Steelers say fans not allowed for game vs Browns
At least the Cleveland Browns won’t have to play in front of a sea of Terrible Towels when they visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs on Sunday.
The Steelers had asked state officials to allow around 6,500 fans into Heinz Field, about 10% of capacity. The request was denied, meaning the cap will remain at 2,500, allowing only family and friends, a policy put in place following a surge in COVID-19 cases throughout Pennsylvania.
After beginning the season by playing two games inside an empty stadium, restrictions were eased in the fall for three contests. A crowd of 5,260 watched Pittsburgh drill the Browns 38-7 on Oct. 18. The more strident restrictions went into place in mid-November, and each of the Steelers’ final three games were played without fans.
Pittsburgh finished 7-1 at Heinz Field this season, a show of home-field dominance rare in 2020. Visiting teams posted a winning record (128-127-1) this season, the first time that’s happened since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
“Anyone who has been (to Heinz Field) knows how special it would be,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “I hate it for them. I hate it for the Steelers for the energy and excitement that it brings. But once again, that is what we are doing. That is what we are living in.”
The Cleveland Browns have placed safety Ronnie Harrison on the COVID-19 reserve list while they await permission from the NFL to practice before Cleveland’s first playoff game since 2003.
Harrison is the latest infection on the Browns, who will be without coach Kevin Stefanski for Sunday’s wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers after he tested positive with the virus. Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, says there has been “some spread” amongst the Browns players.
Safety Andrew Sendejo was activated from the COVID list as Harrison was added, but the team is down seven rotational players and six coaches at this point and its training facility in Berea, Ohio, remains closed.
The Browns haven’t had an onfield workout this week and quarterback Baker Mayfield says he hasn’t thrown a pass since last Sunday and has been working on his footwork at home. Contact tracing and a review of test results is ongoing before a decision is made on practice Thursday.
An NFL spokesman said there “is no change to the status of the game.”
The NBA says its latest round of testing for COVID-19 returned four confirmed positives out of 498 players tested since Dec. 30.
Any player who returns a confirmed positive test is isolated until cleared for leaving isolation under rules established by the NBA and its players’ union, in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.
The Seton Hall women’s basketball game at No. 3 Connecticut, originally scheduled for Feb. 10, will now be played next Wednesday in Storrs, Connecticut.
The Pirates were originally set to play at Creighton on Jan. 13, but that game was postponed due to the Bluejays’ current pause.
The Creighton women have paused team activities and postponed three games because of a recent positive COVID-19 test result. The team is on that pause for at least another eight days.
The Tulsa-Central Florida men’s basketball game scheduled for Saturday at Tulsa has been postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests and subsequent contact tracing among UCF athletes.
The American Athletic Conference made the announcement on Thursday. The game has not yet been rescheduled.
It’s the second straight postponement for UCF for the same reasons.
Tulsa’s next game now is scheduled for Jan. 13 at Wichita State. The Golden Hurricane are on a six-game win streak.
The Georgia State women’s basketball team has postposed two more Sun Belt Conference games after additional positive tests for COVID-19.
The Panthers (4-3) had paused all athletic activities last week following a pair of positive tests, leading to the postponement of home games against Coastal Carolina on Jan. 1 and 2.
The school announced Thursday the shutdown will continue for another seven days. Georgia State had been scheduled to host Troy State on Friday and Saturday.
No decision has been made on rescheduling the postponed games.
The Cleveland
Browns remain away from their facility and practice field while awaiting COVID-19 results only days before their first playoff game in nearly two decades.
The team has been limited to only virtual meetings in the aftermath of coach Kevin Stefanski, Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio and three others testing positive for the virus on Tuesday.
The Browns play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night in an AFC wild-card game.
Stefanski will not be on the sideline for Cleveland’s first postseason appearance since Jan. 5, 2003. Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will step in for Stefanski.
NFL rules prohibit any coaches from taking part remotely during games.
The Browns are hoping to get some players back from the COVID-19 list for the game. One is star cornerback Denzel Ward. He tested positive last week and missed Cleveland’s 24-22 win over Pittsburgh last Sunday.
Ward is Cleveland’s best defensive back and will be assigned to either Steelers wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster or Chase Claypool.
No. 5 South Carolina has paused team activities and postponed its women’s basketball game with Georgia on Thursday night.
The team said a combination of a positive coronavirus test, contact tracing and quarantine led them to halt things until further testing is done.
The Gamecocks are scheduled to play at No. 10 Kentucky on Sunday.