NASCAR extends its shutdown
NASCAR has postponed the May 9 race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, which is under a stay-at-home order into June.
NASCAR suspended its season four events into the year when sports shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. It listed Martinsville as its first race to resume but acknowledged Friday it will not be able to hold the event.
NASCAR said it is still committed to running all 36 Cup Series races this year and will consider holding events without fans. To date, eight races have been postponed.
NASCAR has privately given teams a revised schedule in which racing would return with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24. The revisions call for some weeknight races and doubleheaders through the summer.
“Our intention remains to run all 36 races with a potential return to racing without fans in attendance in May at a date and location to be determined,” NASCAR said. “We will continue to consult with health experts and local, state and federal officials as we assess future scheduling options.”
The next event on the NASCAR calendar is the All-Star race on May 16 at Charlotte.
Colleges: San Diego State G Malachi Flynn, a consensus All-American and the Mountain West Conference player of the year, will forgo his senior season and enter the NBA draft. Flynn, who led the Aztecs to a 30-2 record, averaged 17.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds. He failed to score in double digits in only one game. ... North Carolina freshman PG Cole Anthony is entering the NBA draft. The 6-foot-3 Anthony — son of former UNLV and NBA player Greg Anthony — averaged a team-high 18.5 points.
Golf: Marion Hollins was elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame through through the contributor’s category, joining a 2021 class that so far includes Tiger Woods. Hollins financed and developed a golf course for women in New York and was the brains behind two fabled golf courses in California.
NFL: The Bears released veteran TETrey Burton after his injury-riddled season. Burton dealt with a groin injury all last season and went on injured reserve in November after a calf injury. He had 14 receptions for 84 yards in eight games. And when the Bears signed former All-Pro Jimmy Graham last month, that put his future in question. ... The Patriots re-signed restricted free-agent DL Adam Butler. He had a career-high 26 tackles and six sacks in 2019.
NHL: Dustin Byfuglien and the Jets agreed to mutually terminate his contract, potentially marking the end of a playing career for “Big Buff.” The agreement ended a lengthy dispute between Byfuglien and the organization over his absence this season. Because there was no financial settlement as part of the termination, the 14-year veteran defenseman walked away from the $14 million remaining on his contract with no guarantee he’ll play again.
Soccer: MLS is pushing back restarting the season to at least June 8 and says it is also discussing possible salary cuts with the players’ union. Teams had played two matches before the season was suspended on March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic and the league had been looking at possibly resuming play in mid-May. The league would still like to play a full season. MLS also said it is exploring possible “changes to player compensation” because of the financial hit the league and teams are facing. Possible salary cuts of as much as 50% for some players were first reported by ESPN, which cited sources. ... English Premier League clubs discussed how the season can be completed when the government declares it is safe for sports to resume during the coronavirus pandemic. Britain’s national lockdown was extended on Thursday for another three weeks, making it unclear when players can resume training or matches will be permitted, even without fans as is expected. ... Norman Hunter, a former Leeds defender who was part of England’s World Cup-winning squad in 1966, died with COVID-19. He was 76.
WNBA: The New York Liberty selected Oregon G Sabrina Ionescu as the top overall pick in the WNBA. Her teammate with the Ducks, F Satou Sabally, was selected No. 2 by the Dallas Wings.