused all team-related football activities due to a heightened quantity of positive COVID-19 tests and accompanying contact tracing measures. The teams were able to accommodate the postponement because of previously scheduled open dates for both schools.

The ACC postponement comes a few days after another Power 5 postponement in the Big Ten with Wisconsin’s game against Purdue. Unlike the Big Ten and Pac-12, the ACC did at least build in extra off weeks in each team’s schedule and spread out conference games so that games can be rescheduled. The Big Ten and Pac-12 did not do that and because of it, Wisconsin’s two canceled games puts it on the edge of not being able to qualify for the conference championships. To be in the Big Ten title game this year a team must play at least six games, which would be Wisconsin’s maximum games played this season as long as it is able to resume play next weekend and go without missing a game the rest of the season.

It’s not just the Power 5 conferences that are trying to make sure that all the games will be played, either. Conference USA rescheduled seven games that have already been postponed because of COVID-19 with all of the games moved to the first two weeks of December. Because of the number of postponed games, the conference title game has already been moved from December 5 to December 18.

Wednesday, November 4

NBA: League on Verge of Pre-Christmas Start Agreement

There was not one person who could argue with the success of the NBA’s bubble environment to close out the elongated 2019–2020 season in Orlando, Florida. By being able to have a modified end to the regular season and then a full postseason, the league was able to salvage a piece of its revenue for the season and most importantly, had no positive tests for COVID-19 throughout the bubble’s existence at the ESPN Disney Wide World of Sports complex, leading to many people joking that the venue may not have been the happiest place on earth, but it was certainly the safest place this summer.

And through a short but thoroughly deserved celebration lap — including a SportsTravel Award received last month during the TEAMS ’20 Virtual from Houston Conference — there was one looming question, which was how the 2020–2021 season would be organized.

That may come to fruition as soon as this week, according to reports in ESPN and The Athletic that the National Basketball Players Association will vote about starting the season on December 22 for a 72-game season that would have the NBA Finals potentially end during its traditional June timeframe, allowing players to also participate in the rescheduled Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The players’ desire was to start in January and have a longer break for those who were in the bubble, tipping off instead on Martin Luther King Day on January 18 — perhaps the second biggest day of the season behind Christmas. But the later start date would mean a shorter season, potentially as few as 60 games, and it would still not finish until August, making NBA player participate in the Olympics an open question.

There would also be the question of lost revenues — between $500 million and $1 billion, ESPN reported — and with such a late start, it would even lead to questions about affecting the start date for a 2021—2022 season. ESPN also reported that to try and offset some of the lost revenue, the league would expand guidelines on sponsorships of sports betting, hard alcohol and casinos.

With anything being planned through the winter and into next year, there is also the specter of whether there will be a suspension of the season for an outbreak, or if the bubble environment would be needed again. While the NBA was able to spend months planning for the Orlando bubble, this offseason including a draft, free agency and preseason camps will be planned and executed in short order.

Regardless, there will be NBA action this winter.

Tuesday, November 3

NFL: Report Indicates League May Expand Playoffs Because of Virus

The need to make sure every contingency is thought of reflects the constant tightrope walk the National Football League is doing each week. There have not been any cancellations but there have been several rescheduled games because of COVID-19 tests, with an outbreak on the Tennessee Titans the most extreme case.

The Las Vegas Raiders game has been moved from Sunday night as a contingency in case it cannot be played. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

But with four bye weeks remaining on the schedule, the league is keeping its options open should there be enough of an outbreak to necessitate a game being postponed — especially as the United States sees cases surging again.

The question then becomes if a game is canceled, what would happen should a team involved be in a playoff race? The answer, ESPN reported, is that the league will implement in swift fashion an expanded 16-team playoff with eight teams from each conference.

The report says the NFL competition committee met Monday and has set a contingency that would have four division champions and four wild-card teams from the AFC and NFC advance to the postseason. It would increase the playoffs an additional two teams from what was going to already be an expanded playoff field of 14 teams this season.

The concerns about having teams miss games because of COVID-19 is real. And on the morning the NFL released a 30-minute video explaining all of its various rules and protocols to protect players and staffers from the coronavirus, there were multiple teams Monday that reported having positive tests including two on the Arizona Cardinals and one on the Baltimore Ravens, Marlon Humphrey, who reported that he tested positive the day after playing for his team against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

One team to watch the next few days also is the Green Bay Packers, who had running back AJ Dillon test positive. Several players, including fellow running back Jamaal Williams, have been described as “close contacts” and must isolate until cleared by the league. That puts the Packers down to two running backs on the active roster ahead of their game on Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers.

Of note looking back at the weekend is that eight games were played with fans in attendance — but other than the Carolina Panthers’ home game Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons, none were sellouts even with restricted capacity.

While some of the games were close to “sellouts” including Miami and Denver, it is notable that the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, both of which allowed up to 12,000 fans, instead had crowds of 9,712 and 10,972, respectively. While the Kansas City Chiefs are allowed to have up to 16,700 fans in attendance, only 11,932 attended the team’s win over the New York Jets.

The Philadelphia Eagles were allowed up to 7,500 fans for its Sunday Night win over the Dallas Cowboys but did not release an official number of tickets sold. One of the teams that came closest to selling out its allotment was the Denver Broncos … who, according to local television, had CEO Joe Ellis and General Manager John Elway test positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday morning.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Wisconsin Cancels Second Game

The University of Wisconsin has had to cancel its second game in the shortened Big Ten football season. The Badgers will not play Saturday against Purdue, the school announced on Tuesday, with team-related activities remain paused indefinitely after there are now 15 players and 12 staffers who have tested positive for COVID-19.

The Badgers, who went to the Rose Bowl last season, stopped team activities on October 28 and its scheduled game at Nebraska on October 31 was cancelled. Both that game and the Purdue game will not be rescheduled.

A team must play at least six games this season to be eligible for the Big Ten Championship Game. Wisconsin, which won its season opener against Illinois on October 23, has five games scheduled the rest of this season and must play them all to be eligible for the title game.

“I share in the disappointment of our student-athletes and staff,” Wisconsin Athletics Director Barry Alvarez said. “We have seen a level of improvement in our testing numbers, but not enough to give us confidence to resume normal activities and play our game on Saturday. We will continue to test regularly, take the proper health-related precautions and look forward to getting our team back on the field as soon as possible.”

SOCCER: CONCACAF Champions League Set for U.S. December Event

The CONCACAF Champions League, the biggest international club soccer competition in North America, will resume in December at a site to be determined in the United States.

The 2020 CCL was suspended in March at the quarterfinal stage with three of the four matchups at the halfway point of their home-and-home format. For those matches, there will be one game played and the score will be added to the previous first leg; should the aggregate be tied, away goals will be the tiebreaker. If the away goals are tied, the game will go straight to penalty kicks.

The one quarterfinal that did not start, matching LAFC of Major League Soccer and Cruz Azul of Liga MX, will be a single-game knockout match. The quarterfinals will be held December 15–16 before the semifinals on December 19 and the championship on December 22. All the matches will be played without fans in attendance.

“It has been extremely pleasing to see so many leagues across the region get back to playing football again and the time is right for our flagship club tournament, the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, to return with the necessary protocols in place to ensure it is safe for everyone involved,” said CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani.

Monday, November 2

SOCCER: Premier League Plays On During UK Lockdown; USL Final Canceled

One of the first areas in the sports world to return from COVID-19 was European soccer, where leagues resumed before any U.S. professional league under strict protocols that were then copied by many American leagues wanting to avoid a bubble environment and play in home markets.

Manchester United and Arsenal players take part in a minute of silence as a soldier at left lays a wreath during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on November 1, 2020. (Shaun Botterill/Pool via AP)

There were even fans in selected stadiums across Germany and France for the past few months, though nowhere near capacity. In England, some lower-level soccer leagues were able to have fans in attendance and plans were underway for the return of fans in some stadiums throughout the Premier League.

But with case numbers surging throughout the world and fears of a second wave well underway throughout Europe, those plans have been put back on the shelf. The English Premier League has only been allowed to continue through a special dispensation as the United Kingdom enters a new national lockdown through early December that will close non-essential businesses and restrict the movement of people.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admitted that he was pleased to see the sport continue.

“It’s obviously what we want. We proved that we can go on and keep the bubble kind of safe,” he told reporters after his team’s win on Saturday. “We proved that we can do it, and in a lockdown I think it’s important that the people can do things they like to do and watching football is obviously something they like to do. I’m obviously happy we can continue.”

England’s top flight had its 2019–2020 season suspended in March, which lasted almost four months before the remaining fixtures could be completed.

Several other European divisions have moved to act in the face of mounting cases. France’s Ligue 1, which did not finish its 2019-20 season, will continue as will the Bundesliga in Germany, although authorities have issued a new ban on fans attending games.

While the European leagues will go on without fans, Major League Soccer’s regular season concludes November 8 with an unusual way of qualifying for the playoffs — not total points but points per game. While every Eastern Conference team will have played the full 23-game modified schedule, several Western Conference teams will not reach that limit; the Colorado Rapids, which had to deal with an extended COVID outbreak within the team, will finish the season only playing 18 matches.

But at least the MLS playoffs are still on track to start on November 20 with the championship game on December 12. The USL Championship and USL League One did not reach their finales that were scheduled for the past weekend; the League One final between Greenville and Union Omaha was postponed after multiple players from Omaha tested positive for COVID-19, then the scheduled Sunday USL Championship final between Phoenix and Tampa Bay was also canceled after multiple individuals on the Rowdies tested positive for COVID-19.

“First and foremost, we want to applaud these two teams on an incredible season,” said USL President Jake Edwards in a league release. “They deserved the opportunity to play for the USL Championship Final trophy and we are disappointed that we won’t be able to watch them on Sunday night. With that said, we want to thank all of our clubs, our supporters, our players and our staff for all of their time, hard work and energy this season. We’ve grown closer under difficult circumstances and we can’t wait to be back together again soon.”

In the backdrop of rising cases and cancellations, there was one country trying to still see if it can plan for future sellouts. Officials in Japan used a baseball stadium in Yokohama, Japan, for a three-day experiment with half the stands filled on Friday, then a full 32,000 on Saturday and Sunday.

During those events, officials planned to use high-precision cameras, carbon dioxide-monitoring devices and wind-speed measuring machines as part of countermeasures against COVID-19. The stadium will be used as a venue for next year’s rescheduled Olympics, which are to open on July 23, 2021.

“We will report our findings here to the government,” Kiyotaka Eguchi, an official of the Kanagawa prefecture, said Friday. “The information we get here will be reflected in the guidelines, and that will also be used for the next year’s Olympics and professional baseball.”

Friday, October 30

FOOTBALL: NFL Working on Limited Seating for Super Bowl

There really is nothing in American sports like the Super Bowl — part game, part cultural touchstone and part tourism jackpot for destinations that get to host more than a week’s worth of activities with the eyes of the world upon it.

Fans are scattered around the stadium as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half of an NFL football game on October 4 in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

That was supposed to be Tampa Bay’s showcase in early February, the region’s fourth time to host the game and first since 2009. Holy Cross professor Victor Matheson says the economic impact of hosting a Super Bowl can be up to $130 million — not near the public projections that host cities boast of, but certainly nothing to sneeze about. There are also the ancillary businesses that can get expanded recognition and business and word of mouth that can be a transformational moment.

The 2021 Super Bowl may not be quite that type of moment, though, because … well, 2020.

Despite the statements of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has urged pro sports teams to have capacity crowds at their stadiums, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers limited attendance at the last home game to just under 16,500 fans. While there is always the chance of that capacity to be increased as the season goes on, the chances of having a full house has always seemed bleak; there is also the fact that while the NFL has been able to jump through a lot of hoops to keep the schedule mostly intact, there is nothing to say that the schedule may be severely disrupted between now and February.

So while the Buccaneers’ last home game had 25 percent capacity, it became big news when ESPN reported the NFL had already settled upon the Super Bowl being held with 20 percent capacity, or approximately 13,000 people. The report this week was swiftly denied by the NFL and for many potential reasons. Having an already agreed-upon capacity and attendance count would be news to ticket groups who are still waiting news on their potential allocations (and revenue generated from such allocations) although there were also reports that during a conference call with sponsors, networks and more this week that the league told listeners that all 134 suites will be available, which would be a major development and source of calm for some ticket groups.

As for this weekend’s games, the Detroit Lions are one team that will host people in the stands for the first time this season although it will be limited to 500 family members and friends of players. Of the 13 games including the Thursday night game between Atlanta and Carolina, five of them will not have crowds on hand — one of them being the Monday Night showcase game as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the New York Giants, who placed one of its starting offensive lineman on the reserve/COVID list on Thursday after a positive test that led to eight players and two coaches being told to stay away from the team’s facility. All of the Giants’ starting lineman were told to stay away but could be cleared to return as soon as Friday, akin to what the Raiders dealt with for their offensive line after a positive test last week during preparations for its game which was also against the Buccaneers.

Whether on or off the field, it appears that all things lead to Tampa Bay this week.

Thursday’s Game
Atlanta at Carolina: The Panthers allowed up to 5,240 fans in attendance

Sunday’s Games
L.A. Rams at Miami: The Dolphins are allowing up to 13,000 fans in attendance
N.Y. Jets at Kansas City: The Chiefs are allowing up to 16,700 fans in attendance
Minnesota at Green Bay: The Packers are currently not allowing fans in attendance
Indianapolis at Detroit: The Lions will allow up to 500 friends and family members of players in attendance
Las Vegas at Cleveland: The Browns are allowing up to 12,000 fans in attendance
Tennessee at Cincinnati: The Bengals are allowing up to 12,000 fans in attendance
New England at Buffalo: The Bills are currently not allowing fans in attendance
L.A. Chargers at Denver: The Broncos are allowing up to 5,700 fans in attendance
San Francisco at Seattle: The Seahawks are currently not allowing fans in attendance
New Orleans at Chicago: The Bears are currently not allowing fans in attendance
Dallas at Philadelphia: The Eagles are allowing up to 7,500 fans in attendance

Monday’s Game
Tampa Bay at N.Y. Giants: The Giants are currently not allowing fans in attendance

Thursday, October 29

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: One Month Before Tipoff, Many Teams Don’t Have Schedules

Especially during the chaotic early weeks of the college football season, seeing the NCAA organize a set opening date for college basketball seemed organized, streamlined and without the mess that had been permeating throughout the Power 5 conferences with its rescheduling and returns to play having little coordination.

Villanova forward Saddiq Bey dribbles the ball against Georgetown guard Jagan Mosely in a game on March 7, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

But as the college basketball season is officially allowed to start in less than a month, there appears to be the regular ol’ chaos that seemingly comes with any major college sporting event. With many programs not having a schedule yet and with many others not even sure if the games they have scheduled will tip off, the amount of work still seems massive — and that’s before you think about the NCAA Tournament’s return in March.

One of the big issues is something that carries over from college football: Leagues, not just the Power 5 but even mid-majors and the traditional small conferences, do not have consistent testing protocols. Add into that the regulations that state and local health officials have for any type of recreational activity and there are number hoops to jump through before you can even put a ball in the hoop.

“If the NCAA is going to put guidelines out, you should have a way that you can mandate it and make sure that everyone does it,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said during Big East Conference virtual media day on Wednesday. “That’s a problem, I think. That’s going to be a problem … You’ve already got two conferences that are not going by the guidelines,” referring to the Big 12 and SEC.

Villanova had to shut down its activities for 14 days because of a positive COVID-19 test within the program, and Marquette is currently in the midst of a 14-day quarantine. The Big East has a conference schedule set … through December 23, only one-quarter of the games it would play. The rest of the schedule has not been released because of the uncertainty of tests and shutdowns within programs because of testing results.

“We are planning to resume conference play after the holidays on December 30, but it’s our intention to hold off a little bit longer in announcing that second part of the schedule just so we can continue to assess the landscape and get ourselves comfortable with the most appropriate scheduling format,” Big East commissioner Val Ackerman said. “[That] will of course hinge on the status of the virus and related factors. Our goal there is to make sure we have safe competition.”

The NCAA’s guidance for college basketball this season is a 14-day pause in activity once somebody within a program tests positive. But because college sports is so diverse, the amount of testing that each school and conference will do is inconsistent. Testing and health regulations is what has caused ESPN Events to cancel 10 early-season tournament events that it had planned to relocate from their traditional sites into the ESPN Disney Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Florida. Multiple reports indicated that the schools and network had differences over the required health and safety protocols, including the time spent in quarantine a positive test occur and the costs involved. The Athletic reported that several schools who would have been in one of the tournaments had issues over the testing protocols that ESPN was planning on using, which would have been more stringent than the ones they currently utilize on campus per their conference’s guidelines.

To try and get games right away, fans will see mini-tournaments popping up throughout the country — many of them four-team events whether on campus or in a locale where the competing programs are able to handle health and safety protocols in a consistent fashion. The Mohegan Sun in Connecticut is reportedly going to be the site for several of those four-team events, in effect serving as a kickoff venue for the sport under a modified bubble concept, which will only gain traction and attention should it result in strong competition with clean testing results, especially in the light of college football postponements and many other controversies that have come with not having a sealed bubble environment.

The Big East at least, is contemplating having its teams play in a bubble during the second semester as students return to member campuses whether all of them go into one venue or they gather in small regional groups. The league took pains to say that that plan is not on the books for its schedules, but the coaches seem to be open to the idea.

“There’s no doubt: the bubble is the answer,” said Wright. “If you want to get where you are sure that you’re going to get all your games in, the bubble’s the answer [and] the medical experts will agree to that. The challenge for us is … (players) are not employees so to force someone to go into a bubble is shaky. And, if you do it for the men you have to do it for the women, which doubles the cost for everybody.”

Basically, it can be summed up as this: If you thought the college football season has been a rollercoaster so far, you may not have seen anything yet once college basketball tries to play nearly three times as many games during what already is the traditional winter flu season.

HOCKEY: Minor Leagues Make Start Date Decisions

While the National Hockey League is targeting a January 1 start date for its season but remaining deliberate in not making announcements until all the plans are solidified, the two biggest minor leagues that funnel players to the NHL have both made their own determinations on when the puck will drop.

The American Hockey League, the level below the NHL, will have its 2021 season’s “anticipated start date” of February 5, pushed back from the original plan to have a 2020–2021 season that began on December 4. Regardless of when it starts, the AHL will also have to deal with the regulations that would come with cross-border travel into Canada with the league having four of its 31 teams north of the border.

The AHL’s move comes after the ECHL earlier released its planned schedule in a unique format. For 13 teams in the ECHL, the season will be 72 games starting December 11, 2020. The other teams in the league will have a 62-game season that starts on January 15 while the Atlanta Gladiators will take a voluntary suspension for the 2020–2021 season. Under the split-season plan, the league standings will be based on winning percentage and the postseason format will be based on the eligible competing teams in the regular season.

LACROSSE: Indoor League Plans 2021 Season

The National Lacrosse League will target its 35th season to begin on April 9 with team training camps starting in mid-March under strict guidelines and with a mix of virtual and in-person training.

The full schedule has not been released yet as the league will first focus on working with health authorities and local jurisdictions to develop health and safety protocols for the players and fans at games. The league is in the process of building several scenarios which factor in current and long-term restrictions in both the United States and Canada with regard to immigration and facility use.

“We have been continuously working with our teams, Players’ Association, arenas, and health and government officials to prepare to play our 35th season. An April start date will give us sufficient time to have our protocols in place for players, coaches, staff as well as fans,” NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz said. “We are working with all teams to provide the safest environment and an acceptable level of fans in the stands. We understand that current circumstances will dictate whether this plan is achievable, and we will be prepared to remain flexible and pivot as needed. We want to thank all our players, fans and partners who have supported our efforts to stay connected and engaged during this prolonged offseason and are looking forward to returning to play in April.”

The 2019-20 NLL season ended March 12 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Wednesday, October 28

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Wisconsin Cancels Nebraska Game After Outbreak

The Big Ten Conference was the trendsetter among Power 5 leagues in deciding that the fall was too soon for college football. Then, under a storm of criticism, the league reversed its decision and said that thanks to rapid testing, it would be able to play a conference-only schedule and return months ahead of schedule.

But when it made that return-to-play announcement, given the time to gear up for games and get a minimum number of practices in, the league was left with the decision to go with no off weeks between last weekend’s season openers and the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis in mid-December. Given the amount of cancellations in college football already this season — let alone the schedule reshuffling that the NFL has seen — outside observers, if not those within the league, knew that there was going to be a lot of tightrope walking for teams.

And Wednesday, the University of Wisconsin football team fell off the tightrope. The Badgers will pause all team-related activities for at least seven days after six players — including its star quarterback and backup quarterback — and six staff members, including head coach Paul Chryst, tested positive over the past five days.

“This morning I received the news that I had tested positive via a PCR test I took yesterday,” Chryst said in a statement released by the university. “I informed my staff and the team this morning and am currently isolating at home. I had not been experiencing any symptoms and feel good as of this morning. I am disappointed for our players and coaching staff who put so much into preparing to play each week. But the safety of everyone in our program has to be our top priority and I support the decision made to pause our team activities.”

As a result, the No. 9 Badgers game against Nebraska on Saturday has been canceled. The Big Ten’s policy this season is that a team must pause activities if the program has a positivity threshold higher than 5 percent; the preliminary estimates have Wisconsin’s at 8 percent.

Beyond the seven-day pause and game being canceled, any positive tests for the Badgers — or any other conference team — would be a multi-week gap in the depth chart. Big Ten policy requires any player who tests positive for COVID-19 to miss at least 21 days and undergo cardiac screening before being cleared to return. Even with one game being canceled already, that would leave the six players out for at least two more games.

Before Wisconsin’s announcement, there had been a total of 36 games postponed or canceled out of 251 scheduled so far in college football, including this coming Saturday’s game for No. 19 Marshall.

BASEBALL: Dodgers Win Title, But Face Postgame Controversy

It was supposed to be a joyous moment for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and for Major League Baseball. The Dodgers streamed into a big dogpile to celebrate their first World Series title in more than three decades after beating the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 6 on Tuesday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. MLB was able to crown a champion to end a shortened season that contained plenty of harsh words leading to the modified Opening Day, then multiple COVID outbreaks on teams before getting into a groove that had it go 58 consecutive days without a positive test.

After the game, that all was jumbled into a cloud of confusion and controversy as MLB’s postseason bubble was breached and the Dodgers’ postgame celebration left many on social media cringing given what had been revealed on TV right after the final pitch — Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner had tested positive for COVID-19, which is why he left the game in the eighth inning.

From that point on, there were a mess of questions that did not have easy answers. The test for Turner was from yesterday and came up inconclusive, but the test he took before the game had not been processed when the game started — why would that be for any player? If the Dodgers or MLB knew that Turner’s test from the day before was inconclusive, why was he not pulled from the team out of caution?

And why, after the game was over, was Turner allowed back onto the field to celebrate with his teammates and even sit in the front row of a team photo with no mask on? And if the players were told, why did they continue to celebrate with their families on the field with many of them not wearing masks?

“A superspreader event on live TV. Welcome to 2020,” a general manager texted ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

There is no denying as well the size of the bullet that Major League Baseball, uh, dodged with the Dodgers’ win. Should the Rays have won and forced a Game 7, would it have played the following night as scheduled?

“It’s a bittersweet night for us,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “We’re glad to be done. I do think it’s a great accomplishment for our players to get the season completed, but obviously, we’re concerned when any of your players test positive.”

Major League Baseball took a harsher stand in the hours after the celebration, releasing a statement that read in part “While a desire to celebrate is understandable, Turner’s decision to leave isolation and enter the field was wrong and put everyone he came in contact with at risk. When MLB Security raised the matter of being on the field with Turner, he emphatically refused to comply” and announcing that it would be conducting an investigation into the circumstances regarding his return to the field for the celebration.

Given the amount of questions raised after the celebration — there is no word yet on if the Dodgers must remain in their hotels in Arlington until they have all been given cleared by health authorities — it also brings to mind Turner’s role in trying to enforce safety protocols for his teammates earlier in the season to prevent any positive tests from coming into the clubhouse.

Two weeks into the MLB season after outbreaks on the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals, there was serious debate within the game as to whether the season would have to be immediately shut down. MLB continued on and eventually fewer games were postponed. Turner then sent a note to all of his teammates, made available to the media, that included team-only guidelines including “All players will wear face coverings in the dugout” and “Stressed 6 feet of distancing and face coverings in the bullpen where guys may have to sit in the stands to ensure space.”

Tuesday, October 27

GOLF: PGA Tour Ready to Welcome Back Fans

One of the sports that can easily lead itself to social distancing among fans at its events, the PGA Tour has still remained very slow in bringing back spectators. The two majors held in the United States so far, the PGA Championship and U.S. Open, were both held without fans on the course, although some by the Winged Foot Golf Club in New York were able to get great views.

But as the PGA Tour continues its season, like many outdoor leagues the idea of having fans come back in limited numbers has continued to gather steam. And this week in the Bermuda Championship, fans will be on the course in “a limited number of general admission spectators per day” at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton.

The Champions Tour and LPGA Tour have had fans in limited quantities at events already, but this would be the first time for the PGA Tour since the pandemic began in the spring. The event that follows the Bermuda Championship, the Houston Open, has said it would allow fans as well at what will be the final event before a unique Masters held in November instead of the spring — that event will not have fans, or patrons in Masters-speak, at the course.

The idea of having fans at the course has been welcomed by many but there was one notable comment from Phil Mickelson, who last week said “I don’t like the risk that having that happen the week before the Masters. I just feel like the week before the Masters, like that’s a big tournament we have and I just don’t want to have any risk heading in there.”

Mickelson turned 50 this year and as such has the chance to use those events to practice for majors. Having won twice on the Champions Tour this year, Mickelson could compete at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix instead of the PGA event in Houston before heading to Augusta, Georgia. Mickelson has not announced what he will do but he did soften his original comments, saying to the Golf Channel about fans in Houston, “That’s not a deciding factor. I’m sure the Tour will do a great job of making it safe.”

Monday, October 26

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Bowl Season Slimmed Down

One of the most iconic bowl games of the college football postseason, known for some of the wildest endings in the sport’s history, will go dark this season as the number of bowl games not being held this year is starting to slowly climb.

The SDCCU Holiday Bowl announced recently that for the first time since 1978, it will not be played. Between the financial considerations given to not having a capacity crowd on hand for the game as well as ancillary events during the bowl week, the decision was not an easy one but had to be made. The San Diego State University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management has said the game’s annual average economic impact for the region the past decade is $30.96 million.

“This absolutely kills me,” said Mark Neville, executive director of the Holiday Bowl. “If our game got canceled in December, now what? In the worst case scenario, what if we have Florida State and Washington in our game and they get into town and five kids on Florida State’s team test positive. Then what?”

The Holiday Bowl has hosted a Pac-12 team every year since 1998; this year, a Pac-12 team would have faced off against an ACC team for the first time. The other obstacle for the Holiday Bowl was where in San Diego it would have been played since SDCCU Stadium has been closed; the San Diego State football team will be playing the next two seasons at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, while a new on-campus stadium is built.

The Holiday Bowl becomes the fifth postseason game to go dark this season, joining established games such as the Bahamas Bowl, Hawaii Bowl and Redbox Bowl. The inaugural Fenway Bowl, scheduled for December between teams from the ACC and Athletic American Conference, will not be played with the inaugural edition scheduled for 2021 instead at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.

Where that leaves the rest of college football’s bowl season is uncertain. While having nearly every FBS program back in action clearly helps with those bowls that have established tie-ins, there also is the fact that many games do not have official dates yet. Another unique part of this college football season is that the requirement for a minimum number of wins has been waived this season, leading to the potential of having one- or two-win teams that would still draw a large regional crowd available to bowl games should they choose.

Friday, October 23

FOOTBALL: NFL Once Again Readjusts Weekend Schedule

The National Football League has been able to handle organizing this season so far during the coronavirus pandemic. Yes, there have been postponed games and rapid rescheduling of multiple games. But to that point, there have not been any games canceled.

And yet the league is living on a knife’s edge each week. Not only does each team have to react should any players test positive, but there is also the contact tracing protocols the league and union have agreed upon that can make the preparation each week for games difficult, as the Las Vegas Raiders have learned this week.

After offensive tackle Trent Brown was put on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Raiders had to put their other four starting offensive lineman plus safety Johnathan Abram on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Abram and the offensive line group must quarantine for five days in addition to their last day of contact. Because the last day of contact for the players was Monday, there remains the possibility that all the Raiders would be cleared on Sunday morning and allowed to play.

NFL rules this season say teams must have at least eight offensive linemen on the game day roster; with contact tracing underway, the Raiders only have five linemen on the active roster during practice this week.

Under the NFL’s tracing protocols, every player, coach and staff member must wear a proximity device to record distance between devices and time in close contact inside team facilities, during practice and games and during travel. The league will define close contact as being within six feet of someone for about 15 minutes or direct physical contact during practices, games or travel.

Given that there remains a slight chance that the Raiders would not be able to play on Sunday, the NFL has moved Las Vegas’ game — scheduled for Sunday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — to Sunday afternoon and put a different game in the prime time lineup, Seattle at Arizona, “out of an abundance of caution to ensure that a game would be available for fans on Sunday Night Football.”

The Arizona Cardinals in the rescheduled Sunday night game will have up to 1,200 fans, one of two teams that will be able to have fans in attendance for the first time. The New Orleans Saints, who almost left the Superdome to have fans in attendance at LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will instead stay in town and host up to 3,000 fans against the Carolina Panthers.

While California’s statewide restrictions have allowed for the chance to have fans at sporting events, Los Angeles County — home of SoFi Stadium and the L.A. Rams and L.A. Chargers — have not met the health and safety benchmarks to host fans. Santa Clara County health officials said that fans will still not be allowed to go to San Francisco 49ers games even though the country technically could allow a restricted number of fans in the stands.

Here is a look at which games will have fans this weekend:

Thursday’s Game
N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia: Up to 7,500 fans were allowed

Sunday’s Games
Dallas at Washington: No fans will be in the stadium
Buffalo at N.Y. Jets: No fans will be in the stadium
Carolina at New Orleans: Up to 3,000 fans will be allowed
Green Bay at Houston: Up to 13,000 fans will be allowed
Cleveland at Cincinnati: Up to 12,000 fans will be allowed
Pittsburgh at Tennessee: Up to 8,000-plus fans will be allowed
Detroit at Atlanta: A limited number of fans will be allowed
Tampa Bay at Las Vegas: No fans will be in the stadium
San Francisco at New England: No fans will be in the stadium
Jacksonville at L.A. Chargers: No fans will be in the stadium
Kansas City at Denver: Up to 5,700 fans will be allowed
Seattle at Arizona: Up to 1,200 fans will be allowed

Monday’s Game
Chicago at L.A. Rams: No fans will be in the stadium

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Army-Navy Game to Move from Philadelphia to West Point

The Army-Navy football game, an event typically filled with spectacle and a sold-out crowd at an NFL stadium, will move back to where it all began—West Point—in an effort to reduce the event’s size during the pandemic. Army Director of Athletics Mike Buddie and Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced today that the 121st playing of the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA will be played December 12.

Limits on the size of outdoor events in Pennsylvania prevented the entire Corps of Cadets and Brigade of Midshipmen to attend the event, which was planned for Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. As the designated home team in 2020, Army will host at its historic Michie Stadium.

“We want to thank the city of Philadelphia, the Eagles and all involved in the planning for their efforts to navigate this historic game in the current COVID-19 climate,” said Buddie. “We are excited about this historic opportunity to host Navy and the Brigade inside the gates of West Point for the first time since 1943.”

It marks the first time the Army-Navy Game has been played at a home site since World War II when Annapolis hosted the 1942 game. West Point hosted in 1943. The two schools also rotated hosting the first four games of the series from 1890-1893.

Thursday, October 22

HOCKEY: NHL Cancels Winter Classic, All-Star Weekend for 2021

The National Hockey League, still deciding how to proceed with the coming season including when the campaign would begin, has announced the postponements of the 2021 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic scheduled for Minneapolis and 2021 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend scheduled for Sunrise, Florida.

The NHL Winter Classic would have had the St. Louis Blues traveling to face the Minnesota Wild, while the Florida Panthers were going to host the All-Star Weekend. Both events have been postponed due to the ongoing uncertainty resulting from the coronavirus, but the NHL said it does intend to return to both Minnesota and Florida in the future.

Importantly, the league says the announcement does not impact the joint declaration by the NHL and National Hockey League Players’ Association that they are targeting on or around January 1 as the start date for the upcoming NHL season.

“Fan participation, both in arenas and stadiums as well as in the ancillary venues and events that we stage around the Winter Classic and All-Star Weekend, is integral to the success of our signature events,” said NHL Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Content Officer Steve Mayer. “Because of the uncertainty as to when we will be able to welcome our fans back to our games, we felt that the prudent decision at this time was to postpone these celebrations until 2022 when our fans should be able to enjoy and celebrate these tentpole events in-person, as they were always intended. We are also considering several new and creative events that will allow our fans to engage with our games and teams during this upcoming season.”

OLYMPIC SPORTS: USA Wrestling Pulls Out of 2020 Worlds, Citing Virus Risk

For all potential Olympic athletes, the year started with trying to make sure that every single moment was calibrated for the exact day that they would be in competition at the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Tokyo. Then COVID-19 happened, and athletes had to adjust and reset themselves with an eye toward 2021.

That means shuffling schedules to a never-before-seen extent and for one national governing body, that means giving up one of the prime international chances to test themselves against the rest of the world.

USA Wrestling has announced that it will not send a team to compete at the 2020 Senior World Wrestling Championships set for Belgrade, Serbia, from December 12-20. The decision was reached by the NGB’s Executive Committee, which acts on behalf of the Board of Directors between Board meetings and unanimously approved a proposal not to participate in the Senior World Championships due to health and safety issues.

“The health and safety of U.S. athletes, coaches and staff is always the No. 1 concern for USA Wrestling. After reviewing updated medical, scientific and government data, and providing an opportunity for athlete and stakeholder input, the Executive Committee concluded that it would not be in the best interest of all involved to organize a delegation to travel to and participate in the Senior World Championships in Serbia,” USA Wrestling President Bruce Baumgartner said.

U.S. athletes will not be able to participate independently at the event. It is not the first time that the U.S. has skipped a world event; USA Wrestling made a similar decision in 2002 when it missed the Senior World Freestyle Championships in Tehran, Iran, after the NGB received “specific and credible information from an official source that the safety of the U.S. delegation could not be guaranteed if a USA Wrestling delegation attended.”

Before its final decision, USA Wrestling held a series of discussions including two meetings of the Executive Committee, plus one of the USA Wrestling Athlete Advisory Committee meeting. A survey was sent to 117 athletes on whether athletes would attend or not attend under a variety of different possible conditions. Two of USA Wrestling’s special subcommittees, its COVID-19 Advisory Committee and its COVID-19 Public Relations and Messaging Committee, also held meetings on the topic.

The U.S. State Department’s Travel Advisory for Serbia is at Level 3 out of four levels, with a notation to “reconsider travel to Serbia due to COVID-19.”

“My heart breaks for our athletes, as nobody is more affected by this decision than they are,” said Veronica Carlson, Executive Committee member and chairperson of the USA Wrestling Athlete Advisory Committee. “In the same breath, abstaining from the 2020 World Championships is the right decision. I am proud that the athlete voice was solicited and considered through every step of this process. In choosing to make this decision now, versus delaying it, the athletes have time to recover and refocus on what is most important — the 2021 Olympic Games.”

Wednesday, October 21

Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, was ready this spring to be the newest crown jewel for Major League Baseball, a stadium that has a lower overall capacity for the Texas Rangers but with every bit of customer activation that one would possibly expect.

The venue was home to the start of the World Series on Tuesday night — the eighth time in MLB history that a stadium hosted the Fall Classic in its inaugural season — but not because of the Rangers. Instead, a restricted number of fans, 11,500 overall, watched the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays, whose players and families are being housed in a protective bubble from COVID-19, play in Game 1 in the spotlight event of Major League Baseball’s most unusual season.

Even getting to this point was not easy for MLB. The league and players union had bitter negotiations throughout the spring and into early summer before a shortened season even began. Within weeks of the rescheduled Opening Day on July 23, the Miami Marlins had a sustained outbreak of coronavirus — followed by an outbreak on the St. Louis Cardinals, although only two of the 45 MLB games postponed for COVID-related reasons were not eventually made up.

Even this season’s games were organized differently. There were no fans for all 898 games, which MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said is a major reason that MLB’s teams sustained a combined $3 billion in losses this season. Doubleheaders were seven innings apiece instead of the traditional nine innings. Extra-inning games saw each team’s at-bat start with a runner on second, a decision many traditionalists decried. While the rule was obstinately to speed up games, the average time of a nine-inning game this year was a record 3 hours, 7 minutes, 46 seconds.

Manfred, however, told The Associated Press that he hopes to keep the extra-inning rule as well as an expanded playoff field. This year’s postseason, with the final three rounds being held in a bubble format, was expanded to 16 teams from its regular 10, although future expansion will be a matter for negotiations between Manfred and players union leader Tony Clark.

And after a postseason in which the NLCS and World Series was held with a restricted number of fans in Arlington, the ability to have people in attendance next season will be crucial for MLB.

“We understand what happens with fans is going to be a product of what happens with the virus, what decisions public health authorities make in terms of mass gatherings,” Manfred told the AP. “It is a huge issue for us in terms of the economics of the game. The losses that I referred to earlier were basically in stone when we started the season because we knew about 40% of our revenue is gate-related and we knew we weren’t going to have it.”

Those will be discussions for later, although not too much later once the World Series does end. Seeking its elusive first title since 1988, the Dodgers won Game 1 behind a dominant start from Clayton Kershaw. And for the 50^th day in a row, Major League Baseball was able to hold an event without a positive test. This season, that may just be enough to celebrate.

Tuesday, October 20

TENNIS: No Canceling Wimbledon in 2021, Club Says

Through all the focus — deservedly so — as professional, collegiate, amateur and youth sports in the United States have taken varied ways to return to action during this year while trying to minimize the risks of the coronavirus, one thing that may not have been as front and center were the myriad difficulties for professional tours that are worldwide.

There was the risk of virus outbreaks on the tours, for one thing. Then there was travel restrictions throughout the world based upon what country was making the decisions. Whether it was quarantine periods, testing or bubbles, worldwide events have had a particularly hard time of things.

One sport that has tried to put together as much of a worldwide schedule as possible is the WTA and ATP tennis tours. After a summer resumption of play in the United States with a tightened bubble doubleheader event in New York City capped by a U.S. Open without fans, the tour then quickly transitioned to clay court events in Europe with the French Open recently completed to cap the Grand Slam season.

But the grandest slam of all, Wimbledon, was noticeably absent. One of the biggest early events in the world to become canceled, the All England Lawn Tennis Club got perhaps as much attention for the fact that it had purchased pandemic insurance years ago for April’s announcement of the event’s cancellation itself, its first since World War II.

The AELTC made its first statement recently about next year, which is already facing queries given the rise of cases in the United Kingdom: Wimbledon will be held in 2021 — even if it has to adopt the same policy as the U.S. Open did this summer and have the event without fans.

“Staging the championships in 2021 is our number one priority and we are actively engaged in scenario planning in order to deliver on that priority,” Chief Executive Sally Bolton said, adding that organizers are planning on a series of contingencies that also do include the chance of having fans in some quantity.

While Wimbledon was canceled, each of the Grand Slams this year were held in less-than-ideal circumstances. The Australian Open was held as scheduled in the spring but during a period of horrible wildfires in the country. The U.S. Open was held during its scheduled dates with no fans while the French Open, typically held in May in Paris, was instead held in late September with a limited amount of fans on hand.

Monday, October 19

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Big Ten Already Walking Schedule Tightrope

The Big Ten Conference, which had postponed its football season temporarily to the spring before a hasty rework saw it schedule a compressed fall schedule, is already seeing the difficulties that may occur with attempting to play eight games in eight weeks.

Purdue Coach Jeff Brohm revealed that he has tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday. Brohm is undergoing a PCR test to confirm the results of the test as his team is scheduled to start its season on October 24 against Iowa. While Big Ten athletes who test positive are required to be held out for 21 days, coaches follow CDC guidelines that call for 10 days of isolation.

Unlike other Power 5 Conferences, the Big Ten does not have an extra week for the schedule worked into its plan ahead of the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis should there be any games that are canceled because of a COVID-19 outbreak within the team or staff. Of the three Power 5 Conferences that have already started its seasons — the Big 12, ACC and SEC — each has had at least two games moved around because of team outbreaks, showcasing the difficulty that the Big Ten will have ahead. The last of the Power 5 Conferences to kick off, the Pac-12, has a seven-game conference schedule that starts in the first week of November.

Notable coaches known to have tested positive for COVID-19 include Florida’s Dan Mullen, Florida State’s Mike Norvell, Arizona’s Kevin Sumlin and Kansas’ Les Miles. Alabama’s Nick Saban was cleared to coach the Crimson Tide on Saturday, three days after a false positive test.

Friday, October 16

NFL: League Could Get Through Weekend Without Postponements

After two dramatic weeks filled with postponements, reshuffled schedules and a full-fledged outbreak within one of its teams, the National Football League is on the verge of having its first weekend without a late postponement or cancellation in three weeks.

The schedule itself is not what was planned back in the offseason — there is a special Monday doubleheader and several games on the scheduled were shifted around a week ago. But overall, the league is moving forward without disruption even while some teams have had dodgy moments.

Drama ensued on Friday at two AFC team facilities, as the Indianapolis Colts shut down its complex after hearing four members of the organization had tested positive — before returning a negative test on Friday morning. The Atlanta Falcons had closed its facility on Thursday after a positive test but that was reportedly to an assistant coach and not a player.

One team that did have to close its facility for all of Friday and cancel practice was the New England Patriots, who reportedly had another player test positive. The team was awaiting the results of a second test to confirm the positive ahead of Sunday’s schedule game against the Denver Broncos. Both teams have already have their off weeks and should any additional positives be recorded, that would force the NFL to face a difficult decision with its scheduling.

Friday’s positive test for the Patriots comes the day after quarterback Cam Newton and cornerback Stephon Gilmore, most notably, practiced for the first time after being taken off the reserve/COVID-19 list. Newton’s positive test had forced the delay of New England’s game against Kansas City from Sunday, October 5 to the following day while Gilmore’s positive test came as the team was on an off week.

One team that has not had to deal with a positive test this week, the Arizona Cardinals, announced it will have 1,200 fans for its October 25 home game against the Seattle Seahawks. The Cardinals will be the 16th out of 32 NFL teams to have some level of attendance at home games this season. The 1,200 fans will be less than two percent of State Farm Stadium’s capacity. The Chargers, Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, Raiders, Packers, Bears, Vikings, Lions, Bills, Jets, Giants, Patriots, Saints, Washington and Ravens are the teams that have yet to play in front of a home crowd, although the Vikings have been allowed to have up to 250 family members in attendance for Sunday’s game against the Falcons.

Week 6 NFL Schedule

Sunday’s Games
Detroit at Jacksonville: Up to 16,791 fans will be in attendance
N.Y. Jets at Miami: Up to 13,000 fans will be in attendance
Cincinnati at Indianapolis: Up to 12,500 fans will be in attendance
Green Bay at Tampa Bay: Up to 10,000 fans will be in attendance
Houston at Tennessee: Up to 8,643 fans will be in attendance
Baltimore at Philadelphia: Up 7,500 people will be allowed in the stadium
Cleveland at Pittsburgh: Up 7,500 people will be allowed in the stadium
Chicago at Carolina: Up to 5,240 fans will be in attendance
Atlanta at Minnesota: Up to 250 family members of players will be in attendance
L.A. Rams at San Francisco: No fans until further notice
Denver at New England: No fans until further notice
Washington at N.Y. Giants: No fans until further notice
Monday’s Games
Arizona at Dallas: Close to 25,000 fans will be in attendance
Kansas City at Buffalo: No fans until further notice

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Alabama Coach’s Diagnosis May Be False Positive

News that rocked the Southeastern Conference on Wednesday was reversed on Friday as the University of Alabama announced that coach Nick Saban tested negative for COVID-19 and may be able to be on the sidelines Saturday night when the No. 2-ranked Tide host No. 3 Georgia in what will be the biggest college football game of the season so far.

The negative test was on Thursday afternoon and makes it possible that the positive test on Wednesday was a false positive. Alabama Head Athletic Trainer Jeff Allen said Saban was evaluated by a team physician on Friday and remains asymptomatic. If Saban is tested again on Friday afternoon and it comes up negative, he would be allowed to return to full activity.

The news that Saban had tested positive briefly gave rise to the issue of if the Alabama-Georgia game would be postponed; while the game as of now is going full steam ahead, two SEC games scheduled for this weekend were already postponed earlier in the week, including a big tilt between Florida and defending national champions LSU. With outbreaks going on at Florida, Vanderbilt — necessitating the postponement of its game against Missouri — along with positive tests at Mississippi, it makes college football cross a threshold it was hoping to avoid: Every conference in the Football Bowl Subdivision has had at least one game postponed or canceled because of the coronavirus.

The postponements shuffled schedules around for several SEC schools on Friday as the league continues to deal with the virus. Several of the league’s coaches have come under criticism for not correctly wearing facial coverings — if at all — and the league’s commissioner, Greg Sankey, reported told schools that each member would face cumulative penalties of up to $1 million for violations of sideline protocols when it comes to wearing masks.

Thursday, October 15

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEC Rocked by Postponement, Nick Saban’s COVID Diagnosis

Through the first few chaotic weeks of college football, with multiple non-conference games being postponed and cancelled and schedules being reworked on a regular basis, lying in wait was the Southeastern Conference.

At the time, the majority of popular opinion was the SEC played it correctly. The league did not make an early decision to not play and then have to deal with the fallout of a reversal of that decision, such as the Big Ten and Pac-12. It also decided it would only play conference games, which looked like smart once schools from the ACC and Big 12 had outbreaks in early September.

But now the league that often brags “it just means more” is facing the reality that COVID doesn’t care if the game does, in fact, mean more. The biggest game to date this season, No. 2-ranked Alabama hosting No. 3 Georgia in a Saturday prime-time kickoff, is hanging in the balance after Crimson Tide Coach Nick Saban revealed on Wednesday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus and is self-isolating.

“I can do absolutely everything here,” Saban said from his home during a remote press conference. “I’ll have the same exact routine. … I didn’t leave the country or anything and we have this technology.”

Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne also tested positive, according to the school. Alabama, which started testing its players on a daily basis last month, will continue to test everybody within the football program on Thursday.

Alabama team physicians Jimmy Robinson and Jeff Allen said the school would follow the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force Protocol for testing asymptomatic positives, which both Saban and Byrne are. CDC guidelines say those with positive tests must isolate for 10 days and contact tracing requires a 14-day quarantine.

Another traditional SEC heavyweight clash, LSU at Florida, was postponed on Wednesday and will be scheduled for December 12 instead. Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said the Gators, who paused practices on Tuesday, have 21 positives on the team.

Stricklin said the school suspects the team’s trip to play Texas A&M last weekend is the flashpoint for the outbreak — a game that, after the Gators lost, saw the biggest news made in the postgame when Florida Coach Dan Mullen said he wanted to see 100% capacity at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for the then-scheduled LSU game. To no one’s surprise, Mullen backtracked on those comments on Wednesday.

CDC guidelines say those with positive tests must isolate for 10 days and contact tracing requires a 14-day quarantine. Those guidelines could put Florida’s game on October 24 against Missouri in jeopardy, although Stricklin said it was too soon to tell.

“Obviously we’ll be in communication with the Southeastern Conference and probably get Missouri, obviously as our next opponent, to kind of keep them abreast of what we’re seeing,” Stricklin said. “We’ll continue as I said our regular testing protocol for those who aren’t in quarantine, and hopefully we don’t have any more positives and we’re able to get on the other side of this and then we can get everyone back in a situation where you can go compete again.”

Florida-LSU is the second SEC game this week that has been postponed, joining Missouri against Vanderbilt. Commodores Coach Derek Mason said on Wednesday that his team has around “high 40s” of available scholarship players.

And even SEC schools with games not postponed are dealing with outbreaks. Mississippi Coach Lane Kiffin, whose team played Alabama last week, said they are dealing with a COVID-19 issue in the team and while he would not give exact numbers, admitted “we are hurting numbers wise.” Mississippi is scheduled to play Arkansas on Saturday.

Wednesday, October 14

NFL: Saints Want to Play at LSU if New Orleans Mayor Says No to Fans

There are 15 teams in the National Football League allowing fans, with more than 8,000 on hand for Tuesday night’s game between the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans — delayed because of an outbreak of COVID-19 within the Titans franchise that delayed the game.

Of the other NFL teams yet to play in front of home fans, one in particular has tried multiple times to get approval from local authorities. And after the latest rejection, the New Orleans Saints went public to suggest they would leave the city to find a venue where they can have in-person attendance.

Saints spokesman Greg Bensel said the team has talked about playing at Tiger Stadium on the campus of LSU, about 80 miles away from the Superdome. The Tigers are allowed by local authorities to have up to 25 percent capacity for in-person attendance — approximately 25,580 — and are experienced in hosting the Saints, having four games there in 2005 when the team was displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

“Our game operations staff is meeting with LSU officials [Tuesday] to discuss potentially hosting future Saints home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge,” Bensel said. “LSU has been gracious and enthusiastic regarding hosting our future games and we very much appreciate their partnership. We have also discussed the possibility of moving our home games to LSU with the NFL and they are aware of our exploring this option. Obviously, our overwhelming preference is to play our games in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with partial fan attendance but there has been no indication from the city on when, or if, this might be approved.”

The Saints’ next home game is October 25. New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell released her own statement, saying “while the Saints’ request for a special exception to the city’s COVID-19 guidelines remains under consideration, allowing 20K people in an indoor space presents significant public health concerns. At present, no NFL stadium in the country with a fixed-roof facility is allowing such an exception. We will continue to monitor the public health data, but cannot set an artificial timeline for how and when conditions may allow for the kind of special exemption being requested.”

One team this weekend which will have fans for the first time is the Philadelphia Eagles, who received permission from the state of Pennsylvania to have up to 7,500 people on hand which includes players, coaches, team and stadium personnel, media and fans.

While nearly half the teams in the league are allowed to have fans at games as it stands, that does not mean the allotments are being sold out. While the Dallas Cowboys are averaging just under 24,000 per game, the team’s total number of available tickets sold has not been public. And for every other team in the league hosting fans, none are averaging ‘sellouts’ — the Pittsburgh Steelers had fans in the stands for last weekend against the Eagles and said they would be selling 5,500 tickets. Only 4,708 attended.

Fan attendance will continue to be one of the hottest issues within the NFL this season in addition to player health protocols, especially in the light of the past two weeks’ worth of schedule reshuffling that has seen multiple games moved around. While NFL officials did not rule out the idea of adding an extra week to the regular season, the idea of a playoff bubble does not have much traction at this point.

“We don’t feel that is the safest course of action for us,” NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills said, while league executive Troy Vincent pointed to the emotional toll players from the NHL and NBA pointedly admitted to dealing with while in those respective leagues’ long-term bubbles to complete the seasons — both of which were achieved, it must be said, without any positive tests.

One thing the league has decided to do away with is the Pro Bowl, announcing that instead it will “will work closely with the NFLPA and other partners, to create a variety of engaging activities to replace the Pro Bowl game this season.” That will give the 2022 Pro Bowl to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas instead of 2021; it also allows the league to utilize an extra week at the end of the regular season should that be needed for a series of postponed games.

Tuesday, October 13

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Florida Coach Wants 90,000 At Swamp on Saturday

Only those with a distinct bias against the University of Florida would not call the football team’s home stadium, The Swamp, one of the hardest places for a road team to win in the country. Set in a sinkhole, the venue has had sound levels measured as high as 115 decibels during games.

The Gators’ home opener against South Carolina did not come close to that type of noise. Restricted in its attendance to 17,000 by health and safety protocols, the team drew an announced 15,120 on October 3 against the Gamecocks.

So Florida coach Dan Mullen’s comments after his team’s loss this past Saturday at Texas A&M drew a mixture of shock and horror, saying — based off permission given by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to sports venues — he wanted to pack The Swamp to capacity on October 19 when the Gators host defending national champion LSU.

In fact, when Mullen first made the comments, he was explicitly asked as a follow-up if he was being serious and realized what he was saying.

“Absolutely I want to see 90,000 at The Swamp,” Mullen said. “The section behind our bench [today], I didn’t see an empty seat. It was packed; the entire student section; must have been 50,000 people behind our bench going crazy. Hopefully, that will create a home-field advantage for us next week because we’ve passed a law in our state that allows us to do that.”

(For accuracy’s sake, the Aggies announced a crowd of 24,709, under its allowable capacity of 25,683 this fall.)

Mullen’s boss, Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin, within hours of his coach’s postgame press conference told the Gainesville Sun and ESPN, “We continue to follow UF Health and campus safety guidelines.” And Mullen clarified Monday he had not talked with Stricklin about the attendance allowed for the LSU game.

Then on Tuesday came what some would call a Karma-enforced twist throughout the Gators program.

Florida pauses football activity on Tuesday. Statement from AD Scott Stricklin. pic.twitter.com/tnXIMLTzuB— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) October 13, 2020

Mullen’s comments led to a series of predictable jokes as well about the SEC’s mantra of ‘it just means more.’ But that does not mean games will go off as planned. Vanderbilt’s game at Missouri scheduled for October 19 has been postponed until December 12 because the Commodores will not be able to suit up the minimum 53 players.

It is the first postponed game in the Southeastern Conference, which this year is only playing conference games to try and mitigate breakouts among teams. The Commodores only had 56 players active in a 41-7 rout to South Carolina; NCAA guidelines say a player who tests positive must sit for a minimum of 10 days and be symptom-free for three days prior to returning.

The SEC’s announcement was followed by another Power 5 cancellation as Baylor’s game against Oklahoma State, scheduled for October 19, will also be postponed to December 12. The move was made after the Bears had to pause activities last week — and Baylor Athletic Director Mack Rhoades then admitted there are 28 cases of COVID-19 among players and 14 cases among football staff members.

Rhoades, talking with SicEm365 Radio on Monday, said the outbreak may be linked to the team’s October 3 game at West Virginia and a false negative test that allowed an infected individual to travel.

The Big 12 is the same as the SEC in that a team must have 53 active players for a game to be played, including walk-on players. This is third time a game involving Baylor has been affected, including a September 12 season opener against Louisiana Tech and a September 19 game against Houston.

The two high-profile postponements brought college football’s difficulties in pulling off a season in the COVID-19 era back to light. While the National Football League has taken most of the headlines for the amount of schedule shuffling linked to positive COVID-19 tests on multiple teams, somewhat lost the past week was that college football’s schedule went off almost completely as planned with only two postponements — one of them included Florida Atlantic, whose coach confirmed that his team has 18 players and nine staffers currently dealing with the coronavirus.

Monday, October 12

NBA: As Lakers Win Title, League Celebrates Bubble Success

As the buzzer sounded and LeBron James celebrated with the rest of his Los Angeles Lakers teammates after winning the franchise’s 17th NBA championship, there was plenty of reason for the NBA’s front office and executive team to celebrate as well.

One of the league’s most ambitious projects, the ESPN Disney Wide World of Sports Bubble, was able to finish an abbreviated finish to the regular season as well as the full playoffs without a single positive test of COVID-19, the same achievement as the National Hockey League for the two most high-profile sports to have suspended their seasons in March.

“The pride of the sense that we’ve accomplished this against many obstacles,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said, “and at a time also when I think people needed to see this.”

While other leagues obviously had to suspend operations or delay their seasons, both the NHL and NBA made the calls to suspend play as the end of the regular season loomed before the postseason. And the NBA decided to restart its season after several months away, it also did so with a few innovations and tweaks to its typical format.

The 22 teams invited to the bubble — nine from the Eastern Conference and 13 from the West — were all either having already clinched a playoff spot or in the hunt for one. After an eight-game sprint to the finish, the NBA set up a play-in series that was activated in the West, with the Portland Trail Blazers beating the Memphis Grizzlies to earn the eighth seed in a play-in game. The postseason remained the same, with best-of-seven series for each round of the playoffs and no expanded postseason fields.

What cost the NBA a reported $150 million in the bubble resulted in strict protocols that famously included only using a deck of playing cards once before they were thrown away and no doubles ping-pong events so that social distancing was enforced. The league took up space in three hotels on the Disney campus and had additional housing for staff and referees, hiring chefs and having barbers as well. Once the conference semifinal rounds started, players were allowed to bring a limited number of family members into the bubble — but only after testing protocols and quarantine periods were satisfied.

“I’m most proud that we collectively came together as a community and pulled this off,” said Silver before Game 1 between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers. “By that I mean all of the stakeholders. The players, the team governors, 30 teams — not just 22 teams — the support we received from our fans.”

What happens next for the NBA is to be determined. The league will not start its 2020–2021 season in its traditional fall date for obvious reasons. There was talk about a big Christmas Day debut for next season, although Silver and the players association seem to be leaning more toward January for a start date. Not just when the next season would start but also under what protocols — another bubble has received a tepid response from players given the time away from family, but the chances of having indoor events at this point still looks to be extremely uncertain.

Those discussions have already started and will continue on another day. Sunday night and Monday morning, however, was a time to reflect for the league on what it was able to accomplish.

Sunday, October 11

NFL: The League Reshuffles Its Schedule

Like a game of whack-a-mole, the National Football League is taking each week and throwing games into new days and time slots to try and make sure that it stays on track in spite of an outbreak among the Tennessee Titans that refuses to dissipate — as well as two positive tests to star players on the New England Patriots.

In all, the schedule adjustments released on Sunday affect nine teams — New England, Tennessee, Denver, Buffalo, Kansas City, Miami, the Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets and the Jacksonville Jaguars — leading many to half-jokingly suggest that the league’s schedule maker will end the season as the Most Valuable Player award winner.

Denver’s game at New England, scheduled for Sunday and then moved to Monday night, will be played next Sunday afternoon. Kansas City’s game at Buffalo has been moved from Thursday night to Sunday, October 19 while the Bills’ game at the Titans scheduled for this coming Tuesday night remains on schedule.

Other changes:

Jets at Chargers moves from Week 6 to Week 11.
Jaguars at Chargers moves from Week 8 to Week 7.
Chargers at Broncos moves from Week 11 to Week 8.
Chargers at Dolphins moves from Week 7 to Week 10.
Dolphins at Broncos moves from Week 6 to Week 11.

Sunday’s Games

Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs: Up to 16,000 fans will be allowed
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans: Up to 13,300 fans will be allowed
Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns: Up to 12,000 fans will be allowed
Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers: Up to 5,500 fans will be allowed
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons: A “limited capacity” of fans will be allowed
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys: A “limited capacity” of fans will be allowed
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens: Immediate family members will be allowed
Arizona Cardinals at New York Jets: No fans until further notice
Los Angeles Rams at Washington Football Team: No fans until further notice
Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers: No fans until further notice
Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks: No fans until further notice

Monday’s Games

Los Angeles Chargers at New Orleans Saints: New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell denied the Saints’ request for up to 18,000 fans.

Tuesday’s Game

Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans: Up to 8,500 fans will be allowed

MLS: Three Games Postponed Because of COVID

Major League Soccer has postponed three matches in the space of 24 hours amid an escalating number of positive coronavirus tests throughout the league, including the fourth consecutive match for the Colorado Rapids.

MLS originally postponed the match between the Rapids and the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday after a Rapids player tested positive for the coronavirus, then added Sunday’s Columbus match against Orlando City and the FC Dallas-Minnesota United match to the list.

Twelve Colorado staff members and five players have tested positive since September 24. Matches against Sporting Kansas City, the Portland Timbers and LAFC have already been postponed. The Rapids must now try to fit in 10 matches by the scheduled end of the regular season on November 8.

The Crew match was postponed following two confirmed cases of COVID-19 among Columbus staff, and Dallas-Minnesota was delayed after two confirmed positive cases among Minnesota’s player pool.

Thursday, October 8

NFL: More Positive Tests on Titans Puts Another Game at Risk

The NFL’s Chief Medical Officer left the door ajar for further steps to stop the spread of COVID-19 — including a suspension of the season — after more positive tests on the Tennessee Titans were revealed days after Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to teams detailing punishments for breaking protocols that include the possibility of games being forfeited.

Dr. Allen Sills, NFL Chief Medical Officer, said “nothing is off the table” in an NFL Network interview on Wednesday after the latest positives on the Titans — bringing the total up to 21 positive tests since September 24, including 11 players — as well as a positive test confirmed by Patriots defensive back Stephon Gilmore. Thursday morning brought reports of more positives on the Titans, increasing the odds that Sunday’s scheduled game against the Buffalo Bills may not happen as well.

The Patriots’ game this past weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs was postponed by one day to Monday night after New England quarterback Cam Newton reportedly tested positive. Tennessee’s game against Pittsburgh was postponed until later in the season.

The NFL was universally praised after having three weeks of the season go off without a disruption. But the league and NFL Players Association on Wednesday announced the COVID-19 monitoring testing results for September 20 – October 3 which showed that in that time span, there have been 13 player positives and 19 staff personnel positives.

“In the nine weeks since the beginning of training camp, we have had a number of isolated, new positive cases of COVID among players and other personnel across nearly two-thirds of NFL clubs and one outbreak among the Tennessee Titans,” said Sills in a release. “We have said all along that we expect positive cases. As long as the virus is endemic in our communities, we will see new cases among our teams. Risk mitigation, not elimination, is the key.”

Further reports indicate several Titans players broke protocols put in place by the league and players association and held unofficial practices at a school in Nashville after being told not to engage in any in-person activities. Yahoo Sports reported it could lead to penalties being levied against the organization that were “not a matter of if, but when and how severe.”

According to the Yahoo report, Goodell on Monday sent a memo to teams that “protocol violations that result in virus spread requiring adjustments to the schedule or otherwise impacting other teams will result in additional financial and competitive discipline, including the adjustment or loss of draft choices or even the forfeit of a game.”

All the while, teams are going ahead with plans to have fans in attendance. The policies have varied: the Pittsburgh Steelers will have up to 5,500 fans on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, the first time that the team has had fans in the stands. Two teams have announced home capacities for the rest of the season with the Denver Broncos hosting 5,700 fans and the Cleveland Browns hosting 12,000 fans. But there are teams holding off on attendance such as the Green Bay Packers, who said it will continue holding games without fans for now.

There is also the question of teams playing in front of restricted capacities not selling out their allotment. While the Dallas Cowboys have averaged 25,021 fans at its two home games, the Houston Texans are allowed up to 13,300 fans but last weekend only drew 12,102. The Kansas City Chiefs have been able to hold up to 16,000 fans this season but are averaging 14,312.

Then there is the case of the Florida teams given that Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday said the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins can have capacity crowds going forward. None of the teams said they would do so; the Dolphins explicitly said it would remain at its cap of 13,000, which has not been reached at either of its home games so far this season. The Jaguars said they would allow up to 17,000 fans but through two games are averaging 15,331; the Buccaneers have drawn an average of 6,383 through two games.

Wednesday, October 7

MLS: More Positives on Colorado Rapids Postpones Another Game

Right before the MLS is Back Tournament started in Orlando, Florida, Major League Soccer forced a quick decision on two teams that had outbreaks within their teams. And before group-play did get underway, the league sent FC Dallas and Nashville SC home.

The league, which after those teams were withdrawn were able to get through the rest of the bubble tournament without any positives, are now dealing with an outbreak on another team — this time the Colorado Rapids, which had another staffer test positive today and had its game scheduled for tonight at home against LAFC postponed.

The postponement is the third in a row for the Rapids, which have had four players and 12 staffers test positive in the past two weeks.The Rapids last played on September 23 when they beat San Jose 5-0 and since have had games against Portland and Kansas City already postponed before the LAFC decision.

Colorado, sitting in seventh place in the Western Conference which will have eight teams advance to the playoffs, has less than a month to play 10 matches to finish its 23-game regular-season schedule by MLS Decision Day on November 8. Its next scheduled game is Saturday at home against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

NHL: 2021 Season May Start on New Year’s Day

The 2020-21 NHL season will be, essentially, a 2021 NHL season with the league and players’ association looking at a target opening day of January 1, 2021. A four-year extension of the NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement that was ratified July 10 a tenative start date of December 1 but with obvious qualifiers about the spread of COVID-19 have led to the mulled delay in a start.

“We really haven’t focused precisely on what we’re going to be doing next season,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday on the NHL Network. “I think it’s fairly clear that while December 1 has always been a notional date, we’re focused on the fact that we’re really looking now at January 1 to start the season up. Our hope is to have a full season, full regular season and to have fans in the building, but there are a lot of things that have to transpire, many of which if not most of which are beyond our control before we can finalize our plans.”

The NHL paused the 2019-20 season March 12 before action resumed August 1 in a bubble format with Eastern Conference games and playoffs being held in Toronto and the Western Conference being held in Edmonton. Both conference finals were held in Edmonton before the Stanley Cup Final, won by the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games over the Dallas Stars. In the 65 days after teams entered Toronto and Edmonton on July 26, there were 33,174 tests administered to team personnel with zero positives for COVID-19.”The key was clearly the collaboration and cooperation we got from everybody, starting with the players and the players’ association, all of our clubs and particularly the owners in the NHL,” Bettman said. “We all had to work together if we were going to make this a reality, and it’s something that we and the players very much wanted to do. The players wanted to complete the season they started, but most importantly, we heard from our fans that they wanted us to complete the season as well, and that’s what it was all about.”

Tuesday, October 6

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEC Teams Face Criticism for Medical Protocols

As the National Football League maintains and continually reinforces its strict protocols for wearing facial coverings for coaches on the sidelines and among fans in the stands, college football is trying — and in some high-profile instances, failing — to do the same.

Days after Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey sent a memo to league schools reminding coaches and players to wear masks while on the sideline during games and threatening “additional action” if they do not follow the conference’s COVID-19 protocols, one of the league’s schools said they would no longer require a CDC wellness check before attending games and another promised they would try to do better after several social media posts indicated a failure in fan protocols.

At defending national champions LSU, where attendance is restricted to a maximum of 25,580, the team’s season opener had an announced attendance of 21,124 in a loss to Mississippi State. But for upcoming home games, the school has announced that a medical wellness check will not be required for fans “to reduce lines and wait times at gate entry points.”

LSU athletics said they “encourage fans to conduct a self-assessment before heading to the game to check for COVID-19 symptoms” but also announced that it will resume selling alcohol and will open all concession stands in the south lower section at Tiger Stadium.

The school did try to emphasize that masks are required in seating areas after admitting “a large percentage of fans removed their masks” once seated.

Death Valley really took on a whole another meaning. https://t.co/24Htw98aEG— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) October 5, 2020

The same look went viral multiple times on social media as the University of Georgia hosted Auburn in the weekend’s marquee game on the schedule. While the Bulldogs won handily, what was discussed just as much was the conduct of the announced crowd of 20,504 — below the school’s cap of 23,180 for this season.

Georgia Senior Deputy Athletic Director Josh Brooks told local media that more staffing and better enforcement in the lower north sections would be enforced to remind fans to stay in their assigned areas while students will be funneled to two other areas in the stadium.

How many masks do you see?
In this crowd shot from the #Auburn vs. #Georgia @SEC football game, I see 2 fans wearing masks. TWO!!! 🦠 😷 pic.twitter.com/oO2yGmksv3— Kyle Serba (@KyleSerba) October 3, 2020

Social media was alive with images of fans not wearing masks from the ESPN broadcast. While the SEC’s fan health and safety fan guidelines include “face coverings (over the nose and mouth) shall be required as a condition of all guest ingress, egress, and movement throughout the stadium,” because that policy does not extend to those in seating areas, face coverings are not required for those in their seats by Georgia.

Brooks said not requiring face covering “is a decision we made that we feel comfortable with.”

Monday, October 5

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Two More Bowl Games Canceled by Pandemic

The college football bowl season, some have said in the past few years, is bloated beyond recognition with nearly four dozen events across the United States and beyond and giving teams that do not deserve a postseason opportunity the chance to have one more game.

Whether or not those naysayers continue to believe that will be interesting this college football postseason as at least three bowl games will not be held because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Redbox Bowl, which previously announced it would not be held this season in Santa Clara, California, was joined over the weekend by the Hawaii Bowl and Bahamas Bowls.

[How College Football Bowl Season May Be Radically Different This Year]

One difference between the announcement over the weekend about the Hawaii and Bahamas Bowls is that because of cross-border travel to the Bahamas, as well as Hawaii’s rules for incoming visitors, there are too many questions to be answered in a short period of time between when bowls make their selections and teams begin to prepare. Even in the best of circumstances, teams sometimes do not arrive at a bowl destination until a week or less before kickoff.

The Hawaii and Bahamas Bowls are owned and operated by ESPN Events. College basketball tournaments traditionally held in Hawaii and the Bahamas have also been canceled for this season.

“We are disappointed that we aren’t able to stage events at these premier destinations this year,” said Pete Derzis, ESPN senior vice president of college sports programming and ESPN Events. “We are committed to bringing both games back in 2021, and we thank our conference partners, sponsors and the local communities for their ongoing support and understanding.”

There are 39 bowl games currently on the schedule for 2020; unlike in past years, this year teams will not have to win a minimum number of games to be bowl eligible.

The Bahamas Bowl matchup this year was set to be Conference USA vs Mid-American Conference teams. The Hawaii Bowl was set to host a team from the Mountain West and a C-USA team.

Saturday, October 3

NFL: Marquee Patriots-Chiefs Game Delayed After Positive Tests

One of the marquee early-season games for the National Football League scheduled for this weekend, the New England Patriots against the Kansas City Chiefs, has been postponed from Sunday afternoon after one player apiece on both teams have tested positive for COVID-19.

As a result of the positive tests, the NFL said Sunday’s scheduled game will be played either Monday or Tuesday. Multiple reports indicate that the positive from the Chiefs roster came from a backup quarterback on the team’s practice squad; reports also said that the Patriots player who is positive is quarterback Cam Newton, although the Patriots did not confirm that.

“Late last night, we received notice that a Patriots player tested positive for COVID-19. The player immediately entered self-quarantine,” the Patriots said in a statement Saturday. “Several additional players, coaches and staff who have been in close contact with the player received point of care tests this morning and all were negative for COVID-19.”

It is the second game scheduled for this weekend that has been postponed because of positive tests on a team after the scheduled for Sunday between Tennessee and Pittsburgh was postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak among the Titans.

That game will be played on October 25, the league announced on Thursday. Multiple reports predicted the NFL would make what was the easiest potential adjustment to the schedule to fit the game back in by moving the Steelers’ scheduled Week 7 game against the Baltimore Ravens back one week, then rescheduling the Titans-Steelers game for Week 7 when Tennessee was already scheduled to be off.

The number of positive tests on the Titans increased on Saturday as ESPN reported there are now eight on the team’s roster who have COVID-19 in addition to eight staffers.

The Minnesota Vikings, who played the Titans last weekend, have had no positive results in testing. Their facility was reopened on Thursday.

In the wake of the virus spreading throughout the Titans organization, along with multiple members of the Las Vegas Raiders going to an indoor charity event without wearing facial coverings, the NFL has sent to each of its teams a memo detailing even more enhanced protocols for franchises to follow through with. Among them are two daily tests, including a point-of-care test that returns faster results. All players and coaches must also be wearing PPE and facial coverings on the practice field and gloves must be worn by every player except quarterbacks on their throwing hand. All meetings between teams and even positional breakdowns must be done virtually and there will be a prohibition against team or player gatherings away from the team facility.

Friday, October 2

SOCCER: MLS Postpones Second Rapids Game

The NFL was the first pro league on Thursday to announce a postponement due to COVID-19, followed by Major League Soccer later in the day. MLS, which had to postpone last week’s game for the Colorado Rapids against Sporting Kansas City after multiple players and staffers tested positive for Colorado, will also postpone the Rapids’ scheduled game on Saturday at the Portland Timbers.

The Athletic reported that two players and nine staffers on Colorado have tested positive for COVID-19 since last Thursday. MLS said that Saturday’s game will be rescheduled for November 4, a few days before the end of the regular season currently scheduled for November 8.

The Rapids closed their training facility and have not trained since September 24, when the first cases of COVID were confirmed. All players and staff with confirmed cases have entered self-isolation; those who have continued to receive negative results have remained in self-quarantine while following MLS health and safety protocols.

Between the postponements of games against Sporting KC and now Portland, Colorado — should it be allowed to play its next game as scheduled on October 7 — would have to play 10 games in 33 days to fulfill its regular-season schedule. The Rapids are also in the midst of a Western Conference playoff race; the team is in fifth place but only three points ahead of ninth-place Houston.

The postponed games involving Colorado are the first that MLS has had to move because of COVID-19 since it returned to playing matches in home markets. Both FC Dallas and Nashville SC had a run of positive tests ahead of the MLS is Back tournament that ultimately forced both teams to withdraw from the tournament in July that was held at a bubble environment at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Florida.

Thursday, October 1

BASEBALL: MLB Planning Fans for NLCS, World Series in Arlington

Having gone the entire season — such as it has been — without fans in attendance, Major League Baseball will have up to 11,500 fans in attendance at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, when the new home of the Texas Rangers hosts the National League Championship Series and World Series later this month.

The ballpark will have 10,550 fans spread throughout the ballpark with another 950 given suite seating; the total fans in attendance will be just under 30% of the total seating available at the stadium. Tickets are priced at $40-250 for the National League Championship Series and $75-450 for the World Series.

The National League Championship Series begins October 12 with the World Series starting on October 20 — the first time in baseball history that the Series will be held at a neutral site. But then again, this MLB season has seen a lot of firsts — from an abbreviated 60-game season to seven-inning doubleheaders, with extra-inning games seeing a runner placed at second to start each at-bat and now, after an expanded first round of the playoffs, having the rest of the postseason played at neutral sites with the American League going to National League ballparks in Los Angeles and San Diego while the NL goes to AL ballparks in Houston and Arlington.

Among the fan protocols that will be enforced at Globe Life Field is tickets in the seating bowl will be sold in groups of four, with no seats sold within 20 feet of where a player would be located either on the field, dugout or bullpen. Masks will be mandatory for fans except when eating or drinking at their seats and hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the venue. No bags will also be permitted except for medical reasons or diaper bags for infants or young children.

Wednesday, September 30

NFL: League Deals with Fallout After First Postponed Game

The National Football League is dealing with its first outbreak of COVID-19 on a team as a series of positive tests on the Tennessee Titans have forced the league to postpone its game scheduled for Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“The Steelers-Titans game, originally scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, will be rescheduled to allow additional time for further daily COVID-19 testing and to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel. Details on the new game date and time on either Monday or Tuesday will be announced as soon as possible,” the league said in a short statement.

The postponement follows positive tests among the Titans from four players and five team personnel members this week, forcing a closure of the team’s facilities until Saturday.

ESPN reported that the Minnesota Vikings, who played the Titans on Sunday, had no positive results in their latest round of testing. The Vikings’ facilities were closed on Tuesday ahead of the team’s game on Sunday at the Houston Texans, who were scheduled for that game to have fans in their stadium for the first time this season.

The postponement of a game this season comes on the heels of what were almost three full weeks of clean tests throughout the league, which has been diligent as well about coaches who were not wearing facial coverings on the sidelines with multiple fines already issued. The league continued its warnings to teams for failure to comply with pre-approved protocols on Wednesday.

NFL sent another strongly-worded memo to team executives, GMs and HCs today, urging all to be in compliance with game-day protocols (wearing masks). “We will address lack of compliance with accountability measures that may include…suspensions and/or forfeiture of draft picks.”— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 30, 2020

Tuesday, September 29

ANALYSIS: As NHL Completes Virus-Free Bubble, NFL and MLS Deal With Team Outbreaks

One of the broader debates about professional sports restarting in the COVID-19 era has been which is the best showcase to do it. While there have been leagues that have gone into the bubble to keep the threat of an outbreak away, others have tried to play in-market matches and do daily testing in the hopes of controlling spreads.

That dichotomy may not have been on a broader display than in the past 24 hours, in which the National Hockey League crowned its Stanley Cup champion in the Tampa Bay Lightning and simultaneously celebrated as a league the fact that its entire restart, held in bubble environments located in Toronto and Edmonton, did not have a single positive case over the course of months of action.

The numbers from the NHL were staggering: 130 games in 59 days and during the time that players entered the bubbles in Canada on July 26, the league conducted 33,174 tests without any cases of COVID-19.

“We did what we set out to do,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said after handing the Cup to the Lightning.

And on Tuesday morning, after three weeks of being able to have no interruptions during its schedule, the National Football League is now dealing with its first outbreak of multiple positives among one team. The league has confirmed that at least nine members between the active roster and team staff of the Tennessee Titans have tested positive in the past four days, which overlaps with the team’s game this past Sunday at the Minnesota Vikings.

As the league deals with its first outbreak on a team, two more franchises — Houston and Tampa Bay — announced plans to have fans on site for games this coming Sunday. The Texans announced that up to 13,300 fans will be allowed for the team’s game, scheduled against the Vikings, while the Buccaneers will have a limited number of season-ticket holders on hand against the San Diego Chargers with the goal of having up to 25% capacity for its October 18 home game, announced the Tampa Sports Authority.

Should those teams continue ahead with their plans, that would make 13 out of the league’s 32 teams either planning to this week have fans for the first time or having already had fans at home games. Only the Dallas Cowboys have had more than 16,000 fans on site for a game this season, allowing in 21,708 to its home game against the Atlanta Falcons on September 13.

While the Vikings have closed their team facility until further test results are revealed, the Titans have closed their practice facility until Saturday at the earliest — one day before the team is scheduled to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers. NFL Network has reported that the team is preparing to play the game at this point.

#Titans coaches have told players if they have to go without any work until Saturday, have a walkthrough then and play the #Steelers Sunday then that's what they'll have to do. No excuses. https://t.co/itr0rxkNWs— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 29, 2020

The NFL is — as of this moment — not planning to adjust its schedule for the weekend, but one pro sports league had to cancel a game this previous weekend: Major League Soccer postponed the game between Colorado and Sporting Kansas City after two players and 10 staff members of the Rapids tested positive for COVID-19. Colorado’s next game is scheduled to be October 3 against the Portland Timbers and start a stretch of five games for the team in a 15-day period; the status of that game is uncertain.

Monday, September 28

ANALYSIS: Fans Starting To Be Welcomed Back at Venues

Fans are slowly starting to come back to sports throughout the United States — in limited quantities.

In the NFL and Major League Soccer, pro leagues that have had teams play in front of fans, the biggest crowd has been 21,708 for the Dallas Cowboys’ home opener against the Atlanta Falcons. Of the eight NFL teams that have allowed fans into home games so far, only Dallas has had more than 16,000. Of the MLS teams that have allowed fans, none of them have allowed more than 5,000. In college football, only eight of the teams playing this season currently will allow 20,000 or more to attend.

The trends are similar throughout European sports as well. The French Open, which started on Sunday, was planning on having 5,000 spectators per day before government leaders said the tournament must be in line with the same measures other businesses have in place to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19, dropping the maximum spectators each day at Roland Garros to 1,000. That number is only the latest downsizing of a projected crowd — the French Tennis Federation in July said that it planned to have 20,000 fans per day, then revised it down to 11,500 at the start of September, then 5,000 two weeks before the tournament before the current number.

The maximum of 1,000 also is enforced at Ligue 1 soccer games in France plans from the league’s original plans for 5,000. Serie A in Italy also is allowed 1,000 for games and that is 1,000 more than will be allowed at English soccer games around the country, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson delayed the planned return of fans to sport — scheduled for October 1 — indefinitely after a rise in COVID-19 infection rates. Spain’s La Liga also has decided to close off fans from games with plans for 30% capacity maximums enforced put on hold.

Then there is the Bundesliga in Germany, which has allowed crowds of 20% of stadium capacity with the caveat that clubs must get health and safety permission from their federal states first for the seats to be filled. That has led to 9,300 fans attending Borussia Dortmund’s season opener while games at clubs such as Bayern Munich remain off-limits to fans. For now, at least.

Friday, September 25

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Pac-12 Completes Power 5 Return to Play

There have been some historic comebacks in college football, but maybe nothing like what the sport overall has experienced from early August until now.

The Pac-12 Conference and Mountain West Conference both announced on Thursday that it would be changing its plans and having football seasons this fall instead of the spring, with the Mountain West starting an eight-game conference season on October 24 and the Pac-12 holding a seven-game conference season starting November 6.

The Pac-12’s season will include each team playing five divisional games plus one cross-division game before the conference championship game on December 18 – with the remaining teams not in the title game having a bonus cross-division game. The league also announced that winter sports would be allowed to begin before January 1, another reversal of an earlier decision and allowing its men’s and women’s basketball teams to participate in early-season tournaments.

The decision to resume competitions, the Pac-12 said, was based on updated Medical Advisory Committee recommendations.

“From the beginning of this crisis, our focus has been on following the science, data and counsel of our public health and infectious disease experts,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. “Our agreement with Quidel to provide daily rapid-results testing has been a game-changer in enabling us to move forward with confidence that we can create a safe environment for our student-athletes while giving them the opportunity to pursue their dreams. At the same time, we will continue to monitor health conditions and data and be ready to adjust as required in the name of the health of all.”

It would be remiss to also note the financial incentives for playing this fall. While a Pac-12 team hasn’t made the College Football Playoff since Washington at the end of the 2016 season, there was a $66 million base payout to each of the Power 5 conferences last year; ESPN reported that the league will not be ineligible for a payout this year even with a shorter schedule than its other Power 5 cohorts.

The Pac-12 and Big Ten Conferences in August were the two Power 5 leagues that struck out on their own, announcing a postponement for football with the indication at the time that a spring season would be scheduled. Both conferences in their respective return to fall season have cited the availability of rapid daily testing to member schools.

Still, it was not that simple. While the Big Ten announced last week that it would have a fall season, the Pac-12’s initial stance was to point out that government restrictions in California and Oregon prevented six of the league’s schools from holding practices. But within 24 hours, governors from both states indicated that it was not the case and that schools would start preparing for a shortened season.

The Mountain West’s announcement — “subject to approval from state, county and local officials” the league said — indicated that the 8-game season will end with a championship game on December 19. As it stands, the only FBS conference that will still be having a spring season is the Mid-American Conference along with independent schools Connecticut, Old Dominion and New Mexico State. Reportedly, the MAC is working on an abbreviated season similar to what the MWC and Pac-12 will be doing.

If so, that would make November almost like a normal month in a college football season … should there be no outbreaks throughout each conference, which has been an issue. After all, the University of Houston’s scheduled game for Saturday against North Texas was canceled on Tuesday — marking the fifth consecutive week an attempt for the Cougars to open the season has been delayed.

Thursday, September 24

PRO SPORTS: NBA, NHL Caution Next Season Likely To Be Delayed

Of the bubbles that have existed and are existing in the sports world, two of the more ambitious ones are the NBA’s in Orlando, Florida, and the NHL’s in Canada, first in two sites and now with the Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton.

Being able to finish their regular season — albeit in a shortened fashion in the bubbles — before going to the postseason with new formats to match what has been a unique year was the goal for both leagues. Both of them have had the longest stretches of bubbles for a pro league.

Both leagues also are already preparing fans and everyone associated with the NBA and NHL for the idea that if you thought the 2019–2020 season was unusual, there still is no guarantee that anything about a future 2020–2021 season will be normal.

That was reinforced by the commissioners of both leagues over the past week, with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver saying on CNN that his guess is the league will not start until after January 1 and NHL Comissioner Gary Bettman refusing to guarantee that his league wouldn’t be delayed as well.

For the NBA’s part, conversation has always ranged about having the league start on Christmas Day, which has traditionally been one of the biggest days of the regular season. The chance to start later than usual and after the NFL’s regular season is almost fully complete was anticipated by many fans.

But Christmas Day may still be too soon, Silver told Bob Costas during a CNN interview. The NBA has delayed the date of the 2020 draft to November 18 ahead of the league and players’ union having to negotiate amendments to the collective bargaining agreement and agree on a salary cap and luxury tax thresholds for the next season.

While a standard season would remain 82 games and full postseason, Silver said roughly 40% of the league’s annual revenues — projected once at as much as $8 billion — is tied to having fans at games.

“There’s still a lot that we need to learn in terms of rapid testing, for example,” Silver said. “Would that be a means of getting fans into our buildings? Will there be other protections?”

But when the season will start is as up in the air for the NHL as the NBA, with Bettman saying on Saturday ahead of the start of the Stanley Cup Final between Tampa Bay and Dallas that “there’s still too much we don’t know” about next season.

“Nobody can tell me whether or not the border between Canada and the United States will be open by a certain date,” Bettman said. “Nobody can tell me what the state of COVID-19 is going to be; nobody can tell us whether our arenas will have either socially distanced or fully occupied buildings.”

The NHL’s bubble has had zero positives out of more than 30,000 COVID-19 tests between action in Toronto and Edmonton. Given the restriction on cross-border travel, there also may be the potential for a one-season realignment that would include an all-Canadian division.

“If there’s an option to consider it, believe me, we’ll consider it,” Bettman said.

Sounds about right for the NBA, NHL or any sports organization this year and into 2021.

Wednesday, September 23

NFL: Fans Start Being Allowed Back at Stadiums

The National Football League has gotten through the first two weeks of the season with flying colors, including a clean round of COVID-19 testing among players this past weekend. It has been universally regarded as a near-perfect start for the league and even those who doubted the league’s viability to have games in a pandemic have been impressed, especially compared to the stop-start nature of college football.

One thing that the NFL has also been doing is having fans in a few stadiums so far, although that number looks to be rising. With the Atlanta Falcons’ announcement that it plans to have 500 fans in attendance for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears, that would make 11 out of the league’s 32 teams with plans to have fans so far this season.

“We are thrilled to invite fans of both the Falcons and Atlanta United back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium,” says Steve Cannon, chief executive officer of AMB Sports and Entertainment. “Having fans watch from alternative locations was a difficult, but important decision. It’s been challenging for both teams to play without fans, but their well-being as well as the safety of our associates and fans was paramount.”

[Podcast: The NFL’s Peter O’Reilly on how the league pulled off its virtual draft]

The Falcons’ announcement on Tuesday comes on the same day that North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said large outdoor venues in the state could allow up to seven percent capacity beginning October 2. Under that announcement, the Carolina Panthers would be allowed to have around 5,000 fans for its home games starting October 4 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Six teams — Dallas, Cleveland, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Miami and Jacksonville — have had a restricted number of fans at games so far this season. The numbers have varied from 2,500 at the Colts’ game this past Sunday against Minnesota, which works out to four percent of capacity, to the Browns having 10% capacity at its stadium.

The Dolphins have had 20% capacity while the Chiefs were at 22% for its home opener, and both the Jaguars and Cowboys allowed 25% capacity at its home openers.

Along with the six teams that have had fans already and the Falcons and Panthers’ plans, the other three teams scheduled to have fans in attendance are the Denver Broncos, who will have 7.5% capacity for its game Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; the Tennessee Titans, which on October 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers will be allowed to fill 10% capacity of its venue, or approximately 6,900 fans; and the Cincinnati Bengals have been given allowance by the state of Ohio to have up to 6,000 fans for its home games in October.

While two of the three NFL teams in Florida have had fans already at games, the one that has not is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — not only the new home of Tom Brady, but the host in February for the Super Bowl. The Buccaneers announced before the season that it would not have fans for at least the first two home games and the NFL admitted that the potential of having a fan-less Super Bowl is one they have to prepare for.

“Our hope is going to be to fill this stadium with fans,” said Jonathan Barker, head of live events and production for the NFL, to the Tampa Bay Times. “That’s our hope. But the smart thing to do is to prepare just in case. If we find ourselves on February 7 where we’re in different scenario, we’re going to just make sure we’re ready for that.”

Tuesday, September 22

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Cancellations Continue as Mountain West May Return

What looked around Labor Day weekend to be a slimmed down version of a college football season may now, in what can only be considered an unlikely outcome, almost an entirely full season.

The report Monday from Yahoo Sports that the Mountain West Conference is on the verge of announcing its return to play this fall is the latest in a series of reversals that could see almost all of the Football Bowl Subdivision playing this season.

According to the report, the Mountain West’s athletic directors could vote this week on a return to play schedule with an eight-game season that starts October 24 and would end on December 19 with the league championship game, which would be the day before the College Football Playoff field is scheduled to be announced.

Should the MW move become official, the eyes of college football’s world will turn to the Mid-American Conference, which has reportedly been considering an eight-game season, as well as the Pac-12 Conference, which has had conversations about a return to play for several weeks but may not be able to start its season until Halloween.

Even the University of Massachusetts, an independent program, is getting back into the fall season. The Minutemen said Monday they will be working on a “competitive multi-contest schedule” in a season in which games are thrown together with sometimes less than two weeks’ notice.

The issue with throwing together games on short notice, as this season has shown, is they also can be canceled on short notice. The scheduled game between Baylor and Houston on September 19 was canceled the day before — the fourth consecutive weekend that a prospective season opener for both teams was nixed.

It was only the latest in a series of games that have been postponed as teams undergo regular testing that reveals outbreaks within their programs. Memphis, which started the season with a home win on September 5, has not played since after multiple players tested positive in the wake of its victory. The Tigers have already canceled its scheduled game for September 25 against UTSA following a cancellation against Purdue and postponement against Houston; as is befitting this season, as Memphis announced a cancellation this week, it also announced in the same release that it has added a game on November 21 against Stephen F. Austin.

Memphis’ outbreak came after a non-conference game; among the Power 5 Conferences, only the ACC and Big 12 allowed schools to have non-conference games and now that they are into conference play, the ACC is having to move games around — the latest being announced on Tuesday afternoon as Notre Dame, having had seven players test positive this week, was forced to postpone its game scheduled for September 26 against Wake Forest.

SCHEDULE UPDATE

Notre Dame's upcoming game on Sept. 26 against Wake Forest has been postponed.

RELEASE: https://t.co/Qtp5hfz4Sh pic.twitter.com/YEWOxvR7wt— Notre Dame Football PR Team (@NDFootballPR) September 22, 2020

Virginia Tech is scheduled to open its season on September 26 against North Carolina State, but Hokies’ coach Justin Fuente has admitted “we will not have a full roster. I hope we’re able to play” depending on the number of available health players. The game between the teams is only on September 26 because its original date of September 12 came too early for the Wolfpack, who had to pause their preseason because of an outbreak. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, would have opened its season on September 19 before its game against Virginia got postponed to December after a number of positives on the Hokies’ program forced a four-day pause in football activities.

Confused? Welcome to college football.

SOCCER: U.S. National Team Matches Postponed

U.S. Soccer has decided to forgo playing matches for the men’s national team during the FIFA window in October. The men’s national team last played on February 1 in Carson, California, in a 1-0 friendly win over Costa Rica.

“After extensive conversations about holding a Men’s National Team camp in October, we ultimately determined the unique challenges created by COVID-19 as it relates to hosting international opponents and getting our players together wouldn’t allow us to move forward,” said U.S. Men’s National Team General Manager Brian McBride. “We appreciate the incredible amount of work our staff did and the discussions we had with Major League Soccer to try and address concerns and find solutions. While we won’t have the team together in this upcoming window, we are making considerable progress for November.”

Friendlies against Netherlands and Wales were postponed in March, along with the CONCACAF Nations League Final Four in June in Texas and the start of 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying in September.

“Both players and staff are disappointed not to be able to get back on the field for the National Team and continue the progress we have made as a group,” said Coach Gregg Berhalter. “While COVID-19 continues to create challenges for us, we are confident we can find a way forward in the near future that will provide an opportunity to play matches in preparation for the important competitions next year.”

Monday, September 21

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Tournament Reshuffling Already Underway

As soon as the college basketball season’s start date was officially set, the question would be what would happen to the number of early-season tournaments.

The events are a perfect chance for teams to play multiple games in a short time span and many of the events are held in warm-weather locales that enjoy an added boost of economic impact from each tournament, whether three days or more. And with the added need for health and safety protocols for teams that would most likely be traveling long distances, how the schedules would end up has been one of the biggest rapid-reaction moves for markets.

For some, the shuffle has already started. And for some destinations, the projected boost of economic impact will be lost.

One of the biggest early-season tournaments, the Maui Invitational, will be held in Asheville, North Carolina, instead with a change of location of about 4,500 miles. Even without fans, the new location will be a boost for two of the tournament’s teams — North Carolina and Davidson. The other teams in the event are Alabama, Indiana, Providence, Stanford, Texas and UNLV with all teams, tournament staff and media in a bubble environment.

“We couldn’t be more excited and deeply honored to bring the Maui Jim Maui Invitational here to Asheville,” said Demp Bradford, president of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission. “Asheville’s ability to host this top-level sporting event is a testament to state and local partnerships built on a track record of welcoming and supporting national, and international, competitive events to Buncombe County.”

While Maui is the first tournament to officially announce where its new site will be, there is expected to be a large reshuffling in the coming weeks, if not days, about several other events, particularly those run by ESPN Events. Multiple reports suggest all if not most ESPN-owned events would move to the Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, home of the ongoing NBA bubble.

One event already announced that it will be moved to a new site is the Myrtle Beach Invitational, made on Friday by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. The event, scheduled for November 19-22, is hosted at Coastal Carolina University and has an estimated economic impact of $2 million.

“The impact this event has on our shoulder season is significant and a prime reason we initially brought the event to Myrtle Beach in 2018,” said Jonathan Paris, executive director of sports tourism for Visit Myrtle Beach. “In a typical year, the event had more than 1,600 total room nights contracted over five nights, not including our out of town fans, which are harder to track specifically. In addition to the hotel impact, our restaurants and attractions felt the impact of the teams and fans in the area. However, all sporting events in 2020 have been limited in terms of fans and overall capacity, so we would not have expected that same level of impact from the traveling fans this year.”

For other events, the wait is ongoing — everything from the Battle4Atlantis, which may end up in South Dakota but is at risk because one of its committed schools, Duke University, could try to form its own bubble event at a different site. But the general assumption throughout college basketball is that if there is an early-season tournament for teams to be a part of, almost assuredly it will end up in Orlando, given the market’s ability to host events in a secure environment.

But while Orlando has had the most exposure in hosting bubble events, the protocols that it has set forth are seeking to be replicated by schools and other markets. While nothing is official, the University of Louisville is looking to host one; so is Indianapolis with backing from the Indiana Sports Corp.

Bubble already is part of the lexicon for college basketball, especially in March. But this year, anybody that hosts a tournament will certainly hope that their bubble does not burst.

BASKETBALL: WNBA Playoff Game Postponed After Inconclusive Tests

The WNBA playoff schedule will be undergoing adjustments as while Game 1 of one semifinal series was being held on Sunday afternoon, the other semifinal Game 1 between Seattle and Minnesota was postponed after inconclusive COVID-19 test results for players from the Storm.

“Players with inconclusive results have undergone additional testing today and are currently in isolation,” the league said in a statement. “The new date for Game 1 will be communicated as developments warrant.”

No games in the regular season ‘Wubble’ at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, were postponed because of test results. There were three instances of players getting inconclusive results and having to sit out a game before having a negative test.

“Especially if there’s multiple players on a team, we really can’t take a chance to expose the bubble to any kind of community spread,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told ESPN. “We need to get more data to see if we have an issue.”

Friday, September 18

MOTORSPORTS: Indy Motor Speedway Prepares for First 2020 Spectators

For the first time this year, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway intends to have fans in the stands at the IndyCar Harvest GP presented by GMR weekend. Up to 10,000 spectators will be allowed in the grandstands each day of of the race, which will be staged October 1–4. The limits are set by the Marion County Public Health Department.

The venue, which can hold more than 300,000 people has held races, including the Indy 500, during the pandemic but has yet to be given the OK for spectators. Fans at the race will be limited to two zones, with 5,000 spectators in each.

Among the rules planned or guests:

Face coverings must be worn throughout the property at all times;
All fans will receive temperature screenings before gate entry;
Grandstand seats will be marked for distancing;
Attendees must use pre-assigned gates and remain in their designated zones.

Global Medical Response, the emergency medical and ambulance company, will be the presenting sponsor of what will be IndyCar’s penultimate race of the season.

“We can’t wait to see fans come through our gates for the first time in 2020,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “They’ll be greeted by a vastly improved facility, featuring significant upgrades to the spectator experience. We’re also extremely grateful to have a presenting sponsor with the expertise and resources of GMR as we look to implement our detailed and comprehensive health and safety plan.”

Thursday, September 17

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: NCAA Approves Start Date

The spotlight event every year for college basketball is the NCAA Tournament. It is why March Madness is part of the regular lexicon each spring, where bracket challenges pop up in offices and production during the first few days of the event sees some businesses drop in production because of the constant possibilities of watching a top seed get upset by a mid-major.

But the 2020 NCAA Tournament, scheduled to culminate in Atlanta, was canceled within a week of its scheduled start because of COVID-19. Teams and players, and their respective fan bases, could not even celebrate a Selection Sunday. And as the pandemic has continued almost nearly unabated throughout the country, it would be natural to wonder what would happen to the 2020–2021 college basketball season.

Wonder no more. The NCAA Division I Council announced that while the upcoming season’s start will be delayed approximately two weeks until November 25, it will take place with a firm set of guidelines for competition.

“The new season start date near the Thanksgiving holiday provides the optimal opportunity to successfully launch the basketball season,” NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said. “It is a grand compromise of sorts and a unified approach that focuses on the health and safety of student-athletes competing towards the 2021 Division I basketball championships.”

That the college basketball season has a firm start date with schedules and competition rules approved approximately two months before the new start to the season stands in stark contrast to how college football’s season has turned into a daily docu-drama with the Big Ten announcing this week it will start play in October, more than a month behind every other conference playing this season and very little cohesive strategy being shown.

The council will not allow exhibitions or scrimmages for teams until the first day of competition. Full preseason practices can begin Oct. 14, with 30 practices permitted.

The maximum number of games a men’s team can play will be up to 25 games and the minimum games required for NCAA championship selection will be decreased to 13 games. Both the men’s and women’s basketball committees recommend a minimum of four nonconference games; women’s teams can schedule 23 games, plus one multiple-team event, or 25 games without an event.

One outstanding issue about the November 25 starting date will be what happens to many early-season tournaments that have been scheduled to start before Thanksgiving. Multiple reports between ESPN and CBS Sports have detailed that for tournaments scheduled before the new start date would be turned into bubble events, including the possibility of as many as eight scheduled tournaments being held simultaneously in Orlando, Florida, at the same site where the NBA bubble is currently ongoing at the ESPN Disney Wide World of Sports.

With most college campuses closed in December and early January, there also is a six-week window for the college basketball season to get underway without widespread campus outbreaks for programs to contend with.

And while the big news was about the start date in November, there is this important point: The NCAA is still planning for March Madness to proceed as scheduled.

Wednesday, September 16

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Big Ten Reverses Course, Will Play in Fall

Remember what was said days ago about this college football season being unlike any other? How each week would be a rollercoaster with games being canceled and schedules usually made a decade or more in advance being flipped around on a weekly basis as teams deal with COVID-19 outbreaks?

Step right up, Big Ten Conference, and welcome to the fall sports season … after saying there would be no football until the spring.

The first of the Power 5 Conferences to announce that it would not play fall sports has reversed course, announcing that football will begin on the weekend of October 23–24. The decision, following weeks of coaches and players applying pressure on the league’s university leaders via social media, comes as the conference’s leadership officially says the decision was made thanks to the ability to secure daily antigen testing for all athletes, coaches, trainers and individuals on the field for practices and games.

[What will the college football bowl season look like?]

“Our focus with the Task Force over the last six weeks was to ensure the health and safety of our student-athletes. Our goal has always been to return to competition so all student-athletes can realize their dream of competing in the sports they love,” said Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren. “We are incredibly grateful for the collaborative work that our Return to Competition Task Force have accomplished to ensure the health, safety and wellness of student-athletes, coaches and administrators.”

Each team will attempt to play eight games in eight weeks before the league championship game on Dec. 19, one day before the College Football Playoff committee makes its selections. Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour has said that games will not have fans in attendance.

[What will college football towns do without fans in town this season?]

All 14 Big Ten teams will attempt to play but the chances of the season being held without interruption are to be determined. Wisconsin last week announced a two-week pause for all football activities because of an outbreak on campus; Maryland, which paused activities September 3, resumed practices late last week.

Seven conferences in the FBS are playing this fall — the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC, American Athletic Conference, Conference USA and Sun Belt. Most teams have started their season while the SEC will have a league-only season starting September 26.

Along with daily testing, Big Ten athletes who test positive for COVID-19 will have to sit out for at least 21 days and have a series of comprehensive cardiac tests performed including a cardiac MRI. Any team with a positivity rate of more than 5 percent must stop practice and competition for at least seven days.

“Everyone associated with the Big Ten should be very proud of the groundbreaking steps that are now being taken to better protect the health and safety of the student-athletes and surrounding communities,” Dr. Jim Borchers, head team physician at Ohio State and co-chair of the return to competition task force’s medical subcommittee, said in a prepared statement. “The data we are going to collect from testing and the cardiac registry will provide major contributions for all 14 Big Ten institutions as they study COVID-19 and attempt to mitigate the spread of the disease among wider communities.”

Borchers and Warren would not say where the daily testing is coming from or what the price of daily testing will be to the schools or the conference other than Warren saying all fall sports athletes will have the daily testing available to them. The league said that a plan for other fall sports would be announced shortly.

Borchers said the Big Ten’s testing plan is similar to the Pac-12’s previously announced plan for daily testing thanks to an agreement with Quidel Corporation, with equipment in place at Pac-12 schools by the end of the month. The Pac-12 is the only Power 5 Conference not playing this fall and half of the league’s schools are not allowed to have practices due to local health regulations. Catastrophic wildfires in Oregon and California have also damaged air quality throughout the Western United States.

“At this time, our universities in California and Oregon do not have approval from state or local public health officials to start contact practice,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said Wednesday in a statement. “We are hopeful that our new daily testing capability can help satisfy public health official approvals in California and Oregon to begin contact practice and competition. We are equally closely monitoring the devastating fires and air quality in our region at this time. We are eager for our student-athletes to have the opportunity to play this season, as soon as it can be done safely and in accordance with public health authority approvals.”

But the Big Ten’s announcement, predictably, increased the pressure on governors in California and Oregon — and with immediate results, which in this rapidly developing season could lead to the Pac-12 starting its season much earlier than first expected. And within 12 hours of Scott’s first comments, another statement soon was released.

Statement from Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott on positive developments from governors of California and Oregon: pic.twitter.com/bZVuGT6vuW— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 16, 2020

And while the Mid-American Conference has stayed steadfast that it would focus on having a season held during the spring, one of the other conferences that currently is not in action — the Mountain West — may also be gearing up toward a fast resolution for the fall.

Mountain West “aggressively exploring” options to play 8-game fall season, culminating w/Dec. 19 MW title game, sources told @Stadium. This would allow league to be eligible for NY6 bowls. Not all schools might play w/Hawaii, Fresno & Air Force biggest unknowns for full season— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 17, 2020

Of course they would. Because in this college football season, the action on the field is surpassed by the drama off it … so far, at least.

GOLF: LPGA Asian Events Canceled

The LPGA Tour called off all four events of its Asia swing scheduled for South Korea in October and Japan in November, citing quarantine requirements with crossing country borders. Tournaments in China and Taiwan had already been called off.

The tour instead added a second LPGA Drive On Championship scheduled for October 22–25 on the Great Waters Course in Greensboro, Georgia.

“We greatly appreciate the efforts by our partners at BMW and Toto to try to host their events this season and we look forward to returning to Korea and Japan in 2021,” LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said. “Since we unfortunately cannot travel to Asia, we felt it was very important to add another competitive opportunity for our players.”

Tuesday, September 15

BASEBALL: MLB Playoffs Going To Bubble Concept

Major League Baseball shortened its season by more than half during negotiations that drew heavy criticism from fans about the nature of how they dragged out. Once the season started, the league had multiple teams within the first few weeks deal with COVID-19 outbreaks that at one stretch had the league going more than three weeks with having at least one game per day canceled because of the virus.

While there have been sporadic cancellations since, MLB has been able to continue toward the end of its season with much fewer interruptions. Notably, the season has been held without fans but done without teams entering a bubble atmosphere like many of the other professional leagues that resumed play during the summer.

And as the playoffs loom with an expanded field of more than a dozen teams, Major League Baseball is prepared to … have fans for games held in a bubble.

A deal has been agreed to between the league and players union for the postseason bubble concept., with the playoffs held at stadiums in Southern California and Texas. The World Series would be held at MLB’s newest ballpark, Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, home of the Texas Rangers.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred was part of an online event hosted by Hofstra University’s business school on Monday evening and said the expectation is the final three rounds of the postseason will be held in a bubble and that the league championship series, plus the World Series, could have fans.

“I’m hopeful that the World Series and the LCS we will have limited fan capacity,” Manfred reportedly said. “I think it’s important for us to start back down the road. Obviously it’ll be limited numbers, socially distanced, protection provided for the fans in terms of temperature checks and the like. Kind of the pods like you saw in some of the NFL games. We’ll probably use that same theory. But I do think it’s important as we look forward to 2021 to get back to the idea that live sports, they’re generally outdoors, at least our games. And it’s something that we can get back to.”

The postseason plan, as reported by ESPN, would involve the wild-card series being held at home ballparks with the top four seeds in both the American and National Leagues hosting all of the games in the series. From there, the NLDS and ALDS would be split between stadiums in Houston, Arlington, San Diego and Los Angeles. The ALCS would be in San Diego and the NLCS would be in Arlington, which would then host the World Series with a start date of October 20.

“Again, I hope for the postseason, we’ll have some limited fan presence in ballparks,” Manfred said during the webinar. “I think it would be a good thing just in terms of getting people used to the idea being back in the ballpark, and again, I think the trick in terms of what’s going to happen next year, it’s dependent on the virus. The virus controls and it’s ‘Do you have a vaccine? Are we still seeing spikes?’ That’s going to drive what local governments are going to allow us to do.”

Monday, September 14

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: COVID Positives Shuffle Schedules

Every week leading up to games and since the games have kicked off, one phrase has been repeated when it comes to college football: You’ll see things you never thought you would see before.

That has proven true through just two weeks of play, with multiple games canceled or postponed because of outbreaks of COVID-19 on teams and games that traditionally would be scheduled years in advance now being set up less than two weeks in advance.

The past weekend had a little bit of everything in college football — on the field, three Sun Belt Conference teams beat teams from the Big 12 Conference among the games that were played. Of the Power 5 conferences that are in action this fall, the ACC and Big 12 were the ones that started the season over the weekend, while the SEC will not start until September 26.

Two teams that found a quick fix for open dates are Baylor and Houston, former Southwest Conference rivals that have not played since 1995 — until they both found themselves available for a game on September 19. The reason: Both teams were scheduled to play opponents that had to cancel because of outbreaks.

Baylor was scheduled to play this past weekend before Louisiana Tech canceled its game after a COVID-19 outbreak affected dozens of players. The Bears were already scheduled to be off on September 19 — and Houston’s scheduled game on that date against Memphis has already been canceled after an outbreak on the Tigers.

While those two former rivals will meet again, two rivals in the ACC had to postpone its game to a later date. Virginia Tech and Virginia, scheduled to play September 19, will instead be held on a date to be determined after Virginia Tech had to pause football practices for four days because of COVID-19. According to a document Virginia Tech released related to the postponement, at least eight of the 15 ACC football teams need to move forward with games in order for the season to continue.

After his team was able to play its season opener and beat Missouri State easily, Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley admitted that the game had been jeopardy of being postponed or canceled because of the Sooners’ COVID-19 cases.

The stands at the Oklahoma game also was seen with many fans not wearing masks, which was stadium policy. Oklahoma Athletics Director Joe Castiglione told the student newspaper that “too many individuals fell short of expectations.” The publication said while precautions included stickers on seats saying “Please leave this seat vacant” to avoid clusters of people, fans in certain areas of the stands refused to wear masks or socially distance.

And one other game between two newly ranked teams in The Associated Press Top 25, BYU against Army, has also been postponed ahead of its scheduled September 19 kickoff in New York. BYU announced that a “small number of positive COVID-19 test results” had occurred in the program; the teams said they will try to play at a later date. BYU also agreed to a spur-of-the-moment game against Louisiana Tech, hosting the game at LaVell Edwards Stadium on October 2.

Meanwhile, Rice will not start its season until October 24 after a spread of COVID-19 on campus and among the team. The Owls’ scheduled games on September 12 against Army, September 19 against LSU and September 26 against Lamar have been canceled; scheduled games on September 3 against Houston, October 3 against Marshall and October 10 against UAB have been postponed with the possibility of the games being rescheduled during open dates that may develop as the season goes along.

After all, every week in college football is an adventure.

Thursday, September 10

RODEO: Wrangler National Finals Leave Las Vegas for Texas

The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is moving to Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, in Arlington, Texas, so that the event can have have fans in attendance from December 3–12, 2020. The NFR has been held in Las Vegas the past 35 years.

“We are so pleased to be at this amazing stadium for the most celebrated event on the rodeo calendar,” said George Taylor, chief executive officer of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. “We are committed to delivering a spectacular event for our fans and we are thrilled to be in Texas for it.”

The NFR was born in Texas and the first three years of the event were held at the Dallas State Fairgrounds beginning in 1959. The event has been staged at the Thomas & Mack Center at UNLV in Las Vegas since 1985. That venue is not available for live entertainment with fans this year due to coronavirus restrictions in Nevada.

In a survey this summer, rodeo fans said they wanted an NFR venue that would accommodate fans and the PRCA began looking for an alternate venue, leading to a partnership between the PRCA and Globe Life Field, the cities of Arlington and Fort Worth, the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau, Visit Fort Worth, and the Sports Commissions of both Arlington and Fort Worth.

Seats will be sold in groups of four with separation between groups. Contact-limiting measures such as mobile tickets will be implemented. There will also be metal detector screenings and a no bag policy at entries on performance nights. Safety measures will include a mask requirement at all times while inside Globe Life Field and there will be additional hand washing and sanitizing stations throughout the building. Nearby Fort Worth will play host to the Wrangler NFR 2020 experience, as the annual PRCA Convention in addition to the Cowboy Christmas.

“We are honored that the PRCA selected Globe Life Field to host the 2020 Wrangler Nationals Final Rodeo and are thrilled to be a small part of bringing this world-class event back to Texas,” said Neil Leibman, chief operating officer of the Texas Rangers.

Wednesday, September 9

NFL: More Teams Planning Slow Reopening to Fans

Slowly, the National Football League seems to be preparing for the return of limited numbers of fans to games this season.

The Denver Broncos became the latest team to announce that it will have fans later in the season, starting September 27 when it hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Broncos will allow 7.5 % capacity to attend, which works out to 5,700 fans. Seats will be sold in ‘pods’ of up to six tickets and sections will be separated into small groups with a designated entry, concession and restroom area for each section.

[Podcast: The NFL’s Peter O’Reilly on how the league pulled off its virtual draft]

The Broncos are the latest team to announce a slow integration of fans back into stadiums, although the majority of NFL teams will be closed venues for at least the first two weeks.

Only five teams — Cleveland, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Miami and Jacksonville — have definitively said it will have fans when the season begins. The Browns will have just under 7,000 starting with its September 17 home opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, while the Chiefs will have up to 16,000 fans, the Colts up to 10,500 fans, the Jaguars 17,000 fans and the Dolphins will have 13,000 fans starting with the first home games of the season.

The Dallas Cowboys are the lone NFL team to have not released detailed plans for fans. The team has previously said it expects to have fans in attendance, which would make six out of the league’s 32 teams having fans from the beginning.

Of the 26 teams that have said they will not have fans at the beginning, two — Las Vegas and Washington — have said it will be closed off for fans for the entire season. The New York Jets, New York Giants, Philadelphia, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago and Baltimore have all said that fans will not be in attendance “until further notice.”

That leaves 17 teams that will not have fans for at least the home opener, although each of those teams have not ruled out future attendance. Some have already gotten plans underway, with the Cincinnati Bengals given allowance by the state of Ohio to have up to 6,000 fans for its home games in October. The New Orleans Saints hope to have up to 25% capacity for a September 27 home game.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: More Big 12 Nonconference Games Postponed

The Big 12 Conference, one of the few to continue with nonconference play this season, has had three games scheduled for Saturday postponed.

The kickoff between Louisiana Tech at Baylor was officially postponed, joining previous decisions for games between Tulsa and Oklahoma State and SMU against TCU. Louisiana Tech had 38 players test positive for COVID-19 in the wake of Hurricane Laura, a source told Yahoo Sports.

Rice University has had to shuffle its schedule around with three games disrupted because of “current conditions related to the infection rate in Houston and the need for highly reliable and very rapid testing results in the competitive athletics context forced a delay in a decision to move forward.” The Owls said a final decision on the start of practice “will be made later in September” and it will work with Conference USA on any adjustments.

Nine scheduled FBS games have disrupted by positive COVID-19 tests among programs.

Tuesday, September 8

OLYMPICS: No Chance of Another Postponement, Says IOC Vice President

International Olympic Committee Vice President John Coates said that the rescheduled Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo will go ahead in 2021 regardless of the coronavirus pandemic, calling them the “Games that conquered COVID.”

“It will take place with or without COVID. The Games will start on July 23 next year,” said Coates, who heads the International Olympic Committee’s Coordination Commission for the Tokyo Games. “The Games were going to be, their theme, the Reconstruction Games after the devastation of the tsunami,” referring to a 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. “Now very much these will be the Games that conquered COVID, the light at the end of the tunnel.”

2020 Olympic Summer Games CEO Toshiro Muro said earlier that a COVID-19 vaccine is not a requirement to host the rescheduled games and that the organizers would like to have the Games with spectators on hand. Japan’s borders are still largely closed to foreign visitors, which fuels speculation about whether the Games are feasible.

“Their job now is to look at all the different counter-measures that will be required for the Games to take place,” said Coates of the organizers. “Some countries will have it (COVID-19) under control, some won’t. We’ll have athletes therefore coming from places where it’s under control and some where it is not. There’s 206 teams… so there’s a massive task being undertaken on the Japanese side.”

TENNIS: French Open Caps Attendance

Attendance for the French Open in September will be capped at 11,500 per day as tournament organizers prepare for the Grand Slam to be held in the fall for the first time ever.

The French Tennis Federation will essentially split the Roland Garros grounds into three sites with a show court and surrounding outside courts in each segment. Capacity at the Philippe Chatrier and Suzanne Lenglen sites will be limited to 5,000, while the Simonne Mathieu site is capped at 1,500.

Spectators will be able to access the area of the stadium shown on their ticket and can watch matches on all of the courts within their site. At the show courts, one seat will be left empty on every row and between every group of ticket-holders, which will be limited to a maximum of four people. Fans over the age of 11 will be required to wear masks or face coverings at all times.

Traditionally held in the spring, this year’s French Open will start September 21. The French federation previously planned for up to 60 percent capacity (20,000 fans) per day before changing its expectations.

Friday, September 4

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NCAA Committee Recommends Eight-Game Spring Season

The movement toward a spring football season for those conferences that have postponed play in the fall continued to gain steam, with the Pac-12 heralding a breakthrough for daily COVID-19 testing and the NCAA Football Oversight Committee making recommendations for a spring model of eight games.

The Football Oversight Committee’s recommendations include 15 practices in 29 days and an eight-game season that must end by April 17. ESPN reported that any conferences that postponed their season because of the coronavirus pandemic but decide to resume playing games earlier than next spring will not be able to use the 15-practice model.

The Division I Council is expected to vote on the recommendations for football as well as a reported delayed start date for college basketball’s season at its September 16 meeting.

The news from the NCAA came on the same day that the Pac-12 announced it will be able to test athletes for COVID-19 on a daily basis thanks to a partnership with Quidel, which will send its Sofia 2 testing machines and tests to each of the Pac-12’s athletic departments by the end of September.

“This is a major step toward the safe resumption of Pac-12 sport competitions,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. “The availability of a reliable test that can be administered daily, with almost immediate results, addresses one of the key concerns that was expressed by our medical advisory committee, as well as by student-athletes, coaches and others.”

The announcement was met with immediate questions about whether the conference will attempt to start football before January 1 as well as other sports and reverse its previous decision. Scott said the league will evaluate options to resume competition before January 1 but pointed out that six of the league’s schools, four in California and two in Oregon, do not have permission from local and state health authorities to hold full contact practice.

AUTO RACING: Talladega to Have Fans in October

Talladega Superspeedway will allow a reduced number of fans to attend its October 4 Cup Series playoff race, having hosted fans during a regular season race in June. Fans will not be allowed in frontstretch seating for the Xfinity and Truck Series doubleheader on October 3 and its garage experience will be closed. Some tracks have allowed a limited number of fans in recent weeks with Daytona having an estimated 20,000 fans last weekend.

Thursday, September 3

NCAA: Entire Staff to Face Minimum Three-Week Furloughs

The NCAA intends to furlough all employees at its Indianapolis headquarters for a minimum of three weeks, according to a memo obtained by the Associated Press.

The cost-saving move is expected to impact about 600 employees, some of whom will be furloughed for up to eight weeks depending on their position and “seasonal timing of their duties.”

The NCAA, which derives the majority of its revenue from the Division I Men’s College Basketball Championship that was canceled in 2020, has been among the hardest hit of sports organizations. The AP reports that the memo from NCAA President Mark Emmert was sent to 1,200 association member schools and that the furloughs will not affect senior executives, who have already taken 10 percent or 20 percent pay cuts.

The furloughs are expected to begin September 21.

“We are committed to supporting our member schools and conferences and student-athletes in every way possible, and yet I expect that some of our services to membership may be limited or delayed during this period furloughs,” Emmert wrote. “I ask for your patience as we all strive to weather these difficult times together.”

HORSE RACING: No Fans Allowed at Preakness

The 145th annual Preakness Stakes, scheduled for October 3 at Pimlico Race Course, will be held without fans in attendance

Only essential racing personnel and horsemen will be permitted on-site on race day. Existing ticket holders who have purchased tickets will have the option to either transfer their tickets to next year’s Preakness or to apply for a full refund.

The Stronach Group owns Pimlico and in a statement, Chairman and President Belinda Stronach said, “While we had hoped to be able to welcome fans as we have for the past 145 years, the health and safety of our guests, horsemen, riders, team members and the community at large is, and will always be, our top priority.”

Wednesday, September 2

NFL: No Blanket Policy for Fans in Stands

The National Football League will not have a blanket policy about having fans in stadiums this season, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said during a media call, saying “we want to invite our fans in” but only if teams are following the health and safety protocols set by local and state health authorities.
With some teams deciding to allow fans, there was criticism from Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott about not having a cohesive league policy. Goodell said “we do not believe it is” a competitive advantage for some teams to have fans in the stadiums but others may not this season.

The NFL is working on a policy for artificial crowd noise to be used at stadiums for those who will not have fans, NFL Executive Vice President Troy Vincent said during the conference call. Vincent said the league has a curated audio track but details such as the maximum decibel level allowed have not been determined.

The league has been doing daily testing of staff and players during training camp. It said the most recent round of testing from August 21–29 revealed four positive tests from players and six from team personnel among a total of 8,739 players and personnel. In all, there have been 16 positive tests since training camp’s start on August 12.

NHL: Bubble Remains Clean During Playoffs

The National Hockey League said that during its most recent round of COVID-19 testing, it had no positives among the over 2,800 tests conduced.

The round of testing was the fifth in the NHL’s Phase 4 of its Return to Play Protocols. The Stanley Cup playoffs are in the conference semifinal stage with a Western Conference bubble in Edmonton and Eastern Conference bubble in Toronto. The Eastern Conference finals will see both teams traveling to Edmonton to have both that series and the Stanley Cup Final held in its bubble.

Tuesday, September 1

BASEBALL: Oakland Series Canceled After Positive Test

A series between the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners in Seattle has been postponed through Wednesday out of an abundance of caution to allow for continued testing and contact tracing after the A’s announced on Sunday that a member of the organization tested positive for COVID-19.

Oakland conducted testing and contact tracing for its traveling party in line with MLB protocols and it will continue to self-isolate in Houston with recommended safety precautions in place.

Houston’s game on Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers will be held as scheduled after an off day on Monday; the Astros were scheduled to play the A’s on Sunday before that game was postponed as well.

Monday, August 31

TENNIS: U.S. Open Brings Fans Virtually to Arthur Ashe Stadium

The U.S. Open, which started on Monday with no fans in attendance, will use a series of virtual experiences to bring fans into Arthur Ashe Stadium during the Grand Slam, giving fans unparalleled access.

Among the activations will be the US Open Fan Cam powered by American Express, with fans able to record their cheers and encouragement for players and then submit those cheers to the US Open through its mobile app. Fan cheers will be shown on the new LED screens that will surround Arthur Ashe Stadium and card members will get exclusive access to ask a player a question that could be incorporated into an on-court post-match interview.

The USTA also has set up virtual player boxes for those who play at Ashe Stadium to invite guests to be part of the experience through the LED boards in Arthur Ashe Stadium with live interaction during select moments such as changeovers.

When no fans in attendance, the USTA has worked with ESPN and IBM to bring authentic crowd sounds into the presentation of matches. Fans also can win an Official US Open At-Home Suite including a player towel, hat, can of balls and Grey Goose Honey Deuce cup along with a US Open program and tournament guide.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Iowa State to Have 25,000 Fans at Opener

Iowa State’s athletic department released a letter to its fans saying that it plans to have 25,000 fans for its football home opener on September 12 against Louisiana, and it could allow all season-ticket holders into Jack Trice Stadium for its home game against Oklahoma on October 3.

“However, if we determine that mitigation measures were not followed adequately at the first game, we will have no fans at future games beginning with Oklahoma,” said Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard. The Cyclones published how it plans to seat fans at the stadium, as well as a plan for how fans will be expected to arrive and act at the games.

Thursday, August 27

ENDURANCE SPORTS: USA Triathlon Reschedules 2020 Age Group Draft-Legal Nationals

The 2020 USA Triathlon Age Group Draft-Legal National Championships, initially scheduled for November 14 in Tempe, Arizona, have been rescheduled to April 2021. As a result, the event will be held as a world qualifier rather than a national championship.

Tempe will still host the event, which originally was to include Arizona State Sun Devil Draft-Legal Classic, in conjunction with the Women’s Collegiate Triathlon National Championships. Due to continued limits on mass gatherings in the region, those events cannot be rescheduled in 2020. Last month, the 2020 women’s college triathlon season was also canceled.

The rescheduled age group draft-legal event will be held April 9, 2021. Plans call for the 2021 USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championships to be staged with the event as well.

“While we will miss the chance to gather the nation’s fastest amateur draft-legal athletes in Tempe this fall, USA Triathlon is grateful for the support of ASU and the city of Tempe in finding a solution for a rescheduled world qualifying event in spring 2021,” said Brian D’Amico, director of events at USA Triathlon. “We look forward to returning to Tempe Town Lake in April for an action-packed weekend of multisport at the age-group and collegiate levels.”

COLLEGE SPORTS: SEC Sets Up Non-Football Fall Schedules

The Southeastern Conference will have fall sports — and in sports other than football, they will also have spring competitions to be determined after the NCAA sets up a format for those postseason championships.

The SEC will have cross country, women’s soccer and volleyball for all 14 member schools in the fall and “SEC soccer and volleyball teams will participate in spring competition as well, with details of formats contingent on final decisions by the NCAA to conduct spring championships in those sports,” the league said.

The soccer season will be an eight-match season with only conference play before the league tournament with every school competing from November 13–22 in Orange Beach, Alabama. The volleyball season will be the same format with eight matches over a six-week period; there was no mention of a postseason tournament in that sport. Cross country teams will be allowed to have either two or three competitions before the league meet on October 30 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Wednesday, August 26

COLLEGE SPORTS: AAC Changes Fall Scheduling

The American Athletic Conference announced has postponed all competition and conference championships in men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball until spring 2021 with a decision about cross country not yet determined. The decision was approved by the conference’s athletic directors after the NCAA Division I Board of Directors’ confirmation that fall championships would move to the spring.

“We remain committed to providing our student-athletes a quality experience and competing at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics,” said American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco. “We were prepared to conduct competition in the fall in men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball, but moving to the spring was in the best interest of our student-athletes as it will align our schedules to allow our teams to compete for national championships.”

The American Athletic Conference earlier announced that it will allow its football members to play eight conference games on their originally scheduled dates and nonconference games may be played at the discretion of the individual schools, with the understanding that opponents will strictly adhere to protocols and standards for testing, pregame, in-game and postgame operations set by The American’s Medical Advisory Group.

Tuesday, August 25

NFL: 26 Teams Going Fanless in September

With the regular season scheduled to kick off in just over two weeks, 26 of the National Football League’s 32 teams will do so without fans in attendance.

The San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals all announced that they will have no fans for their home games — at least through the end of September in the case of the Vikings and Bengals, and potentially further for the three teams in California.

The Chargers and Rams, who will share the new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, said they will have games without fans “until further notice.” But the teams both said “should conditions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic significantly improve – and State guidance evolve – to the point we believe fans can safely attend games at SoFi Stadium, we will communicate the news at that time.”

The Rams are scheduled to host the Dallas Cowboys on September 13 with the Chargers hosting the Cincinnati Bengals on September 20 and Carolina Panthers on September 27. San Francisco is scheduled to kick off on September 13 against the Arizona Cardinals while the Vikings have home games against Green Bay on September 13 and Tennessee on September 27. The Bengals will host the Chargers on September 13.

One coach, Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills, said he is not happy how some teams will have fans after the Miami Dolphins announced their decision to have up to 13,000 fans in attendance.

“I think it’s honestly ridiculous that there will be on the surface what appears to be a playing field that’s like that, inconsistently across the league with the different away stadiums,” McDermott said.

The Dolphins’ announcement came before the NFL announced its results from a round of COVID-19 testing throughout the league. From August 12–20, the league had 58,397 tests administered to players and personnel with zero positive tests among players and six among personnel.

“When we started the process back in March of exploring what a socially distanced stadium could look like, we made the health and safety of everyone the first priority, knowing that if we felt that we couldn’t make it safe, we simply wouldn’t have fans,” Dolphins Vice Chairman and CEO Tom Garfinkel said in a statement. “We’re happy that our elected officials recognize the attention to detail and diligence that we’ve put into creating a safe environment, and that they made the decision to move forward with a 13,000-capacity stadium at this time.”

SOCCER: NWSL Announces Fall Series Schedule

The National Women’s Soccer League will resume its 2020 season on September 5 with the league playing 18 matches over a seven-week period with three pods of three teams apiece following this summer’s earlier Challenge Cup in Sandy, Utah.

There will be a televised NWSL Game of the Week on CBS every Saturday in September and on CBS Sports Network three Saturdays in October, a reflection of how the two national broadcasts from the Challenge Cup received record-breaking ratings.

[Podcast: NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird on How to Stage a Tournament During a Pandemic]

Teams within each pod will play one another to enable the league to minimize travel. OL Reign, Portland and Utah will be in the West pod with Chicago, Sky Blue and Washington in a Northeast pod. North Carolina, Houston and Orlando will be in the South pod.

The full format and schedule will be released in the next week. The NWSL’s return-to-play protocols reflect best practices developed and implemented during the Challenge Cup. League protocols have been updated to reflect the reality of home-market matches and regional travel and will influence all league and club actions outside the field of play.

AUTO RACING: Formula One Finalizes 2020 Schedule, Including Turkey Return

Formula One will have a 17-race schedule after adding four more races to its program for the 2020 season, including a race for the first time in nine years in Turkey, with the season scheduled to finish in mid-December.

The four races added include Turkey’s Istanbul Park on November 15, then races in Bahrain on November 29 and December 6 before the December 13 season-ending race in Abu Dhabi, the latest finish to a season for Formula One since 1963.

The series will have its seventh race of 2020 this weekend in Belgium. The 17 races overall are the fewest in a season since 2009; the 2020 schedule was to have 22 events including the traditional U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

Monday, August 24

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Louisville Plans 30 Percent Capacity

The University of Louisville will allow 30 percent of capacity at 60,800-seat Cardinal Stadium to be filled for football this season, with social distancing for the 18,000 allowed inside the gates and the season scheduled to start September 12 against Western Kentucky.

Safety measures will be in place including temperature checks at the entrances, face coverings required, physical distancing within the stadium as well as parking lots for tailgating and restrictions in some stadium areas among the plans. All ticketing for the season will be digital.

To allow all season ticket holders the opportunity to attend games with the limited capacity, the school will be reaching out to all fans with information reflecting their individual status and options. Season ticket holders will be given the opportunity to select their seat location from physically distanced sets of seats in priority point order.

Friday, August 21

Horse Racing: Kentucky Derby To Race Without Fans

Churchill Downs Incorporated announced that it will run the 146th Kentucky Derby on September 5 without fans.

“The Kentucky Derby is a time-honored American tradition which has always been about bringing people together,” the track said in a statement. “However, the health and safety of our team, fans and participants is our highest concern. Churchill Downs has worked diligently over the last several months to plan a safe Derby with a limited number of spectators in attendance. We were confident in that plan but dedicated to remaining flexible using the best and most reliable information available. With the current significant increases in COVID-19 cases in Louisville as well as across the region, we needed to again revisit our planning.”

The decision to run without fans includes Kentucky Oaks on Friday, September 4 and all live racing at Churchill Downs Racetrack for Derby week (September 1-5). Only essential personnel and participants will be permitted on the property. Churchill Downs previously was targeting fewer than 23,000 fans for the Oaks and Derby.

“The virus is still aggressively spreading in Kentucky and the White House has announced that Jefferson County and the City of Louisville are in a ‘red zone’ based on increases in cases,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said. “I applaud Churchill Downs for continuing to monitor the virus and for making the right and responsible decision.”

COLLEGE SPORTS: NCAA Working on Fall Championships Move to Spring

Division I will work toward hosting scaled back fall championships in the spring, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors have determined— but board members said the fall championships should be played in the spring only if they can be conducted safely and in accordance with federal, state and local health guidelines.

“We want to provide opportunities for student-athletes whenever possible,” said Acting Board Chair Denise Trauth, president of Texas State. “We understand it will be complicated and different, and we’re not certain how it will look. But we believe it’s important to try to give students that championship experience.”

Additionally, all fall sport student-athletes will receive both an additional year of eligibility and an additional year in which to complete it through a blanket waiver.

BASEBALL: Subway Series Postponed After Positive Test on Mets

Typically one of the more highly-anticipated series in Major League Baseball’s regular season, the Subway Series between the New York Mets and New York Yankees has been postponed after two members of the Mets organization tested positive earlier in the week.

“Out of an abundance of caution and to allow for additional testing and contact tracing to be performed within the New York Mets’ organization, the games between the Mets and New York Yankees at Citi Field on Saturday, August 22nd and Sunday, August 23rd have been postponed,” MLB said in a statement.

The postponement of the series comes after MLB and the players union announced that through the end of Thursday, then had in the latest round of COVID testing had 12,485 samples taken with seven positives — three players and four staff members.

As of Saturday, 37 games impacting 13 teams had been postponed due to COVID-19 cases. Outbreaks on the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals led to extended periods of inactivity for both teams; the Cardinals had a 17-day break at one point and when their schedule was reset after the outbreak, it had them scheduled for only 58 games — two short of this season’s maximum. The Cardinals are scheduled to play 32 games in September, highlighted by seven doubleheaders, which this year will be seven innings in both games instead of the traditional nine.

Thursday, August 20

SKIING: North American Stops on FIS World Cup Tour Canceled

The 2020-2021 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup season will not be conducted in North America after the international ski federation canceled a two-week stretch that usually takes place in the United States and Canada in November and December.

For the women’s circuit, the move impacts the giant slalom and slalom event that had been planned in Killington, Vermont, November 28–29, and the speed week in Lake Louise, Canada, December 1–6. On the men’s side, the move eliminates a speed weekend in Lake Louise November 25–29, as well as speed and tech events in Vail/Beaver Creek, Colorado, December 1–6.

The World Cup is expected to return to those locations for the 2021–2022 season.

“The desire and motivation to hold these races as scheduled for all parties was strong,” said Markus Waldner, FIS men’s chief race director. “The training set-up and races in USA and Canada are very much appreciated by the teams. But ultimately, the unique logistics and situation for the early-season alpine races has current travel restrictions and corresponding quarantine regulations in both directions, which led to this joint decision.”

ULTIMATE: USA Ultimate Cancels Previously Postponed 2020 Championship Events

USA Ultimate has canceled its previously postponed championship event in 2020, including the Beach Championships, the Division I and Division III College Championships, the Masters Championships and the Youth Club Championships.

“Despite earlier plans to host these tournaments later this year, and with the health, safety and well-being of our members and the ultimate community our top priority, it is clear that conditions have not yet improved enough to move forward with the planning and execution of these national-level events,” the national governing body said in a statement.

USA Ultimate said it would focus its attention in 2020 to exploring, encouraging and supporting local, state and regional low-risk playing opportunities that can be organized under terms of its return-to-play guidelines and CDC direction.

Wednesday, August 19

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Big Ten Details Pathway to Cancellation

Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren wrote an open letter to the conference community that the league posted on Twitter in an attempt to give more detail into the league’s decision to cancel fall sports last week, a decision that coaches and parents of football players throughout the conference have questioned.

“We understand the disappointment and questions surrounding the timing of our decision to postpone fall sports, especially in light of releasing a football schedule only six days prior to that decision,” Warren’s letter read in part. “From the beginning, we consistently communicated our commitment to cautiously proceed one day at a time with the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes at the center of our decision-making process. That is why we took simultaneous paths in releasing the football schedule, while also diligently monitoring the spread of the virus, testing, and medical concerns as student-athletes were transitioning to full-contact practice.”

Shortly after the Big Ten’s decision, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields started a petition to reverse the decision. Parents of players from schools including Ohio State and Iowa have written letters asking for more details into the decision-making process while Penn State coach James Franklin on Wednesday morning said “I have an issue with the process and I’ve got an issue with the timing. It was challenging to keep getting up in front of my team and getting up in front of my parents and not having answers to their questions.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEC Announces Fan Health and Safety Guidelines

The Southeastern Conference has released guidelines for schools in the expectation that they will be having fans at games this season — although the league was careful to say that the rules are “pending future decisions related to the allowance of fans to attend games as the Conference continues to monitor developments around the COVID-19 virus.”

Among the SEC’s guidelines for all stadiums is that face coverings over the nose and mouth must be worn throughout the stadium. There will be barriers installed at points of sale for food and beverage with concessions staffers wearing masks and all tickets will be digitally scanned. The full list of stadium guidelines can be viewed here.

When it comes to fan attendance, the league says “institutions shall determine the number of guests permitted to attend in accordance with applicable state and local guidelines, policies and/or regulations.” With that in mind, several SEC schools have started to inform season-ticket holders and boosters of the respective plans to have fans in attendance at games as the league’s start is scheduled for September 26.

Georgia will have up to 25 percent of total capacity — 23,186 fans total — with only single-game tickets available and season-ticket holders’ statuses unchanged for the future. Tickets for the Bulldogs’ home games will be $150 per game, split between the $75 ticket price and a $75 contribution requirement. Alabama would start at 20 percent capacity for Bryant-Denny Stadium while Missouri and Tennessee would seat 25 percent of capacity; Texas A&M plans to have 30 percent of capacity full for games.

“These fan guidelines have been adopted by the 14 member schools of the Southeastern Conference as baseline recommendations for the campus management of fan health and safety,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “Although local and state guidelines will determine if and how many fans can attend games, these guidelines provide conference-wide expectations for protection of guests who are able to attend our games.”

Tuesday, August 18

TENNIS: USTA Ready to Begin Two New York Tournaments

The USTA has recorded one positive result out of 1,400 tests as the governing body prepares to organize the Western & Southern Open and the U.S. Open in New York. The positive test was of a non-player who was among the 1,000 people in the USTA’s top tier of individuals in a controlled environment that largely has all parties staying in two hotels on Long Island when they are not playing.

USTA officials said they are confident in their controlled environment for players, which is designed to limit their off-site activities at the events, which will both be staged at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

[Podcast: Carlos Silva on how World Team Tennis held its season with fans in attendance]

“There’s no question the staging for the Western & Southern Open and the U.S. Open will take on new dimensions without fans on-site,” said Stacey Allaster, U.S. Open tournament director. “Together with ESPN and our international broadcasters, millions of fans in more than 200 countries will have the opportunity to be inspired by what I believe are the most amazing athletes to compete in sport at the highest of levels. As we progress, 26 days to go, everything is based on this comprehensive plan to mitigate risk for all.”

The USTA has had to make some adjustments in its initial plans, which called for players to be quarantined at the TWA Hotel at New York’s JFK International Airport. The new plan has players in two Long Island hotels, including the Long Island Marriott in Uniondale next to the Nassau Coliseum.

“We have transformed that property, together with our partners, to create an exceptional experience of activities,” Allaster said. “We call it the Manhattan Project. You can’t go to Manhattan but we’ll bring Manhattan to you. There’s a gym, a recovery room, an arcade room, a gaming room, a golf simulator, a sports simulator, this massive outdoor lounge, food trucks every night. It’s a good vibe.”

Monday, August 17

COLLEGE SPORTS: NCAA Releases Statement On Basketball Preparations

As college sports in the fall has turned into a mishmash of some conferences playing as scheduled and others canceling sports with an eye toward spring, one overarching question is what will happen to college basketball — and an answer may come within a month’s time.

NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt released a statement on Monday saying “by mid-September, we will provide direction about whether the season and practice start on time or a short-term delay is necessitated by the ongoing pandemic” as the NCAA Division I Council will listen to recommendations from the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Oversight Committees.

“We recognize that we are living and operating in an uncertain time and it is likely that mid-September will be just the first milestone for many important decisions pertaining to the regular season and the NCAA basketball championships,” Gavitt’s statement read. “While circumstances may warrant flexibility resulting in a different and perhaps imperfect season, the ultimate goal is to safely provide student-athletes and teams with a great college basketball experience.”

The NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments were canceled in March as the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread throughout the country. NCAA President Mark Emmert said last week that using the “bubble” concept for the 2021 NCAA Tournaments could be possible.

“Starting with 64 teams is tough. Thirty-two, OK, maybe that’s a manageable number. Sixteen, certainly manageable. But you’ve got to figure out those logistics,” Emmert said in an interview on the NCAA’s website. “There’s doubtlessly ways to make that work.”

Emmert also said the NCAA’s preference would be to keep the men’s and women’s tournaments as scheduled in 2021.

“Men’s and women’s basketball, we’ve got to do what we need to do to support those athletes and those timelines,” Emmert said. “We’re talking, of course, with our media partners pretty constantly now about what flexibility they would have and we would have. We’d love nothing more than to hold the current dates constant, and that may well be doable.”

FOOTBALL: Canadian Football League Cancels Season

The Canadian Football League is shifting its focus to 2021 after deciding not to play a shortened season in the fall, deciding that it cannot play without fans in the stands since that is its major source of revenue.

The season was to be played in Winnipeg as the hub city with players living in a protected “bubble” consisting of the gameday stadium, practice fields and hotels. But the league also consistently said the plan would require some meaningful federal government support — which was denied — among other factors.

“Even with additional support, our owners and community-held teams would have had to endure significant financial losses to play in 2020,” Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said. “Without it, the losses would be so large that they would really hamper our ability to bounce back strongly next year and beyond. The most important thing is the future of our league.”

SOCCER: U.S. Open Cup Canceled

U.S. Soccer’s Open Cup Committee has been forced to cancel the 2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the first time it has not been held in 106 years. The Open Cup previously faced an interruption during the pandemic of 1918-1920 when the tournament was known as the National Challenge Cup.

The traditional winner of the U.S. Open Cup has come from Major League Soccer, which will play in home markets after the completion of the MLS Is Back Tournament, with some markets making plans to have fans at games.

The first in-market game was August 16, when FC Dallas hosted Nashville SC. FC Dallas will allow up to 5,110 fans at Toyota Stadium for its home games with masks mandatory for those in attendance. Real Salt Lake will allow up to 5,000 fans to attend and Sporting Kansas City will allow for 2,500 fans to be at its home games.

Due to Yankee Stadium being unavailable, New York City FC will play games at Red Bull Arena, the home of rivals New York Red Bulls. Another issue is the league’s three Canadian teams in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver; those teams play each other twice before possibly having a U.S. base for the rest of the season due to travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada.

Friday August 14

COLLEGIATE SPORTS: NCAA President Says No Fall Championships

The NCAA will not conduct any of its fall championships, a move that impacts 22 sports as well as the FCS football championship. In a video posted to Twitter, NCAA President Mark Emmert said the fact that less than 50 percent of schools will be competing in those sports met a threshold to cancel the championship events. The decision does not include major college football, which is organized separately from the NCAA.

“The board of governors also established if you don’t have half of the schools playing a sport, you can’t have a legitimate championship,” Emmert said in a video posted on the NCAA’s Twitter feed. “We can’t in any Division I NCAA championship sport now — which is everything other than FBS football that goes on in the fall. Sadly, tragically, that’s going to be the case this fall, full stop.”

"We cannot, at this point, have fall NCAA championships."

NCAA President Mark Emmert discusses the latest developments in fall sports and looks ahead to winter and spring championships.

Hear more on the NCAA Social Series TONIGHT at 7 p.m. ET from @NCAA. pic.twitter.com/SmjC8FU0Uo— NCAA (@NCAA) August 13, 2020

Emmert said the NCAA will turn its attention to winter and spring sports that lost their championships last season in the hopes those athletes can still compete for a title this coming season. But there may be changes ahead for how those events are conducted. Emmert said options include shrinking bracket sizes, hosting events at pre-determined sites and creating bubble or “semi-bubble” concepts for sports such as volleyball and soccer.

“There’s a way to do it,” Emmert said. “Will it be normal? Of course not. We’ll be playing fall sports in the spring. Will it create other conflicts and challenges? Of course. But is it doable? Yeah. It is doable.”

The official announcement came after the Ohio Valley Conference made plans to postpone its fall sports schedule, becoming the 13th FCS conference to announce that it won’t conduct fall sports as scheduled.

Football Bowl Subdivision play is a different conversation. Of the Power 5 leagues, the Big Ten and Pac-12 have cancelled play for the fall while the ACC, SEC and Big 12 are still going forward with plans to play. Several non-Power 5 leagues including Conference USA, the American Athletic Conference and Sun Belt are still scheduled to play along with BYU, an independent football program.

Thursday, August 13

COLLEGIATE SPORTS: Big Sky, WAC, Southland Postpone Fall Sports

Three more collegiate conferences have announced they will postpone the fall season in sports: The Big Sky Conference, the WAC and the Southland Conference.

For the Big Sky, the move postpones all competition for fall sports to spring 2021. This decision affects men’s and women’s cross country, soccer and volleyball, which all stage championships, as well as the non-championship sports of men’s and women’s golf, softball, and men’s and women’s tennis. The conference had previously moved the football season to the spring.

“While I am confident that our conference is making the right decision for the health and safety of our student-athletes, it breaks my heart knowing how disappointing this will be to all of them who were eagerly anticipating the opportunity to compete this fall,” Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said. “Our efforts in the conference office now will focus on doing everything within our power to make their spring season the best that it possibly can be, which includes advocating for their NCAA championships to be held then.”

For the WAC, the move suspends all fall championship and non-championship athletics competition through the end of 2020. The conference’s fall conference championship sports affected are men’s and women’s cross country, volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer. The move also affects the non-championship portion of the schedule for men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, baseball, and softball.

In the Southland Conference, sports postponed to the spring are football, volleyball, women’s soccer and cross country. The conference’s 13 member presidents also authorized planning for spring semester championship events for volleyball, soccer and cross country.

“The Board concluded that an entire fall sports season is not likely, and that a postponement to spring can provide the important opportunities our teams annually seek,” Southland Conference Commissioner Tom Burnett said. “While disappointed that we won’t be playing these sports in the Southland’s 58th year of fall competition, we look forward to a unique spring season of athletics that also includes NCAA postseason opportunities.”

Wednesday, August 12

GOLF: Masters to Be Held Without Patrons (Or Fans)

The Masters, one of the most venerable sporting events in the world that is traditionally held in early April but this year will take place in November, will do so without fans, Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley announced.

“Since our initial announcement to postpone the 2020 Masters, we have remained committed to a rescheduled Tournament in November while continually examining how best to host a global sporting event amid this pandemic,” said Ridley. “Throughout this process, we have consulted with health officials and a variety of subject matter experts. Ultimately, we determined that the potential risks of welcoming patrons and guests to our grounds in November are simply too significant to overcome.”

[Case Study: How the PGA Tour’s aggressive COVID-19 testing has kept events going]

All 2020 ticket holders will be guaranteed the same tickets for the 2021 Masters. The tournament was only postponed on the Monday before the event in April was scheduled to begin, with a rescheduled event set in the hopes of having fans — or patrons in Masters-speak — on the grounds.

The PGA Tour is in its 10th week of action after the pandemic shut down the sport for 13 weeks. The PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, won by Collin Morikawa on Sunday, was played without spectators while September’s U.S. Open at Winged Foot will not have fans and the British Open canceled its 2020 event.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Big 12 Plans To Play, Releases Schedule

The Big 12 Conference, seen as a linchpin for the Power 5 college football landscape, released a revised 2020 schedule after agreeing the night before to proceed with plans for fall sports. The decision came late on a day where the Big Ten and Pac-12 both canceled fall sports and many saw a Big 12 decision as the last gasp to keep college football on the fall sports landscape; should the Big 12 had decided to cancel, it was believed that the ACC and SEC would likely follow.

“The virus continues to evolve and medical professionals are learning more with each passing week,” said Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “Opinions vary regarding the best path forward, as we’ve seen throughout higher education and our society overall, but we are comfortable in our institutions’ ability to provide a structured training environment, rigorous testing and surveillance, hospital quality sanitation and mitigation practices that optimize the health and safety of our student-athletes.”

Big 12 members have committed to enhanced COVID-19 testing that includes three tests per week in football, volleyball and soccer. Non-conference football opponents must also adhere to COVID-19 testing protocols that conform to Big 12 standards during the week leading up to competition. The Big 12 will have nine conference games this season and allow each member to play one non-conference game as well but it must be completed before September 26.

As the Power 5 Conferences continue to shift and adapt to the landscape, several other conferences are also trying to wrap around a new reality. The Big South joined a lengthening list of those who will not have fall sports with the intent to play in the spring — with a twist. The league will allow its football teams to play up to four non-conference games this fall at their discretion; some of the league’s football programs would likely be looking to fill in for FBS teams that now have holes in a schedule and want to fill them with willing opponents while also allowing the Big South teams to try and get potential revenue as a buy game.

The latest Division I conference to cancel fall sports is the Big East, which said it will look at a future date to determine if men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, volleyball and field hockey can be played in the spring. The decision was made in consultation with the league’s COVID-19 Task Force. Decisions on winter and spring sports schedules will be made at a later time.

Tuesday, August 11

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Big Ten and Pac-12 Conferences Cancel College Football

The Big Ten Conference became the first Power 5 conference to cancel fall sports in what could be the first in a series of dominos that would put the entire Football Bowl Subdivision season in peril, followed shortly after by the Pac-12 Conference, which announced that it may play football in the spring but otherwise will hold off all sports until January 1, 2021.

“In making its decision, which was based on multiple factors, the Big Ten Conference relied on the medical advice and counsel of the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee,” the league said in a statement, adding that they will evaluate the option of having fall sports season held in the spring of 2021. It also noted that a decision on winter and spring sports will not be made until a later date.

“All of the Pac-12 presidents and chancellors understand the importance of this decision, and the disappointment it will create for our student-athletes, the coaches, support staff and all of our fans,” said Michael H. Schill, president of the University of Oregon in announcing the Pac-12’s decision. “Ultimately, our decision was guided by science and a deep commitment to the health and welfare of student-athletes. We certainly hope that the Pac-12 will be able to return to competition in the New Year.”

The Big Ten had only last week released a 10-game, conference-only schedule with play starting on Labor Day weekend. The Pac-12 had planned a conference-only schedule that was to start September 26.

“The mental and physical health and welfare of our student-athletes has been at the center of every decision we have made regarding the ability to proceed forward,” Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren said. “As time progressed and after hours of discussion with our Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee, it became abundantly clear that there was too much uncertainty regarding potential medical risks to allow our student-athletes to compete this fall.”

Coaches Jim Harbaugh of Michigan, Ryan Day of Ohio State and James Franklin of Penn State were among those on Monday who tweeted support for a season to be held along with dozens of players from throughout the conference. Nebraska coach Scott Frost said the league would still play this fall if they did not have a Big Ten schedule, adding “I think we’re prepared to look at any and all options.” U.S. Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, wrote to Big Ten Conference presidents and chancellors urging them not to cancel the season.

No football in the Big Ten this season would be a devastating blow to several local economies, including markets such as Lincoln, Nebraska; State College, Pennsylvania; and Ann Arbor, Michigan. The conference has some of the biggest fan bases in the country; rivalries such as Ohio State vs. Michigan are among the fiercest in all of sports and many of its other matchups have a long history such as Wisconsin vs. Minnesota, which has been played annually since 1905.

The Pac-12, while not in College Football Playoff contention in recent years, still maintains multiple national brands between USC, UCLA and Oregon. The rivalry between Stanford and Cal-Berkeley has been played every year since 1945, and the rivalry between Oregon and Oregon State has been played continuously since 1945. The LA rivalry between USC and UCLA will not be played for the first time since 1935.

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott noted while the Conference’s plan to keep student-athletes safe was working in accordance with the Pac-12 COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee guidelines and state and local government orders, the situation was becoming more challenging: “Unlike professional sports, college sports cannot operate in a bubble,” he said. “Our athletic programs are a part of broader campuses in communities where in many cases the prevalence of COVID-19 is significant. We will continue to monitor the situation and when conditions change we will be ready to explore all options to play the impacted sports in the new calendar year.”

The decision by the Big Ten and Pac-12 also increases the attention and scrutiny over what the other Power 5 conferences — the ACC, SEC and Big 12 — will do.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement, “I look forward to learning more about the factors that led the Big Ten and Pac-12 leadership to take these actions today. I remain comfortable with the thorough and deliberate approach that the SEC and our 14 members are taking to support a healthy environment for our student-athletes. We will continue to further refine our policies and protocols for a safe return to sports as we monitor developments around COVID-19 in a continued effort to support, educate and care for our student-athletes every day.”

“We are pleased with the protocols being administrated on our 15 campuses,” the ACC said in its own statement. “We will continue to follow our process that has been in place for months and has served us well. We understand the need to stay flexible and be prepared to adjust as medical information and the landscape evolves.”

The Big Ten and Pac-12’s decisions come one day after the Mountain West Conference canceled its football season, the second conference in the Football Bowl Subdivision to do so after the Mid-American Conference announced its cancellation on Saturday. The Mountain West said it will “explore the feasibility of rescheduling fall sports competition, including the possibility of those sports competing in the spring, and develop options for consideration.”

The Mountain West is home to Boise State, one of the sport’s mid-major powerhouses, and traditionally is known as one of the best non-Power 5 leagues in the FBS. Along with the MW and MAC, individual programs such as the University of Massachusetts, University of Connecticut and Old Dominion University individually have canceled play.

The NCAA Division II and Division III fall championships have been canceled and the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs were also canceled after leagues comprising of more than half of the level’s programs announced it would not play in the fall; a spring FCS season has not yet been publicly ruled out.

Monday, August 10

HOCKEY: Hall of Fame Induction Delayed

The Hockey Hall of Fame announced that the 2020 Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Weekend/Celebration has been postponed until further notice. Rescheduling plans will be addressed when the Hall’s Board of Directors meet October 29. The Induction Celebration for Marian Hossa, Jarome Iginla, Kevin Lowe, Kim St-Pierre, Doug Wilson and Ken Holland was scheduled for November 16 in Toronto.

NASCAR: Fans Expected at Darlington Raceway

Darlington Raceway in South Carolina has gotten state approval to have fans in the stands when it runs NASCAR’s Southern 500 next month.

The state’s Commerce Department gave the track “Too Tough To Tame” an exemption to have up to 8,000 fans in the stands. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said he was limiting venues to 250 people or 50% of capacity, whichever was less. Venues such as Darlington that get exemptions must require wearing masks or face coverings as a condition of entry.

Darlington was the first track to host NASCAR racing last May with two races in a three-day period after missing more than two months due to COVID-19. The September 6 race will be the first of NASCAR’s 10-event playoffs and mark Darlington’s first season with three Cup Series races.

ESPORTS: DreamHack Events Postponed for Remainder of 2020

Gaming festival organizer DreamHack has postponed the remainder of its live events planned for 2020, including a show scheduled for Atlanta from November 13–15. Other shows affected were scheduled for Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Hyderabad, India; and Madrid.

“We have never had to postpone events like this before,” said DreamHack co-CEO Marcus Lindmark, “but these are extraordinary times, and the safety of our attendees and staff has never been more important than now.”

DreamHack earlier postponed events in Dallas and Montreal to 2021. The new dates for the postponed events will be revealed at a later date.

Friday, August 7

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: FCS Playoffs Shelved for Fall; Spring Play Still Possible

The Football Championship Subdivision playoffs will not be held in the fall after the latest in a series of conference decisions to postpone the season has resulted in the lower half of Division I college football falling short of a NCAA mandate to hold a postseason event.

The NCAA’s recent mandate that playoffs would require 50% of eligible teams participate in a regular season was triggered after both the Big Sky Conference, home to some of the most competitive programs in the FCS, announced it will move its season to the spring. The Pioneer League also decided not to have football in the fall.

“The health and safety of our students is our top priority, and ultimately that concern guided our decision-making process over the past few months as we explored every option regarding the 2020 football season,” said Andy Feinstein, president of the University of Northern Colorado and chair of the Big Sky Presidents’ Council. “We recognize just how meaningful these opportunities are to the student-athletes, coaches, and staff throughout our conference, and empathize that they won’t be able to compete this fall for a Big Sky championship. We are eager to provide our football programs with that opportunity in the spring when it’s hopefully safer to be able to do so.”

Of the 13 FCS football conferences, eight have announced they will not have fall seasons: the CAA, Ivy League, MEAC, NEC, Patriot League and SWAC in addition to the Big Sky and Pioneer League. The Big South, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, Southern and Southland conferences have not yet announced plans.

The FCS playoffs have been held annually since 1978 and was expanded to 24 teams in 2013. If all of FCS shift their seasons to the spring, a playoff would still be possible later in the year.

“We will now shift our attention to doing everything within our power to provide our football student-athletes and coaches with a conference schedule and a championship (playoff) opportunity in the spring,” Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said. “We already have begun actively engaging our fellow FCS conferences and the NCAA to join us then for what will be a unique opportunity to return to competition and compete for an FCS championship.”

HOCKEY: ECHL Delays Start to 2020–2021 Season

The ECHL will open its 72-game schedule on a delayed basis with opening puck drops on December 4. The season was scheduled to start October 16; the league’s 2019–2020 season was suspended due to COVID-19 and never completed.

“We are eager to return to hockey, but at this time we believe this decision is prudent for the safety of our Players, Employees and Fans,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. “The ECHL and our Board of Governors are focused on the 2020-21 Season and remain optimistic for the safe reopening of our venues across the continent.”

GOLF: LPGA Event in New Jersey Going Fan-Less

The ShopRite Classic, a longtime stop on the LPGA Tour held in New Jersey, will be competed without fans. The tournament, previously scheduled in May and then rescheduled to July 31, will now be held starting September 28 in Galloway, New Jersey. The tournament will be expanded to 72 holes from 54.

“I cannot thank our partners at ShopRite, Acer and Eiger enough for their support as we navigate through these unique times,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan.“While this year’s tournament will certainly be different without the great fan support on-site, I hope all of our local fans will tune into Golf Channel to watch their favorite players and we can’t wait until we can all be together again.”

Wednesday, August 5

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Connecticut Becomes First FBS Program to Cancel Football Season

The University of Connecticut became the first Football Bowl Subdivision program to cancel its season, with Athletic Director David Benedict saying “safety challenges created by COVID-19 place our football student-athletes at an unacceptable level of risk.”

The program had left the American Athletic Conference in June and was planning on playing in the fall as an independent. But with many other leagues going to conference-only play, the Huskies were left with only five games before the decision to cancel. The school said in its statement that no student-athletes have tested positive for the coronavirus since early July.

“We engaged and listened to the concerns of our football student-athletes and feel this is the best decision for their health, safety, and well-being,” Huskies Coach Randy Edsall said in the news release. “Our team is united in this approach and we will use this time to further player development within the program and gear ourselves to the 2021 season.”

The Huskies finished 2-10 last season and are 6-30 in the past three seasons combined. The school is required to pay the ACC an exit fee of $17 million by 2026 after leaving to re-join the Big East in all sports other than football, men’s and women’s ice hockey and rowing.

COLLEGE SPORTS: Division II and Division III Vote to Cancel Fall Championships; Division I Plans Unclear

NCAA Division III championships in fall sports for 2020-21 are canceled as part of a broader announcement by the governing body allowing each conference and division to make their own plans for championship events.

“With the health and safety of the division’s student-athletes, coaches, athletics administrators and communities as its priority, the Division III Presidents Council made the decision Wednesday to cancel the championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related administrative and financial challenges,” the statement read. Nearly every Division III athletic conference had already decided to cancel or postpone fall competition, making it a relatively easy decision.

“Looking at the health and safety challenges we face this fall during this unprecedented time, we had to make this tough decision to cancel championships for fall sports this academic year in the best interest of our student-athlete and member institutions,” said Tori Murden McClure, chair of the Presidents Council and president at Spalding. “Our Championships Committee reviewed the financial and logistical ramifications if Division III fall sports championships were conducted in the spring and found it was logistically untenable and financially prohibitive. Our Management Council reached the same conclusion. Moving forward, we will try to maximize the championships experience for our winter and spring sport student-athletes, who unfortunately were short-changed last academic year.”

Shortly after the Division III announcement, Division II’s Presidents Council made the same decision. As of Wednesday, 11 of the 23 Division II conferences had announced they will not compete during the fall.

“After reviewing and discussing the Board of Governors’ directives, the Division II Presidents Council made the difficult decision that holding fall championships in any capacity was not a viable or fiscally responsible option for Division II,” said Sandra Jordan, chancellor of South Carolina Aiken and chair of the council. “This decision was discussed very thoroughly and I assure you, it was not made lightly. It is important to note that fall student-athletes will be given eligibility-related flexibility to allow them championship opportunities in the future. As we move forward, we will continue to focus on providing the best championships experience for our winter and spring student-athletes who were not afforded those opportunities at the beginning of this pandemic.”

The NCAA Board of Governors before the Division III announcement released a list of requirements for any fall championship to be held, including no championship if 50 percent or more of the eligible teams in a division cancel their fall season.

Division I must determine by Aug. 21 whether its respective fall sports seasons and NCAA championships should occur this year. Among other guidelines, the Board of Governors said the NCAA will establish a phone number and email for college athletes, parents or others to report alleged failures in adhering to medical protocols, and that any athlete who decides to opt out of the season can do so without losing their scholarship. Member schools must also cover COVID-19 related medical expenses for athletes to prevent out-of-pocket expenses.

ENDURANCE SPORTS: USA Paratriathlon Nationals Canceled

USA Triathlon has canceled the Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships, which were initially scheduled to take place July 18 in Long Beach, California, as part of the Legacy Triathlon. When Legacy Triathlon event weekend was canceled, Paratriathlon Nationals were rescheduled to take place as part of the Ron Jon Cocoa Beach Triathlon hosted by Smooth Running on Sept. 20 in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The Ron Jon Cocoa Beach Triathlon will continue as a local USA Triathlon-sanctioned event for age-group athletes including a triathlon, duathlon and relay division as well as the USA Triathlon Southeast Paratriathlon Regional Championships.

Tuesday, August 4

AUTO RACING: Indianapolis 500 To Be Held Without Fans

One of the biggest sporting events in the world will be held without spectators as the Indianapolis 500, which was rescheduled from Memorial Day Weekend to August 23 in the hopes of being able to allow fans, announced that it will instead be held without spectators at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Track officials had released a plan for social distancing throughout the complex to allow for 25 percent of capacity to attend and earlier vowed it would cancel the event rather than hold it without fans. The Indianapolis 500 will run for the 104th time this month and traditionally draws over 257,000 fans each year.

“This tough decision was made following careful consideration and extensive consultation with state and city leadership,” the track said in a statement. “As dedicated as we were to running the race this year with 25 percent attendance at our large outdoor facility, even with meaningful and careful precautions implemented by the city and state, the COVID-19 trends in Marion County and Indiana have worsened. Since our June 26 announcement, the number of cases in Marion County has tripled while the positivity rate has doubled. We said from the beginning of the pandemic we would put the health and safety of our community first, and while hosting spectators at a limited capacity with our robust plan in place was appropriate in late June, it is not the right path forward based on the current environment.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Big 12 Conference Adopts 9+1 Football Schedule

The Big 12 Conference became the latest of the Power 5 conferences to adjust its football schedules, announcing it will play nine conference games and have one non-conference home game for each school.

The start of conference play will be announced at a later date, with some schools planning on having a non-conference game as soon as late-August. The adjusted schedule also allows for the Big 12 Championship game to be moved to as late as December 19, which is in line with what other Power 5 conferences have scheduled.

“I would like to salute the work of our university presidents and chancellors, athletics directors, coaches, medical advisors and administrators who have worked tirelessly and collaboratively during these extraordinary times,” said Commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “We believe this change provides the best opportunity going forward. However, we will undoubtedly need to be flexible as we progress through the season in order to combat the challenges that lie ahead.”

The Big 12 and ACC will be the only Power 5 conferences to allow for a non-conference game. The SEC, Big Ten and Pac-12 will be going conference only with their football schedules.

Monday, August 3

CYCLING: Colorado Classic Publishes COVID Mitigation Plan

After canceling its event due to increased concerns around a spike in new COVID-19 cases nationwide, the Colorado Classic has published its COVID-19 Mitigation Plan in the hope it will offer assistance to other event organizers, teams and riders as the sport continues to grapple with the pandemic.

The Classic is a professional women’s cycling race that was scheduled for four destinations across the state. In its place, organizers launched the #WeRide for Women fundraiser and virtual ride, which is intended to financially support the teams that would have competed. Earlier this year, organizers had proposed staging the August race but eliminating crowd gatherings. But new COVID-19 cases in Colorado and other restrictions made even the competition difficult to move forward.

“We spent months recognizing and researching the key elements for a successful COVID mitigation plan applicable to a professional cycling event,” said Lucy Diaz, chief executive officer of RPM Events Group LLC. “It was a very collaborative process that included medical professionals, bio labs, state, county and city health officials and cycling industry professionals. We studied the protocols that were being put into place in our surrounding communities and what was being proposed in other professional sports.”

The plan was developed in concert with current Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment guidelines and integrates policy and protocol as established by the cycling governing bodies of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and USA Cycling. The plan takes into account the Colorado Classic’s first step toward a safe racing environment, which was the creation of a “Made for TV Streaming” model. This format eliminated crowd gathering opportunities and amplified their innovative live streaming model instead.

TRIATHLON: 2020 USA Triathlon Off-Road Nationals Canceled

USA Triathlon has canceled its Off-Road National Championships scheduled for May 16, then rescheduled for September 13, at Wawayanda State Park in Hewitt, New Jersey. The 2021 event will return to Hewitt on May 15. The 2021 event will serve as a qualifier for both the 2021 and 2022 ITU Age Group Cross Triathlon World Championships, which will be held in Almere-Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Townsville, Australia, respectively.

“Unfortunately, current COVID-19 restrictions in New Jersey eliminate the possibility of drawing a national field for this event,” said Brian D’Amico, director of events at USA Triathlon. “While it is always disappointing to cancel a national championship, we are confident this is the only feasible decision that is fair to all athletes.”

Athletes who were registered for the 2020 event have the option to participate in one of the age-group races at the Way Over Yonder Off-Road Triathlon & Duathlon, which is still scheduled for September 13, provided they can abide by New Jersey’s COVID-19 restrictions. They will also receive a special 30% off discount code toward the 2021 race.

Saturday, August 1

AUTO RACING: IndyCar Postpones Race Weekend in Ohio

The IndyCar Series and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course agreed to postpone The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio scheduled for August 7–9 until a date to be determined in September or October. The decision was made through communication with local health officials given the current environment.

“Our team continues to work with all of our partners and our local government to identify a date later this year when we can host The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio,” IndyCar said in a statement. “We appreciate the patience and understanding of our fans as we navigate this postponement.”

Friday, July 31

COLLEGE SPORTS: Pac-12 to Play Football Championship on Campus

The Pac-12 Conference has announced more details about its fall plans for football teams to play conference-only games. As part of the season that will begin September 26 for member schools, the Pac-12 Football Championship Game will be played December 18 or 19 with a home-hosted model.

The move will take the game away from Las Vegas, which was set to host the competition for the first time at Allegiant Stadium. In announcing the move, the Pac-12 said the game will be staged in 2021 in Las Vegas after consultation with the stadium, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Las Vegas CVA and MGM Resorts International.

The conference also announced a conference-only season for other sports, including men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s cross country.

Thursday, July 30

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEC Establishes Conference-Only Football Start Date

The Southeastern Conference will go to conference-only for a football schedule this fall with games starting September 26 “to allow its universities to focus on the healthy return of their campus communities and the gradual re-introduction of athletics,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has announced.

The league will have a 10-game season with the SEC Championship Game held at its traditional site in Atlanta on December 19. The schedule will include one open date for each school with no games on December 12 as well.

Traditional SEC-ACC matchups such as South Carolina vs. Clemson, Kentucky vs. Louisville, Florida vs. Florida State and Georgia vs. Georgia Tech will be disrupted by the decision.

“This new plan for a football schedule is consistent with the educational goals of our universities to allow for the safe and orderly return to campus of their student populations and to provide a healthy learning environment during these unique circumstances presented by the COVID-19 virus,” Sankey said. “This new schedule supports the safety measures that are being taken by each of our institutions to ensure the health of our campus communities.”

A revised schedule for the 2020 SEC football season will be announced at a later date. The league’s other fall sports were earlier postponed through at least August 31 and start dates and schedules for those teams will also be announced at a later date.

HOCKEY: AHL Pushes 2020-21 Season Start to December

The American Hockey League has announced a revised start date for the 2020-21 season of December 4, 2020 as approved by the league’s Board of Governors. The league said in a statement that “the AHL will continue to work with its member clubs to monitor developments and local guidelines in all 31 league cities. Further details regarding the 2020-21 American Hockey League schedule are still to be determined.”

Wednesday, July 29

COLLEGE SPORTS: ACC Announces Plans for Football and Fall Olympic Sports

The Atlantic Coast Conference became the latest Power 5 league to announce its plans for the fall sports season, with football going to a modified schedule of 10 conference games plus one marquee non-conference game that will be determined at later dates and Notre Dame competing as a league member for this season only. Football and fall Olympic sports will begin competition the week of September 7–12 “if public health guidance allows,” the league said in a statement.

Most notable among the ACC football changes is that instead of two divisions the league will be a one-division format. The top two teams at the end of the season would play in the ACC Championship Game at season’s end. Each team’s non-conference game will be selected by the respective school and must be played in the home state of the ACC member school; all non-conference opponents must also meet the ACC’s medical protocol requirements.

Teams will have two open weeks during the season with the ACC title game played on either December 12 or December 19 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The exact weekly schedule will be released in the future. Also of note is that the league will have all TV revenue for the season — including Notre Dame’s NBC home game broadcasts — shared equally among the 15 programs.

One intriguing tidbit about the schedule is normally, a Power 5 team would have six home games each season. Because the ACC’s 10-game conference schedule includes five home games, some schools may lose a potential home game if its non-conference game is on the road. Notre Dame’s traditionally has games against Navy and Southern Cal; the game against the Trojans had already been canceled because of the Pac-12’s decision on conferencely-only play, while the Navy game is currently scheduled to be played in Annapolis, Maryland. It would be the first time that Navy has ever hosted Notre Dame at home — and only because the game’s was moved to Annapolis from its original site in Dublin, Ireland. Now under the ACC’s protocols, should Notre Dame make Navy its one non-conference game, it would have to be moved into the state of Indiana.

The 2020 Football Schedule Model has been announced.

More info: https://t.co/D6iCbHIY1x pic.twitter.com/dfhTqr4YTd— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) July 29, 2020

For Olympic sports, the league will allow competition to start on September 10 with a NCAA-mandated minimum amount of conference games in field hockey (6), women’s and men’s soccer (6) and volleyball (10). Each school will be allowed to schedule additional games at their discretion both against conference and non-conference teams, provided those teams meet the ACC’s medical standards. But any conference games beyond the NCAA minimum will not count toward the league standings.

The ACC fall championship schedule will also be maintained with cross country involving all 15 member schools at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, plus field hockey at Duke University and both men’s and women’s soccer championships being held at WakeMed Soccer Park.

The ACC’s move comes after two other Power 5 leagues, the Pac-12 and Big Ten, announced that they would have no non-conference play in the fall.

OLYMPICS: Tokyo Official Says 2021 Games Could Have ‘Limited’ Spectators

The chief executive of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Summer Games has told the BBC that the rescheduled event next summer could be held with “a limited number of spectators,” according to the BBC.

Toshiro Muto said to the network that organizers “will do everything we can to make it to the opening ceremony” on July 23, 2021. The Olympics were postponed — the first time it has ever happened — due to COVID-19 and will be held from July 23 through August 8 next year, with the Paralympics scheduled for August 24 through September 5.

“Everyone should focus on holding the event next year — we’re on the same page,” said Muto. “We discussed this with Mr. [Thomas] Bach [IOC president] and he’s saying it isn’t appropriate to think about cancelling or postponing again.”

Muto told the BBC that the Olympics may have some events without capacity crowds but when asked if the Games would go on without fans, he replied “Mr. Bach is not looking for that scenario. He may be thinking about a limited number of spectators with full consideration of social distancing.”

Both the IOC and Tokyo organizers have been working to find ways to keep next year’s rescheduled event safe. Muto told the BBC that they may reduce the number of staff allowed from individual countries and present a streamlined Opening or Closing Ceremony. There are no current plans to cut the number of events or athletes that would compete in Japan.

“We must build an environment where people feel safe,” Muto said. “Athletes and the IOC family may require testing before/after entering Japan and [we need] strong medical systems around accommodation and transportation plans.”

COLLEGE SPORTS: Big West Conference Postpones Fall Sports

The Big West Conference will postpone fall sports competition through the end of 2020 but has not yet made a decision about men’s and women’s basketball, which are scheduled to begin on November 10.

The conference’s board of directors voted to make the change because of “continued serious challenges to health and safety on Big West campuses and communities impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic.” The move includes the postponement of men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball; “a decision on whether fall sport competition would be feasible in the spring will be determined by the Board of Directors at a later date and be based on conditions and circumstances that are in the best interests of the student-athletes,” the Big West added.

GOLF: U.S. Open Officially Off-Limits to Fans, USGA Says

The United States Golf Association has officially announced that the 120th U.S. Open Championship, scheduled for September 14–20 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, will be held without spectators. The decision was reached in consultation with the state of New York. The tournament, traditionally held in the spring with the final round on Father’s Day, was rescheduled to the fall because of COVID-19.

Tickets purchased directly through the USGA will be automatically refunded to the method of payment used to purchase the tickets. Additional information on U.S. Open ticket refunds can be found here.

“This will not be a typical U.S. Open in several respects,” said John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of championships. “Would it have been easier to simply cancel or even move the 2020 championship rather than play it in what has been the epicenter of the virus in our country? Possibly. But all of us at the USGA know how much the U.S. Open matters and we weren’t willing to give up on playing it at Winged Foot Golf Club so easily. We are very proud to give our competitors and champions a platform to chase their dreams. Their perseverance motivates us, in a year when such tenacity means so much.”

COLLEGE SPORTS: NAIA Moves Several Fall Championships to Spring

The NAIA’s Council of Presidents has voted to postpone national championships in the fall for cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball to the spring of 2021. The decision notes that conference competition in those sports can still be held in the fall and winter if they choose; 51 NAIA institutions have already opted to postpone fall competition until the spring.

The timing of the football national championship will be determined at a council of presidents meeting on July 31.

“The NAIA realizes there are a wide range of considerations that come with postponing fall championships,” said NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr. “However, our first priority is making sure our student-athletes are not penalized by this decision. That will likely require temporary rule changes and accommodations as related to eligibility and seasons of competition, which the NAIA governance groups will begin further defining this week.”

HOCKEY: NWSL Releases Season Timeline

The National Women’s Hockey League, which had to cancel its Isobel Cup Playoffs in the spring, will start the upcoming season in January 2021 with a full 20-game schedule for each team and playoffs completed by the end of March. The league says it will aim to have its All-Star Game after the playoffs are completed.

The league said that will allow optional on-ice practices and off-ice training for teams starting the week of September 21, with formal practices starting the week of October 19 while following protocols established by infectious disease experts, the NWHL medical team and community officials in each market.

“The Safety Committee has and will continue to prioritize NWHL player, staff, fan, and media safety above all else while adapting to the ever-changing COVID-19 situation,” said Dr. Guillem Gonzalez-Lomas, assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Health expert at NYU Langone Health. “We are eager to meet the challenge ahead and do our utmost to safely return the athletes to the sport they love.”

OLYMPIC SPORTS: USA Weightlifting Takes American Open Virtual

USA Weightlifting has changed the American Open Series 3 to a remote and virtual event instead of holding it in Las Vegas from September 17–20.

The change will allow athletes to train and compete at home or a nearby gym without the need to travel. The virtual event is being modeled after this summer’s ROGUE Invitational, Pan Am Cup, and USA Weightlifting’s Online Selection Camp. Upon the close of entries, USA Weightlifting will develop a competition schedule and at an athlete’s assigned time, they will login to a Zoom meeting and lift in competition with other athletes in their weight categories.

“This is an innovative solution for an unprecedented time in our history,” USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews said. “We want to give our members something to circle on their calendar. By holding this event remotely, we can assure our members that a weightlifting competition will happen that weekend.”

ENDURANCE SPORTS: Spartan Cancels All 2020 U.S. Races

Spartan Race is cancelling all United States obstacle races and trail races for the rest of 2020. The organization had a series of postponements since March 11 when an event in San Luis Obispo, California, was canceled. It did have a race in Jacksonville, Florida, six weeks ago with a new set of standards but Spartan has decided to focus the rest of the calendar year on setting up its 2021 schedule.

“It was a difficult decision to make, but we believe it’s better to prioritize safety now so we can rally towards the incredible season we have planned in 2021,” Spartan said in a release.

Tuesday, July 28

NFL: No Bubble for Season, Says League

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a letter to fans that laid out the issues that the 2020 season will bring, with many teams under fan restrictions and in some cases possibly not having crowds at all.

The league previously announced that fans in markets where attendance will be allowed must wear masks in the stadium. The New York Jets and Giants have announced that it will not have fans, while the Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers announced that it would have a restricted number of fans in attendance — if they are able to have fans at all. Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis already has said he does not expect fans to be in attendance when his team opens Allegiant Stadium.

“Covid-19 will continue to present a major challenge to nearly every area of American life. Football is no exception,” Goodell wrote, also confirming that there will be no preseason games. “The NFL in 2020 will not look like other years. Players and coaches will be tested for the virus regularly, including every day for a while. … When there is a positive test, strict regulations will be enforced to isolate and care for that individual and to contain the virus before it spreads. Even the sideline will look different. And, state and local health guidelines will help determine whether fans will attend the games. These adjustments are necessary to reduce the risk for everyone involved.”

Goodell’s letter came as the NFL’s chief medical officer Allen Sills told ESPN that the league does not plan to utilize a bubble concept in one location and will instead focus on handling testing in each team’s market and responding quickly to any positives that could occur.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Ohio State to Cap Attendance at 20,000

Ohio State football crowds will be capped at 20 percent of its 104,944 capacity this season, the athletic department wrote to season ticket holders, giving them an update as the season is scheduled to start in less than two months.

If games are played, the university will require physical distancing and mandatory face masks or coverings with limited concessions available. Ohio State will prohibit tailgating and for fans who have paid for season tickets, the university will offer to accommodate as many season ticket holders as possible, which will require limiting the quantity of season tickets for each ticket holder.

“While no final decision has been made regarding the 2020 football season, the Department of Athletics has been working diligently with university leaders, public health experts and government officials to create game day plans that protect the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes, staff, faculty and fans,” the department said in a message to ticket holders today.

Season ticket holders who opt out will retain their full season ticket eligibility for 2021.

Monday, July 27

AUTO RACING: IRL Schedule Adjusts Once More

The IndyCar Series, which has had to readjust its schedule continuously throughout the pandemic to make sure that it could run races at tracks with proper protocols and in some cases have been able to have fans on hand, released another update to the 2020 calendar that keeps it on track to run 14 races this season.

Events at Portland International Raceway in Oregon and a doubleheader weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in California have been canceled, with additional races in its places put in at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, World Wide Technology Raceway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Road Course.

Prior to the scheduled Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on August 9, the series will have another points race the day before. WWTR in St. Louis, Missouri, will have a doubleheader event on August 29–30 and the IMS race course will have events on October 2–3.

COLLEGE SPORTS: Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Postpones Fall Sports

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference has canceled fall sports competition, with a decision on if it can be rescheduled for the fall to be determined at a later date. The MAAC’s decision is the latest in a series of moves made by mostly smaller Division I conferences along with several in Division II, most notably the Ivy League and Patriot League

“The fall sports impacted by the Council’s decision include men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s cross country and sports that conduct non-traditional season segments in the fall,” MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor said. “It is the goal of the MAAC to ensure it recognizes a MAAC champion in each sport and it will review possible championship formats for the fall sports in accordance with evolving state and local regulations.”

One of the MAAC’s member schools is Marist College, which plays football in the Pioneer Football League since the MAAC does not sponsor the sport. Marist’s non-conference games against Georgetown, Cornell and Dartmouth had already been canceled, and Marist released a statement saying “it is presumed that the Red Foxes’ football season may be postponed barring significant improvements related to the COVID-19 pandemic. A decision regarding Marist’s football season is expected within the next few weeks.”

The announcements by the MAAC and Marist came soon after the NCAA Division I Council Coordination Committee’s announcement that it will be giving a blanket waiver to fall sports that reduces the legislated minimum number of contests by 50 percent. The waiver is available for men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, men’s water polo and women’s volleyball teams.

“In the current environment where some conferences have eliminated non-conference competition for fall sports, the change allows teams that continue to play the opportunity to avoid scheduling additional games near the end of a season that could put student-athletes, coaches and staff in at-risk positions with additional travel and exposure,” the committee said in a statement.

Friday, July 24

MOTORSPORTS: Formula 1 Cancels North American Races

Formula 1 has announced that it will not race in the United States, Mexico, Canada or Brazil during 2020, a race that takes the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, off the calendar. That race had at the Circuit of the Americas course been scheduled for October 25.

The international racing series said the decision was “due to the fluid nature of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, local restrictions and the importance of keeping communities and our colleagues safe.” The decision was made after ongoing discussions and close collaboration with partners in the affected countries.

Chase Carey, chairman and CEO of Formula 1, said that he looked forward to welcoming the races back to the schedule in 2021: “We want to pay tribute to our incredible partners in the Americas and look forward to being back with them next season when they will once again be able to thrill millions of fans around the world.”

COTA Founding Partner Bobby Epstein called the cancellation “prudent, but painful. After a sold-out 2019, advance ticket sales deposits were up nearly 250 percent over the prior year, and our staff was preparing for our biggest event ever.”

Thursday, July 23

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Pac-12 Prepares Conference-Only Schedule Changes

The Pac-12 Conference, one of the two Power 5 leagues to announce that it will not be playing non-conference games this season in the fall, is on the verge of finalizing plans for a 10-game schedule in football. The news was first reported by the San Jose Mercury News.

The report says that it would be include each team playing against every team in the division along with five crossover games with seasons starting on Sept. 19, the third week on the college football calendar. There would be up to two bye weeks in each team’s season in case there are games that have to be rescheduled and the conference championship game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas could be held on its originally scheduled date of December 4, but it would also be potentially held on December 11–12 or December 18–19 if needed.

The Pac-12 and Big Ten Conferences have announced no non-conference play for football and other fall sports this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Other Power 5 leagues such as the SEC, Big 12 and ACC are still working on their models for the season.

Wednesday, July 22

NFL: League Mandates Face Coverings for Fans

The National Football League announced today that fans who are allowed to attend games will be required to wear face coverings, making league-wide a mandate that many teams had already started to inform fans of as a policy.

In the past week, the New York Jets and Giants have announced that it will not have fans, while the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers announced that it would have a restricted number of fans in attendance — if they are able to have fans at all. The Atlanta Falcons joined that list on Wednesday, saying that it would have up to 20,000 fans at games allowed. Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis already has said he does not expect fans to be in attendance when his team opens Allegiant Stadium.

The Rams’ debut season at SoFi Stadium, the most highly anticipated sports venue opening in several years, will be played with a limited number of fans at most and the team announced to stadium seat license holders that “season tickets will not be possible for the 2020 season.” Season tickets will be deferred to the 2021 season with SSL holders given priority for games this year if fans are allowed in. Previous single game ticket purchases and transferred tickets will be canceled. The first game at SoFi Stadium would be the Rams’ season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on September 13.

The NFL has offered to eliminate the preseason as part of its negotiations with the players union — an offer that the union accepted late Tuesday, according to multiple reports — as training camps are scheduled to begin for many teams by the end of this week. The Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs had rookies report to their training camps on Monday since those teams are scheduled to start the regular season a few days ahead of the other teams in the league. The preseason had been a source of talks for several weeks, with the league previously cutting down the preseason to two games from the original four while the players wanted none.

The NFL and union is also close to agreement on a COVID-19 testing program that would result in each player being tested daily to start training camp. The daily testing will continue as long as the positive rate among players, coaches and team staffers is above 5 percent; if the rate is under that number, the testing will be done every other day.

OLYMPICS: USOPC Testing Reveals One Positive, Says Partner

The Partnership for Clean Competition, a nonprofit that funds anti-doping research, has partnered with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee to test athletes for COVID-19 with 25 athletes at the Olympic & Paralympic Training Centers tested — with one positive test and another athlete testing positive for COVID-19 antibodies.

In addition to quarantining the currently infected athlete, USOPC officials were able to conduct contact tracing and quarantine those that had sustained contact with the positive athlete. The testing will help guide recommendations for sports organizations as they plan returns to training and competition. It will also provide invaluable information about infection rates in the athlete population.

“These tests will give us the first epidemiological profile of COVID-19 in the elite athlete population,” said USOPC Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Finnoff. “We want to know how prevalent the virus is, but we also want to know how an athlete’s body will respond.”

The PCC has provided the USOPC with $75,000, which will cover testing for 250 athletes. The PCC funds more than 70% of the world’s anti-doping research.

“At the end of the day, anti-doping is about athlete health and safety, so while this isn’t our typical area of focus, we felt called to work with the USOPC on this project,” said PCC Executive Director Michael Pearlmutter.

Tuesday, July 21

AUTO RACING: Indianapolis 500 To Have 25 Percent Capacity

The Indianapolis 500 will have 25 percent of capacity, announced Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with face coverings required for all attendees with ticket sales stopped after July 24.

“In June, we announced the race was on and that attendance would be limited to no more than 50 percent of capacity,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles said in a statement. “We also made clear we intended to do things differently this year. By offering credits to fans who had previously purchased tickets, encouraging those over 65 to stay at home, limiting attendance in the infield, reducing tickets in our suites and promising fans their decision to not attend would not impact their seniority or right to renew tickets for 2021, we now anticipate attendance at approximately 25 percent of capacity. We will welcome fans back, and we have an aggressive plan in place, which has been developed through collaboration with national, state and local health experts.”

Billed as the largest sports venue in the world, the track claims a permanent seating capacity for more than 235,000 people and infield seating that raises capacity to an approximate 400,000.

The track has prepared a nearly 100-page plan that provides guidelines and protocols for how the race will be run this year. Track officials will include safety precautions including the reassignment of seats to provide for greater distancing; the required use of masks and distribution of hand sanitizer to all who enter; temperature checks in order to enter; and changes throughout the facility to minimize lines and gathering spots, including limiting concession options to mostly pre-packaged foods.

Miles and track officials had previously said that if fans were not allowed in attendance that the race would be further delayed but that alternative will not be needed. The IndyCar Series have had a restricted number of fans at recent races in Wisconsin and Iowa.

“We look forward to welcoming fans back to the 500 in person. Our outdoor facility is mammoth, and with attendance of about 25 percent, it will certainly look different this year,” said Miles. “We want to demonstrate that even under current circumstances, people can gather with carefully planned procedures in place so we don’t have to go back to shutting down our country and our community.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Texas Expects 50 Percent Capacity; Classes at Cal to Start Virtually

The University of Texas says it anticipates home football games being played in front of 50 percent capacity in the stands, the Longhorns’ athletic director said in an email to season ticket holders.

Chris Del Conte said in the message that the school is working with the governor’s office and will follow state guidelines on social distancing. The Big 12 Conference has not made any announcements on the fate of college football yet; the Longhorns are scheduled to open on September 5 at home against South Florida.

Texas’ Royal-Memorial Stadium holds about 100,000 and even with limited capacity, the school said it expects to offer all season-ticket holders a chance to get tickets.

While the Big 12 and Texas are still moving ahead with plans to play all football games, the Pac-12 Conference has already announced that it will not have its member schools playing in non-conference games for all fall sports. One Pac-12 school, California, has announced that it will start the fall semester with fully remote instruction and not have students on campus. How that will affect Cal’s athletic programs is to be determined; the Bears football program already had games canceled by the conference’s decision against UNLV, TCU and Cal Poly, making the team’s currently scheduled opener September 26 against Utah.

“Although we have repeatedly noted that all fall plans are subject to public health conditions, we understand that this news will be disappointing,” Cal said in a statement, which pointedly did not mention athletics. “Many faculty and students continue to look forward to resumption of some element of in-person instruction. We will continue to work hard on our plans, and to learn from the setbacks as well as the advances.”

TENNIS: ATP Event in Washington, D.C., Canceled

The ATP Tour has called off next month’s Citi Open in Washington, D.C., due to COVID-19. The event was to be the first for the ATP Tour in its return to action since suspension of play in March. While the move has raised questions on the viability of the U.S. Open in New York City, the United States Tennis Association rejected those worries.

“The USTA understands the rationale for cancelling the Citi Open at this time,” said the governing body in a statement. “This decision in no way impacts the U.S. Open or the Western & Southern Open. … We constantly base our decisions regarding hosting these tournaments on our three guiding principles that include safety and health of all involved, whether hosting these events are in the best interest in the sport of tennis and whether this decision is financially viable. We are confident we remain in-line with all three guiding principles.”

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS: Texas Big-School Football Delayed

Texas will delay the start of football season for its largest schools until September 24 amid a surge of new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths throughout the state. The big schools were scheduled to start practice on August 3 and begin the season on September 7.

The University Interscholastic League said it focused the delay on larger schools in the state’s largest metropolitan areas. The Houston school district will not meet on campus until mid-October.

“These adjustments reflect the public health situation at this time and the varying numbers of COVID-19 cases across different geographic areas of the state,” the UIL said in its announcement.

Monday, July 20

NFL: Jets, Giants Without Fans This Season Or “Until Further Notice”

The New York Jets and Giants will not have fans at MetLife Stadium this season “until further notice” because of the coronavirus pandemic after releasing a joint statement with Governor Phil Murphy.
Murphy announced an executive order limiting outdoor public gatherings to 500 people on Monday. The Jets and Giants say the decision to not have fans for now was reached after discussions with Murphy, with the health and safety of fans, players and staff being considered.

“We support Governor Murphy’s decision in the interest of public health and safety and, until circumstances change, we will play our games without the benefit of fans in attendance,” said a letter sent to Jets and Giants season ticket holders. “Although we prefer to have fans at MetLife Stadium for our games, we will continue to work with Governor Murphy’s office and will provide updates as available.”
The letter also read “in the event fans are permitted at MetLife Stadium later this season and depending on capacity limitations or restrictions from the State of NJ, Season Ticket Members will receive first access to purchase 2020 individual game tickets via exclusive pre-sales before tickets are offered to the general public.”

Rutgers University also announced that all of its athletic venues will operate with 500 or fewer in attendance and safety precautions will be in place for those fans who come to sporting events there.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS: California Moves All Sports To December or January Starts

The California Interscholastic Federation has moved all high school athletics back to at least December or January, creating a new statewide calendar that will have two sports seasons in the winter and fall while allowing each of the state’s 10 sections to put together their own calendar to reflect when their regions feel ready to have competition.

With coronavirus surging throughout the state, most California public and private schools will begin the academic year with online classes. High school football practice was scheduled to begin Aug. 3 but now will have its regional bowl games held by April 17 at the latest. Given the state’s enormous depth and breadth of talent in many scholastic sports, the calendar changes will not only make some multi-sport athletes choose one team or the other, it will also inevitably lead to a gigantic scramble for colleges looking to recruit and evaluate athletes.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the CIF will allow athletes to participate on club teams while also competing in high school seasons in a temporary suspension of statewide rules, although local districts can have a stricter rule should they choose.

“We are continuously monitoring the directives and guidelines released from the Governor’s Office, the California Department of Education, the California Department of Public Health and local county health departments and agencies as these directives and guidelines are followed by our member schools/school districts with student health and safety at the forefront,” the CIF said in a statement.

Friday, July 17

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: CAA Cancels Fall Football Season

The Colonial Athletic Association has become the latest collegiate conference to suspend football competition for the fall, citing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Conference officials said they would explore playing the sport in the spring.

The CAA also cited the unique nature of the conference composition, the geographical expansion of membership and the complexity of the often-changing situation in postponing the fall season. Conference leaders also said schools were welcome to explore pursuing an independent schedule in the fall.

“I commend the Board of Directors for their forward thinking and open-mindedness when dealing with the uncertain and complex moment that we find ourselves in,” said CAA Commissioner Joe D’Antonio. “Each of our institutions is making the best decisions for its campus community, based on a totality of the circumstances analysis.”

The 12 schools in the conference are James Madison, Albany, Villanova, New Hampshire, Towson, Maine, Elon, Richmond, Delaware, William & Mary, Stony Brook and Rhode Island.

COLLEGE SPORTS: Atlantic 10 Postpones All Fall Sports

The Atlantic 10 Conference has postponed of all scheduled fall competition in conference-sponsored sports and A-10 championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sports affected by the move includes men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, men’s and women’s cross country and volleyball. The fall competitive schedules for men’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and women’s rowing will also be postponed, as will non-traditional competition seasons for baseball, softball and women’s lacrosse.

The league intends to move all fall competition to the 2021 spring semester. Details on the rescheduling of contests and championships will be announced at a later date.

Thursday, July 16

AUTO RACING: NASCAR All-Star Open Draws 20,000 Fans

It was a scene not seen in NASCAR in many months — not the part where a driver wins a race, but what happened when Clint Bowyer won the fan vote to advance to the NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

It was the sound of cheers from the grandstand, as at least 20,000 fans were socially distanced throughout the track’s massive grandstands. Up to 30,000 fans were allowed to attend the annual event, which was moved from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Tennessee for the first time.

“To me there is no more electric environment that we as NASCAR drivers can interact with and hear at Bristol,” said Chase Elliott, who won the race. “I know it was limited on how many people could come. Heck, it felt like they sure were making a lot of noise for only 30,000 people to be here, so that was pretty cool.”

Bristol can hold about 140,000 people, meaning it would be 79% empty even with a crowd of 30,000. Masks were required upon entrance but fans could remove them once in their seats. Concession stands were open, but opportunities were limited.

“Having the fans back is obviously what we all want,” Kevin Harvick said. “Having that energy back in the stands was definitely fun to hear, fun to be a part of.”

IndyCar raced last weekend at Road America in Wisconsin on a 4-mile road course and crowd estimates for that event have been around 10,000 spectators. The IndyCar series plans to have fans again during its upcoming race weekend at Iowa Speedway with a limited number of tickets available and social distancing enforced throughout the stands.

Wednesday, July 15

OLYMPICS: 2022 Youth Olympic Games Postponed to 2026

The Youth Olympic Games scheduled for Senegal in 2022 will be postponed until 2026 after a mutual agreement between the host country and International Olympic Committee. The agreement was approved by the IOC Executive Board and will be submitted to the IOC Session for ratification on Friday.

The postponement of Dakar 2022 allows the IOC, National Olympic Committees and International Federations to better plan activities that have been affected by the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This amicable agreement illustrates the mutual trust between Senegal and the IOC,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement. “I am sure that together we will organize fantastic Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 for Senegal, the entire African continent and all the young athletes of the world.”

The IOC also announced that it has so far paid $100 million to various National Olympic Committees and International Federation since the outbreak of the coronavirus, with $63 million going to IFs and $37 million to NOCs. Payments to IFs started in June and the program is continuing, the IOC said.

COLLEGE SPORTS: Tournament of Roses Parade Canceled, Rose Bowl Still On For Now

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association has announced that the 2021 Rose Parade has been canceled. Since its inception in 1891, the Parade has not occurred only three times – the wartime years of 1942, 1943 and 1945.

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association also hosts the Rose Bowl Game each January 1. The planning for this year’s Rose Bowl Game, which will serve as a College Football Playoff Semifinal, is still ongoing.

“We continue to work with the College Football Playoff and our collegiate partners to explore what this year’s college football season will look like amidst COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines. While the safety and well-being of the student athletes, university personnel and fans is our top priority, we remain hopeful that the Granddaddy of Them All will take place on New Year’s Day,” said David Eads, executive director and chief executive officer of the Tournament of Roses.

Potentially having no Rose Bowl game would be another blow to the Rose Bowl Operating Company’s financial state. The Pasadena City Council earlier this summer approved $11.5 million in debt payments to help cover costs from a decade-long renovation.

NFL: Buccaneers to Get Facility Improvements to Prevent COVID-19 Spread

Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, the home of the 2021 Super Bowl, would be getting over $10 million in federal funding to have upgrades throughout the facility to prevent the spread of COVID-19 if approved by the Hillsborough County Commission. The news was first reported by the Tampa Bay Times.

The federal funding would be used by the Tampa Sports Authority to modify more than 40 different areans throughout the stadium, with the first of three phases to be completed by October 31. Among the modifications would be a public address system in the parking lots to let fans know which groups would be allowed to come to entry gates at assigned times, plus touchscreen ticket scanners and temperature check thermometers. There would also be portable wash stations throughout the venue and parking areas plus modifications to the press box for social distancing and reconfigured entry gates and check points.

The measures already have been recommended for approval by the commission’s staff, according to the story, and the Buccaneers are expected to unveil their ticket policy and seating capacity this week.

NASCAR: Fans Allowed for August Events at Daytona

Daytona International Speedway will allow a limited number of fans to attend the Cup Series and Truck Series races on August 16 in accordance with public health officials and local, state and federal authorities along with amended safety protocols and procedures. Fans will be allowed to sit in the frontstretch grandstand plus there will be options for infield camping. Tickets are also being sold for the August 29 Cup Series event.

Fans who have already purchased tickets to the August 16 event have been reseated and guests who attend will be required to wear face coverings and maintain six feet of social distancing throughout the venue. There will also be ingress and egress procedures into the property and each guest will be screened at the gate with questions about their health status and a temperature check, among other protocols.

COLLEGE SPORTS: Major Preseason Event Canceled

College hockey’s Ice Breaker Tournament, a major opening weekend event that traditionally brings together four of the biggest names in the sport, will be postponed to 2021. The tournament was scheduled be hosted by the University of Minnesota-Duluth and also include the University of Minnesota, Minnesota State University-Mankato and Providence College. The rescheduled event will be held October 9–10, 2021 with all of the teams except for Minnesota still participating.

“Given the latest input and guidance from the University, local and state officials as well as public health experts, we have decided at this time it is not possible to host the 2020 Ice Breaker Tournament in a successful manner and have postponed the event to October of 2021,” said UMD Athletic Director Josh Berlo. “Ultimately, the health and well-being of the participants, staff, coaches, campus and community led us to this decision. We hope this postponement puts UMD, Amsoil Arena and Duluth in the best position to safely host the Ice Breaker Tournament in 2021 that will include an exceptional experience for the teams, a safe and fun atmosphere for the fans of Bulldog Country and beyond as well as significant economic impact for our community.”

Tuesday, July 14

NFL: Eagles, Phillies Will Not Have Fans at Games

The Philadelphia Eagles and other pro teams in the city will likely not have fans at their venues this year after city Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said, “I do not think that they can have spectators at those games. There’s no way for them to be safe having a crowd there.”

Farley did say at a press conference that the protocols for having games played are good. Under the city’s current guidelines, events of 25 or more people indoors are not permitted, such as hockey or basketball games.

“The Eagles are still going to be allowed to play, although without crowds. The Phillies will continue to be allowed to play, although without crowds,” Managing Director Brian Abernathy told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We have been in communication with the Eagles. We have told them our expectations are that they don’t have fans.”

The news out of Philadelphia came shortly after the New England Patriots announced that pending state and local approval attendance at Gillette Stadium this season will be expected to max out at 20 percent of its total capacity of 65,878.

The team said in a statement that ticketed parties will be asked to maintain physical distancing of at least six feet, tickets will be arranged in blocks of 10 seats or less, and the first eight rows of stadium seats will not be used. Face coverings will be required at all times inside the stadium. Patriots Putnam Club and Season Ticket Members will have the first opportunity to purchase individual game tickets if fans are allowed, and any remaining inventory will go on sale to the general public once the member process is complete.

The Patriots are the third team in the NFL to acknowledge that it will not have capacity crowds this season. The Jacksonville Jaguars said over the weekend that the team would cap attendance at 25 percent of the capacity at TIAA Bank Field this fall, with tickets and most in-stadium purchases being cashless and those allowed to attend games required to wear face coverings. The Jaguars’ home stadium has a capacity of 67,164. The Baltimore Ravens earlier announced that they would cap attendance at 14,000 at M&T Bank Stadium, which has a capacity of 71,008.

Most NFL teams have communicated with its season ticket holders about the plans for 2020 with almost all of them allowing those who have season tickets to roll over their account to 2021.

GOLF: PGA Tour Going Fan-Free For Season

The remaining tournaments on the 2019–2020 PGA Tour schedule will be played without spectators on site as the United States continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

All five tournaments since the Tour returned have been played without fans and there were plans to reintroduce spectators in a limited capacity at this week’s Memorial Tournament before those plans were scrapped as numbers spiked across the country.

Each tournament through the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta in September will now be played without fans in attendance including next week’s 3M Open in Blaine, Minnesota; the World Golf Championship-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in Memphis; the Barracuda Championship in Truckee, California; or the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, the last tournament in which players can qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs.

The PGA Championship at San Francisco’s Harding Park, rescheduled for August 6–9, had previously announced it will be played without spectators. The U.S. Open in September at Winged Foot in New York will be held under the same conditions.

TENNIS: USTA Cancels Several National Events

The United States Tennis Association has canceled a series of national-level events scheduled for August throughout the country for both juniors and adults.

The USTA National Championships for boys 18s singles and boys and girls 18s–12 doubles at the national campus in Orlando, Florida will be affected along with the girls 18s national championship in San Diego, the boys 16s at Rome, Georgia, and the girls 16s at Mobile, Alabama. Adult events canceled included the men’s 65 national indoors at Eden Prairie, Minnesota; men’s and women’s open national grass court championships at Newport, Rhode Island; and the men’s 75 & 80 mother/son national grass court championships at Rumford, Rhode Island.

“As these events were larger in scale and size, there was an inherent risk associated with hosting large numbers of individuals at one site, at one time and would make risk mitigation difficult,” the organization said in a statement. “Without a controlled environment that includes a comprehensive and contained lodging, transportation, food and beverage, and medical testing program in place, proper risk mitigation would not be possible — and in the case of these events, this type of environment would logistically and financially be incredibly difficult to create.”

Monday, July 13

COLLEGE SPORTS: NJCAA Moves Fall Sports to Spring Semester

The National Junior College Athletic Association will adjust its sports schedule and move all fall semester sports competition, including football, to the spring semester. The decision came after the recommendations from the NJCAA Presidential Advisory Council and the NJCAA Board of Regents. The plan of action will move all close-contact fall sports to the spring semester including football, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball.

The NJCAA cross country championships for all three divisions and half marathon championships will remain on their originally scheduled dates in the fall as will Division III women’s tennis. All winter sports competition will begin in January with championships for men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, and swimming and diving moved to April. Men’s and women’s bowling and men’s and women’s indoor track and field will be held at the beginning of March.

Spring sports competition remains intact with minor adjustments. All championship dates are subject to change based on championship facility availability.

COLLEGE SPORTS: Patriot League Delays Fall Sports Activities

The Patriot League became the second collegiate conference on the Football Championship Subdivision level to announce that fall sports will be — at minimum — postponed until the spring, following the lead of the Ivy League. Two notable differences is that the Patriot League is the first FCS conference that participates in the national playoffs to announce it will not be playing this fall, while both Army and Navy will be allowed to have athletic competition “because the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy are unique in their environments and their missions within higher education.”

The Patriot League’s official statement included the note that decisions on winter and spring sports will be made at a later date. The conference’s core members include American University, Army, Boston University, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Loyola (Maryland) and Navy. The most notable football game that will be canceled in the fall is the annual Lafayette vs. Lehigh game; it will be the first time the teams have not played since 1896 and only the second time they will not meet in a calendar year since the rivalry started in 1884.

RUNNING: Chicago Marathon Latest Endurance Race to be Canceled

The Chicago Marathon has been canceled for 2020 with all race activities postponed in response to the ongoing public health concerns brought on by COVID-19.

“In regard to the unique set of circumstances surrounding the decision to cancel the 2020 race, the event has put into place an exception to our standard event policies,” the organizers said in a statement. Each registered participant will have the option to receive a refund for their 2020 entry or to defer their place and entry fee to a future edition.

Sunday, July 12

COLLEGE SPORTS: Pac-12 Conference Eliminates Fall Non-Conference Games

The Pac-12 Conference has followed the Big Ten’s lead and become the second Power 5 Conference to change its fall sports schedules to conference-only play due to Covid-19.

Football, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball will be played solely within the conference, “provided it can meet the health and safety needs of its student-athletes and obtain appropriate permissions from state and local health authorities.”

Revised schedules will be announced no later than July 31. Among the nonconference games that will be wiped from the schedule include two high-profile games involving the University of Southern California between its opener on September 5 against Alabama in Arlington, Texas, and also its traditional game against Notre Dame, which will not be held for the first time since 1945.

Thursday, July 9

COLLEGE SPORTS: Big Ten Conference Going Conference-Only in Fall Sports

The Big Ten Conference has made the biggest move in adjusting the collegiate fall sports landscape, announcing that it will be having only conference games in all fall sports and canceling non-conference events — while also not making a guarantee that even conference games would be held because of the shifting landscape resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

While obviously having an impact on all fall sports, football clearly has the biggest national impact. High-profile non-conference games such as Ohio State at Oregon, Penn State at Virginia Tech, Michigan at Washington and Notre Dame versus Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay are affected.

There are a total of 36 scheduled games involving Big Ten schools that will be affected overall and six teams — Ball State, Bowling Green, BYU, Central Michigan, Connecticut and Northern Illinois — were scheduled to play two games this season against Big Ten teams. According to USA Today, Big Ten non-conference opponents stood to earn a total of $22.2 million in payouts.

The Big Ten’s statement said the decision was made between meetings from the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee along with the presidents and chancellors plus athletic directors from each of the member schools. All summer activities will be voluntary and any athlete who decides not to compete this fall will have their scholarship honored by their institution.

The Big Ten’s decision comes after the ACC announced the delay of its fall sports events until September 1 at the earliest and one day after the Ivy League announced all fall sports would be canceled.

NFL: Baltimore Ravens Confirm Attendance Cap for 2020 Season

The Baltimore Ravens announced that if they are permitted under state and local government rules and regulations to have fans attend games in 2020, a significantly reduced seating capacity of fewer than 14,000 per game at M&T Bank Stadium would be necessary based on the social distancing guidelines and fan safety protocols.

The Ravens are the first to announce an exact cap on attendances. M&T Bank Stadium’s capacity for the Ravens is 71,008.

In an email to Permanent Seat License owners, the Baltimore Ravens announced that season tickets for 2020 will be deferred to the 2021 campaign and 2020 season ticket seat locations for all fans will be protected, and the same seats will be offered for renewal in 2021. Credits for funds paid toward the 2020 season to date will be applied to accounts and can be used toward renewal for next season or toward future ticket purchases, or a refund can be requested.

Several teams including the New York Giants, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers are offering refunds for season ticket holders as teams prepare for reduced capacities this season. The Green Bay Packers announced they would look to reduce the capacity at Lambeau Field and anybody who is allowed in the stands will be required to wear face masks.

SOCCER: Second Team Removed from MLS is Back Tournament

Major League Soccer announced an updated format and schedule for the MLS is Back Tournament after Nashville SC was withdrawn from the competition. Since arriving in Orlando, nine players on Nashville have had confirmed positive test results for COVID-19.

As a result of the earlier withdrawal of Dallas and then Nashville on Thursday, MLS has reconfigured the groups into six groups, each consisting of four teams, as well as an update to the qualification for the Knockout Stage. The Chicago Fire will move from Group A to Group B in the tournament, joining San Jose, Seattle and Vancouver so that each of the six groups have four teams. After 16 days of group stage matches, the top two teams from each group along with the four best third-place finishers will move on to the knockout stage, which begins July 25.

COLLEGE SPORTS: ACC Delays Start of Fall Sports

The Atlantic Coast Conference will delay the start of all fall sports except football until at least September 1, the league’s board of directors have announced. The ACC’s football schedule is scheduled to start September 2 when North Carolina State visits Louisville.

The ACC’s decision to delay the start of fall sports is the first by a Power 5 conference. The Patriot League has pushed its start back until September 4 and the Ivy League announced the cancellation of all fall sports on Wednesday. The delay includes all exhibition and non-conference games in men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball.

Wednesday, July 8

COLLEGE ATHLETICS: Ivy League Postpones All Fall Athletics

The Ivy League, which was the first collegiate league to cancel its college basketball tournament and spurred a series of actions that led to the cancellation of all NCAA winter and spring championships because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will postpone all fall athletic competition with no certainty on if those sports will be able to compete in the spring. Futhermore, all winter sports activities until January 1 will be postponed.

A decision on the remaining winter and spring sports competition calendar, and on whether fall sport competition would be feasible in the spring, will be determined at a later date.

The announcement had been expected with various reports indicating that football, in particular, could be played in the spring if conditions improve.

The Ivy League’s decision is not the first adjustment for college football, although all Football Bowl Subdivision teams are still on track to play a full schedule. The Patriot Leagu announced in June that its fall sports, including football would play league competition but travel by airplane would not be permitted. Fordham’s football program has canceled its first three games including a September 12 game at Hawaii. Last week, Lafayette canceled its season-opening game at Navy.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Northwestern Moves Game Out of Wrigley Field

Northwestern’s scheduled game against the University of Wisconsin at Wrigley Field in Chicago, scheduled for November 7, will not be played at the home of the Chicago Cubs after consultation with the Cubs, state and local authorities, the Big Ten Conference and in consideration of challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic. In 2010, Northwestern and the Cubs brought college football to Wrigley Field for the first time since 1938 with a game against Illinois.

GOLF: Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup Rescheduled to Future Years

The Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup golf tournaments have become the latest international events to be rescheduled. The 43rd Ryder Cup, which pits the best American golfers against the top European golfers, had been scheduled for September 22–27 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. The event will now be held September 21–26, 2021.

The Presidents Cup had been scheduled for September 30–October 3, 2021, at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event, which features the top American golfers against an international team outside of Europe, will now be played September 19-25, 2022.

The moves will have long-term impact on the golf schedule in years to come. All subsequent Ryder Cups are now expected to shift to odd years, with the next two events scheduled for Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome in 2023, and Bethpage Black on Long Island in New York hosting in 2025. Sites for the Ryder Cup are selected through 2037. The Ryder Cup had originally been played in odd years before switching to even years after its postponement in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks.

AUTO RACING: NASCAR Cup Series Schedule Through August Released

NASCAR has announced its schedule of events through August including two additional NASCAR Cup Series doubleheaders and two separate stops on different courses at Daytona International Speedway.

Races scheduled for the Cup Series in August include a doubleheader on August 8–9 at Michigan International Speedway, as well as a road course race at Daytona on August 16 in place of the regularly scheduled road course event at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. The race was moved NASCAR cannot meet New York’s quarantine requirements for out-of-state visitors.

After the August 16 event, the Cup Series will have a doubleheader on August 22–23 at Dover International Speedway before returning to Daytona’s oval on August 29.

RACING: BMX World Championships Canceled

The International Cycling Union has canceled this year’s BMX World Championships in Houston as a result of the coronavirus. Action was scheduled to start May 26 before the event was originally postponed. The UCI also has postponed the Junior Track Cycling World Championship in Cairo until 2021.

“Despite its best efforts to come up with an alternative, the UCI regrets to announce that there will be no UCI World Championships in the discipline in 2020,” a statement said.

Tuesday, July 7

ENDURANCE SPORTS: Louisville Triathlon Canceled

The Louisville Ironman triathlon scheduled for October 11 has been canceled. The event had been held in the region for 13 consecutive years with 140.6 miles of swimming, biking and running throughout Louisville, Oldham and Henry Counties. The World Triathlon Corporation, owners and operators of more than 170 Ironman events worldwide, said the full 140.6-mile event would not be held in the foreseeable future in Louisville but there is the potential for Louisville to host a 70.3 event as early as 2022.

NHL: Season to Restart August 1

The race for the Stanley Cup will resume August 1 after the National Hockey League and the NHL Players Association agreed on a full plan for the 2019–2020 season restart and added four years to the current labor agreement, taking the CBA through the 2025–2026 season.

Training camps for teams in phase 3 of the league’s return to play began July 3 ahead of the resumption of games. While the league has not yet made it official, multiple reports have indicated that the two hub cities that will host games in the restart plan — which has 24 teams competing in an expanded playoff formate — will be Edmonton and Toronto.

The CBA extension will also aid the league and union in planning for international and special events such as overseas games, the All-Star Game and Winter Classic. A point of emphasis for players in the extension was the ability to participate in the Olympic Winter Games in both 2022 and 2026. Players from the NHL had participated in five straight Olympics between 1998 and 2014 before skipping the 2018 event in South Korea.

Monday, July 6

SOCCER: FC Dallas Pulls Out of MLS Tournament

Major League Soccer announced that FC Dallas have been withdrawn from the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, Florida, due to 10 players and one member of the technical staff confirmed positive for COVID-19. Each of the tests either occurred upon the club’s arrival or within a few days of arrival.

The decision was made in the interest of the health of players and staff participating and in line with protocols created in conjunction with local and national health authorities and infectious disease experts. Of the 557 players in Orlando, 13 players have been confirmed positive for COVID-19, 10 of those being FC Dallas players and the remaining three from two other clubs.

BASEBALL: MLB Cancels 2020 All-Star Game in Los Angeles

Major League Baseball has canceled its 2020 All-Star Game, which was to be played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in July. The Dodgers will instead be awarded the 2022 game. (The 2021 event will be staged in Atlanta.)

“Once it became clear we were unable to hold this year’s All-Star festivities, we wanted to award the Dodgers with the next available All-Star Game, which is 2022,” said Commissioner Rob Manfred. “I want to thank the Dodgers organization and the city of Los Angeles for being collaborative partners in the early stages of All-Star preparation and for being patient and understanding in navigating the uncertainty created by the pandemic. The 2022 All-Star celebration promises to be a memorable one with events throughout the city and at picturesque Dodger Stadium.”

“As excited as we were to host this year’s All-Star Game, we know that it will be worth the wait and that Dodger Stadium and Los Angeles will host a world-class event in 2022,” said Dodger President and CEO Stan Kasten. “We’d like to thank Commissioner Rob Manfred for re-awarding All-Star Week to Los Angeles so quickly, as well as Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Gil Cedillo for their continued support of this premier sporting event, which will have lasting benefits for our community.”

GOLF: The Memorial Going Without Fans

The Memorial, one of the biggest non-majors on the PGA Tour calendar each year thanks to tournament host Jack Nicklaus, will not have fans at the event after originally planning for a restricted number of attendees. The decision was announced right as Muirfield Village Golf Club prepares for a two-week swing with the Workday Charity Open this week, followed by the Memorial. After Ohio Governor Mike DeWine approved a phased approach to allowing fans and guests, tournament officials had announced a 20 percent maximum capacity on the property, encompassing patrons and private venues, as well as essential staff needed to operate the event.

Thursday, July 2

FOOTBALL: NFL Will Remove Two Preseason Games

The NFL has reportedly decided to shorten the four-game preseason to just two games per team, according to ESPN. The new schedule will effectively remove the first and the final preseason week of games, leaving each team with one home game and one game on the road.

The league had earlier announced it was canceling its August 8 Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, as well as the enshrinement ceremonies for its 2020 induction class. Under the proposed new preseason schedule, the first games would take place August 20–24 with the second games being held August 27–31.

CYCLING: USA Cycling Cancels Seven National Championships

USA Cycling has announced the cancellation of seven national championships in 2020 after determining that the events could not be held with the uncertainty of the coronavirus in different destinations. USA Cycling intends to provide another update July 31 on five remaining national championships that are still scheduled before the end of the year. The events canceled as a result of the latest announcement are:

USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships
USA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships
USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships
USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships
USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships
USA Cycling Elite and Junior Track National Championships
USA Cycling Masters Track National Championships

Tuesday, June 30

BASEBALL: Minor Leagues Cancel 2020 Season

Minor League Baseball has announced that it will not have a season in 2020 after Major League Baseball informed the minor leagues that it would not provide its affiliate teams with players for the season—the first time an entire season has been lost since the league was founded in 1901.

The minor league had held out hope of a completing a shortened a season but MiLB President and CEO Pat O’Conner said it wasn’t possible to accomplish.

“These are unprecedented times for our country and our organization as this is the first time in our history that we’ve had a summer without Minor League Baseball played,” O’Conner said. “While this is a sad day for many, this announcement removes the uncertainty surrounding the 2020 season and allows our teams to begin planning for an exciting 2021 season of affordable family entertainment.”

International League President Randy Mobley, president of the Triple-A International League that began in 1884, said it will be the first summer in the league’s history that games will not be played. “While we continue to pray for the health and wellbeing of those within our communities, our focus immediately turns to planning and preparing to welcome fans and sponsors back into our fabulous ballparks next April,” he said. “During what will now become an extended off-season from Triple-A Baseball, I encourage fans to stay in tune with activities planned by their local team. Teams in Minor League Baseball are known for their creativity and that is now and will continue to be demonstrated in ways never before explored. From drive-in fireworks shows to family movie nights on the giant videoboards to experiencing “dinner on the diamond,” teams will be finding creative ways to stay engaged with their community.”

PICKLEBALL: National Championship in California Canceled

The effect of the coronavirus pandemic in sports has now reached pickleball as well. USA Pickleball, the sport’s national governing body, announced that in light of the pandemic, the 2020 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships will not take place. The event had been scheduled for the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California, from October 31–November 8.

NASCAR: Postseason Awards Event Canceled

NASCAR has announced that it will cancel its postseason Champion’s Week and NASCAR Cup Series Awards, which had been scheduled for Nashville, Tennessee.

In a statement, the league said, “With the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus and the impact on the industry, this year’s NASCAR Champion’s Week and NASCAR Cup Series Awards originally scheduled to take place in Nashville will not occur. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series champions will be celebrated at the end of the season with more details to come. We look forward to returning to Nashville in 2021.”

Monday, June 29

TENNIS: Davis Cup and Fed Cup Rescheduled to 2021

The International Tennis Federation has announced that the 2020 Davis Cup by Rakuten Madrid Finals will be postponed until 2021, and that the 2020 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals will be rescheduled for 2021 in Budapest, Hungary.

The decision to move the Davis Cup Finals to the week of November 22, 2021—still in Madrid—came after months of review and were attributable to regulatory challenges that have arisen as a result of the pandemic. The finals mark the pinnacle of the largest men’s international team competition in tennis. The event had been scheduled to see the world’s best 18 national teams competing for the Davis Cup title over one week in Madrid in November 2020.

The Fed Cup is the women’s equivalent and the finals were originally scheduled to be competed in April.

Laszlo Papp Arena in Hungary was unavailable to host later in 2020 and the same regulatory challenges are facing the indoor gathering as well. The event features the top 12 nations competing over a week of competition. The 2021 event will be staged April 13–18.

MOTORSPORTS: Indy 500 Hopes to be at 50 Percent Capacity

When the Indy 500 races on its new August 23, organizers hope to have spectators in the stands at 50 percent of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s capacity. IMS president Doug Boles sent an email to ticket holders last week saying the aim is “to accommodate at least 50 percent of your original ticket quantities in or near your current seating location.” With its suites, grandstands and infield tickets, the race typically can sell 350,000 tickets, leading the potential number of spectators at 175,000 for the race.

SURVEY: Parents Ready to See Kids Return to Play

Phoenix-based Huddle Up Group has released results of a new second-round survey focused on parents of young athletes that play travel sports that concludes that parents are more confident in putting their children back into sports than they were a month ago—76.6 percent in June compared with 61.7 percent in May. The consulting firm surveyed more than 2,700 people in its first survey and included a “select portion” of those who initially responded to the first study in its second survey.

“Most of the survey results were consistent with the responses from a month ago,” said Huddle Up Group Founder CEO Jon Schmieder. “However there were several subtle shifts that host destinations and event owners should pay attention to going forward. These parents are essentially the decision makers for their kids, and thusly our primary client in the end, so we need to make sure we are all in tune with their viewpoints on the issues of safety.”

Among other findings:

Parents were the most confident in putting their kids back into sports in September with 84.8 percent stating they would feel safe to do so by then (an increase of 7 percentage points).
Parents have less confidence in their kids returning to play after September, with the confidence percentage falling more than four points to 80.2 percent.
When comparing the two studies, sentiment for regional drive market events versus longer trips (including flights) were relatively flat.
Social distancing remains parents’ primary concerns before letting their kids participate, with temperature testing second.

Friday, June 26

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Morehouse College Cancels Football Season

Morehouse College in Atlanta has become one of the first universities to announce it will not play football in the fall. In an open letter, university President David Thomas, said the historically Black college would not participate in any NCAA or Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Division II sports this fall. The move also affects the school’s cross-country team. All athletic scholarships will still be honored, he said.

“Like all of the decisions we’ve made related to COVID-19, this was a difficult one but was made with the health and well-being of our students and community in mind,” Thomas wrote. “It follows my intention to maintain a safe campus in hopes that our students will be able to return in August. Our Maroon Tiger teams travel to other NCAA institutions and cannot compete without breaking from social distancing guidelines still maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sporting events also invite individuals to our campus who will not be subject to the testing and monitoring that we plan to implement for our students, faculty, and staff.”

Thursday, June 25

AUTO RACING: IndyCar Welcomes Fans to Iowa Speedway

The IndyCar Series will have a limited number of fans for its REV Group Grand Prix at the RoadAmerica course in Wisconsin during the race weekend scheduled for July 9–12.

All guests will be screened in their vehicles with contactless temperature checks before entering the parking areas, and only essential racing personnel will have access to the paddock. A PPE kit that includes a face mask as well as hand sanitizer will be provided to each guest upon arrival. The race weekend will feature two full points races for the IndyCar Series July 11 and 12. All active-duty first responders including law enforcement, fire, paramedics and emergency medical technicians will be admitted free of charge by showing valid identification.

IndyCar previously announced that it will have a limited number of fans at a doubleheader of races on July 17–18 at Iowa Speedway with the Iowa IndyCar 250 on back-to-back nights while Mark Miles, the president and CEO of Penske Entertainment Corp., has told Indiana media that the Indianapolis 500 will race as currently scheduled in August only if fans are allowed in attendance — and if not in August, then the race will be delayed again. A Fourth of July race weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course will run without spectators.

SOCCER: CONCACAF Qualifying To Be Modified

CONCACAF will revise its World Cup qualifying format following FIFA’s decision to remove September dates from the international calendar. The hexagonal competition was scheduled to have two games each in September, October and November, followed by two matches apiece in March and September of 2021. The U.S. was to have been in the six-nation hexagonal with Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica and either El Salavdor or Canada.

Among the possible alternate formats under discussion would be having three groups of four, much like the old semifinal round. The group winners would qualify for the 2022 tournament in Qatar, and there would be playoff opportunities for some teams that don’t finish first. The U.S., Mexico and Costa Rica would be placed in different groups.

HORSE RACING: Kentucky Derby Allows Fans Under Strict Guidelines

Churchill Downs announced that after consultation with Governor Andy Beshear and state public health officials, the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks will occur with spectators under strict guidelines. The Oaks will take place September 4 and the Kentucky Derby on September 5.

Among the steps that will be taken to protect fan safety include venue capacity reductions with access throughout the facility severely limited; barn area access restricted to essential personnel; a revised Fan Code of Conduct that will encourage those on the grounds to wear masks at all times; and changes to in-venue operations to limit person-to-person touchpoints.

“The impact of the Kentucky Derby extends well beyond the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery. “It is an incredibly important time for the city of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky both culturally, economically and with respect to our time-honored traditions. Both employees and guests are asked to take an active role in following all guidelines. We must all do our part to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience.”

Tickets purchased for the originally scheduled Kentucky Derby Week dates are valid for the new dates. Guests may arrive on the new dates in September with their printed ticket or mobile ticket to be scanned for entry at the gates.

NFL: Hall of Fame Game Canceled

The NFL Hall of Fame Game between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers has been canceled, according to NFL Network and ESPN. The game was scheduled for August 6 and the Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony in Canton, Ohio, on August 8 has been postponed to 2021. Hall of Fame president David Baker previously said the game and ceremony were on as scheduled, but there were contingencies in place if postponement was necessary. It is the biggest event the NFL has had to cancel because of the coronavirus.

Wednesday, June 24

BASEBALL: MLB Sets Long-Awaited Return Date

Play Ball … finally.

Major League Baseball will start a truncated 60-game season on either July 23 or 24 in empty ballparks after a drawn-out saga amid the coronavirus pandemic that included months of acrimony and public posturing.

The season will include bringing the designated hitter to games between National League teams for the first time and instituting the radical innovation of starting extra innings with a runner on second base. Players will start reporting for the resumption of training on July 1. Every team but one is planning to have training at their regular-season ballpark; the Toronto Blue Jays have to get permission from the Canadian government.

Each team will play 10 games against each of its four division rivals and 20 total games against the five clubs in the corresponding regional division in the other league, according to The Associated Press. This will be MLB’s shortest season since 1878. No decision has been made on whether fans can attend games.

RUNNING: New York City Marathon Canceled

The New York City Marathon has been canceled. This year’s event on November 1 was set to be the 50th running of the event, which began in 1970 and has grown to become the world’s largest marathon with 53,640 finishers in 2019. Marathons have had a tough go of the marketplace during the pandemic. The Berlin Marathon was canceled on Wednesday and earlier this month the 124th annual Boston Marathon, an April tradition that this year was rescheduled for September 14 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, was canceled outright.

TENNIS: USTA Brings Back Wheelchair Competition

The USTA has reversed course on an earlier decision to cancel the wheelchair competition at the U.S. Open in New York and will stage the event September 10–13 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

When the governing body announced last week that it would stage the U.S. Open without spectators, it had decided to eliminate several other disciplines normally staged during the competition. The move drew criticism from the International Paralympic Committee, among others, who said they weren’t consulted beforehand on the decision. The move to reinstate the competition was made following multiple virtual meetings with a group of wheelchair athletes and the International Tennis Federation over the last week.

The wheelchair competition will now feature men’s and women’s singles and doubles and quad singles and doubles, with draw sizes similar to past U.S. Opens. Wheelchair athletes that compete will have to adhere to the same health and safety procedures as all players participating in the U.S. Open.

Monday, June 22

SOCCER: Outbreak Forces Orlando Pride Out of NWSL Tournament

The National Women’s Soccer League’s tournament will be an eight-team affair instead of nine after six players and four staffers with the Orlando Pride tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the team’s withdrawl from the event in Utah. The NWSL will become the first professional league in the United States to return to competition with the Challenge Cup starting June 27 with group stage games at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah, with the semifinals and finals held at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. All housing, training, and competition needs for teams will be created in the Salt Lake Valley as an “NWSL Village” to control as much of the environment as possible.

GOLF: PGA Championship a Go in San Francisco

The 2020 PGA Championship will be held August 3–9 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco without spectators, the city of San Francisco and PGA of America confirmed. The decision to play without spectators was made in coordination with the state of California and city and county of San Francisco. Prior to its postponement on March 17, the PGA Championship was scheduled for May 14-17.

“Welcoming the PGA Championship to San Francisco is the high point of a very unusual year. We are looking forward to sharing the beauty of TPC Harding Park and San Francisco with the players, the media and viewers all over the world,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association, the official destination marketing organization.

Friday, June 19

VOLLEYBALL: AVP Tour Moves Season to Three Events in Long Beach

The AVP Tour will scrap its 2020 season in place of an event series to be held in Long Beach, California, over three weekend in July and August. The AVP Champions Cup Series, Presented by Acer, will begin on July 18–19, and continue July 25–26 and August 1–2. The event will feature an eight-team main draw and each weekend will offer a $200,000 purse plus a $100,000 bonus pool for teams with the top finishes.

The matches will be closed to spectators but will be live-streamed on Amazon Prime Video. NBC will also present an early round men’s match on July 18 and the women’s final on July 19. NBCSN will air one finals match in the second and third weekends, respectively, which will also be simulcast on Amazon Prime Video.

MOTORSPORTS: Pike Peaks Hill Climb Closed to Spectators

The 98th running of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado Springs, Colorado, will be held without spectators. The motorsports race up Pikes Peak had earlier been moved from its traditional June dates to August 30. While the event will still take place in August, organizers have opted to prohibit spectators after input from state and local authorities.

“For the first time, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will be staged without its loyal, enthusiastic fans lining the course and no one is more disappointed than we are,” said Executive Director Megan Leatham. “Our staff and board of directors have discussed and analyzed multiple scenarios in which our race could be staged. However, with the government-issued long-term mandates for wearing personal protective equipment, providing appropriate social distancing, and limiting the size of group gatherings, we feel it is impossible to safely host spectators at the race on August 30.”

A popular downtown street festival has also been canceled. “We typically welcome over 30,000 fans but in light of current government guidelines we feel it would be irresponsible to hold the event this year,” Leatham said. “The risk to our competitors, sponsors, volunteers and our fans is just too high.”

“Despite this unforeseen challenge, our iconic motorsports event has proven its ability to adapt and endure, and it will continue to do so this summer, next year, and in preparation for the 100th Running in 2022,” said Board Chairman Tom Osborne.

Thursday, June 18

ENDURANCE SPORTS: USA Triathlon Cancels Age Group, Youth and Junior Nationals

USA Triathlon has canceled the Toyota USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships, scheduled for August 8–9 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have been canceled due to current local government guidelines surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The cancellation was required after the City of Milwaukee informed USA Triathlon that it is unable to guarantee a permit for the event weekend due to ongoing state and local restrictions on gatherings.

“While we are disappointed to have to cancel the marquee event on USA Triathlon’s National Championships calendar, health and safety concerns take precedence in this challenging time,” said Brian D’Amico, USA Triathlon director of events. “We are pleased to be able to offer deferrals to the 2021 or 2022 Age Group National Championships without the need to re-qualify, or to another USA Triathlon-owned event in 2021 or 2022. We appreciate our community’s patience and understanding during this unprecedented time, and we look forward to gathering again in Milwaukee next August.”

The Toyota USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships will return to Milwaukee the next two years, including August 7–8, 2021 and August 6–7, 2022.

“We are deeply disappointed that our beautiful shores of Lake Michigan will not play host to the 2020 USA Triathlon AGNC,” said Peggy Williams-Smith, president and CEO of Visit Milwaukee. “Our city is an ideal destination to host this event, but we understand the need to put the safety of the athletes and Milwaukeeans first during this unique time in our history. We thank USA Triathlon for their partnership and graciously agreeing to host both the 2021 and 2022 Championships in Milwaukee. Sports Milwaukee, championed by Visit Milwaukee, looks forward to welcoming the triathletes back for the next two years.”

USA Triathlon also will be canceling its 2020 Youth & Junior Nationals, initially scheduled for August 1–2 in West Chester, Ohio. The Youth & Junior Nationals will return to West Chester’s Voice of America Park on July 31 and August 1, 2021, as well as 2022 with dates to be determined.

Wednesday, June 17

ACTION SPORTS: Dew Tour Set for 2021 Return to Long Beach

In light of the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Summer Games and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dew Tour’s annual summer skateboard competition in Long Beach, California, will now be held May 2021 and serve as the last Olympic qualifying event in the U.S. before the Tokyo Games. In June 2019, Dew Tour served as the first global Olympic qualifying event in the U.S. for men’s and women’s skateboard street and park competitions.

“Postponing the Dew Tour Long Beach weekend until 2021 is the best decision to ensure the safety of our athletes, fans, partners, vendors, and staff during these unprecedented times,” said Courtney Gresik, Dew Tour vice president and general manager. “The Dew Tour remains committed to the progression of skateboarding, furthering awareness and appreciation of the sport as we lead up to the 2021 Olympic Games. We look forward to our return to Long Beach in 2021 for a weekend packed with fun, excitement, and Olympic-level competition that our fans have come to expect from our events.”

TENNIS: ATP, WTA Tours Schedule Returns

The two major professional tennis tours released their schedules for a modified 2020 season, including the two Grand Slams remaining between the traditional dates for the U.S. Open and the rescheduled French Open.

The ATP Tour will resume action on August 14 with the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. After the Western & Southern Open and U.S. Open in New York, the men’s tour will go to Europe for three clay-court events before the French Open starts September 27. Further events beyond the French Open are expected to be announced in mid-July.

The WTA Tour will restart its season August 3 with the Palermo Ladies Open in Italy. After its swing into the United States for the tournaments in New York, the tour will go back to Europe with events in Turkey, Spain, Italy and then the French Open. The WTA Tour’s schedule release extends through the end of the year with a full swing through Asia during the fall.

SOCCER: Champions League Finish Modified

The UEFA Champions League finish will be modified into a knockout format tournament with the championship August 23 in Lisbon, Portugal, instead of Turkey.

Matches will be held at two stadiums in Lisbon for the tournament, which was suspended in March. The quarterfinals will be held August 12–15, with the semifinals on August 18–19. Four teams have already advanced to the quarterfinals before the round of 16 was suspended; the remaining round of 16 home-and-home matches will be held August 7-8 but it has not yet been decided if they will also be in Portugal.

The Europa League will be finished from the quarterfinal stage through the championship in the same format from August 10–21 in Germany, with the championship in Cologne.

Tuesday, June 16

NASCAR: All-Star Race Moves to Bristol

NASCAR will hold the 36th All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway for the first time. The July 15 prime-time race will include 30,000 fans in attendance as allowed by the state of Tennessee.

Bristol Motor Speedway will have modified event procedures and protocols which will include social distancing amongst groups of fans in the grandstands and individually in concession lines; enhanced cleaning and sanitation in high-touch, high-traffic public areas; added hand-sanitizer stations; limited guests in suites; and infield admission for race team and operation personnel only. Fans will be allowed to bring in one soft-sided clear bag with food and beverage and coolers will be prohibited.

This year’s all-star event will be the second time it has been run at a facility other than Charlotte Motor Speedway, joining Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1986.

GOLF: LPGA Tour Schedules Return to Play

The LPGA Tour will resume its season with back-to-back events in Northwest Ohio starting July 23 with the Marathon LPGA Classic at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio. That event will be followed by a new three-day event in the Toledo area, the LPGA Drive On Championship starting July 31 at Inverness Club. The LPGA Drive On Championship will feature 144 players competing for a $1 million purse and will take place without sponsors, pro-ams or spectators.

SURFING: US Open Canceled for 2020

The 2020 Vans US Open of Surfing presented by Swatch in Huntington Beach Pier, California, has been canceled. Event organizers said in a statement they look forward to returning to southside of the Huntington Beach Pier in 2021.

“The Vans US Open of Surfing has always been about bringing people together in a healthy, fun and interactive environment and given the size and scale of the event, we can’t see a way to do that this year without sacrificing the very thing that makes it so special,” said Jennifer Lau, vice president of action sports at IMG. “This event would not be the same without the amazing surf, skate, and BMX fans who come out to connect and have fun year after year. We can’t wait to return in 2021 and will be working harder than ever to stage another world-class event at Huntington Beach next summer.”

TENNIS: USTA Confirms U.S. Open To Be Held

The United States Tennis Association will hold the U.S. Open as scheduled starting August 31 in New York City at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center as part of a doubleheader of events with the Western & Southern Open, a combined men’s and women’s event traditionally held in Ohio, moved to New York City to serve as a warmup for players who have been inactive for months. According to The New York Times, players at the U.S. Open will be frequently tested for coronavirus and be kept together in a hotel with some restrictions to their movements outside of the hotel and tournament site. There would be no fans on site and players would be restricted in how many people they would be able to bring with them to the tournament.

Monday, June 15

BASKETBALL: WNBA Tips Off in July

The WNBA has announced elements of its plan to begin the 2020 season, which will start in July with all games and playoffs held at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The season will be 22 games for each team in the regular season followed by a traditional playoff format. IMG Academy will be the home for all 12 teams and serve as a single site for training camp, games and housing. The league will continue working with medical specialists, public health experts and government officials on guidelines to ensure that medical protocols and protections are in place. Under the current plan, teams will report to IMG Academy in early July and regular-season action will tip off in late July after a team training camp period. The season will be played without fans in attendance with games broadcast on ESPN, CBS Sports Network and NBA TV.

Friday, June 12

TRIATHLON: USA Triathlon Cancels California Event

USA Triathlon has canceled its 2020 Legacy Triathlon, Open Water Swim Competition and Long Beach PATCO Sprint Triathlon American Cup, which had been scheduled for July 17–19 in Long Beach, California. Local government guidelines surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic caused the national governing body to call off the event, as well as the Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships, which were scheduled for July 18 as part of the same event weekend. That event is expected to have a new date and location in 2020.

The Legacy Triathlon will return to Long Beach in 2021. The event is designed to be an annual competition to draw on interest from the upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. The event, first held in 2019, is held at Alamitos Beach, which is expected to host triathlon events at the Games.

Thursday, June 11

COLLEGE SPORTS: Pac-12 Commissioner Says Football is Ready as Scheduled

Pac-12 Conference Commissioner Larry Scott said during an interview this week that “it’s our objective if it can be done safely to play a full college football season,” and that Power 5 commissioners are in constant contact to make sure that each league is able to start on time, adding “we’re all locked at the hip.”

Scott was interviewed by Bonnie Bernstein during the webinar event “Cynopsis: The Great Sports Disruption.” When it comes to college football, “if we want a full season and a playoff at the end, we all have to agree that we’re going to start the season together,” Scott said. “It’s going to require a huge level of collaboration.”

The issue of if a team has an outbreak of COVID-19 and how that would affect the schedule has not been determined just yet, Scott said, but they are being discussed.

“If it gets to point where you don’t have enough players to participate, that decision will be made by the school with the conference office,” Scott said. “One scenario we’re thinking about is whether there will be a buffer of couple of weeks at the end of the season in case games need to be made up. In other words, we could start on time — but there could be a spike during the season, a second wave as people are describing it. There could be an issue that a particular team has that could cause a game to be rescheduled. There’s a lot of scenario planning going on in that regard.”

Scott said that for foreign student-athletes who would have to quarantine after coming back to campus that it would be a decision made by individual conference schools rather than a blanket policy dictated by the league office. He added that for athletes who are not comfortable playing because of any risk of infection, “(Our university presidents) have been very clear that we need to be respectful of any decision made by any of our student-athletes and their families if they’re not comfortable.”

LACROSSE: PLL Event Coming to Utah

The Premier Lacrosse League’s two-week tournament without fans starting July 25 will be held at Zion’s Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah, the same site for most of the NWSL Tournament that will be starting June 27. The PLL event will have seven teams playing in a 14-game group format for the first week, then having single-elimination play the second week. The league will implement COVID-19 preventative measures and restrict travel in and out of the event with an estimated 300 people on site in total.

BASKETBALL: TBT Heading to Columbus

The Basketball Tournament will be held at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, starting July 4 with the entire event held at one site and broadcast on ESPN. TBT, as it’s commonly referred to, is a winner-take-all tournament with more than $1 million at stake. It will be a 24-team tournament. TBT founder and CEO Jon Mugar told ESPN last month that they plan is to have a maximum of 50 people in the gym at one time.

ENDURANCE SPORTS: Xterra World Championship Canceled

The 25th annual Xterra World Championship in Maui scheduled for November 8 and the 13th annual Xterra Trail Run World Championship half-marathon on Oahu on December 6 have been cancelled. The decision comes after several other events this summer in Avon, Colorado; Pelham, Alabama, and Utah were also canceled.

Wednesday, June 10

SOCCER: MLS Tournament Starting July 8

Major League Soccer will return to action with a tournament starting July 8 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The league started its much-hyped 25th year of competition in March before the season was suspended after two weeks.

The tournament will go from July 8 through August 11 with all 26 teams competing in a World Cup-style tournament. There will be a group stage with six groups; the Western Conference will have three four-team groups and the Eastern Conference will have three groups, two with four teams apiece and one with six teams. Each team will play three group games, with the top two in each group moving to the knockout round and the four best third-place finishers also advancing.

After the group stage, the round of 16 will be July 25–28 followed by the quarterfinals on July 30–August 1, semifinals on August 5–6 and championship on August 11. The group stage games will count toward the MLS regular season standings. MLS previously canceled its All-Star Game against the Liga MX All-Stars in Los Angeles as well as two other intra-league competitions between it and Mexico’s top league, the Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup.

AMATEUR SPORTS: AAU Junior Olympics Heading to Brevard County

The AAU Junior Olympic Games will be heading to Brevard County, Florida. Space Coast Office of Tourism Executive Director Peter Cranis confirmed the news to Florida Today.

Cranis said he expects up to 15 sports will be contested at the event during the last week in July and the first week in August. There will be up to 3,000 athletes competing with as many as 10,000 room nights. Cranis said Brevard School District and Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department venues will be used to host the event. The AAU Junior Olympic Games, held annually since 1967, will be moving from its scheduled site of Hampton Roads, Virginia.

GOLF: LPGA Major in France Cancelled

The Evian Championship women’s major golf tournament in France has been canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak, the first LPGA major to do so this season. Tournament chairman Franck Riboud says the cancellation is “unavoidable in view of the situation with regards to U.S. travel to continental Europe.” The Women’s British Open is still set for August 20–23 in Troon, Scotland. The three majors played in the United States have been rescheduled for later in the year.

Tuesday, June 9

COLLEGE SPORTS: NCAA Plans Football Workout Schedule, Fall Championships

The NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee is expected to approve a six-week practice calendar this week, reported Sports Illustrated, which would be another sign that the college football season plans to start on schedule. The NCAA began allowing voluntary workouts on June 1 but not every school started on that date. The four-phased plan includes six weeks of workouts with preseason camps starting in August. The earliest coaches could start interacting with players is July 6. The report comes as the NCAA announced that it plans to keep the same dates and sites for the NCAA fall championships as already scheduled. The NCAA Competition Oversight Committee made the announcement today, though it did note that the situation could still be fluid. Championships in fall sports are currently scheduled from November 20 through January 11.

Friday, June 5

ARCHERY: World Archery Field Championships in South Dakota Moved to 2022

World Archery, the sports’ international federation, has rescheduled its 2020 World Archery Field Championships in Yankton, South Dakota, to 2022. The event had been scheduled for September 2020 at the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center, which is the largest dedicated archery venue in the world. The venue has previously hosted world youth and indoor championships as well. Officials had considered a one-year postponement but other events in 2021 made the dates difficult. In addition, the 2020 event had been scheduled to serve as a qualifying event for the 2021 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, but that event has also been rescheduled for 2022. The reshuffling will result in a new qualifying event for the World Games to be announced later. While the field archery world championship has been moved, the Yankton venue is still scheduled to host the 2021 Hyundai World Archery Championships.

Thursday, June 4

BASKETBALL: NBA Restart Plan Approved by Owners, but G League Cancelled

The NBA board of governors approved a plan that will restart the league in late July with all games held at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports complex on the Disney campus near Orlando, Florida. The players union is expected to give its approval to the plan on Friday.

The regular season would start around July 31 and have eight games for all 22 teams invited to Florida to determine playoff seeding. There would be 13 teams from the Western Conference and nine teams from the Eastern Conference participating, with the cutoff that teams must be within six games of a playoff spot to participate. The playoffs would then begin in August and the NBA Finals would stretch into the fall with the NBA Finals finishing on or before October 12. For an NBA play-in series to happen to determine the No. 8 seed on either playoff bracket, the ninth-place team would have to be within four games of eighth place once the eight-game schedule is completed.

While the NBA season will resume, the remainder of the 2019-20 G League season, which was suspended March 12, has been canceled. The regular season was scheduled to conclude March 28.

NASCAR: Cup Series Schedule Update Released

NASCAR released its latest set of scheduled races, with 23 across its three series including seven Cup Series events that would carry the season through August 2. The schedule also includes six Xfinity Series races, five Trucks Series races and three ARCA events.

Among the finalized dates for the Cup Series are a doubleheader on June 27–28 at Pocono Speedway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania; July 5 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was part of an IndyCar/NASCAR doubleheader race weekend; July 12 at Kentucky Speedway; the NASCAR All-Star Open non-points race on July 15 at Charlotte Motor Speedway; July 19 at Texas Motor Speedway and July 23 at Kansas Speedway before an August 2 race at New Hampshire Speedway.

HOCKEY: NHL Playoff Format Further Detailed

The National Hockey League and players union agreed that the qualifying round for its Stanley Cup playoff tournament will be a best-of-five series with the remainder of the playoffs a best-of-seven series. The league announced that the tournament will be reseeded after every round.

The playoffs this year will be expanded to 24 teams from the traditional 16, with an eight-team qualifying round and a round-robin competition among the league’s top four teams to determine seeding for the official First Round. The top four teams in each conference will play each other once to determine the order of the top four seeds in the first round of the playoffs while at the same time, a qualifying round will also go on in each conference. The round-robin games will be played with regular season rules regarding overtime and shootouts, while the qualifying round games will be played with playoff overtime rules.

Candidates for the hub cities that will be used for the playoffs include Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Vancouver. There will be two cities picked from that list. The league has not yet determined which cities will host. Negotiations will continue with the players on health and safety protocols.

Other News

• The National Lacrosse League has announced that it will not continue its 2019–2020 season. The indoor lacrosse league had suspended its regular season on March 12 and announced the cancellation of its regular season on April 6. The new announcement will eliminate a postseason or the crowing of a champion.

• Organizers of the 42nd annual BOLDERBoulder in Colorado have announced that the 2020 race, which had been postponed from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, is canceled and will be rescheduled for Memorial Day 2021. Participants already registered will be offered options and alternatives for the 2021 BOLDERBoulder and beyond.

• The PGA Tour will hold an additional tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, to take the place of an event scheduled for Iowa that was canceled. The tour said the event will take place July 9–12 on the week preceding the already scheduled Memorial Tournament that will be at the same location. The event will be played without spectators and takes the place of the recently canceled John Deere Classic, which will return to the schedule next year. The tour hoped to allow fans at the John Deere Classic in the Quad Cities area, but has announced that local and state-related restrictions on gatherings will cause the event to be canceled.

• A scheduled August 29 college football game between Notre Dame and Navy for Dublin, Ireland, will instead be played at Annapolis, Maryland, at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Labor Day Weekend. The teams played at Aviva Stadium in 2012 with more than 35,000 fans traveling from the United States. In 2020, around 40,000 people from the U.S. were expected to attend. Both programs plan for a return to Ireland in the coming years. The rescheduled site will be the first time that Notre Dame will play on Navy’s home field in the rivalry’s 94-year history.

• Formula 1 will start its season on July 5 with a race in Austria as part of an eight-race trek throughout Europe that includes two doubleheader events. The season starts with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, followed a week later on July 12 by a second race at the same track. After the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 19, there will be a one-week break before consecutive weekends August 2 and August 9 at Silverstone in England, then the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona on August 16, the Belgian Grand Prix on August 30 and the Italian Grand Prix on September 6. None of the events will be open to fans. The circuit says it plans to race at least 15 times this year, with further races throughout the world to be announced at a later date.

• The Maryland Cycling Classic, scheduled for its debut on the UCI Pro Series calendar in September, will be postponed to 2021. The announcement was made by the event organizer with state, city and Baltimore County partners. Organizers also announced UnitedHealthcare has signed on as the presenting sponsor of the race starting in 2021. The UCI, cycling’s international federation, will announce its 2021 calendar later this year with the event’s date announced at that time. The event is owned by Sport and Entertainment Corp. of Maryland in conjunction with the Maryland Sports Commission.

• Burton Snowboards announced that the company will cancel the 2021 Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships, which was scheduled for March 1–6, 2021, at Vail Mountain Resort in Vail, Colorado. The Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships is the world’s longest-running snowboard event and Burton has owned and run the event since 1983.

• Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross told CNBC in an interview that “I think there definitely will be a football season this year,” and that he plans to have fans in the stadium. The NFL has not made a decision on whether to allow fans into stadiums during the 2020 season, but the league plans to play its full 16-game slate starting September 10. The league announced when it released the schedule that it will schedule all 2020 games in the United States and will not have games in Mexico City or London. Ross’ comments came the Pittsburgh Steelers’ director of communications said on Twitter that only 50 percent of individual game tickets will be sold to the public because the team wants to be prepared for social distancing scenarios.

• World TeamTennis will play its 45th annual season at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, starting July 12 with up to 500 fans allowed at the outdoor matches. The schedule will include at least three matches per day at The Greenbrier’s 2,500-seat outdoor stadium, with an indoor court to be installed as a backup option, for the league’s nine franchises. World TeamTennis said in a release it “will engage with its teams and league and venue personnel in conducting all necessary testing and screening for COVID-19, as well as outfitting all parties with the personal protective equipment necessary to conduct its 2020 season matches while preserving the health and safety of everyone at The Greenbrier over the three-week season.”

• The 2021 World Transplant Games, scheduled for May 29–June 5 in Houston, have been canceled. The announcement was made jointly by the Harris County—Houston Sports Authority and the World Transplant Games Federation. The 2021 Games would have been the first held in the United States in 41 years. The event was expected to draw more than 4,000 participants.

• USA BMX will relaunch its National Championship Series with the inaugural Nabholz Bounce Back Nationals in Pryor, Oklahoma, at Mayes County BMX on June 5–7. USA BMX has worked with local and state officials to ensure the event can be hosted while addressing concerns of social distancing, sanitation, customer interaction and other event specific modifications.

• USA Triathlon has decided to reschedule the 2020 USA Triathlon Clydesdale & Athena National Championships that were scheduled for June 28 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The event will now take place as part of Team Magic’s 35th Annual Buster Britton Memorial Triathlon on August 15, at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, Alabama. Athletes currently registered for the 2020 Clydesdale & Athena National Championships have a variety of deferral options, including transferring their registration to the rescheduled 2020 event in Pelham, the 2021 Clydesdale & Athena National Championships in Chattanooga, or any future Team Magic event in 2020 or 2021. USA Triathlon also announced that the 2021 Clydesdale & Athena National Championships have been awarded to the Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon. The event is scheduled for June 27.

• This year’s Triple Crown of horse racing will be unlike any other in its history, with the 152nd annual Belmont Stakes — traditionally the final leg of the three biggest races in the world — instead going first this year on June 20 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It will be the first time in the history of the Triple Crown that the Belmont will be the first leg. The Belmont Stakes, which will be held without fans, will also be shortened to a mile and an eighth instead of its traditional mile and a half distance, the longest of any Triple Crown race. The Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Maryland will take place on October 3, announced The Stronach Group Chairman and President Belinda Stronach and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan over the weekend. The Preakness will now be held four weeks after the 146th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, which was postponed from May 2 to September 5. The Kentucky Oaks will move from its previous date on May 1 to September 4 and the two-week Kentucky Derby Festival will also shift in conjunction with the new race dates.

• The U.S. Track and Field and the local organizing committee in Greensboro, North Carolina, have announced the cancellation of the 2020 Masters National Championships, which were scheduled to be held July 9–12 at North Carolina A&T State University’s Ike Belk Track at BB&T Stadium.

• Ironman and its host city partners have announced that the 2020 editions of the World Championship in Hawaii and the 70.3 World Championship in Taupo, New Zealand, will be postponed. The championship event in Kailua, Kona, was scheduled to take place in October but will now be staged February 6, 2021. A new date for the New Zealand race, which was set for November, has not been determined, although efforts are being made to stage the race in 2021.

• USA Wrestling has formed four special committees to help its members and athletes deal with specific issues in the sport caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. That national governing body’s committees will include experienced professionals in a range of industries who will volunteer their time. “USA Wrestling is tremendously grateful and blessed that these talented leaders are willing to step up for wrestling at this time,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. “All have a passion for the sport and a commitment to help guide our organization in its decision-making process. With this assistance, our sport will have the best possible direction to help us get through the current situation and emerge successfully, with a clear vision for the future.”

• USA Gymnastics has announced it will not hold its premier events in 2020 and will reformat the 2020 National Congress and trade show to a virtual event. The affected events including the GK U.S. Classic, U.S. Gymnastics Championships for women’s and men’s artistic, and the USA Gymnastics Championships for rhythmic, trampoline & tumbling, and acrobatics. The national governing body will announce new dates soon for the rescheduled 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials and the 2021 National Congress and trade show. The GK U.S. Classic scheduled for May 23 at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, will take place at the same venue on May 22, 2021 and the U.S. Gymnastics Championships scheduled for June 4-7 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, will take place in the original venue on June 3-6, 2021.

• The Diamond League, track and field’s most high-profile circuit during non-Olympic years, has released a revised schedule starting August 14 in Monaco and having 11 events, many of them one-day exhibitions rather than full showcases. There will not be a final championship meet and this year’s scheduled host, Zurich, will host in 2021 and 2022 instead. One of the events on the 2020 schedule is Eugene, Oregon on October 4 at the renovated Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. The track will host a series of showcase events over the next few years including the rescheduled 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials in June 2021 and the World Athletics Championships in July 2022. Eugene was scheduled to host the 2022 Diamond League championship but as part of the rearranged schedule, it will host the championship in 2023 instead.

• The World Baseball Classic, scheduled for 2021 at sites throughout the world including Los Angeles, San Diego and Miami, will be postponed until 2023 according to multiple reports. The tournament was scheduled to start in late February and conclude in March at Marlins Park in Florida. The qualifying rounds, scheduled for spring 2020 in Arizona, have already been postponed.

• USA Taekwondo has canceled its 2020 National Championship, which had been scheduled for San Antonio, Texas. The event at the Alamodome, which was scheduled for July 1–7, would have marked the first time in five years the tournament was held in Texas. It was expected to attract more than 4,000 athletes. In the hopes of still crowning national championships, the national governing body announced plans for “The USA Taekwondo 2020 National Championship Series,” which will consist of three qualifying events nationwide with a chance to compete in a to-be-determined national championships final. The NGB said it would work with cities and venues to host the events in September and October, with a championship final tentatively planned for November.

• DreamHack, one of the biggest gaming and digital festivals held throughout each year with pro, amateur and varsity esports tournaments, has canceled events in Sweden and Montreal and postponed DreamHack Valencia in Spain until October 8–12. The events in Sweden and Montreal will take place in 2021 instead while its five other festivals scheduled for the fall and winter, including November 13–15 in Atlanta, are still on the schedule.

• Epic Games has canceled the 2020 Fortnite World Cup, announcing that its remaining events for 2020 will be hosted online while another of the biggest gaming events in the world, EVO 2020, has been switched to online-only instead of being in Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas starting July 31.

• World Long Drive, which organizes driving for distance competitions, has announced it will cancel its regular season and Q-series, although a championship event in Chicago on September 3–9 will remain. Executive Director Matt Farrell said the decision was made with athlete safety in mind, as well as the safety of families, staff, fans, vendors, suppliers, venues and partners.

• The Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, the world’s largest 10K with 60,000 participants, is moving to Thanksgiving from its traditional Fourth of July date because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Atlanta Track Club says the November 26 date will minimize the impact on retailers in downtown Atlanta because most businesses will be closed for the holiday.

• ESPN has canceled X Games Minneapolis citing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. The event had been scheduled for July 17–19 and would have marked the fourth consecutive year the event was staged in Minneapolis, including U.S. Bank Stadium. The X Games moved its signature summer event to Minneapolis in 2017 and has seen attendance regularly top 100,000 over the course of the event. The 2020 event marked the end of a two-year extension that ESPN had signed with Sports Minneapolis and U.S. Bank Stadium in 2018.

• The USA Masters Games, a multisport competition, has announced it will move its 2020 event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to 2021. The event had been scheduled for June 19–21 and June 26–28, 2020. The new dates in 2021 will be June 24–27. The event will continue to be called the 2020 Masters Games. While the Masters Games will be postponed, plans are still continuing for the 2020 State Games of Michigan. Details of that event are being discussed, including a potential shift in schedule and event locations, said Eric Engelbarts, who serves as the executive director of both the State Games of Michigan and the Local Organizing Committee for the 2020 USA Masters Games.

• The World Games, an international multisport competition expected to attract more than 3,600 athletes from 100 countries to Birmingham, Alabama, has been rescheduled from 2021 to 2022—a consequence of the rescheduling of the Olympic Summer Games. The new dates will be July 7–17, 2022.

• The world’s most famous cycling race, the Tour de France, has been postponed after French President Emmanuel Macron announced all public events with large crowds have been canceled until at least mid-July. A new start date has been set for August 29, with the event scheduled to run through September 20. The Tour de France was last canceled in 1946 after the end of World War II. The Tour of Utah, the only multi-day men’s cycling stage race in North America on the UCI Pro Series, has been canceled. This year’s event was to run from August 3–9.

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