At the opening whistle of the English Premier League's first game since the coronavirus forced teams to take a 100-day hiatus, referees and players from Aston Villa and Sheffield United took a knee for 10 seconds to express support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The big picture: The police killing of George Floyd in the U.S. has sparked an international movement as protesters demand their governments address systemic racism and confront their history as former colonizers.
The Kansas City Royals have already made a big splash in the undrafted free agent market, signing six players since the window opened on Sunday, including two of the top 20 undrafted seniors and four of the top five players signed in the first 24 hours.
Why it matters: They were able to accomplish this in part by treating their existing players well during the pandemic, news of which reached these prospective draftees over a month ago.
The English Premier League resumes play today following a 100-day absence, with Aston Villa and Sheffield United squaring off behind closed doors at Villa Park.
The state of play: "Sheffield at Villa is emblematic of so many of the Premier League's 92 remaining matches," writes FiveThirtyEight's Terrence Doyle.
In a document sent to players on Tuesday, the NBA provided a detailed look at what life will be like when play resumes inside the league's "bubble" at Walt Disney World in Florida next month.
Why it matters: Players will be tested for COVID-19 "regularly." When someone tests positive, they will be placed in isolation, where they will remain for at least 14 days. Once they test negative twice in a span of more than 24 hours, they can leave isolation.
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.
