March 20, 2020 3:44 am
UNDATED (AP) – The number of known coronavirus cases within the NBA has doubled to 14. Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics pleaded with people to take social distancing more seriously Thursday and the league ordered all teams to shutter their training facilities indefinitely. Smart revealed that he tested positive and the Los Angeles Lakers said two of their players tested positive as well, bringing the number of players who have acquired the virus to 10. The Philadelphia 76ers said three members of their organization tested positive and the Denver Nuggets said someone within their franchise was positive as well.
March 18, 2020 3:49 am
UNDATED (AP) – Kevin Durant is one of four Brooklyn Nets players to have tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total to seven known players in the NBA. The Nets did not name the players Tuesday, but Durant confirmed he was one of them to The Athletic, saying: “Everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine. We’re going to get through this.” The Nets announced that one player is exhibiting symptoms, while the other three are asymptomatic. Utah’s Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell and Detroit’s Christian Wood are the other players who have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
March 18, 2020 3:46 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed the inside linebacker Ryan Shazier on the reserved/retired list. But the team says the move doesn’t rule out the possibility of Shazier playing again. Shazier spent the last two seasons on the Physically Unable to Perform list while recovering from a spinal injury suffered in December 2017. Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert called the move “a matter of protocol” that would ensure Shazier remains involved with the team. Shazier has made remarkable progress since the injury and has continued working out in hopes of one day being cleared to play again.
March 17, 2020 8:49 am
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – The Kentucky Derby is being postponed from May to September because of growing concern about the coronavirus pandemic, according to a published report. The Courier-Journal of Louisville cited unidentified sources close to the race saying Churchill Downs will postpone the Derby from May 2 to Sept. 5. That would mark the first time in 75 years that the race won’t be run on the first Saturday in May. A formal announcement by the racetrack will be made Tuesday. The last time the Derby wasn’t held on the first Saturday in May was in 1945, when the federal government issued a ban on horse racing because of World War II.
March 14, 2020 3:17 am
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (March 13) – The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) announced on Friday morning that all athletic competition for the remainder of the spring season is canceled effective immediately. The Cal U spring sports canceled as a result of the decision include baseball, men’s and women’s golf, softball, tennis and men’s and women’s outdoor track & field. Additionally, all countable related athletic activities (CARA) is suspended until March 30 at which time the Board of Directors will review a proposal from the Athletic Administrators to permit CARA or cancel for the remainder of the semester.
March 13, 2020 2:36 am
The Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic has been cancelled for this weekend. The 45th annual event, dubbed “The Rose Bowl of Wrestling,” was to be held at Fitzgerald Field House on Saturday. The Classic committee is working on a possible re-scheduling of the event. In addition, the PJW Youth Wrestling Championships, schedule for Petersen Events Center, have also been cancelled.
March 12, 2020 3:45 am
UNDATED (AP) – March Madness is giving way to March Silence. NCAA President Mark Emmert says its Division I basketball tournament games will not be open to the general public because of concerns about the spread of coronavirus. Emmert said in a statement that he made the decision to conduct both the men’s and women’s tournaments with only essential staff and limited family in attendance. The decision comes after the NCAA’s COVID-19 advisory panel of medical experts recommended against playing sporting events open to the general public. Emmert says canceling the two tournaments was considered.
March 12, 2020 3:44 am
UNDATED (AP) – The NBA season has been suspended until further notice over concerns about the virus outbreak. The decision was announced after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, and only hours after the majority of the league’s owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas. A person with knowledge of the situation said the player who tested positive was Jazz center Rudy Gobert. The Jazz released a statement saying a player – they did not identify Gobert – tested negative Wednesday morning for flu, strep throat and an upper respiratory infection. That player’s symptoms diminished as the day went along, but the decision was made to test for COVID-19. That test came back with a preliminary positive result.
The league says it will use the hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward regarding the pandemic.
