………………..(Baseball)……………..

MLB….Tampa Times reporting that Owners are leaning towards dropping idea of a “3-State System” to restart the season…Conference calls indicate owners want to open the delayed season in June in their own stadiums without fans…Would consider dissolving American-National League for this season and have teams play geographical rivals instead…Want players to live at home and play in controlled environment rather than going to Arizona-Texas-Florida to play games.

MLB…Senator Mitch McConnell did conference call with Rob Manfred-urged him to find a way to start the baseball season…Manfred said lack of testing was critical issue for the game…and said he is relying on science and doctors.

MLB-Union…Continue dialogue about what the draft should be like…MLB wants 5-rounds with the signing slot numbers to be the same as last year…Rounds 6-thru-10 would be with drastically reduced signing slots….Would also limit teams to signing just 5-undrafted free agent with a max bonus package of 20,000.

MLB-Umpires…Umpires take 30% paycut from salaries and agree to receiving a pro-rated part of contract based on games lost…will keep their bonus clauses and per diem money.

Mets…Wilpon family, refusing to sell the SNY network as part of sale of club…may be offered 1B for baseball team only…not equal to the 2.6B entire team is valued at.

Dodgers..Vin Scully returns home after hospital stay…suffered facial injuries when he fell face first on his cobblestone driveway…going to pick up mail.

Houston…Owner of Astros Class A-team..Bill Gladstone…passes away from virus…was (76).

A’s…Longtime pitcher and now Assistant GM-Matt Keough…passes away (65Y)…cause of death not revealed by club.

Texas…Rangers ownership says all top execs taking 20% paycut-no layoff of employees.

Cleveland..Relief ace Emmanuel Clase-suspended for 80-games for testing positive for PEDs….had (2.31ERA) last year.

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………………..(Basketball)………………

NBA…Postpones Lottery…Draft Camp….and June 25th NBA-Draft.

Lakers-Clippers…Meet with Governor Gavin Newsome-asking he allow the teams to open their training facilities despite statewide ban.

NBA…Says it needs a 55-day window to complete the playoffs once they return to play this summer.

76ers…Former NBA C-Mark McNamara…passes away…had heart disease…Becomes 4th 76ers center to die of heart issues…Moses Malone-Caldwell Jones-Daryl Dawkins.

Memphis…Coach Penny Hardaway condems NBA-G League for the formation of ‘Select Team’….says G-League is tampering with college recruiting by getting high school recruits to decommit from college to sign pro contracts….Kentucky coach John Calipuri says G-League is sending bad message to high school stars to quit caring about academics and college with the ‘false’ hope they can sign in G-League and get ready for the draft.

Tulane…Attorney for G-Teshaun Hightower says player did not shoot and kill a man in dispute…says Hightower’s brother grabbed the gun and fired at man in self defense after man went after the player….Hightower facing felony murder charge.

NBC…Preseason poll for next year has Villanova-Gonzaga ranked 1-2….Aztecs not ranked in top 25 because of loss of Malachi Flynn..Yonni Wetzel and possibly Matt Mitchell.

Aztecs…Sign home-and-home contract with BYU for 2021-22 season.

UCLA…F-Jalen Hill (6’9) withdraws name from NBA draft-will return to Bruins

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………………..(Football)……………….

NFL…Report league is considering dropping its 4-London based games this year at Wembley Stadium-Tottenham Stadium…would cost those stadiums 10M in lost revenue if games not played in 2020.

NFL Union…Will meet to review the just approved CBA to determine a possible change in money given to retired players on ‘disability’….Players would lost 2,000 a month in disability payments under the new CBA…Union may rearrange payments.

NFL Network-NFL Films…Confirms major layoffs in both departments…doube digit number of employees let go…on Friday

Las Vegas…Corona virus outbreaks grow…Now 16-stadium workers test positive for virus..at Allegient Stadium.

Bears..Longtime TE-Ryan Wetnight passes away from cancer (49Y)

———————–

(Roster Moves)

Cowboys…Sign FA-QB-Andy Dalton-ex Bengals…(1Y-7M) contract to backup Dak Prescott….Chose Dallas over New England-Jacksonville.

Jaguars..Sign FA-RB-Chris Thompson-ex Redskins
Chiefs..Sign FA-DE-Taco Charlton-ex Cowboys-Miami
Tampa Bay..Sign FA-K-Elliott Fry-ex Carolina
Tennessee..Sign FA-=S-Ibraheim Campbell-ex Packers
Packers..Sign FA-DT-Treyvon Hester-ex Redskins
Chiefs..Sign undrafted QB-Shea Patterson-Michigan

Chicago…TE-Dion Sims-retires

Miami-Atlanta..Trade-Dolphins deal DE-Chasres Harris to Falcons for #7 draft pick.

Bears..Decline 5th year option QB-Mitch Trubisky-ex #1
49ers..Refuse pick up 5th year option DE-Solomon Thomas-ex #1

Bengals..Decline option WR-John Ross-ex #1
Titans..Do not pick up option WR-Corey Davis-ex #1
Broncos..Delcine option OT-Garrett Boles-ex #1
Jaguars..Decline option RB-Leonard Fournette-ex #1

Browns..Pick up option DE-Myles Garrett
Titans..Do pick up option CB-Adoree Jackson
Jets..Pick up option S-Jamal Adams

——————–

(College Football)

USC…Athletic Director Mike Bohn…Head coaches Clay Helton-Andy Enfield…agree give up 1M in total salaries….USC looking at 300M deficit university budget.

Virginia…20-head coaches and 51-assistants agree paycuts

Pac 12..Commissioner Larry Scott takes 20% payout from (5M) contract.

Iowa…President of University says football teams need 6-weeks preseason camp before season can begin.

Florida State..former coach Bobby Bowden-hospitalized with leg infection.

San Diego State…Asks City Council for May 19th hearing to approve final sale documents about 83M-purchase of SDCCU Stadium land….City Attorney says SDSU gave Council a ‘document dump’ of (2,065) changes to original land purchase and needs more time to review sales agreement.

==================================

………………..(Hockey)………………..

NHL…Issues Memo to teams…sahying they want to move Draft up to June 5th from end of the month….Would not allow player trades…just deals involving draft picks….Would hold Draft Lottery involving 15-non playoff teams to determine who gets #1 pick…..Owners appear against move-want draft moved back till after playoffs in summer.

NHL…Commisioner Gary Bettman says he is considering proposing to Owners to move start of 2020-21 season back to December.

NHL…Board of Governors Conference call on Monday…to discuss “4-City Plan” to restart season and playoff format.

Ottawa..Sign D-Artem Zub-played KHL-St Petersburg-Russia
Calgary..Sign G-Dustin Wolf-played Everett-WHL (.935) saves
Edmonton..Sign F-Filip Berglund-played Skelleftea-Sweden
Montreal..Sign F-Arsen Khisamutdniov-LW-KHL-St Petersburg
Colorado..Sign G-Justus Annunen-(6’4)..Karpat-Finland (1.77GAA)
San Jose..Offer contract G-Alexi Melnichuk-KHL-St Petersburg (1.86)

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…………….(General)……………..

USSF….Federal judge dismisses 66M-lawsuit filed by US Women National team in Gender-Equity Pay Dispute…Judge hands out 32-page decision stating:

..US women had chance to sign CBA-given them equal pay to Men
..US women instead signed to be paid on different salary-bonus scale
..US women made on average more than mens team did
..US women deal included maternity leave and benefits package
..US women averaged 172,500 per year, salary-benefits-bonuses
..US women deal covered 28-players…Men’s CBA covered 18-players

English Premier League…will vote on May 8th on restarting season….Want to open training camps on May 18th…Season to start on June 8th in Neutral venues without fans…FIFA Medical Chief against the plan…Owners had 4-hour video conference call on Friday.

MLS…Wants to reopen teams training facilities on May 6th with state
permissions.

Santa Anita…RD Hubbard-key horse racing executive and longtime owner-trainer…passes away (84Y)

NASCAR…will run Darlington 400 on May 17th without fans…says there will be no practice and no qualifying for the first race…will be Virus testing of all teams-crews-race officials…and self distancing in the pits and with the spotters and media covering race.

Stewart-Haas Racing….gave 3-trasporter haulers to Governor to bring in 2M-facemasks and other PPE equipment for hospitals in North Carolina.

Formula 1….Wants to relaunch schedule July 5th with Austrian Grand Prix road race…would run another race at Austrian track on July 12th…then move to British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 19th…No fans at tracks.

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