Kiley McDaniel of ESPN reported over the weekend that the Atlanta Braves are the first team to commit to paying both full-time and part-time employees through May 31. All other clubs, at the moment anyway, have only committed to pay employees through the end of April.
Veteran football manager praises Crystal Palace players and club for their generous work in the community during coronavirus emergency Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has called for the NHS to be given more, and better, resources from government, rather than having to rely on donations and the generosity of the public during the coronavirus emergency. […]
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has called for the NHS to be given more, and better, resources from government, rather than having to rely on donations and the generosity of the public during the coronavirus emergency.
Fantastic: Roy Hodgson is full of praise for the NHS
Hodgson, the former England boss, issued a long message to Palace fans yesterday, one month since his players had their last Premier League game since the covid-19 lockdown was declared, “and in that time, life as we knew it has been turned on its head”, Hodgson noted.
In his message, Hodgson joined the growing number of voices, such as Gary Neville and Gary Lineker, who have praised the charitable efforts of their fellow footballers at this time, in contrast to Tory-supporting hedge funds, billionaires and tax dodgers who appear to have been granted a free pass – and often millions of tax-payers’ money – to be bailed out or to profit from the crisis.
Describing the NHS as “magnificent”, Hodgson said, “One simply cannot praise the staff too highly, in my opinion. I’ve always been a huge supporter of the NHS, they do and have always done a fantastic job. We’re so lucky in this country to have a system like it, I’ve always felt that we do have a fantastic service and now it’s being demonstrated to everyone so clearly, that the resources we put in are well spent.
“I hope it might in future make us more aware that if you want this level of service, it needs a certain level of economic support – and I’m hopeful it will come from our taxes. We can’t rely on the NHS being funded by charities or people making donations – it’s nice that such individuals and organisations are doing so, and I’m full of praise for those who are doing it – but the work they’re doing is quite incredible and needs adequate resourcing.
“The praise they’re getting however enormous it is will never be enough. The job that doctors and nurses do is something you only fully appreciate at times like this, or when you are in need of help. To each and every one of them, thank you.”
Sheila Hodgson and Roy have been busy around their Thames-side apartment
Hodgson, who is 72, emphasised how he and his wife, Sheila, remain well and active in the Thames-side home. He explained that the club had had an exercise bike and some gym equipment delivered so that they can both keep active.
The veteran manager also highlighted the important work that his playing squad and the club have been doing in the community around Selhurst Park.
“There is absolutely no doubt that football pales into insignificance at a time such as this. This lockdown will have a major effect on people’s mental health and wellbeing, and I hope that there is positive news soon, especially in relation to us being able to return and finish off the season.
“I’d like to talk about the work the club, and indeed the players, have done to help members of our local community. Whilst it’s incredibly commendable, it doesn’t surprise me at all. I’ve been pleased to hear that work in our community has been stepped up even further than usual, and I was particularly keen to learn of club staff efforts in calling more than 1,200 season ticket-holders over the age of 70 to check they are OK, have a chat, and offer support.
“Our local food bank near the stadium has been overwhelmed with demand, and whilst I’m immensely saddened by the reality of the service they provide, I’m pleased that we – as a club – are continuing to support their cause.
“I think the players in general have a very generous streak when it comes to charity – they’re never slow to step forward when contributions are needed. I was impressed to learn that off their own backs many weeks ago, they got together to contribute to several local causes – but furthermore, that all players across the league have combined to provide extra funding for the NHS.
Two of the biggest favorites in NBA stars Trae Young and Chris Paul, along with ex-Boston Celtic Paul Pierce, were all eliminated in Sunday’s quarterfinal round during the NBA’s HORSE Challenge. And now the Final Four — Chauncey Billups, Mike Conley, Zach LaVine and Allie Quigley — have advanced to Thursday’s semifinal round, with the finals…
Rudy Gobert was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19 before the league suspended the season March 11. Donovan Mitchell was the second. And, as you might have expected, things between the Utah Jazz teammates are a bit strained. Rumors suggest Mitchell is “reluctant” to mend fences with Gobert after Gobert’s stunts before…
Rumors suggest Mitchell is “reluctant” to mend fences with Gobert after Gobert’s stunts before testing positive for the coronavirus, though it did not appear “salvageable.” Gobert had joked around about the severity of the virus prior to testing positive. On Sunday, Gobert opened up to Bleacher Report’s Talyor Rooks about his relationship with his All-Star teammate. “It’s true that we didn’t speak for a while after (testing positive), but we did speak a few days ago,” Gobert told Rooks on Instagram Live on Sunday. “And you know, like I said, we’re both ready to go out there and try to win a championship for this team. You know, it’s all about being a professional. Everyone’s got different relationships. It’s never perfect. People that are married, it’s never perfect. So, you know, (things between) me and my teammate, it’s far from perfect. But at the end of the day, we both want the same thing, and it’s winning. We’re both grown men and going to do what it takes to win.”
“ ‘I never would have considered it prior to a month ago, but now things are changing rapidly and dramatically… I’m not saying no, but it’s not something I’m actively pursuing. I’m just keeping the door open… You just don’t know what can happen between now and November.’ ” That’s billionaire Mark Cuban, leaving the […]
Trae Young has showed his shooting prowess during each of his first two NBA seasons. Now, the Atlanta Hawks guard is the favorite to win the league’s H-O-R-S-E Tournament — at least according to 18 different basketball analysts at ESPN. Notably, all 18 voters believe Young will make the finals in the playground-like tournament while…
Jackie Bradley Jr. and his wife, Erin, are joining the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, but doing so in their own way. Spearheaded by Erin, the Bradley family is donating to help the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, as the Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato reported Friday. “There are so many different storylines to their…
Jackie Bradley Jr. and his wife, Erin, are joining the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, but doing so in their own way. Spearheaded by Erin, the Bradley family is donating to help the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, as the Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato reported Friday. “There are so many different storylines to their lives,” Erin told the Herald. “Because of that, they deserve a chance and deserve support. Whether that means volunteering to hand out food at shelters or a financial donation or just being there to chat to them, I think they’re people like us. It can happen to anybody. The more you sit and talk to them, you realize it can happen.” The Bradleys have donated to the program before, but this act of kindness shows even though JBJ may not be helping the Red Sox on the diamond, his family still wants to help their Boston community. “I think it’s good for fans to see that while we’re here for baseball and it’s our husbands’ jobs, we do become a part of the community, too,” Erin said. “Our daughter, Emerson, was born in Boston, which may not be a forever home for us, but will always hold a really special spot in our hearts.” Jackie Bradley Jr. is now among the longest tenured Red Sox players, having played in Boston since 2013. Notably, the Bradley family joins many Boston athletes including Jackie’s former college friend and fellow Boston sports star, Stephon Gilmore, who announced he would be helping against the virus by donating to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston. Of course, the two are not the only ones doing their part during the uncertain times as many athletes are pitching in.
The plans to resume play at some point this year feel hollow and callous.
Should baseball come back this year? — HardballTalk | NBC Sports This is a time of year typically spent with family. Many of us are celebrating Easter today. Many others have been celebrating Passover since Thursday. Whether it be a big Easter dinner or a Seder, or for any other holiday or occasion for that matter, we like to come together as family. Family is important. That’s one of the many reasons that the various contingency plans being floated by MLB to resume the season in some capacity this year are bothering me. Whether it be the total lockdown in Arizona or playing out the season by continuing the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues, resumption of play would hinge on the players, coaches and all imaginable support staff would need to be stringently monitored and quarantined. There would need to be regular testing, daily (if not more often) temperature-taking, constant disinfection of all surfaces, and social distancing at all possible times. The Arizona plan outright calls for players to be separated from their families. That’s no way to live. The players would be treated like livestock or robots, not like people. It’s putting profit before common sense. There would need to be a small army of supporting workers (drivers, trainers, doctors, cooks, nutritionists, etc.) who would deserve the exact same level of care. Those workers would deserve a level of pay that would be appropriate for putting their lives in harm’s way. Stephanie Apstein of Sports Illustrated laid out all the problems better than I ever could. There are too many hurdles, too many loose ends, too many little cruelties. We keep hearing of baseball as a potential great healing factor. We keep being reminded of how Franklin Roosevelt made sure that baseball continued on through World War II as a way to enrich the lives of the people who were supporting the war effort at home. Surely there could be a way for baseball and all the other sports to take on that same healing role, no? This isn’t a war. It’s a pandemic. Its battles are being fought not with guns and bombs, but with ventilators and test kits. The people on the front lines have far too little ammunition. Though we have something of an idea of the scope of the pandemic within America’s borders, we cannot know for sure just how bad things are without widespread testing. We can’t possibly expect that a large stockpile of test kits be set aside for the purpose of letting a private non-essential business operate. Moreover, having the league operate feels morally ambiguous at best. Yes, play would resume when the CDC gives MLB the green light. That would theoretically come at a time when the spread of the virus has been contained and minimized. But just because the curve on the graph has trended downward for a long enough period doesn’t mean that there still won’t be healing to be done. Yes, having baseball on the television again would be a welcome relief. But spending money and valuable resources on that and not on helping families in need would be misguided and greedy. Millions of Americans are out of work, and that number will only go up. So too will the number of families who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. Creating a sanitary and safe environment to play the game before the full scale implementation of a vaccine is going to be incredibly expensive. Baseball is a business and America is a capitalist society, but surely we can all agree that our desire to see our favorite players in action again comes second to looking out for each other and giving aid to those who have seen their very existences torn asunder. Many of the players themselves have expressed distaste for these proposals. Nationals closer Sean Doolittle and his wife Erieann Dolan gave some wonderfully insightful thoughts on the matter to The Daily Beast. Phillies starter Zack Wheeler said he would refuse to miss the birth of his first child in three months’ time. We probably won’t have a vaccine until 12-18 months from now. Just one positive test, whether it be a player, coach, trainer or hotel worker who catches the virus, would render the entire quarantine league moot. The idea of trying to play baseball under these circumstances, even in an all-too distant future where even just a trickle of normalcy has returned to our lives, makes my skin crawl. People are dying. People are having their livelihoods wiped away. Families are grieving. Risking more workers to exposure and using up resources just for the sake of sports feels pointless. The moment we are all living in right now is bigger than all of us, bigger than any sport or any league. We have a duty as a people to treat it that way. It’s perfectly normal to seek a distraction, to want to feel as if the world isn’t on fire. And it’s in fact healthy to do so. You shouldn’t be constantly subjecting yourself to the horrors of our reality if you can avoid doing so. That doesn’t mean that it would be okay for baseball to try to bring itself back this way. Our desire to watch sports doesn’t mean a damn thing right now. What matters is safety and health. What matters is getting help to those who need it. Be well. Be safe. Give your families your love. Baseball can wait until a vaccine is ready. Follow @StelliniTweets
Devin Booker won the NBA 2K20 Players Tournament on Saturday night, sweeping Phoenix Suns teammate Deandre Ayton in the best-of-three final. “I played a lot growing up,” Booker said. “It’s all about timing and eye coordination.” ESPN broadcast the three-day, 16-player Xbox One competition. The last NBA games were played March 11, the day Utah…
Russell Westbrook has been one of the best players in the NBA for the last decade. The 2017 MVP has nine All-Star games under his belt and will undoubtedly wind up in the Hall of Fame. That being said, many fans doubted Westbrook when he was traded to the Houston Rockets. Fans and media alike […]
NHL official says number of cities offer to host neutral-site playoff games: report The NHL will have no shortage of possible venues if the season resumes as several cities across North America have reportedly volunteered as hosts for neutral-site playoff games, according to a report. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/34v1nh4
The NHL will have no shortage of possible venues if the season resumes as several cities across North America have reportedly volunteered as hosts for neutral-site playoff games, according to a report.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said during an interview with ESPN Friday that the league has been contacted by a number of cities offering to host 2019-2020 playoff games if the season resumes.
“We do have people putting together the comprehensive laundry list of what we would need from facilities and evaluating some facilities on some level,” Daly said. “But I can’t tell you we’ve even finished creating a list [of potential sites], much less narrowed it down.”
According to the report, the locations include arenas in Grand Forks, N.D.; Manchester, N.H., and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
The season was suspended March 12 with 189 regular-season games remaining. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday that finishing those games would be the “best” solution but given the current circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic that “may not be possible.”
Daly told ESPN there’s no table as to when the league will decide if it’s going to play out the rest of the season or move forward with the playoffs.
“We’re just starting to get our minds around that,” he said. “It’s kind of a combination of things, like when we can start a regular season [in 2020-2021] and how much time we need for an offseason, and then what does the playoff format look like, in terms of knowing what you need to have a regular season.”
He added: “It may not be on the calendar a real long way away, but it is on a decision tree, a real long way away.”
The view from left field 
