New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that the U.S. Open tennis tournament will be held from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 without an audience as part of the state's phased coronavirus reopening protocol.
The big picture: The U.S. Tennis Association said players and staff will be tested for COVID-19, and that there will robust health precautions to protect players like additional cleaning, extra locker room space and dedicated housing and transportation.
Oklahoma State RB Chuba Hubbard, the nation's leading rusher in 2019, threatened not to participate in team activities after a photo of coach Mike Gundy wearing a "One America News" shirt surfaced.
Why it matters: OANN, which Gundy has publicly praised, is a far-right cable network that regularly promotes conspiracy theories. Several hours after his tweet, Hubbard — who received support from teammates and other athletes — posted a video with Gundy, in which the coach said he had a "great meeting" with players about the shirt and he "realized it's a very sensitive issue."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told ESPN on Monday that he supports and encourages teams to sign QB Colin Kaepernick.
Why it matters: Goodell also said the NFL would welcome Kaepernick to help them "deal with some very complex, difficult issues that have been around for a long time," even if he doesn't plan on playing.
For months, MLB and its players' union have engaged in a frustrating back-and-forth over baseball's return. Negotiations reached a boiling point this week, and now the 2020 season — and perhaps even future seasons — are in serious jeopardy.
Why it matters: The talks between the two sides were never great, but they at least once had a tinge of optimism. Now, a 50-game season — once considered a worst-case scenario — appears to be the only hope for baseball this year.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected sports across the globe, and in Spain, it could wipe out the age-old sport of bullfighting altogether.
Why it matters: For years, an increasingly vocal contingent of Spaniards have been pushing for the end of what they see as "torturing animals as a form of spectacle." Now, the economics are such that the bullfighting industry could die out regardless of the opposition.
The NBA's ambitious plan to resume the season at Walt Disney World hit an impasse over the weekend, with the two crises that have shaken the U.S. — the pandemic and the protests — causing division amongst the ranks.
The state of play: Last week, the NBA's board of governors approved the league's return-to-play plan, followed by the NBA players' association one day later — but a number of players have begun asking themselves: do we actually want to participate in this?
