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NFL Urges Prospects to Scrub Social Media Accounts Ahead of Draft
The NFL has reportedly reminded its incoming crop of rookies that the internet never forgets.
The league is encouraging prospects to erase any embarrassing or otherwise compromising content from their social media accounts ahead of the league's annual draft, according to Pro Football Talk.
"Per a league source, the NFL therefore has advised agents to 'proactively scrub' negative tweets from prospect accounts, to ensure that none of these messages surface 'during this critical time.'"
The draft will be under heightened scrutiny this year, with the extravaganza having the pro sports stage to itself amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Any controversy over a player's past remarks could be especially damaging at a time when the league has come under some criticism for forging ahead with its offseason amid a pandemic.
The league has even provided players and their agents with step-by-step instructions on how to search for and evaluate old posts, and, if necessary, delete them, the report said.
Several professional prospects in various sports have been called out for hateful or inappropriate posts in recent years, usually resurfaced by sleuthing fans. Last year, top 49ers draft pick Nick Bosa came under fire, while Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky were the winners in 2018 and 2017, respectively. In MLB, pitchers Michael Kopech and Josh Hader were also burned by bigoted remarks.
The NFL Draft will be "fully virtual" this year, the league recently said, with most team executives and coaches making their selections from their own homes via videoconferencing and phone calls. On Wednesday, the league announced it will host a three-day "Draft-A-Thon" to raise funds for coronavirus relief efforts.
LeBron James Hopes for ‘Closure’ as NBA Plots Next Step
Like the lackluster final season of Game of Thrones or the equally head-scratching Seinfeld finale, LeBron James isn’t sold on the ending for the 2019-20 NBA season. “I don’t know if I will be able to have any closure,” the Lakers forward reflected in a 30-minute conference call Wednesday. "Everything that we've been going through this season, just the ups and downs—not only on the floor, but off the floor—everything that we've had to endure as the Laker faithful and us as players and the coaching staff and the organization, it's been so much.”
While LeBron and others are still holding out hope that the NBA season—paused last month by the coronavirus outbreak—will eventually resume, no decision on that front is imminent. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the 16-time All-Star is doing all he can to stay sharp during the league’s hiatus, working out 4-5 times a week at his home gym while also hooping with his son Bronny at friends’ private courts. But even if the season isn’t able to continue, James will still take solace in how quickly the Lakers jelled with so many new pieces including fellow All-Star Anthony Davis and coach Frank Vogel, both making their Los Angeles debuts. “Closure? No. But to be proud of what we've been able to accomplish to this point, I'll be able to look back and be like, ‘Okay, we did something special in that small period of time.’”
It’s been a surreal year for the NBA, weathering a myriad of storms ranging from Kobe Bryant’s tragic death in January to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The league also found itself embroiled in a conflict with China, which began over comments made by Rockets GM Daryl Morey. But the Lakers have been resilient through it all, surging to the top of the Western Conference standings thanks in large part to James and Davis’ contributions. James, who acts as L.A.’s de facto point guard, was leading the league in assists (10.6 per game) before play halted in mid-March amid growing concern over the coronavirus. “I honestly didn't think that we would be able to come together as fast as we did,” the four-time MVP shared Wednesday. “I thought it would take us a lot longer than it did. But I was wrong. I was very wrong about that."
No one could have anticipated a global emergency of this magnitude disrupting sports the way it has and while James understands the need for patience during this difficult time, he’s also anxious to get back on the hardwood. "I believe once [the pandemic is] under control and they allow us to resume some type of activity, I would love to get the season back going,” said the two-time Olympic gold medalist. "I feel like we're in a position where we can get back and start to compete for a championship, get back to doing what we love to do, making our Laker faithful proud of us, of being back on the floor.”
James had previously been opposed to playing in empty arenas, but seems to have softened his earlier stance. “We know they'll be home cheering us on, online, on their phones, on their tablets watching us playing, so hopefully we can bottle that energy that we know we're getting from them," said James, acknowledging the possibility of returning to the court without fans. “Hopefully we’re able to channel that.”
The Akron native also implied he’d be open to playing games in a single location, an alternative the NBA is reportedly considering. “If it's Las Vegas or somewhere else that can hold us and keep us in the best possible chance to be safe—not only on the floor, but also off the floor, as well—then those conversations will be had.”
LeBron remains laser-focused on bringing a title to L.A., but the quarantine has also given him time to recharge, enjoying cards, video games and television with his family. That includes binging the new Netflix series Tiger King, a feline-centric guilty pleasure that has quickly become a viral sensation. “Anything that has the word 'king' in it, I pretty much watch,” said James. “’Tiger King,' 'Lion King,' all of the kings.” Hopefully it won't be long before King James sits on his throne again.
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Health Official Says Sports Unlikely to Return Before Thanksgiving
In what can only be considered a blow to Mike Gundy, the NFL, Dana White and the entire sports biodome industry, a medical expert just laid out the likelihood that the doors will be closed until Thanksgiving. And there goes all those dreams about finishing 2020 without breaching 2021.
Dr. Jeffrey Smith, Santa Clara County's executive officer, told the county's board of supervisors earlier this week -- in a story first reported by Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times -- that he did not expect that it would be safe for “any sports games until at least Thanksgiving, and we’d be lucky to have them by Thanksgiving. This is not something that’s going to be easy to do.”
That, on top of Dr. Anthony Fauci's projection in an interview with CBS as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases that it would be unlikely for COVID-19 to be completely eradicated and that the disease could become seasonal.
In other words, the scientists are doubling down on the notion that sports and their almighty schedules are not the master here, no matter who has what deadline and bank payment to make. That seems to include in Santa Clara County alone the 49ers of the NFL, Stanford and San Jose State of college sports, the Sharks of the NHL, and high school and youth sports throughout the nine-county. And that's in just one county that at least has made a small dent in its coronavirus arc.
See, that's the thing. Sports are not individual fiefdoms, as Gundy, the Oklahoma State football coach who said he wanted to use his players as human shields against the illness for the sake of the economy, seems to believe. They are interlocking ecosystems that rely upon each other, and until the virus is severely depleted by vaccines, hospital availability and devotion to quarantines, Santa Clara's problem is Alameda County's problem is Los Angeles' problem is Dallas' problem is Atlanta's problem, multiplied by South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, where its Rugby League just announced a tentative resumption date of May 28 largely because it is in financial peril.
In short, this is reverse domino sculptures on a global scale. No league is an island, despite what Gundy and White and the leadership of the Belarus and Nicaraguan soccer federations might believe.
Still, the fact that the projection came from Santa Clara County hit home here because it is home. The 49ers' draft picks at 13 and 31 seem to be just that much less important if whomever those picks are can still be rookies in 2021, and the NFL's schedule release next month is just one more reminder of the old Yiddish proverb, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans."
Only with nothing else going on, plans are all we have so there's no harm in making them, as long as they are written out in pencil, or on an Etch-A-Sketch, or with a mass-delete function, where they can be easily erased. Plans are just desperate hopes, and Dr. Jeffrey Smith is just as necessary as plans because he has his own desperate hope.
That sports will understand its real place in this — as an itch on the hindquarters of a very mean dog that needs muzzling more than petting.
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ESPN to Air HORSE Challenge Featuring Paul Pierce and Others Beginning Sunday
Basketball is back... kinda.
ESPN announced Wednesday the new NBA HORSE Challenge, which will air on ESPN beginning Sunday.
Chris Paul, Trae Young, Tamika Catchings, Zach LaVine, Allie Quigley, Mike Conley Jr., Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce will all participate in a single-elimination HORSE competition from their respective, isolated home courts.
Here are the rules: A coin toss at the start of each game will determine who shoots first, with the more senior player calling heads or tails. Players must describe each shot attempt, specifying the type of score they intend to make before taking a shot, such as a bank shot or swish. Dunking is prohibited. The first player in each game to accumulate the letters “H-O-R-S-E” after failing to match five shots is eliminated.
State Farm will donate more than $200,000 on behalf of the participants to charities to help with COVID-19.
The schedule is as follows.
Sunday, April 12 7-9 p.m.: Quarterfinals Group 1: Trae Young vs. Chauncey Billups, Quarterfinals Group 1: Tamika Catchings vs. Mike Conley Jr., Quarterfinals Group 2: Zach LaVine vs. Paul Pierce, Quarterfinals Group 2: Chris Paul vs. Allie Quigley
9-11 p.m.: Quarterfinals Encore Presentations
Thursday, April 16 7-9 p.m.: Quarterfinals Encore Presentations
9-11 p.m.: Group 1: Semifinals, Group 2: Semifinals, HORSE Championship Game
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NFL to Host Three-Day 'Draft-A-Thon' Fundraiser for Covid-19 Relief Efforts
The NFL announced Wednesday that the 2020 NFL Draft will serve as a three-day virtual fundraiser benefitting six charities – selected by the NFL Foundation – that are battling the spread of COVID-19 and delivering relief to millions in need.
The "Draft-A-Thon" will be featured across the live Draft coverage on ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes and NFL Network April 23-25 and pay tribute to healthcare workers and first responders in a variety of ways – including raising funds for the work being done to combat the impact of COVID-19. Funds will help support six national nonprofits and their respective COVID-19 relief efforts including:
American Red Cross and its work to maintain a sufficient supply of blood while continuing to deliver its lifesaving mission due to the Coronavirus OutbreakCDC Foundation's All of Us: Combat Coronavirus Campaign to support vulnerable communities and bolster laboratory capacity, clinical research, data and technology infrastructure and local response efforts
Feeding America's COVID-19 Response Fund to help member food banks meet the increased need due to school closures, job disruptions, and current health risksMeals on Wheels COVID-19 Response Fund to ensure local communities have what they need to feed the at-risk elderly populationSalvation Army and its network form a safety net for individuals and families living in poverty or experiencing homelessness by providing food, shelter, hygiene kits, as well as support to first responders
United Way's COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund to help those in need access food and shelter, childcare for first responders and more while bolstering 211, United Way's go-to information resource in times of crisis
"As we face this global health crisis together, we are filled with gratitude for the extraordinary work of first responders, healthcare workers and many others who are helping those in need," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "The Draft-A-Thon will deliver much-needed funding to many who are suffering as well as those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conducting this event virtually, and taking all necessary precautions while doing so, underscores the importance of staying home and staying strong during this unprecedented moment in our history."
Fans and other supporters can donate through one central fund throughout the three days, which will add to the more than $43 million already donated by the collective NFL family. More details about the Draft-A-Thon and how to donate will be announced in the coming days.
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Mark Cuban Predicts Pro Sports Return in 'Early June'
Pittsburgh (93.7 The Fan) - He is one of professional sports' most-outgoing and charismatic owners, and Mark Cuban doesn't shy away from offering his thoughts on a wide-variety of topics. The Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania., native and owner of the Dallas Mavericks told the PM Team with Poni and Mueller on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh that he believes professional sports could have games being played in two months.
"If things really go our way, it's not inconceivable to me--and this is me being hopeful and not being scientific--that we could potentially play games in early June," Cuban said.
But Cuban says his optimism is rooted in science and medicine.
"I think we're coming back," Cuban said. "I can't tell you exactly when, but this is purely a science and doctors thing. My attitude always is it's not about if the glass is half empty or half full, it's who's pouring the water. In this particular case, it's the scientists pouring the water. All I know from all the science and everything that I'm reading, I think we're making enough advances that several of them will come through so we can start planning what a comeback would look like. I'm a big believer in American exceptionalism, and everything I'm starting to hear in terms of the science is coming along and the medical advances that we're making to fight this thing makes me very positive. If I had to bet, and this is more a guess than a bet, I'd say early June is when you see teams start to take the field and maybe play games just for television."
Cuban also addressed each of the four major spectator sports.
"Now when do we get to a point where we can, with confidence, say 'Our players are going to be healthy and play games with no fans' -- I don't know. Particularly with football and hockey it's a little bit more difficult. I think baseball is the easiest because there is far less contact, and basketball comes after that."
Cuban touched on a wide-variety of subjects with the PM Team. The full interview can be heard below.
Drew Brees: Fans 'Need Sports Right Now,' Playing in Empty Stadiums Would Be 'Weird'
New Orleans Saints star quarterback Drew Brees discussed a host of topics, including the potential return of the NFL and the role of sports in overcoming the coronavirus crisis in the US, during a wide-ranging interview on The Ellen Show on Wednesday.
Brees and his wife Brittany, who joined him for the appearance, detailed how the family is coping with home schooling and staving off boredom, before host Ellen Degeneres turned the topic to football.
"We're thrilled you signed for two more years," said Ellen. "Yay. I think we were all hoping that was the case. Now, what's going to happen? You're supposed to be training soon, at some point. Will you play games without fans? How's that going to work?"
Brees admitted he was put off by the proposal initially.
"You know, when that was first said -- and obviously they were talking about basketball when they first started saying that, 'Hey we might still play the games, but we can't have the crowds, so no fans in the stands' -- that was the first time I ever thought about playing a really meaningful game in a situation where you don't have any fans.
"From Texas high school football, through college in the Big 10, to games now in the SuperDome, you're used to those loud, electric atmospheres, and so I think it would be really weird. Maybe you just click in and you're in the zone."
Interestingly, Brees says having fans present provides not only energy for players -- but even a potential strategic advantage.
"I'll tell you where the fans really help, is whenever you get hit and knocked down and you're wondering what happened, you just listen to the sound of the fans, and they usually tell whether the ball was complete or not. ... But it would be really weird. I hope we're obviously beyond that, and we can get back to that level of normalcy."
The 19-year veteran said Americans need their sports fix now more than ever during the difficult times.
"I think the American people need sports right now. That's typically something that has really brought us through a lot of tough situations throughout our country, I think people have been able to lean on their local sports teams or national teams, just to unite them and get their mind off the challenges of daily life and daily struggle, and we don't even have that right now.
I have loved @DrewBrees and his wife Brittany for a long time, but this is above and beyond. pic.twitter.com/ZMovdhpyqd— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) April 8, 2020LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM AppFollow RADIO.COM SportsTwitter | Facebook I Instagram
Chris Paul, Trae Young and Zach Lavine to Headline NBA's HORSE Contest
(670 The Score) Bulls guard Zach LaVine will get his juices flowing in a competitive setting against other NBA stars soon -- remotely, of course.
LaVine is one of the players set to compete in a HORSE competition that the NBA and ESPN are organizing, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Wednesday. It's unclear when the event will be held, but the goal is to provide some televised entertainment as the NBA season remains suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic. Joining LaVine will be Hawks sharp-shooter Trae Young and Thunder point guard Chris Paul. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN adds that the league is also pursuing WNBA players and recent NBA alums (former Celtic Paul Pierce has expressed interest) for the event.
Players will compete in isolation, likely in their home gyms or on hoops outside their houses. The 25-year-old LaVine was averaging a career-high 25.5 points per game when the season was halted.
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Jameis Winston Opens Up About Being Replaced by Tom Brady
NFL quarterback Jameis Winston offered an optimistic take on being replaced by Tom Brady in Tampa Bay.
The free agent quarterback, appearing on Fox News on Wednesday to promote a coronavirus hotline he helped set up, said he's not bothered by being supplanted by a future Hall of Famer.
"One thing you can learn about me is my faith," Winston said. "I have tremendous faith in my lord, and one thing about Tom Brady is it's understood that he is the G.O.A.T. For you to get replaced by Tom Brady in a city that you love so much, I guess that's kudos to me."
LISTEN: @Jaboowins explains the toll-free coronavirus hotline he launched with the help of Dr. Scott Kelley #nine2noon pic.twitter.com/3A9IolZqMy— America's Newsroom (@AmericaNewsroom) April 8, 2020Winston's tenure in Tampa Bay all but ended with the signing of Brady, five seasons after he was drafted first overall out of in-state Florida State in 2015. The Alabama native showed flashes that made him the top pick, leading the league in passing yards in coach Bruce Arians' dynamic offense, but he struggled to protect the ball, also leading the league in interceptions.
Winston said the turn of events has inspired him to improve.
"I'm gonna have to play the Tom Bradys, the Patrick Mahomes, and all the other great quarterbacks eventually. That's how you win Super Bowls, and that's what I want."
Winston announced on Monday the creation of a toll-free coronavirus hotline, started with surgeon Dr. Scott Kelley, intended to allow people with questions to get answers without leaving their homes.
NFL Insider: League 'Should Do Something' After Dak, Dez Met For Workout Amid Coronavirus Shutdown
DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - Just last week, Dez Bryant took social media by storm when he announced on Twitter that he had just completed a workout with his former teammate, Dak Prescott. In a photo that appeared on Bryant's account, he and Dak Prescott are seen with a few others on a football field in the Dallas area.
@dak lance Fred .. we got great work in today pic.twitter.com/JUIgLbjicI— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) April 2, 2020Fast forward to this week, and now Bryant is revealing more details of the workouts, posting videos of himself catching passes from Prescott. And while fans are still excited to see both players provide them some excitement as they sit at home without sports during the coronavirus pandemic, voices are getting louder about their lack of adherence to the state of Texas and Dallas County's social distancing mandates.
One of those voices is Mike Florio's of Pro Football Talk, who wrote a scathing article about how Prescott and Bryant "continue to flaunt their defiance of rules that have caused millions to change their habits dramatically."
Florio joined 105.3 The Fan on Wednesday morning and called for both players to be punished by NFL commisioner Roger Goodell.
"If you've got players who are violating the local laws that say 'thou shall stay home during this pandemic,' and they are both creating a real risk of spreading the virus, and sending a horrible message to others who may be influenced to do the same thing. I would like to see the NFL do something," Florio said on Shan and RJ. "Even if you're not going to suspend anyone or fine anyone under the personal conduct policy. I want the commisioner to post a video, to issue a statement, telling all players who are in the NFL or hope to be back like Dez Bryant, that they must comply with all applicable state and local requirements as what they should and shouldn't be doing during this pandemic."
Listen to the entire interview below.
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