Coronavirus and Sports,..The Effects.

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NFL implements enhanced protocols for teams exposed to COVID-19

The NFL implemented a series of enhanced protocols Thursday for teams to follow after exposure to the COVID-19 virus, as it navigates an outbreak among the Tennessee Titans and potential transmission to the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings, who have not yet returned a positive test result after playing the Titans last Sunday, used the protocols after reopening their facility and practicing Thursday. The enhanced protocols include two daily tests; one is the traditional PCR (nasal swab) test and the other is a POC (point of care) test that returns faster results. All Tier 1 and Tier 2 employees must test negative on the POC test before entering the facility. PPE and face masks must also be worn by all players and coaches on the practice field and gloves must be worn by everyone except quarterbacks on their throwing hand. All meetings must be virtual and there will also be daily deep cleanings of the facility. The protocols also include a prohibition on team or player gatherings away from the facility.

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Steelers-Titans postponed after positive COVID-19 tests in Tennessee

Sunday's game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans has been postponed to either Monday or Tuesday. The NFL said in a statement Wednesday that a new game date and time will be announced as soon as possible, adding that the postponement will "allow additional time for further daily COVID-19 testing and to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel." The postponement follows positive COVID-19 tests among the Titans from four players -- including starting nose tackle DaQuan Jones, long-snapper Beau Brinkley and practice squad tight end Tommy Hudson and five team personnel members this week. The Minnesota Vikings, who played the Titans on Sunday, had no positive results in their latest round of coronavirus testing, an NFL spokesperson told ESPN's Dan Graziano earlier Wednesday.

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Source: Two more Tennessee Titans players test positive for COVID-19
Officials from the NFL and the NFL Players Association are in Nashville to check into the spread of the coronavirus on the team, sources told ESPN, confirming a report by NFL Network.

 

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Sources: New England Patriots QB Cam Newton tests positive for COVID-19
Newton has been one of the Patriots' top performers during the team's 2-1 start. He's 62-of-91 for 714 yards, with two touchdown passes and two interceptions, and has added 35 rushes for 149 yards and four touchdowns.

 

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Matchroom Sports boxing promoter Eddie Hearn announces he has COVID-19
Hearn, 41, promotes such fighters as unified heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua, undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor, super middleweight world titlist Callum Smith, middleweight titlist Gennadiy Golovkin and lightweight titleholder Devin Haney, among others.

 

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Sources: New England Patriots-Kansas City Chiefs planned for Monday
The plan is contingent on negative COVID-19 tests. Teams don't usually test on game days, but sources said that both teams will be tested Monday morning. Patriots players were tested Sunday morning and all the tests came back negative, according to sources.


Sources: Minnesota Vikings' game-day tests for coronavirus come back negative
The NFL wanted to make sure that the Vikings continued to test negative for COVID-19, as they have throughout the week. The Vikings also had no positive tests Saturday morning, a source told ESPN.

 

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Arizona football coach Kevin Sumlin tests positive for COVID-19
Sumlin, 56, received the result following a recent round of testing of Arizona's athletic department staff. He has entered self-isolation and is currently not experiencing any symptoms. Arizona immediately initiated contact tracing and determined that Sumlin's positive test is not related to any team activities or close contacts within the football program.

 

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Davis upset by sight of maskless Raiders at event
Las Vegas Raiders looking into why players were without masks at charity event

Las Vegas Raiders' Derek Carr says players 'felt terrible' about mask issue

Source: 10 Raiders fined after no-mask event

 

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Pittsburgh Steelers allowing 5,500 fans into Heinz Field on Sunday

There will be 5,500 fans allowed into Heinz Field when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, team president Art Rooney II announced Tuesday. Gov. Tom Wolf announced new amendments to guidelines for safe gathering in the state earlier in the day, allowing outdoor gatherings in venues with a capacity of more than 10,000 to 15% of maximum capacity, up to 7,500 people. Fans who get a ticket must wear face masks and maintain social distancing guidelines. Tailgating is also not permitted in stadium parking lots.

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Tennessee Titans have no positive COVID-19 tests, can open facility Wednesday

The Tennessee Titans had no positive COVID-19 tests Tuesday, head coach Mike Vrabel said Tuesday. The team could return to the practice facility on Wednesday though the Titans haven't been cleared to go back into the building. Vrabel said he's hopeful they'll get approval Wednesday morning. A total of 20 Titans players and other staff members have returned positive coronavirus tests since Sept. 24. The NFL announced last week that the game between the Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4 was postponed untl Oct. 25.

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Tennessee Titans-Buffalo Bills moved from Sunday to Tuesday

Sunday's Denver Broncos-New England Patriots game moved to Monday at 5

 

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SEC warns of fines, bans for coronavirus protocol violations

Baylor Bears suspend all football activities due to positive COVID-19 tests

 

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Sources: Broncos-Patriots game moved to next Sunday after new positive coronavirus test

The Broncos-Patriots game that had been rescheduled to Monday is now being moved to next Sunday after the Patriots had one new positive test for the coronavirus Sunday morning, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Patriots were to be on bye in Week 6, while the Broncos were supposed to play Miami. The Dolphins-Broncos game is being rescheduled.

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Tennessee Titans staff member tests positive for coronavirus, facility closed

After two consecutive days of negative test results, a member of the Tennessee Titans' team staff tested positive for the coronavirus Sunday morning. "This morning we learned that a staff member tested positive. We have temporarily closed our facility and are in communication with the league on the next steps," a team statement said. The Titans have now received a total of 24 positive test results dating back to Sept. 24. Sunday's positive test result was the 11th for a staff member. A total of 13 players tested positive over that span.

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Vanderbilt-Missouri first SEC football game postponed by COVID-19

The Missouri-Vanderbilt football game scheduled for Saturday in Columbia, Missouri, has been postponed to a later date, tentatively Dec. 12, making it the first SEC game to be moved this season because of issues related to COVID-19. Vanderbilt was down to 56 scholarship players last week in a 41-7 loss to South Carolina, and the school said Monday in a news release that the postponement of the Missouri game was due to a lack of scholarship athletes. The SEC's Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force stipulates that a team must have at least 53 scholarship players available to play a game, including seven offensive linemen (with one center), four defensive linemen and one quarterback. This is the 28th FBS game overall to be postponed or canceled since Aug. 26.

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Los Angeles Lakers say public championship celebration has to wait due to COVID-19 pandemic

The 17th NBA title in Lakers franchise history is still fresh in the minds of the fans, but any public celebration of the championship in Los Angeles will have to wait. The Lakers announced Monday that because of safety precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team will hold off on any type of public celebration of the team's feat. The Lakers beat the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Sunday in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, concluding their 95-day stay in the league's bubble.

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Saturday's LSU-Florida football game postponed after COVID-19 spike
The game has tentatively been rescheduled for the SEC's built-in bye week on Dec. 12, which is the week before the SEC championship.

Alabama football coach Nick Saban, athletic director Greg Byrne test positive for COVID-19
Saban said he informed his players of his positive test in a Zoom call at 2 p.m. Wednesday. He said his message to players has been to assume that anyone they come into contact with might be infected and to be cautious

 

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Atlanta Falcons shut down facility after positive coronavirus test
"This decision was made in consultation with the NFL and medical officials," the Falcons said in a statement. "The health and safety of our team is our highest priority."

New England Patriots' Cam Newton to rejoin team Thursday after COVID-19
That would put Newton on track to start Sunday at home against the Denver Broncos (CBS, 1 p.m. ET). Newton had gone on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Oct. 3 after testing positive.

 

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Sources: Multiple SEC schools to lose conference revenue for not following COVID-19 protocols

Multiple SEC schools will have revenue from the conference deducted as a result of not following proper COVID-19 protocols, sources told ESPN. According to a memo sent by SEC commissioner Greg Sankey last week, schools will have their conference revenue distribution cut by $100,000 for each week that they do not follow protocols. Also, Alabama coach Nick Saban and athletic director Greg Byrne announced Wednesday that they had tested positive for the virus.

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Source: New England Patriots place Sony Michel, Shaq Mason, Derek Rivers on reserve/COVID-19 list
Those placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list either have tested positive for COVID-19 or are a close contact to someone who tested positive. The Patriots host the Denver Broncos on Sunday (CBS, 1 p.m. ET), and Ferentz, Mason and Rivers will not play in the game. Michel wouldn't have played anyway as he is on injured reserve.

Source: New England Patriots reopen facility following positive COVID-19 test Friday
The Patriots had been scheduled to practice early Friday afternoon, but abruptly canceled the workout after learning of a positive COVID-19 test, a source told ESPN. The team was also awaiting confirmation on the possibility of a second positive test, according to a source.

 

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Big Ten will deem any football game canceled by COVID-19 a 'no contest
The Big Ten, which begins its season at 8 p.m. ET on Friday when No. 14 Wisconsin hosts Illinois, is attempting to play an eight-game conference season in eight weeks, plus a ninth game for all 14 teams during Big Ten champions week the weekend of Dec. 19

Carolina Panthers put CB Rasul Douglas on COVID-19 list; K Joey Slye back
Slye and Scott were deemed at risk after being in contact with another person who tested positive for the coronavirus. They were quarantined from the facility beginning on Monday, when players, coaches and staff members were asked to work remotely for two days.

 

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Over 30 college basketball teams to play in Mohegan Sun bubble

A resort casino on tribal land in Connecticut is finalizing plans to host more than 30 college basketball teams as it becomes a modified bubble for several early-season tournaments, including two being moved from New York. The Mohegan Sun has teamed up with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which holds its men's Tip-Off Tournament and Women's Challenge there every year, and the Gazelle Group, which runs the Empire Classic and the Legends Classic in New York.The Mohegan Sun has already developed protocols for coronavirus testing, cleaning and managing sports during the pandemic. It also has its own medical staff and facilities to treat and isolate anyone who may be infected.The organizers are not planning to allow fans at the games, but said that could change if the coronavirus metrics suggest it would be safe to allow a limited number of people into the arena, Procino said. The media will be set up in sky boxes and postgame news conferences will be done by teleconference.

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NFL fines Tennessee Titans $350K for COVID-19 violations
Tennessee had 24 players and team personnel members test positive for the coronavirus from Sept. 24 to Oct. 11. That led to the postponement of the Titans' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4, a game that will be played Sunday.

New York Giants aware of video showing Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley without masks
The Giants lost 22-21 to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night and do not play again until Nov. 2 on Monday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.