More than half of NFL coaching staffs not at team facilities

More than half of the 32 NFL teams did not have coaching staffs at their facilities Friday even though the league has approved such returns where local governments allow them.

Clubs with coaches in place at their training complexes were Super Bowl champion Kansas City, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Houston, Washington, Denver, Dallas, Jacksonville and Atlanta. While entire staffs had not yet returned in many cities, on hand were such head coaches as the Chiefs’ Andy Reid, the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin, the Falcons’ Dan Quinn, the Broncos’ Vic Fangio and three of the new hires: the Browns Kevin Stefanski, the Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy and the Redskins’ Ron Rivera, who had much of his staff with him.

After his team’s protest march against inequality and police

brutality that went from the stadium to the steps of the local sheriff ’s department in Jacksonville, Jaguars coach Doug Marrone went to his office, but no other coaches accompanied him.

“We’ve operated virtually from our homes this whole offseason,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said, “so I made it totally optional for our staff. If they wanted to come in, they can. It is great to be back here today, but I’m going to leave it up to each individual’s discretion whether or not they want to come back into this building.””

Texans coach Bill O’Brien was holding discussions on when his staff would begin joining him at the team facility.

Most of the Bengals coaching staff returned to the facility today, including head coach Zac Taylor. Some coaches were traveling back to Cincinnati.

Ex-Dodgers star Carl Crawford arrested on assault charge

HOUSTON — Former Los Angeles Dodgers star Carl Crawford has been arrested after his former girlfriend accused him of assaulting her during an argument over a man she had begun dating.

An arrest affidavit filed Wednesday by Houston police states that the ballplayer-turned-record producer went to the home of Gabriele Washington on May 8, produced a handgun from which he unloaded the ammunition in her presence, then demanded information on her latest dating relationship.

Washington told investigators Crawford pushed her to the floor, slammed her head against a wall and choked her. Crawford is free on $50,000 bond.

When her year-old daughter walked up, she distracted Crawford, who is her father, and Washington ran to call police. Crawford then fled but followed up with threatening cellphone texts to Washington, according to the affidavit.

A message to his attorney, Rusty Hardin, seeking comment was not returned immediately.

The incident happened a week before a 5-year-old boy and a woman drowned in the backyard pool at Crawford’s Houston home.

From Houston, the 38-yearold Crawford was a four-time

All-Star outfielder. He last played in the major leagues in 2016 with the Dodgers.

IndyCar drivers uncertain how aeroscreen will work at Texas

INDIANAPOLIS — Graham Rahal admits he is nervous about Saturday’s race.

He is a little leery about opening the IndyCar season at one of the series’ trickiest tracks — without testing, with limited practice time and revised tire rules. He is also curious how IndyCar’s newest safety feature, the windscreen, will perform in its long-awaited and long-delayed debut.

“This is going to be a first for us — the glare, the pitting, does it get beat up on an oval, just the visibility standpoint, the heat, all of these things on an oval,” Rahal said. “We just don’t have any answers for that.”

Series officials started searching in earnest for another safety device for their open cockpits after Justin Wilson died in August 2015 after being hit in the head by a broken part from another car. Formula One incorporated a protective “halo” in 2018. Then, in May 2019, IndyCar officials announced they would add the Red Bull Advanced Technologies version to its cars this season.

The clear wraparound screen is anchored to the cockpit with a titanium frame and includes an anti-fogging heat. The company says this windscreen will be as safe as the F1 device and can withstand 17 tons of force.

Former Olympic minister says March is deadline for Tokyo

TOKYO — Next spring has been set by former Olympic minister Toshikai Endo as a possible deadline for deciding whether the postponed Tokyo Games can go ahead.

“March next year is a time when we face major questions on whether athletes can be selected,” Endo was quoted as saying by Japanese broadcaster NHK on Friday. “We have to make a judgment in various ways depending on the situation then.”

Endo was speaking at a meeting of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

The Olympics are due to open on July 23, 2021, followed by the Paralympics on Aug. 24. The games had been scheduled for this year but were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“If the global coronavirus is not over by (next spring), particularly if the situation does not allow for the selection of athletes, (holding the games) would be quite difficult,” Endo was quoted as saying by the Japanese newspaper Sankei.

Endo is the latest powerful politician to speak out this week about the games, bracing the Japanese public for possible changes and costs.

Tokyo Governor Yurkio Koike said Thursday the games were likely to be downsized and undergo many changes.

Koike spoke on a day when many to Japan’s most powerful newspapers also ran stories, citing unnamed sources, saying the games were likely to face quarantines, few fans and billion of dollars in bills.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and fellow IOC member John Coates, who oversees Tokyo preparations, have been hinting for several weeks about myriad problems.

Liverpool could end 30-year title drought at home after all

MANCHESTER, England — Liverpool could end its 30year title drought at home after all when the English Premier League resumes after the pandemic-enforced suspension.

Police originally indicated they wanted the club’s second game after the restart against Crystal Palace to be at a neutral venue because of concerns that supporters could congregate outside Anfield, while they are prohibited from being inside. But the game on June 24 is scheduled at Liverpool’s home stadium.

The Merseyside derby at Everton could still be played away from Goodison Park on June 21, with the venue yet to be confirmed.

Liverpool leads second-placed Manchester City by 25 points and is two wins from winning the title.

Jürgen Klopp’s side could clinch the trophy in its first game back against Everton if City loses to Arsenal on June 17. Before that 1915 GMT kickoff in Manchester, a game between Aston Villa and Sheffield United will mark the return of the league from its 100-day coronavirus shutdown in a 1700 GMT kickoff.

A reconfigured

League schedule released on Friday initially sees 32 games in 16 days— only two days will be without any action.

Ohio State football to allow workouts on Monday

Ohio State says football players will be permitted to begin voluntary workouts in school facilities on Monday.

Other athletes will follow later this month, with basketball players among those who can start voluntary training on June

15. To be cleared to begin working out, Ohio State athletes will tested for COVID-19 and quarantined until test results are available.

The NCAA gave schools the go-ahead last month to allow athletes to return to campus and begin voluntary use of team facilities for conditioning and training workouts on June

1.

The Big Ten, unlike some conferences, has set no standard start date. Maryland, Penn State and Michigan State have previously announced voluntary workouts for athletes will be permitted starting June 15.

Colonial attracts top 5 in the world in return to PGA Tour

FORT WORTH, Texas — The PGA Tour returns after three months, and some of its biggest stars are ready to play.

The 148-man field for the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial features the top five in the world — Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson.

The biggest name — Tiger Woods — chose not to play. Woods has only played Colonial once, in 1997, when he was going for his third straight victory and shot 72 in the final round to finish three shots behind.

The tour shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the rest of sports, after the opening round of The Players Championship on March 12.

The return requires players to be tested for the coronavirus upon arrival and, for those taking a charter to the next tournament at Hilton Head, another test before they leave. They also will have daily thermal readings and health questionnaires. That also applies to caddies and what the tour deems essential personnel.

The field features 18 of the top 25 in the world, giving it a strength-of-field comparable to a World Golf Championship.