NFLPA wants daily virus testing
The NFL Players Assn. wants players tested daily for the coronavirus, one of the outstanding points in discussions with the NFL over health and safety protocols as the start of training camp draws near.
“We believe daily testing is important, especially given some of these hot spots,” NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said Friday, referring to states with increasing numbers of coronavirus cases. “We don’t right now plan on changing that position.”
The league and the union already finalized protocols regarding team travel, media and treatment response, and updated the facilities protocol to specifically address training camp based on recommendations from a joint committee of doctors, trainers and strength coaches formed by the league and players’ union. The committee recommended testing every other day.
As construction at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood enters the final stages, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported Thursday that 49 people working at the $5-billion project have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The total, which doesn’t detail when the workers were tested or what jobs they performed, represents an increase of 16 cases in the department’s count in a little more than a week. — Nathan Fenno
Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth revealed that he and his family all tested positive for the coronavirus.
Whitworth said the outbreak began after one family member had lunch with a friend. He also said his father-in-law was hospitalized as a result but has been released. — Jeff Miller
Five more major league baseball players tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week, raising the total to 80 since testing started in late June . ... Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed guard Eric Bledsoe tested positive for COVID-19 . ... Washington Mystics forward Tina Charles was medically excused for the season . ... Major League Soccer delayed the first seasons of expansion teams in Charlotte, North Carolina; St. Louis; and Sacramento by one year each because of the pandemic . ... The NHRA has postponed its next two stops because of the pandemic while adding a fourth race in the Indianapolis area . ... The Atlantic 10 Conference is postponing its fall sports season.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, speaking before a first-ever virtual session of his membership, pushed back against what he called “the growing misuse of sport for political purposes.”
The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing could face stern opposition — maybe even boycotts — because of China’s human rights record. — David Wharton
Receiver A.J. Green signed his one-year, $17.9million contract after the deadline passed for agreeing to a long-term deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning was selected as a Vezina Trophy finalist for the third consecutive season, along with Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck and Boston’s Tuukka Rask . ... The NBA has told teams that voting for postseason awards will be completed before the July 30 restart of the season.
The Assn. of Volleyball Professionals will return to action Saturday with the Monster Hydro Cup, the first of three consecutive weekends of tournaments at a man-made beach volleyball venue in the Long Beach Convention Center parking lots.
The AVP tournaments, which are replacing the tour’s original national 2020 schedule, will not include fans and will keep players distanced until matches begin. All participants tested negative for COVID-19 this week, according to Chief Operating Officer Al Lau. — Jack Harris
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and a pilot struggled to open a crashed airplane’s wing emergency exit as the aircraft began to burn and fill with smoke before the exrace car driver and his family managed to escape from the main door, according to new details about the 2019 accident released by the National Transportation Safety Board.
In a preliminary report, NTSB investigators have said part of the landing gear collapsed and a section of the right wing hit the runway as the plane bounced twice before touching down a third time with about 1,000 feet of paved surface remaining.
Suspended New York Yankees right-hander Domingo German posted on Instagram about being proud of his time with the club and then posted, “I’ve left baseball. Thanks everyone.”
Manager Aaron Boone said he wasn’t sure about the situation.
Former Army outfielder and captain Jacob Hurtubise has agreed to a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds.
Simon Pagenaud came from the last starting spot before holding off Scott Dixon in the final laps to win the opener of IndyCar's doubleheader at Iowa Speedway.
Sporting Kansas City defeated shorthanded Colorado 3-2 in the MLS Is Back tournament in Florida.
D.C. United rallied for a 1-1 draw with the New England Revolution, and Real Salt Lake and Minnesota played to a scoreless tie.