New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has given the go-ahead for the U.S. Open tennis tournament to be held in his state starting in late August — but without spectators — as part of the reopening from shutdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Now that the U.S. Tennis Association's proposal to hold its marquee event has been accepted — including a "bubble" setup with designated hotels, limited player entourages and a facility closed to the hundreds of thousands of people who usually attend the U.S. Open — the key question becomes: Who actually will end up competing on the blue hard courts in Flushing Meadows from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13? Some of the sport's top names, including defending U.S. Open men's champion Rafael Nadal along with No. 1-ranked players Novak Djokovic and Ash Barty, have expressed reservations about heading somewhere that was a hot spot for the COVID-19 outbreak.
In other virus-related sports news:
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says it's "highly unlikely" that crowds of 20,000 or so would be allowed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame game and induction ceremony in August. DeWine says, "If the question was could that event occur today, the answer would be no. It would be extremely dangerous." The hall is still evaluating its options and said no decisions have been made about the Aug. 6 game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium between Dallas and Pittsburgh, nor for the enshrinements two nights later. The hall reopened to a limited number of fans last week.
New York Yankees President Randy Levine has called on the players' association to resume negotiations with Major League Baseball to start the pandemic-delayed season. Levine said the money difference between the feuding sides was not the primary obstacle but rather issues such as health and safety protocols and determining how to deal with a second wave of COVID-19. MLB has made three proposals, the last for a 72-game season starting July 14 that would guarantee about $1.23 billion. The union made offered two plans, the last for an 89-game schedule starting July 10 and salaries of $2.25 billion.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government is "open" to the NHL operating a playoff "hub city" in Canada as long as it is allowed by local health authorities. If the NHL returns to play this summer, it would start with the playoffs and with 24 teams, preferably split between two hub cities. The league has narrowed down its potential sites to 10 cities, including Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver in Canada. The NHL has said it will not choose a Canadian city if players are subject to the 14-day quarantine currently in effect at the border.
Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone says an antibody test revealed he had COVID-19. Malone says in an interview with CBS4 in Denver he wasn't feeling well shortly after the season was suspended March 11. He reached out to the team's medical staff to be tested but no tests were available at the time. Malone says he had an antibody test around Memorial Day weekend. Malone says the team doctor called up and told him he'd tested positive. Malone adds that he likes to say, "I got coronavirus and I kicked its butt." His squad was in third place in the Western Conference when the season was halted. The league is working on completing the health and safety protocols for a restart at the Disney campus near Orlando, Florida. Malone says, "I hope that going down to Orlando will be in a safe environment and we can limit the amount of people that actually get it."
NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett says he has tested positive for COVID-19 and now is in quarantine. The three-time Daytona 500 winner and 1999 Cup champion made the announcement during NBCSN's Hall of Fame announcement show on Tuesday. The 63-year-old Jarrett told viewers that was why he didn't return to the television studio with the rest of the crew. He says the only symptom he has is a slight cough that he's has gotten better each day since his test last week.
NASCAR
Longtime fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. will join his late father in NASCAR's Hall of Fame next year, the feature attraction in the class of 2021. Junior won 26 races during his Cup career, including two Daytona 500s and the 2001 Pepsi 400 — four months after his father's death at the same track in February. The late Mike Stefanik also was elected along with Red Farmer from the pioneer ballot. Ralph Seagraves was chosen as the Landmark Award winner for outstanding contributions to the sport.
NHL
The Buffalo Sabres have fired general manager Jason Botterill in a dramatic change-of-course three weeks after co-owner Kim Pegula said his job was secure. The Sabres promoted senior vice president of business administration Kevyn Adams as Botterill's successor. Botterill's dismissal represents a major reversal for the Pegulas, coming three weeks after Kim Pegula told The Associated Press: "He's our GM. Our plan is to continue with him." Botterill was fired three seasons into his tenure and after the Sabres failed to show any signs of improvement in extending what's now a nine-year playoff drought. With a 30-31-8 record, Buffalo finished 13th in the Eastern Conference standings and one spot short of qualifying for the NHL's expanded 24-team playoff.
MLB
Former National League Cy Young award winner Mike McCormick has died at age 81. The San Francisco Giants say McCormick died at his home in North Carolina after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. McCormick played 16 years in the majors from 1956 to 1971 with the Giants, Orioles, Senators, Yankees and Royals. He had a 134-128 record with a 3.73 ERA with his greatest accomplishments coming with the Giants. In 1967, he went 22-10, leading the league in wins, and posted a 2.85 ERA. He completed 14 games and five shutouts and was the first San Francisco pitcher to win the Cy Young Award.
NBA
LaMelo Ball's bid to be a club owner in Australia hasn't worked out. The American is expected to go early in the upcoming NBA draft. The Australian basketball league has announced that a license for the Hawks of the Australian league will go to a consortium led by ex-Philadelphia 76ers general manager Bryan Colangelo. Ball's business manager, Jermaine Jackson, told ESPN in April that the ownership of the financially struggling Hawks was a "done deal." But the league later said it was exploring all options. Ball played 12 games for the Hawks last year before his season ended because of a bone bruise on his left foot.
In other NBA news:
Bam Adebayo thinks injuries could be more prevalent than usual when the NBA gets back on the floor next month, given the demands that will be on players' bodies after a long layoff. Miami's All-Star center is also thinking about the financial risks. Adebayo confirmed Tuesday that he is among five players -- a group who could soon graduate from rookie contracts to extensions worth in excess of $100 million -- seeking assurances from the NBA about if they'll be protected in the case of catastrophic injury when the season resumes at the Disney campus near Orlando, Florida.
Here's some of what awaits NBA players going to Disney next month: game rooms, golf course access, cabanas with misters to combat the heat, fishing areas, bowling, backstage tours and salon services. It only sounds like vacation. The NBA described very specific plans to players and teams for the restart on Tuesday, doing so in a memo and handbook both obtained by The Associated Press. With safety being of the foremost importance during the coronavirus pandemic, players were told they will be tested regularly and must adhere to strict physical distancing and mask-wearing policies.
NFL
The NFL announced Tuesday that the 2021 all-star game will be played at the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, Jan. 31 — one week before the Super Bowl in Tampa. Plans include what the league calls a week-long celebration of football and will include NFL FLAG Championship games and a Pro Bowl skills showdown in which players compete in a variety of events. There will be community and charity initiatives as well.
In other NFL news, alcohol is suspected in a hit-and-run crash that led to the arrest of New York Giants kicker Aldrick Rosas in Northern California. According to the California Highway Patrol, Rosas failed to stop for a red light and plowed his Chevrolet SUV into the side of a pickup truck Monday in the city of Chico. The CHP says Rosas kept driving and then walked away from the SUV when it broke down. He was arrested a short time later on suspicion of hit-and-run and driving on a suspended license.
THOROUGHBRED RACING
Tiz the Law looks every bit like the best 3-year-old in the world and is the Triple Crown favorite, even with the races being run out of their normal order. It'll take something spectacular Saturday from a watered-down field to prevent him from becoming the first New York-bred horse to win the Belmont Stakes in over 130 years. Tiz the Law has the same owners and trainer as Funny Cide, who fell just short of the Triple Crown in 2003. A Belmont win would complete 82-year-old trainer Barclay Tagg's personal Triple Crown and make Tiz the Law the front-runner for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby.
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