………….(Baseball)…………….

MLB….Expected to make announcement Commissioner Rob Manfred invoking a baseball schedule of around 60-games with pro rated pay after talks with the Union collapse on Saturday….Lawyers on both sides issued nasty letters accusing each side of negotiating in ‘bad faith’..Owners last proposal was 72-games with 83% of pro rated salary to be paid plus perks on free agent compensation…qualifying offers…Opt-out clause for players…Playoff clause that players would have to give back further money if virus outbreak led to cancellation of playoffs.

Owners….Say they made 4-good faith offers with increase guaranteed pay but that they cannot play a partial schedule if players demand full pay with no fans in the stands….says Union never followed up on agreement to revisit pay structure if fans could not attend games…Report Manfred wants to make another offeer so Union won’t have chance to file a grievance.

Union….Says talks are ‘futile’ because owners crying poverty without providing documentation and players do not believe they should take a 2nd paycut to play whatever schedule is left…Tell owners by Monday night-tell us how many games to play and when to report.

Owners…Next crisis will be if owners withdraw some of perks they had offered to players like ‘Full year’ service time towards free agency and arbitration…’Ending qualifying offers for marquee free agents’…’Reduction of big amount of TV post season bonus money.

MLB…Reports signs TV-contract extension for postseason with Turner Broadcasting…Starting in 2022-MLB TV deal with network will go from 325M-to-470M per year…Turner will receive additional Division Series and wildcard games as part of package.

New York…Judge in lawsuit will decide whether to unseal MLB lettere to Yankees with details of probe of 2017-Sign Stealing scandal that might have involved Yankees wrongdoing.

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(MLB)

Padres…Window opened 6am-Sunday to sign undrafted free agents…Players would be limited to just 20,000-bonus per player.

Padres…Open negotiations to sign top draft picks…Padres may attempt to sign both number 1-picks at below value to give 3rd round pick a higher package to convince him to leave college. Slot system:
..#1-OF-Robert Hassell could get (5.1M)
..#1-P-Justin Lange could receive (2.1M)
..#2-OF-Owen Caissie could receive (1.6M)
..#3-P-Cole Wilcox due (787,000)

Boston…Fired manager Alex Cora says he hopes to return to baseball next year after 1-year suspension ends.

Mets..Wilpon family confirms 5-different groups bidding to buy franchise.

Cincinnati…Longtime baseball author Lonnie Wheeler passes away (68Y)…wrote books on Reds-Cubs-Hank Aaron-Bob Gibson.

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…………………..(Basketball)………………

NBA….80-veteran players take part in Video Conference Call-headed by Kyrie Irving…expressing concern about plans to restart season in ‘Orlando bubble’ in July…Players upset they were not included in any of decisions invoked by Commissioner Adam Silver ;;;Worried about Health-Safety Protocols….Banning of families from NBA bubbles-hotels……says NBA forcing ‘Life Changing Decisions with Life Risking rules’….Players also want to use their ‘platform’ to deliver stronger message about racial inequality.

NBA Union…Director Michele Roberts says she believes some players will test positive in the bubble…that players have a right to sit out….Will have to forfeit pay if they do…Fears there will be no fans in the stands to start the 2020-21 season…says not in favor of December starting date for next year

CDC…Dr. Anthony Fauci says he ‘approved’ the NBA restart plan…says NBA would start with ‘Clean Baseline’ within bubble…Also mandated that Disney workers remain in bubble also to service players

NBA…Sends out memo that teams can sign unsigned veteran free agents who have been in the league in the past and could include them on 17-man rosters for postseason…Cannot sign European draft picks who were not in NBA…Opens door for teams to sign Jamal Crawford-JR Smith for postseason.

NBA…Sends out memo that the 8-teams not taking part in playoffs will have their players paid on pro rated basis for the final 8-games of season that bubble teams will play before playoffs begin.

NY Knicks…Former F-Gerald Wilkens remanded to pyshiatric hospital for exams after 2-assault arrests within 1-week in Atlanta.

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………………..(Football)…………………..

Baltimore…Ravens coach John Harbaugh says NFL protocols to reopen training camp are ‘impossible to implement’….says training camp has to be about teaching…closeup proximity…hands on training…meetings.

Seattle..Coach Pete Carroll is proposing his team meetings be held outdoors in covered tent areas for each part of his roster.

Rams..Ended virtual classroom work on Friday…QB-Jared Goff to conduct private workouts with his receivers.

Washington..Mayor Muriel Bowser says it is ‘past-time’ that Redskins dropped their team name.

Dallas..DE-Michael Bennett says NFL owners who continue to back President Trump are ‘insincere’ about their stance on Black Lives Matter.

Cleveland…QB-Baker Mayfield says he will lead his team and take a knee when season starts.

Houston..Coach Bill O’Brien says he will be the first to take a knee with his Texans.

Chiefs…QB-Patrick Mahomes says he wants to lead a nationwide voter registration program for African Americns.

Patriots..CB-Devin McCourty says Players must use ‘their platform’ to deliver messages about social reform….says NFL owners ‘public opinion based  on what makes public happy’.

Antonio Brown…Ex-Steelers WR-pleads ‘no contest’ to assault chargers of moving van driver in dispute over unpaid bill earlier in year…Placed on 2-years probation…must have 13-weeks anger management counseling…undergo mental psychiatric exam…do 100-hours community service work.

49ers…Teams practice facilities remain closed to employees and coaches because Santa Clara County has not been reopened.

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(College Football)

Clemson University….NFL players DeAndre Hopkins-Deshaun Watson lead public drive…University removes name of John C Calhoun Honors college…Calhoun-former VP-nation was supporter of slavery.

Oregon..Announces Phil Knight will be given honorary doctors degree for contributions to University.

NCAA…Announces all athletes will be given Election Day-November 3rd off..want University to register all athletes and students to vote.

Texas..Push underway to eliminate ‘Eyes of Texas’ fight song because it has racial overtones.

U-Houston..suspend football conditioning after 6-players have positive tests for virus in first week of gatherings.
Iowa State..12-positive tests in football program.
Clemson..2-players test positive for virus.

Colorado State…2-Rams players held at gun point on construction job when worker believed they were ‘antiva’-protestors.

Arkansas..University stops payment on 7M-buyout of contract for former head coach Brett Bielema…because he took paying job as assistant on Bill Belichick staff in New England.

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…………………..(Hockey)……………

NHL….Announces Phase 3-Return to Play-begins July 10th…all teams report to arenas.

NHL…Will announce ‘Hub Cities’ for playoffs on June 22nd…Las Vegas-Los Angeles could be choices.

Kings…Losing F-Nikolai Prokhorkin..signing with Metallurg-KHL-Russia

Washington…F-Brendan Leipsic…signs with CSKA-Moskow
Edmonton…F-Dmitri Samornkov…signs with CSKA-Moscow
Vancouver..F-Petrus Palmer signs with Jykvaskyla-Finland

NHL…Names GMs-Steve Yzerman..Ken Holland..David Poile to head up committee to devise plans for 2020-21 American Hockey League season….Helping devise financing plan for 12-AHL teams that are locally owned-not run by NHL clubs…in case teams have to play with no fans.

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………………….(General)……………..

PGA…Schwab Invitational…Colonial…Daniel Berger made 18-foot putt on 18th hold to force playoff…then won when Colin Morikawa lipped out a 3-foot putt on sudden death hole….Xander Schaufelle  lost lead…hitting shot into water on 15th…getting bogey on 17…miss 24′ putt on 18….Jordan Spieth had 3-birdies on first 4-holes to fall out of contention…Phil Mickelson failed to make the ut.

Heritage-Hilton Head…Announces Tiger Woods will not play next weekend.

NASCAR…Miami 400…..Delayed by more than 3-hours of lightning strikes around Homestead Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson-Ryan Blaney-Joey Logano…cancel contracts with helmet maker Beam Design after comments from owner critical of Confederate flag decision.

NASCAR…Eliminate practice runs and testing for next week’s Talladega 500 on Sunday.

Formula 1…Cancels 3-more races…Singapore..Japan..ASzerbaijan

Indy Car..Fires flagman who was critical in tweet of NASCAR stance on Confederate flag.

English Premier League…removing players names from jerseys…replacing them with “Black Lives Matter”

USSF…President apologizes for not responding quicker about racial issues that involve US-National teams.

FIFA…Former President Sepp Blatter under investigation with misuse of some 1M-in TV marketing money from Trinidad-Tobago Federation.

St John’s University…Fires fencing coach for comments on Zoom…”Lincoln made mistake freeing slaves”

Boxing…Pete Rademacher…passes away (91)..fought Floyd Patterson for heavyweight title in 1st pro bout after Olympic career.

ESPN…Records lowest TV ratings in 41Y-history…
..1st Take..only 211,000-viewers
..Get Up..136,000
..Sports Center 168,000
..NBA Jump 111,000
..Around the Horn…175,000

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