Baseball: Who’s opting out. Who tested positive. Japanese League allowing fans.
Basketball: NBA travel rules. Heat for the slogans on back of players’ jerseys. Bucks and Kings closed practice facilities.
Football: Mahomes in KC til 2032. Redskins minority owners selling. Pats offer free parking.
Golf: DeChambeau wins 7th. Memorial not to allow fans. PGA Championship requires a negative test.
Soccer: MLS is back! FC Dallas pulls out of tournament.
Baseball:
- Some MLB players are opting out of their season. See the list below. 31 MLB players have tested positive for the virus in the first round of testing. 7 staff members also tested positive. Those 38 positive tests were still only 1.2% of the tests taken. Mike Trout is heard on camera saying he’s not comfortable playing (it should be noted that his wife is pregnant) which is making many MLB fans nervous.
- Braves Nick Markakis, P Felix Hernandez, Dodgers P David Price, Nationals IF Ryan Zimmerman and Rockies OF Ian Desmond are all sitting out so far.
- Among those to test positive: Rangers OF Joey Gallo, Brewers SS Luis Urias and P Angel Perdomo
- The Nationals, Astros and Cardinals have shut down their practices until they receive their COVID test results. The teams took the tests on Friday and have not received them yet today.
- Japanese Baseball League and soccer league is allowing fans to return to stadiums this week. Maximum will be a 50% capacity.
Basketball:
- The NBA is catching some heat for letting the players pick from a list on phrases or names for the back of their jerseys rather than letting the players pick whatever they want to say. After the rumors were that the players would get to put whatever they liked, this is ruffling some feathers. Clearly Mike Scott does not appreciate red tape. Players are starting to arrive in Orlando tomorrow with games scheduled to begin on July 30.
- The Bucks and Kings have closed their practice facilities after receiving COVID test results back.
- If a NBA player travels separately than the team, if he travels by car or private plane, he has to test negative 2xs before returning to the court with his teammates. If he flies commercially, the player has to test 3xs with negative results before he can practice with this team.
- NBA reported a 5.3% positivity rate for their rounds of tests (16 positives).
Football:
- Patrick Mahomes just signed a 10-year extension deal with the Chiefs putting him in Kansas City until 2032.
- The 3 minority owners of the Redskins are looking to sell their shares, who own ~40%, because they are not happy with their owner Daniel Snyder.
- The Patriots are offering free parking for home games for the 2020 for its season-ticket holders.
Golf:
- Bryson DeChambeau finally wins one after 6 top-10s in a row at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. This is his 6th win on the PGA Tour for the 26 year old, proving that the 20lbs he put on during quarantine was not a bad decision.
- The Memorial Tournament, which was the first golf tournament that could have fans, has since withdrawn the capability. As coronavirus cases spike, the tournament felt that this would be a hazard to both the fans and the players. The original plan was to allow 8,000 fans making them adhere to social distancing with no grandstands or bleachers.
- A virus test will be required before allowing players into the PGA Championship, which has been scheduled to August 8th This is the first of the 3 golf majors this year. If a player tests positive, he cannot compete. Caddies can get tested as well but it is not required. Only 2 coaches and a physical trainer will be allowed on the course along with the golfer and his caddie.
Soccer:
- The MLS had 18 positive tests, a 2.7% positivity rate, which was better than the NBA positive rate but worse than the MLB.
- FC Dallas has pulled out of the ‘MLS is back’ tournament due to a high number of their players testing positive, that total reached 14.
- MLS reigning MVP, Carlos Vela, is not playing in the ‘MLS is back’ tournament in Florida due to concerns of the virus (his wife is also pregnant). This makes LAFC take a hit in being the tournament favorites.
What to Watch this Week
Golf:
- Thurs 7/9 – Workday Charity Open– Round 1 @ 2pm on Golf Channel
- Fri 7/10
- Workday Charity Open – Round 2 @ 2pm on Golf Channel
- American Century Championship – Round 1 @ 4pm on NBCSN
- Sat 7/11 – Workday Charity Open – Round 3
- 12pm on Golf Channel
- 2pm on CBS
- Sun 7/12 – Workday Charity Open – Round 4
- 12pm on Golf Channel
- 2pm on CBS
Motorsports:
- Sun 7/12
- Formula 1: Pirelli Steiermark Grand Prix @ 9:05am on ESPN
- IndyCar: REV Group Grand Prix @ 12:30pm on NBC
- NASCAR: Quaker State 400 @ 1:30pm on FS1
Olympic Sports:
- Thurs 7/9 – Track & Field: Weitklasse Zurich Inspiration games @ 4:30pm on NBCSN
Soccer:
- Tues 7/7
- Premier League: Crystal Palace vs Chelsea @ 12pm on NBCSN
- Italian Serie A: Lecce vs Lazio @ 12:30pm on ESPN2
- Premier League: Arsenal vs Leicester City @ 2:15pm on NBCSN
- Wed 7/8
- Premier League: Manchester City vs Newcastle @ 11:55pm on NBCSN
- Italian Serie A: Fiorentina vs Cagliari @ 12:30pm on ESPN2
- Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Liverpool @ 2:10pm on NBCSN
- Italian Serie A: Bologna vs Sassuolo @ 2:45pm on ESPN2
- MLS: Orlando City vs InterMiami @ 7pm on ESPN
- MLS: Nashville vs Chicago Fire @ 9:30pm on ESPN
- Thurs 7/9
- MLS: NYC vs Phili Union @ 8am on ESPN
- Premier League: AFC Bournemouth vs Tottenham @ 11:55am on NBCSN
- Italian Serie A: SPAL vs Udinese @ 12:30pm on ESPN2
- Premier League: Ashton Villa vs ManU @ 2 :10pm on NBCSN
- Fri 7/10
- MLS: Toronto vs DC @ 7pm on ESPN
- MLS: Seattle Sounders vs San Jose Earthquakes @ 9:3pm on ESPN
- Sat 7/11
- Premier League: Norwich City vs West Ham @ 6:25am on NBCSN
- Premier League: Liverpool vs Burnley @ 8:55am on NBCSN
- Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester City @ 2pm on NBCSN
- Sun 7/12
- Italian Serie A: Genoa vs SPAL @ 12:15am on ESPN
- Premier League: Wolverhamtpon vs Everton @ 2am on NBCSN
- Premier League: Ashton Villa vs Crystal Palace @ 8 :10am on NBCSN
- Premier League: Tottenham vs Arsenal @ 10:25am on NBCSN
- Italian Serie A: Parma vs Bologna @ 12:30pm on ESPN
- Premier League: AFC Bournemouth vs Leicester City @ 12:55pm on NBCSN
- USL Championship: Louisville City vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds @ 4pm on ESPN2
- MLS: Sporting Kansas City vs Minnesota United @ 7pm on ESPN
- MLS: Real Salt Lake vs Colorado @ 9:30pm on ESPN
