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REDSKINS-NICKNAME
Washington NFL team dropping ‘Redskins’ name after 87 years
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington NFL team is shedding the “Redskins” name effective immediately.
The change comes less than two weeks after owner Dan Snyder launched an organizational review amid pressure from sponsors to make a change. FedEx, Nike, Pepsi and Bank of America all lined up against the name, which was given to the franchise in 1933 when the team was still based in Boston.
A new name for one of football’s oldest franchises must still be selected and it’s unclear how soon that will happen. Native American experts and advocates have long protested the name they call a “dictionary-defined racial slur.”
More than a dozen Native leaders and organizations wrote to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last week demanding an immediate end to Washington’s use of the name.
Goodell, who has fielded questions on the topic for years, said he supported the review.
BRAVES-NICKNBAMES
Braves say they won’t change name but studying chop chant
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves say they have no plans to follow the lead of the NFL’s Washington Redskins and change their team name.
The tomahawk chop chant used by Braves fans is under review, however. The team said in the letter it is seeking input from the Native American community, fans, players and former players as it examines the fan experience, including the chant. The Redskins announced Monday they will change their name and Indian head logo.
The Braves say they have established a “cultural working relationship” with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina and formed a Native American Working Group.
The name came with the team on its move from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966. The name was adopted in 1912, when the team was based in Boston.
BRAVES-NAME
Braves say they won’t change name but studying chop chant
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves say they have no plans to follow the lead of the NFL’s Washington Redskins and change their team name.
The tomahawk chop chant used by Braves fans is under review, however. The team said in the letter it is seeking input from the Native American community, fans, players and former players as it examines the fan experience, including the chant. The Redskins announced Monday they will change their name and Indian head logo.
The Braves say they have established a “cultural working relationship” with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina and formed a Native American Working Group.
The name came with the team on its move from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966. The name was adopted in 1912, when the team was based in Boston.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NBA
Westbrook tests positive
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Russell Westbrook of the Houston Rockets says he has tested positive for coronavirus, and that he plans to eventually join his team at the restart of the NBA season.
Westbrook made the revelation Monday on social media.
As recently as Sunday, the Rockets believed that Westbrook and James Harden — neither of whom traveled with the team to Walt Disney World near Orlando last week — would be with the team in the next few days. In Westbrook’s case, that now seems most unlikely.
LAKERS-RONDO INJURED
Lakers G Rajon Rondo breaks thumb in practice, out 6-8 weeks
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rajon Rondo has broken his right thumb in practice with the Los Angeles Lakers in Orlando.
The veteran point guard will be out for six to eight weeks.
Rondo has been a key backup during his second season with the Lakers, who signed him shortly after adding LeBron James to the roster in July 2018. Rondo is averaging 7.1 points, 5.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 48 appearances this season, including three starts. He has been a regular presence on the floor late in close games, with coach Frank Vogel trusting his veteran leadership and playmaking.
MLB-CARDINALS-HICKS
Hicks opts out of 2020 season
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Hard-throwing St. Louis Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks has opted out of playing this season, citing pre-existing health concerns. The 23-year-old Hicks was diagnosed in high school as having Type 1 diabetes.
Hicks, who routinely throws over 100 mph, is recovering from Tommy John surgery on June 26, 2019. The right-hander’s availability for this season was uncertain.
Hicks had been taking part in workouts at Busch Stadium, leading up to the Cardinals’ opener on July 24 at home against Pittsburgh.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NHL
NHL says 43 tested positive
UNDATED (AP) — The NHL says 43 players tested positive for the coronavirus from June 8 through the end of the league’s optional workouts.
That number announced Monday includes 30 who tested positive at team facilities and 13 the league is aware of who tested positive outside the league’s protocols for its Phase 2.
The NHL opened Phase 3 Monday with the start of training camps for the 24-team playoffs, scheduled to open in two hub Canadian cities — Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta — on Aug. 1. Players had until Monday evening to elect to opt out of competition without penalty.
All players who tested positive self-isolated. The NHL is not sharing names of the players who test positive or the teams involved.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLLEGE SPORTS
SEC weighs football season
UNDATED (AP) — Southeastern Conference athletic directors met in person Monday at league headquarters in Alabama to discuss the prospects for a football season with COVID-19 cases spiking throughout much of the South.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement afterward that it’s “clear that current circumstances related to COVID-19 must improve.” The Big Ten and Pac-12 have said they would only play conference schedules this fall in football and other sports. Sankey said SEC leaders “believe that late July will provide the best clarity for making the important decisions ahead of us.” The group met in the large Kramer-Moore Conference room to allow for social distancing. Other groups and individuals participated by videoconference.
Among topics discussed were possible scheduling options for holding athletic competition this fall, along with game management at events.
In other developments:
—The Patriot League has joined the Ivy League and called off fall sports because of the pandemic. The league’s 10 Division I schools will not compete this fall in football, soccer and women’s volleyball. The Ivy League announced a similar decision last week.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NFL-FACE SHIELDS
NFL comes up with face shields for helmets
UNDATED (AP) — With NFL training camps set to start at the end of the month, the league believes it is one step closer to addressing player safety amid the coronavirus pandemic. It has come up with face shields for the players’ helmets.
The face shield was designed by Oakley, which already provides visors for the players.
The union’s medical director had suggested that players wear face masks to help control the spread of the virus, but players shot down that idea. The face shield has received a better response than the mask suggestion.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHICAGO MARATHON
Chicago marathon canceled
CHICAGO (AP) — The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement Monday, marathon organizers and city officials cited the challenge of staging the large-scale Oct. 11 event while COVID-19 concerns endure. As of Sunday, Chicago’s health department reported 55,184 confirmed cases of the virus and 2,682 deaths due to complications from COVID-19.
Chicago’s event typically draws about 45,000 runners and wheelchair athletes, and more than one million spectators.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she is personally disappointed at the cancellation. The Boston Marathon and New York Marathon have also been canceled because of the pandemic.
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