The Washington Nationals-New York Mets Opening Day game, which was set to kick off in the nation's capital on Thursday night, will reportedly be postponed due to COVID-19 protocols, per ESPN's Buster Olney.
Why it matters: More than one year after the first professional sports game was canceled due to COVID-19, it's a reminder that the pandemic is still disrupting everyday life — especially as fourth wave of infections driven by new variants looms over the country.
Baseball is back, America. After a 60-game season in 2020, this year's complete 162-game schedule begins this afternoon in the Bronx.
Driving the news: MLB saw just 17 positive tests out of 72,751 conducted (0.02%) last Friday. But five Nationals are currently in quarantine due to a positive test — a reminder of how fragile any sense of stability will be.
President Biden told ESPN in an interview broadcast Wednesday he'd back Major League Baseball moving its 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta over Georgia's new voting restrictions — which he called "Jim Crow on steroids."
Driving the news: ESPN's Sage Steele asked Biden what he thought about leading MLB figures looking to relocate the game over Georgia's law. Biden replied, "Today's professional athletes are acting incredibly responsibly. I would strongly support them doing that. People look to them, they're leaders."
On the eve of the MLB regular season's start, Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo announced a player has tested positive for COVID-19, and four teammates and a staffer are in quarantine.
Endeavor, the talent agency and live events company led by Ari Emanuel, has agreed to acquire 100% of Ultimate Fighting Championship, according to information contained in a Wednesday afternoon IPO filing.
Background: Endeavor currently has a 50.1% stake in UFC, based on a 2016 deal done alongside private equity firms Silver Lake and KKR.
Driving the news: In the past three weeks alone, Republican governors from three states — Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas — have signed such bills.
As the college sports world focuses on March Madness, the Supreme Court will hear a case this morning that could change the landscape of the NCAA.
Catch up quick: The 9th Circuit last year sided with former West Virginia RB Shawne Alston in his antitrust case against the NCAA, ruling that schools can provide unlimited academic-related expenses to their athletes.