MAYFIELD “ABSOLUTELY” WILL KNEEL DURING NATIONAL ANTHEM

CLEVELAND» Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield plans to kneel during the national anthem this upcoming season to support protests of social injustice, police brutality and racism.

In answering a post from a fan on his Instagram account Saturday that pleaded with him not to kneel, Mayfield responded: “Pull your head out. I absolutely am.

Mayfield has been outspoken about the need for more understanding and justice following the killing of George Floyd, a black man, while in police custody in Minneapolis.

“It’s a pivotal time for change,” Mayfeld said Thursday. “What’s being addressed now obviously has been going on for a long time. So now everybody’s finally coming together to address it. And doing it the right way of holding people accountable.”

U.S. Soccer president addresses repeal of anthem policy. U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone apologized for the federation’s lack of leadership in the fight against racism as she addressed its decision to repeal a policy that required players to stand during the national anthem.

The federation’s board of directors voted earlier this week to repeal the rule, adopted in 2017 after national team player Megan Rapinoe kneeled during the anthem in support of Colin Kaepernick.

“We are committed to doing better to help fight racism and discrimination in all its forms,” Parlow Cone said. “Repealing Policy 604-1 was just the first step.”

Policy 604-1 states: “All persons representing a Federation national team shall stand respectfully during the playing of national anthems at any event in which the Federation is represented.”

Clemson football players lead hundreds in march for equality.

CLEMSON, S.C.» Members of the Clemson University football team led hundreds of demonstrators on the school’s campus Saturday as they marched for equality and against police brutality.

The demonstration included a moment of silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the length of time prosecutors say George Floyd, a 46-yearold black man, was pinned to the ground under a white Minneapolis police officer’s knee before he died last month.

“This is a historic time, and a challenging time,” head football coach Dabo Swinney told the crowd during a speech. “But as I tell my team all the time, challenge is what creates change. … Black lives more than matter — black lives significantly matter and equally matter. For far too long that has not been the case for the black community.”

TV money gives NFL leg up if fans can’t fill teams’ coffers. DALLAS» Timing favored the NFL over other major pro sports leagues in trying to figure out how to keep the coronavirus pandemic from wrecking the 2020 season.

America’s most popular sport has another big advantage if the games are played: TV money.

While NFL owners could lose billions collectively with limited capacities in stadiums or no fans at all, the league is well-positioned financially because of lucrative media contracts approaching $10 billion in a full 2020 season.

And so far, the NFL is on pace to play games this fall.

Coyotes staffer in isolation with coronavirus. An Arizona Coyotes staff member has tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolated at home in the Phoenix area.

The staffer is asymptomatic and feeling well, the team said.

All other staff members or players involved in phase 2 of the NHL’S testing protocol have tested negative as teams prepare to start voluntary small-group workouts on Monday.

NHL mandatory training camps can open July 10, pending an agreement to returning to play later this summer. — The Associated Press