Love nominated for humanitarian award

Nelson Cruz of the Twins, Kevin Love of the Cavaliers, and brothers Devin and Jason McCourty of the Patriots are among the nominees for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.

Nelson Cruz of the Minnesota Twins, Kevin Love of the Cavaliers, and brothers Devin and Jason McCourty of the New England Patriots are among the nominees for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.

The other finalists announced Wednesday by ESPN are Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx and WWE wrestler Titus O’Neil.

Finalists for the humanitarian team of the year award are the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York City FC and Sacramento Kings.

The awards honor athletes, teams and sports industry professionals who are using sports to make a difference in their communities. This year’s awards will combine with The ESPYS, which will air on June 21.

NFL

FACE GUARD THAT WORKS LIKE SURGICAL MASK STUDIED » With an eye toward getting back on the field during a pandemic, the NFL is working on a helmet face guard that might provide the same sort of protection as a surgical mask.

Falcons president Rich McKay, who heads up the league’s competition committee, said the issue was raised during a conference call about a month ago.

“A lot of players have played with a clear shield to protect their eyes,” McKay said Tuesday during a video conference call with Atlanta media. “This would be extended even further.”

Thom Mayer, the medical director of the NFL Players Association, said league engineers and sports equipment company Oakley are testing prototypes of a modified face mask that might contain surgical or N95 material.

“I had suggested that we should consider novel and emerging ways to handle the helmets and the face masks and the spread of the virus,” Mayer said on a podcast with ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “These guys got the bit between their teeth.”

Work on the face mask is far enough along that “there will probably be a recommendation” to use it when the league begins its preseason schedule in August, according to Mayer.

COWBOYS’ SMITH REINSTATED » Aldon Smith will be able to take part in team activities with the Cowboys after the NFL on Wednesday conditionally reinstated the pass rusher from an indefinite suspension for off-field issues.

Smith, who hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2015, will be able to participate in the Cowboys’ virtual offseason program starting next week. He can also meet with teammates and coaches.

‘SNF’ IS NO. 1 AGAIN » NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” will finish as prime time’s mostviewed series for the ninth consecutive year as the 2019-20 television season wraps up May 20.

According to Nielsen, “Sunday Night Football” averaged 20.5 million viewers in 2019, which was a 5% increase over 2018. It also marked NBC’s best season since 2015.

College sports

WORK RESUMES » Work on Alabama’s BryantDenny Stadium has resumed after an undisclosed number of workers tested positive for the coronavirus, temporarily halting work on the construction project.

Montgomery-based Caddell Construction Company, the project’s chief contractor, told The Tuscaloosa News that work resumed Monday after the weekend stoppage. The company didn’t disclose the number of positive tests but said it “restricted operations over the past weekend after receiving notice of positive tests among some employees and trade partners.”