June 26, 2020 3:49 am
UNDATED (AP) – The NFL has canceled the Hall of Fame game that traditionally opens the preseason and is delaying the 2020 induction ceremonies for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Aug. 6 exhibition game in Canton, Ohio, between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers is the first on-field event the league has canceled during the pandemic. It will now be played on Aug. 5, 2021. Enshrinements for 20 men scheduled for this year now will occur on Aug. 7, 2021. The 2021 inductees will go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame the next day. NFL owners are conducting a virtual meeting Thursday in which the preseason schedule will be discussed. It’s possible the league will reduce the number of exhibition games to two per team from the usual four.
June 26, 2020 3:53 am
Churchill Downs says the rescheduled Kentucky Derby and Oaks will run this fall with spectators under strict guidelines to limit crowd density for the race that annually attracts more than 100,000. The 146th runnings of the Oaks for fillies and the Derby were postponed from May 1-2 to Sept. 4-5 because of the coronavirus pandemic. It marked the first time since 1945 that horse racing’s marquee event was not run on the first Saturday in May. Churchill Downs has run its delayed spring meet without spectators.
June 26, 2020 3:51 am
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) – Mackenzie Hughes shot a career-low 60 to take the early lead at the Travelers Championship. The 29-year-old Canadian flirted with 59 Thursday as the PGA Tour tried to switch its focus back to golf amid growing concerns about the coronavirus. TPC River Highlands is no stranger to low scores – Jim Furyk shot a tour-record 58 there four years ago. Hughes was bogey-free and made a 30-foot putt on his second-to-last hole to get to 10 under. But he left his 40-foot birdie try short on the last hole. It was good enough for a three-shot lead over Rory McIlroy among the early starters.
June 25, 2020 3:43 am
UNDATED (AP) – Jarome Iginla headlines the Hockey Hall of Fame’s class of 2020 after being elected in his first year of eligibility. Iginla will be the fourth Black player inducted after Grant Fuhr, Angela James and Willie O’Ree. Iginla was the first Black player to lead the NHL in goals and points and was the first Black athlete in any sport to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. Iginla is joined in the 2020 class by winger Marian Hossa, defensemen Kevin Lowe and Doug Wilson, Canadian women’s star Kim St. Pierre and longtime general manager Ken Holland.
June 25, 2020 3:44 am
UNDATED (AP) – All-Star outfielder Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies has become the first Major League Baseball player identified as having tested positive for the coronavirus. A person familiar with Blackmon’s situation confirmed the test result to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement. The Denver Post first reported Blackmon’s condition, saying Tuesday that three Rockies players had tested positive. The Post reported Blackmon tested positive last week after workouts at Coors Field in Denver. The newspaper said the Rockies then closed the ballpark, following MLB protocol. The Philadelphia Phillies have said seven players have tested positive for the virus without identifying any of them. A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press that several players and staff members of the Toronto Blue Jays have tested positive. Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said a few players have tested positive for COVID-19. Dipoto said they have all been asymptomatic. And Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila says one player and one staff member have tested positive for COVID-19. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has imposed a 60-game season that will begin either July 23 or 24. It remains unclear where the Blue Jays plan to hold their training camp and play home games this summer.
June 25, 2020 3:46 am
The caddies for Graeme McDowell and Brooks Koepka (KEHP’-kuh) have tested positive for the coronavirus, and both major champions have decided to withdraw from the Travelers Championship. Both say they are withdrawing to protect the rest of the field. McDowell says it feels like the snowball is getting bigger. This is the PGA Tour’s third week back after being shut down for three months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first week came off without a hitch. Nick Watney last week became the first player to test positive.
June 25, 2020 3:45 am
The New York City Marathon scheduled for Nov. 1 has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. New York Road Runners announced the cancellation of the world’s largest marathon Wednesday after coordinating with the mayor’s office and deciding the race posed too many health and safety concerns for runners, volunteers, spectators and others. Last year’s marathon included a world record 53,640 finishers. Entrants for the 2020 race will be offered a full refund of their entry fee or a guaranteed entry to either the 2021, 2022 or 2023 marathon. The 2021 New York City Marathon is scheduled for Nov. 7.
June 24, 2020 3:50 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Major League Baseball gives players’ association 60-game schedule, games to start July 23 or 24. This will be MLB’s shortest season since 1878. Each team will play 10 games against each of its four division rivals and four games against each of the five clubs in the corresponding division in the other league, according to details obtained by The Associated Press. The sides expanded the designated hitter to games involving National League teams and will start extra innings with a runner on second base. The union committed its members to start reporting July 1 – those who decide to report. High-risk individuals would be allowed to opt out and still receive salary and service time, but others who sit out would get neither money nor the service credit needed for eligibility for free agency and salary arbitration. Playoff teams remain at 10 for now – there is still talk of a possible expansion. The rejected deal had called for 16 teams.
June 24, 2020 3:53 am
Pittsburgh is out of the running to be one of the two hubs for the NHL when the league resumes its season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Penguins submitted what the club called an “aggressive” bid to be a hub city and was among the 10 finalists announced by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Penguins President and CEO David Morehouse says simply being a finalist reflected the city’s support of the team and the NHL. Seven of the finalists were in the United States.
June 24, 2020 3:48 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray says he’s focusing on the present and not whatever awaits him in the offseason. The two-time Stanley Cup winner says he’s doing his best to get sharp following the NHL’s extended pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Murray split playing time with Tristan Jarry during the regular season and watched Jarry become an All-Star. Murray’s play was on the upswing right before the shutdown and Murray believes he will be ready when the Penguins face Montreal in the play-in round whenever the league does return.
