Report: NFL players want to cancel preseason
The NFL plans to consider the NFL Players Association’s recommendation to cancel the preseason though it prefers to cut the schedule in half, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press on Friday night.
The league decided Wednesday to cut its preseason from four games to two and push back the start of exhibition play so teams have more time to train because the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of offseason practices, a person with knowledge of the decision told the AP.
But the union’s board of player representatives voted Thursday to ask the league to cancel the entire preseason schedule, according to two people who were part of that conversation.
According to the collective bargaining agreement, the NFL can impose up to four preseason games per team this season and up to three when the regular season goes to 17 games in 2021.
The teams that play in the annual Hall of Fame game may play an extra game. That game between the Cowboys and Steelers scheduled for Aug. 6 already was canceled.
The four people spoke on condition of anonymity because the league and the union haven’t reached an agreement.
ETC.
MLB: New York Yan
A kees pitcher Masahiro
Tanaka was alert and sent to a hospital after being hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of slugger Gian
carlo Stanton during live batting practice, a frightening scene during the team’s first official summer camp workout. Tanaka’s hat flew off and he immediately collapsed to the ground, cradling his head at Yankee Stadium. Trainers quickly ran to Tanaka, who stayed down for a few minutes before sitting up. Trainers tended to his head and appeared to check his vision. Tanaka was helped to his feet and walked off the field with help. He was sent to New York-Presbyterian Hospital for further evaluation.
A Soccer: Bayern Munich players celebrated in front of empty stands after claiming its 20th German Cup title. The team showed its domestic dominance by beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in the country’s first cup final held without supporters present, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Bayern, which had already won its eighth straight Bundesliga title, retained the cup with
goals from David Alaba, Serge Gnabry and two from Robert Lewandow
ski as he passed the 50-goal mark for this season. It was Bayern’s second straight league and cup double, its 13th overall. ... Cristiano
Ronaldo finally scored with a free kick in the Italian league to help Juventus beat Torino 4-1 in a match which also saw Gianluigi Buffon set the Serie A appearance record. Ronaldo scored Juve’s third goal to take his tally to 25 league goals this season, four behind Lazio forward Ciro Immobile who leads the Serie A scoring charts. The Turin derby was Buffon’s 648th appearance in Italy’s top flight, moving the 42-year-old ‘keeper one ahead of AC Milan great Paolo Maldini, who set the record in 2009. Buffon matched this record on Dec. 18 against Sampdoria.
College basketball:
A Highly touted prospect
Makur Maker verbally committed to Howard University, picking the Bison over college basketball powerhouses UCLA, Kentucky and Memphis. The five-star recruit is the highest-ranked player to commit to a Historically Black College or University since ESPN began tracking rankings in 2007. Maker is a 6-foot-11, 235-pound center who declared for the NBA draft in April before opting to consider college basketball. Maker is ranked No. 16 by ESPN.