Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and perhaps the most recognizable figure in the United States’ response to COVID-19, says sports leagues could return this summer, provided they do so without fans in attendance. Fauci told Peter Hamby of Snapchat that it’s possible […]
Tag: coronavirus
Southampton Reaches Wage Agreement With Players
As other English Premier League teams wrestle with payrolls of both playing and non-playing staff during the coronavirus pandemic, Southampton became the first EPL team to reach an agreement with players over wage deferrals. Under the agreement, the entire first-team squad will take 10% pay deferrals through June. In addition, […]
Poll: Most Americans Will Skip Sporting Events Until Coronavirus Vaccine Exists
Sports leagues worldwide are contemplating how they will return to action after the coronavirus pandemic peaks. Those plans will likely start without fans in attendance but, eventually, teams will need the revenue and atmosphere that comes with live audiences if they want to return to anything resembling business as usual. […]
Dana White: UFC 249 Canceled on April 18 After Calls from ESPN, Disney
UFC president Dana White said Thursday that UFC 249 will not go forward on April 18, despite his best efforts to make the event happen. White made the announcement to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, saying that the UFC’s broadcast partners took the decision out of his hands. UFC Told to ‘Stand […]
As Horse Racing Considers Its Future, NYRA and Churchill Downs Extend Track Closures
Both the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and Churchill Downs on Wednesday announced delays in opening or re-opening training facilities after coronavirus-related track closures. But the two influential racing organizations diverged as to when facilities should be ready to return for spring/summer meets in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
UFC 249 Taking Place on Tribal Lands at California’s Tachi Palace Casino Resort
The UFC will hold its next pay-per-view event in California, as UFC 249 will go off at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort, according to multiple media reports. The tribal casino has hosted mixed martial arts events in the past, with the resort hosting most of the early World Extreme Cagefighting […]
MLB, Players Consider Starting Season in May, Playing All Games in Arizona
Major League Baseball and its players’ union are considering a plan that would see the league start playing games as early as May in Arizona, according to multiple media reports. ESPN and the Associated Press cited sources who said that MLB officials had discussed several different plans for beginning the […]
Dana White: Location Found for UFC 249, Private Island Secured for Future Events
UFC president Dana White insisted he would find a way to hold UFC 249 and future cards after canceling three events due to the coronavirus pandemic. It appears that White is living up to that promise, as he claims to have secured a venue in the US for UFC 249, […]
Legendary New Orleans Saints Kicker Tom Dempsey Dies of COVID-19
Tom Dempsey, the half-footed New Orleans Saints kicker who held the record — or a share of it — for the longest field goal in NFL history at 63 yards, died Saturday after losing a fight with COVID-19. Dempsey, 73, had been suffering from both dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The […]
NFL Doctor: Widespread Testing Required for 2020 Season to Start on Time
NFL officials say they would like the 2020 season to begin on Sept. 10, the date that was set for the first game of the year prior to the coronavirus pandemic. But the league’s leading doctor now says that such a timeframe will only be possible if widespread testing is […]
WNBA Delaying Training Camps, Start of Regular Season
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced Friday that the league is pushing back the start of its 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. While the league is delaying most activities, the WNBA will still hold its draft on April 17, though it will use a virtual format with players participating […]
Toronto Says Professional Sports Teams Can Potentially Play Despite Ban on Large Events
Toronto officials have banned all city-permitted events through June 30, a move that concerned major sports leagues hoping they might be able to restart play by early summer. The city’s mayor is now providing those teams with some hope, saying the policy won’t apply to major sporting events in the […]
Golden Gate Fields Ends Live Racing, Latest California Track to Close
Alameda County public health officials shut down Golden Gate Fields Thursday morning, closing the Northern California track in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The track, located between the San Francisco Bay and Interstate 80 on the western edge of Berkeley, issued a statement late Thursday morning announcing the closure. That […]
Wimbledon Canceled for First Time Since WWII Due to Coronavirus
The All England Club announced the cancellation of the 2020 Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The decision means that this will be the first year 1945 that Wimbledon will not take place, with the last cancellation being due to World War II. This is also […]
Through Wars and Pandemics, Horse Racing Has Shown Ability to Adapt and Survive
This flu crisis was unparalleled in history. The future of horse racing was so much in doubt that the Daily Racing Form wrote, “The wheels of the organization are practically at a standstill for the time being.†Horse racing was in trouble. Tracks in Maryland closed their doors. The Latonia […]
Santa Anita Derby Pushed Back As Track Officials Lobby For Reopening
As track officials continue lobbying to resume racing, Santa Anita Park remains closed for another weekend. That pushes back Saturday’s planned Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby and Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks to dates yet to be determined. On Friday, Los Angeles County health officials abruptly shut the track down, […]
Hong Kong Horse Racing Runs Uninterrupted Amid COVID-19 Fears
It is a late March Wednesday night at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong and normally, the track would be teeming with upwards of 20,000 racing fans. But even without spectators in this era of the COVID-19 virus, horse racing gallops along in Hong Kong without interruption or questioning about […]
Chinese Basketball Association Delays Restart, Raising Questions for Leagues Worldwide
The Chinese General Administration of Sport ordered the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) to delay its restart on Tuesday, a decision that doesn’t bode well for the return of other sports leagues across the globe. The CBA had planned to return to play on April 15, then pushed that date back […]
How (And Why) The Belarusian Premier League Keeps Playing During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Throughout the world, sports leagues have chosen to shut down in the face of the coronavirus pandemic as a way to help slow the spread of COVID-19. But bettors around the world have noticed there’s one notable exception: The Belarusian Premier League, where soccer teams continue to compete every weekend. […]
New York Knicks and Rangers Owner James Dolan Tests Positive for Coronavirus
One of the most-loathed owners in professional sports tested positive for COVID-19. News broke late on Saturday evening that James Dolan, owner of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, has been diagnosed with coronavirus. Dolan, 64, is self-isolating in an undisclosed location. According to a press release, “James […]