The Tigers fell to Cincinnati 9-7 in exhibition play last night. Detroit scored five runs in the top of the 2nd inning, but the Red went on to outscore them 9-2 the rest of the way. The two teams combined for nine home runs on the night. Beau Burrows gave up three runs in the bottom of the 8th in suffering the loss. The Tigers and Reds face off again tonight at 6:10 in Cincinnati in the final exhibition game before Friday’s opener.
The White Sox host Milwaukee in an exhibition game tonight at 8:10, the Cubs host Minnesota at 7:05.
Dozens of Division I football teams are scrambling to find opponents after several conferences canceled their seasons or axed non-conference games in response to the coronavirus pandemic. More than 300 Division I games have been canceled so far. How much, if any, college football is played is unknown. Canceled games could be crushing for some athletic programs. A team can go on the road and play a Power Five conference team and earn $1 million to $2 million.
The NBA comes back tonight with a very different look. There’s no bench. The courtside broadcasters will not be courtside. Seating in the bench areas will be assigned, with folding chairs set up on three rows instead of the customary two and spaced out several feet from one another — instead of players sitting shoulder-to-shoulder as they have in the past. And across the center stripe, the words “Black Lives Matter” are painted onto the surface.
The NFL Players Association has agreed to the league’s plan to drop all preseason games for the 2020 season. The union also agreed to a 80-player roster limit for training camp, instead of the usual 90. The players’ union plan came during a conference call on Tuesday. The agreement between the union and the league came a day after league made a proposal on not playing any preseason games because of the coronavirus pandemic. The players’ association originally had sought no preseason games and the league had reduced the exhibition schedule to two games. But on Monday evening, the NFL said it would eliminate those preseason contests and also would offer players 18 days for acclimation, up from seven days.
A former Nebraska volleyball player and eight other women have sued the university. They allege the school did not properly respond or investigate complaints of sexual assault and harassment. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court. The complaint outlines a pattern of unresponsiveness, sloppiness and indifference by university employees in charge of investigating allegations of sexual misconduct. Seven of the women allege they were victims of rape or sexual assault. The university declined to comment on the lawsuit but said it has a strong Title IX process.
The Blue Jays’ front office has told its players that Pittsburgh and Baltimore are possibilities for where the team will hold home games this year after Canada’s government barred the club from playing in Toronto amid the coronavirus pandemic. That’s according to Blue Jays outfielder Randal Grichuk. He says the players want to be in a major league stadium but have also been told their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo is a possibility. Canada denied the Blue Jays’ request to play at Rogers Centre because the regular-season schedule would require frequent travel back and forth from the United States.
Attendance will be limited to 25% capacity for the Indianapolis 500 and spectators will be required to wear face coverings at “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Indianapolis Motor Speedway can hold approximately 350,000 fans in the grandstands, suites and infield, but officials said last month only 50% capacity would be admitted for the Aug. 23 race. The number was adjusted Tuesday. Tickets will not be sold after Friday. Among the precautions the speedway will take is reassigning seats for social distancing, distributing hand sanitizer and administering temperature checks at entry. Concession stands will be limited to mostly prepackaged foods.
