COVID's grip tightens on sports world

• In the NFL, the Rams, Browns and Washington alone combined for 67 players in protocols.
• The Canadiens-Flyers game had no fans at the request of Quebec public health officials a day after Ontario limited capacity at all large venues to 50%.
• 13 men's and women's college hoops games and six Premier League matches have been canceled or postponed between Thursday and Sunday.

The big picture: Leagues are implementing enhanced protocols aiming both to stop the spread (masking, distancing) and get asymptomatic, vaccinated players back sooner, but it's beginning to feel like a leaky bucket.

• The good news is that a majority of these players aren't getting terribly sick.
• The bad news is that, similar to March 2020, leagues may soon err on the side of caution and temporarily shut down so they can come up with a new plan that makes sense for this stage of the pandemic. Some Premier League clubs are already pushing for that option.

The bottom line: On Tuesday, I wrote that "COVID is affecting the sports world in ways not seen since before the vaccine became widely available." I wish I hadn't been this right.