The college football season opener between Notre Dame and Navy has been moved out of Ireland because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Fighting Irish and Midshipmen were scheduled to meet in Dublin on Aug. 29, but instead will seek to play at the Naval Academy during the Labor Day weekend. The decision to move the venue came after discussions between the Irish government, medical authorities and the leadership teams at Navy and Notre Dame. Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk says decision to forego the overseas trip is to ensure the health and safety of the players, coaches and fans. This will mark the first time the Notre Dame-Navy matchup will be played on the Naval Academy campus. Each year Navy has been the home team, the game has been played at a neutral site.
Former boxing champion Floyd Mayweather has offered to pay for George Floyd’s funeral and memorial services, and the family has accepted that offer.
Mayweather personally has been in touch with the family, according to Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions. Mayweather will handle costs for the funeral on June 9 in Floyd’s hometown of Houston, as well as other expenses.
Floyd, a black man, died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck while Floyd was handcuffed and saying that he couldn’t breathe. His death sparked protests in Minneapolis and around the country, some of which became violent.
Mayweather, who lives in Las Vegas, has not met the Floyd family.
Liverpool players took a knee around the center circle at Anfield Stadium on Monday in a gesture of support following the death of George Floyd.
Squad members posted a picture of the act on their social media accounts with the caption, “Unity is strength #BlackLivesMatter.”
The picture of 29 players from the English league leaders was taken during a training session.
Star players Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and captain Jordan Henderson were among those to post the picture that was retweeted by the official account of Liverpool, which is owned by Fenway Sports Group — the U.S. company which also controls the Boston Red Sox. Liverpool also tweeted out the picture.
Baseball owners and players have reverted to form — the type displayed over the past half-century during eight work stoppages filled with salary squabbles. Players proposed to resume the sport in the coronavirus pandemic with a 114-game regular season and full prorated salaries, leaving each player with approximately 70% of what he had been slated to earn.
That proposal was made Sunday, five days after Major League Baseball’s plan for an 82-game season with additional pay cuts that would leave each player taking in 23-47% of his original pay, with the highest earners accepting the biggest cuts.
MLB claims an additional $640,000 would be lost with each extra regular-season game played. The union has said it doesn’t believe those calculations and asked MLB for more economic documents and data.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred discussed the next move with owners on Monday.
The Big 12 Conference says its schools can begin bringing athletes back to campus, with the resumption of voluntary activities starting June 15 for football players. The conference says each school can use its own discretion in deciding when athletes return to campus. In-person required and voluntary team activities are still banned for all athletes from June 1-14.
The Mountain West is eliminating postseason tournaments in baseball, men’s and women’s tennis and women’s soccer and shortening other postseason events. At the end of the conference’s virtual spring meetings on Monday, the Mountain West announced several cost-cutting measures, including an 18% reduction in the conference operating budget. The conference will also reduce baseball and softball series from three days to two, playing a double header on one day. The conference will also use virtual meetings and virtual football and basketball media days.
