Best 15 Minutes in Sports–Thursday
…………………..(Baseball)……………………
MLB…Commissioner Rob Manfred rejects Union proposal for 114-game schedule and full pay for players…after Union refused to negotiate on terms of 82-game schedule with further pay-cuts. .
MLB…Invoking Commissioner’s Rights to develop 54-game season…Pro rated salaries…expanded post season….Players will get just 30% of salaries…owners will lose 70% of their in season revenues.,,,Players would get bigger cut postseason TV deal however…Could push start of season from July 4th to July 15th.
Dodgers…Manager Dave Roberts says our generations ‘have failed the younger generations’….racial inequality still exists….’Leaders in our country are not good listeners-and that is how you impose change’…’Little has changed in America’.
Pirates..Lose P-Chris Archer for the year-needs Thoracic Outlet surgery for removal of a rib cause loss of blood flow to shoulder.
Milwaukee..P-Corey Knebel-coming off elbow surgery last year…cleared for full spring training…SS-Luis Urias-coming off broken hamate bone-hand-full recovered.
Japan…Nippon League cancels first exhibition game of spring when 2-Yomimuri Giants players test positive before game with Seibu Lions.
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…………….(NBA)………………..
NBA…Commissioner Adam Silver proposes to Owners for vote on Thursday to restart season July 31st in Orlando
..22-Teams
..16-Teams qualify for playoffs
.. 6-Teams take part in play-in games to determine last 2-slots
..All teams play 8-regular season games initially..determine standings
.. 6-Teams and the two #8-seeds take part in Best of 3-play-in series
NBA…Owners will vote Thursday on retaining Eastern-vs-Western playoffs..or just seeding teams 1-thru-16 for playoff format.
NBA…Owners will discuss when to hold Draft Lottery…NBA Draft Camp…Opening date for free agency..possible start date December for 2020-21 season.
NBA…Outspoken veteran guard Baron Davis…”I want America to learn from the past”….”We must be careful not to water down the message-alot of times there is great intent and purpose but does not evolve into common good”.
Lakers…Legend Magic Johnson tells America….”Change the system….get out and vote”
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……………….(Football)…………….
New Orleans…..Controversy explodes when Saints QB-Drew Brees reiterates he can not agree with anyone disrespecting the flag…he had criticized Colin Kaeperneck years ago
New Orleans…An upset teammate-Malcom Jenkins weeps on instagram responding to Brees…”You talk about your Grandfather fighting in the war and coming back…so did mine-he came back to more racism…I can’t let this slide…..Be an advocate….Be a brother…Don’t give us lip service…This isn’t about the lockeroom-this is about life.:”
New Orleans..DE-Marcus Davenport…”Flag covers lots of things…race issues included…..these protests are not about the flag…they are about racism…”
Seattle…QB-Russell Wilson…”You can’t compare football to life and what black community is going thru.
Green Bay..QB-Aaron Rodgers…”This is not about the flag….time to turn words into caction….this must be about social equality”
NFL…Orders teams to hold training camps in July-August at home facilities….Teams blocked from any joint workouts with other teams.
NFL…Report teams have asked the league to let them bring players into facilities early next week…even if some facilities cannot be totally opened yet in some states.
NFL…Will meet with Union to discuss ‘Salary Cap’ issues if teams are forced to play games in stadiums without fans….Forbes Magazine quoting NFL sources that league would lose 4B of revenue if stadiums were locked down without fans….Projects it would drive Salary Cap from 188M-to-118M per team next year…
NFL Union…Players say they will not take pay-cuts…that Article 6-CBA says players full salaries are guaranteed if they play 1-game of schedule.
Denver..coach Vic Fangio drawing heavy criticism for saying ‘no racism-no discrimation in NFL….Earn what you get-Get what you earn’….Said ‘Society should reflect NFL-things would be great’….Says America has a ‘societal’ issue with discrimination-not NFL…Ignored the minority hiring issues in NFL….Players responded calling Fangio ‘a joke’…’blind to the truth’
Los Angeles…Hall of Fame legendary RB-LaDainian Tomlinson sounds off:
..’We all owe tremendous amount to Colin Kaeperneck’s courageous comments about descrimination.
..NFL treatment of Kaeperneck is black eye for the league.
..We now all should understand what he was saying.
..People tried to highjack his message saying he disrespected the flag.
..The Minneapolis incident is not about 1-Bad Cop…Not 1-incident…We know history.
..Time for White Players to stand together with us.
..Enough is Enough.
Dallas..QB-Dak Prescott pledges 1M-to Police training fund in Texas.
Seattle..Coach Pete Carroll..’Society owes tremendous amount of respect for Colin Kaeperneck…he took a knee and stood up for racial inequality’
Rams..QB-Jared Goff…’My heart hurts for our country’
Carolina…Retired LB-Luke Kuechly-offered front office scouting job
Chargers..Re-sign DE-Damian Square
Houston..Release DT-Tim Jernigan-failed free agenty physical
Arizona..Sign FA-WR-Dylan Cantrell-ex Chargers
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(College Football)
USC…Announces students will be able to return on campus for classes on August 10th with early start to fall term classes on August 17th…Means Trojans football team can likely return for workouts and 6-week camp in late July.
Tennessee…Legendary coach Johnny Majors passes away (85Y)….led Vols to (116-62-1) record in 16-years…Coached at Pitt for 8-years including NCAA championship season with RB-Tony Dorsett…also coached at Iowa State.
Oregon State…Lays off 23-athletic department officials in wake of serious money crisis
Michigan..Coach Jim Harbaugh takes part in peaceful protest in Ann Arbor.
Florida State…lands 3-transfers…CB-Meiko Dotson-Florida Atlantic-9 interceptions…DB-Jarrian Jones-Mississippi State..DT-Fabien Lovett-Mississippi State.
Mountain West Conference….Budget cutting…announces dropping Football-Basketball media days….dropping end of season tourneys for baseball, tennis, women’s soccer and volleyball….Will reduce conference budget by 18-percent…shorten baseball schedule to 2-game series…will allow basketball teams to schedule 2-non Division 1-teams to reduce cost of operation.
Arizona State…loses TE-Jared Bubak-transfer to Nebraska….OT-Zach Robertston-transfer to Louisiana
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………………(Hockey)…………….
LA Kings…Sign 2nd round draft pick F-Arthur Kaliyev..scored 44-goals with Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)….4th round pick D-Jordan Spencer…was Plus 49-with Moncton in (QMJHL)
New Jersey…D-PK Subban donates 50,000 to education fund for daughtert of murdered George Floyd in Minnesota.
Anaheim Ducks…GM-Bob Murray tells media he stayed out of lockeroom last year to let coach Dallas Eakins run his program…called it a mistake…says young players were never held accountable…and won’t happen again.
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……………..(General)…………….
MLS…Reaches agreement with Union on pay-cuts and bonus-cuts and will resume season in Orlando with 26-team Group Stage Playoff over 6-week span starting in July….MLS teams had played just 2-games of 34-game schedule when league shutdown.
NASCAR…Driver Bubba Watson asks fellow drivers to speak out on behalf of racial inequality…says drivers carry alot of clout with fans in the South especially.
Horse racing….Trainer Bob Baffert confirms former Breeders Cup star Arrowgate has passed away at age 7 from internal illness…at Juddmonte Farms in Kentucky.
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