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Major League Baseball's proposal for the 2020 draft included 10 rounds with limits on slot values. Major League Baseball's proposal to have the 2020 amateur draft held from the commissioner's office has been rejected by the MLB Players Association, according to Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic . The league proposed for the draft to have 10 rounds, per The Athletic which is five more than the league's rules require. It included other restrictions to which the players objected. In the proposal, the league would have the draft split into two five-round portions, according to The Athletic . The slot values for picks in the first five rounds would be equal to what they were in 2019. For rounds six through 10, slot values would be 50% of last year's value. Teams would also be allowed to sign five undrafted players for $20,000, the maximum bonus a player is allowed to receive. Teams could also sign as many players as they wanted for $5,000 or less. The

Hall was the top-ranked prospect in North Carolina State's recruiting class. North Carolina State men's basketball signee Josh Hall is skipping college and entering the 2020 NBA draft. The four-start prospect announced his decision via Twitter . "I would like to thank Coach Keatts and NC State for their support in this decision. It truly is a blessing to have such good people around me," Hall said. "As I strive to constantly improve myself day by day to reach my dream of professional basketball, I understand this is a journey some can only dream about. The dream is a lot closer than I imagined at 19 years old. With that being said I have decided to enter the NBA draft and sign with an agent. I’m two feet into this process and am excited to see what the future holds." Hall is signing with Nate Conley of Pro Sports Management, according to Evan Daniels of 247 Sports . Hall is ranked as the No. 32 player in the country by 247 Sports and the No. 2 player fr

Herbert, the No. 6 pick in the NFL draft, isn't fazed by a battle with Tyrod Taylor for the Chargers' starting quarterback role. Less than one week after being drafted by the Chargers , quarterback Justin Herbert is ready to get to work. Herbert hasn't competed for a starting role since his freshman season at Oregon, but he's about to go up against veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor for the job. "Competition's great for everyone. He's going to push me and I'm going to push him," Herbert said in an interview with The MMQB's Albert Breer. "He's had a lot of success and I'm going to do everything I can to learn from him, do whatever I can to help him. At the end of the day, it's all about the team and we're both professionals now. I'm really excited to learn from him." The Chargers selected Herbert with the No. 6 pick in the NFL draft last Thursday after an impressive senior season at Oregon. He tallied 3,471 yards

Lawmakers who have taken a lead on the issue of student-athletes' rights were not impressed by the NCAA's big day. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Some had waited months, others years and even a few decades. The college sports world excitedly readied itself for this day as it approached, an indelible moment in NCAA athletics history, when the governing body of college sports would jettison 100 years of amateurism policies that so many believe are un-American. Like the kitchen sink, poof, it’d be gone, replaced by modernized rules governing athlete compensation, specific pathways for college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness. Eternally berated, the NCAA would claim a rare victory, a crowning achievement—maybe the crowning achievement—by ushering in a new era in college sports. And then, on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. ET, it released a report totaling 14,000 words, 31 pages, 18 subsections, seven sections and, as one Congresswoman put it, zero concrete ideas. “My initial

The NCAA's Division I Council could still vote on passing new transfer waiver legislation in May. The NCAA Board of Directors said alterations to the NCAA's waiver process are "not appropriate at this time," per a release on Wednesday. The NCAA is considering a plan that grants a one-time transfer waiver that allows athletes to play immediately upon their transfer to a new school. Basketball, baseball, hockey and football players are currently forced to sit out one season if they transfer. But any potential changes to the waiver policy now are being put on hold. "The board agreed to lift the moratorium on transfer legislation for the 2020-21 legislative cycle but recommended to the Council that changes to the waiver process as suggested by the working group are not appropriate at this time," the NCAA said on Wednesday. "Board members recommended the waiver process be sensitive to student-athlete well-being, especially those impacted by COVID-19 i

Who is the better all time Packers quarterback? Brett Favre said he doesn't think Aaron Rodgers will finish his career with the Green Bay Packers . Favre has some experience being a legendary Packers QB and then leaving after the team drafted his eventual replacement, of course. And he believes Rodgers has "every right to be disappointed" about  Green Bay's decision to select quarterback Jordan Love in the NFL draft. But who is actually the greater all-time Packers signal caller: Favre or Rodgers? Well, there's a clear case for each. Aaron Rodgers: Before Patrick Mahomes, Rodgers was the Family Feud answer for most talented QB. His ability to throw from different arm angles and on the move is special. And it's not like he hasn't gotten results, winning a Super Bowl and a couple MVPs. Rodgers also protects the ball far better than his predecessor, with an interception rate less than half of the one posted by the ol' gunslinger. So when it com

Liverpool isn't giving up hope on finishing off its title achievement on the field, but it doesn't have the backing of its own city mayor. Liverpool sits 25 points clear of its competition in the Premier League and is all but assured of its first top-flight title in 30 years, but the club's own city mayor has no interest in seeing the Reds attempt to finish off that achievement on the field–not even behind closed doors or at a neutral venue. Mayor Joe Anderson told the BBC that he has concerns about fans flouting social distancing protocols to come celebrate outside Anfield if and when Liverpool does clinch the title. Instead, he'd prefer to see the season ended now, with Liverpool crowned champion. It wouldn't be without precedent, with France's Ligue 1 doing just that on Thursday and giving first-place PSG the title. But the threat of a mass gathering amid the coronavirus outbreak has the mayor fearing the worst. "Even if it was behind closed doors,

Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory in February. The Chiefs have exercised quarterback Patrick Mahomes's fifth-year option, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport . The move comes as no surprise after Mahomes rallied Kansas City in a fourth-quarter comeback to win Super Bowl LIV in February . For two years, Mahomes has been the centerpiece of the team's offensive explosion. He's produced highlight reels full of no-look passes and darts to streaking wide receivers downfield. During 2018–his first full season as a starter–Mahomes threw 50 touchdown passes and was named NFL MVP.  Last season, Mahomes briefly battled a dislocated right kneecap but only missed two games with the injury. He finished 2019 throwing for 4,031 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions and earned his second Pro Bowl nod. With the team exercising his 2021 option, Mahomes's rookie contract expands to $41 million over five years. The Chiefs drafted him with the No. 10 o

What does a sports psychologist and performance coach say to athletes who are unable to "work from home" during this time? Dr. Jonathan Katz joins the Beyond the Baseline podcast to discuss the pandemic's impact on athlete mental health. On the latest Beyond the Baseline podcast , host Jon Wertheim talks with Dr. Jonathan Katz, a sports psychologist and performance coach based in Austin, Texas, who works with tennis players at the college and pro levels, in addition to athletes in other sports. Wertheim and Dr. Katz discuss the psychological impact that the coronavirus pandemic will have on athletes; how financial stresses during this time can impact athletes; the mental health dimensions of being a pro tennis player; and much more. ( Listen to the latest Beyond the Baseline podcast here . The following transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.) Jon Wertheim: What you would tell clients who are not able to work from home? What do you tell the athlete tha

Forbes went 130–43 in five years at East Tennessee State. Wake Forest is finalizing a deal to make Steve Forbes its next head coach, according to Stadium's Jeff Goodman .  Forbes joins the Demon Deacons after five seasons at East Tennessee State. He tallied 130 wins in five seasons at ETSU, reaching the NCAA tournament in 2016-17. Forbes and the Buccaneers rolled through the Southern Conference at 30–4 in 2019-20, but they did not get to play in the tournament due to the COVID-19 crisis . Wake Forest has struggled over the last decade. The program has reached the NCAA tournament just once since 2010-11, losing to Kansas State in the first round in 2017. Former head Danny Manning was fired by Wake Forest on April 25 after six seasons with the program.  The Demon Deacons finished last season at 13–18, 6–14 ACC. They have not reached the Sweet 16 since 2004.

Unlike the Netherlands, France's top flight will be crowning a champion and continuing promotion and relegation after ending its season early. PSG likely didn't need any favors, but the club has been crowned Ligue 1 champion for the fourth straight season–and eighth time in the last nine seasons–after the league abandoned the rest of the 2019-20 campaign amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Ligue de Football Professionnel made it official with a vote on Thursday. PSG led Marseille by 12 points, with a game in hand, when play was suspended, and with the French government not allowing any sports leagues to resume until Sept. 1 at the earliest, the league pulled the plug on the remainder of the season in the nation's top two flights.  As opposed to the Netherlands, which did not crown a champion , suspended promotion and relegation and only awarded European places based on the table when canceling the rest of its season, France has covered all the bases, according to ESPN .

Moving the 2020 college football season should be a last resort, and we're not close to that point yet. If you want a vivid illustration of the Nobody Knows Anything world in which we all currently reside, just look at the vacillating outlook surrounding the 2020 college football season. Last week there was a surge in opinions that an on-time, on-schedule season is virtually impossible and should be put off until 2021. But this week there was a surge of schools saying they are planning for on-campus classes in the fall semester —including more than a dozen FBS schools. That would seem to heighten the chances of football as semi-usual. So this seems like a good time to look at the calendar. Then look at it again. Now take a deep breath and relax. The calendar still says April, right? Not May, not June, not July. April is not the time to make decisions or declarations about moving the 2020 college football season to the 2021 side of the academic schedule. We may, eventually,

The Iron Horse played for 17 seasons before announcing his retirement. One of baseball's greatest streaks came to an end when Lou Gehrig played his final game on April 30, 1939.  While battling a slump and deteriorating health, Gehrig took the field that day to play his 2,130th consecutive major league game. He batted fifth in the lineup but went hitless in the Yankees' 3–2 loss to the Washington Senators. New York was off the following day to travel to Detroit. Before the team suited up for its series opener on May 2, Gehrig talked with manager Joe McCarthy at the Book-Cadillac Hotel and asked to be benched. Gehrig's numbers had started to decline in the 1938 season, which he finished hitting .295 with 29 home runs and 114 RBIs. Although the stats were low for him, they certainly weren't terrible. Through the first eight games of the 1939 campaign, though, Gehrig had four hits in 28 at-bats and a .143 batting average.  Yankees fans were troubled by Gehrig's s

Jalen Green, Daishen Nix, Isaiah Todd, and whoever else joins the NBA G League pathway program will go beneath one of the more unique microscopes in recent years. If you’ve been living under a rock—or, respectably, avoiding the internet for an indefinite amount of time (hey, who among us)— the NBA G League continues to make significant headway in shaking up basketball’s traditional player development framework. This week, five-star guard Daishen Nix opted to forgo his letter of intent to UCLA and joined the G League’s impressive group of committed players , which includes top recruits Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd . These elite high school prospects will compete as a team, separate from the G League’s affiliate franchises, with the majority of details about the program still forthcoming. What the program will actually look like is a real point of interest right now around the NBA, but the quality of the players the league has landed is substantial , and how well the program fares in

Players are expected to return to their home markets within two weeks in order to undergo medical exams. The National Women's Soccer League is planning to reopen training camps on May 16, according to the Washington Post's Steven Goff .  The NWSL was slated to host its season opener on April 18 , but that was delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis. Workouts for teams are expected to begin in mid-May, and the season could start without fans on June 27 depending on "medical factors and state guidelines," per Goff.  "We have aspirations, but we won't know until we get there," NWSL Players Association director Brooke Elby told Goff . "We can't speculate because it could change in the next hour or the next day. The NWSL has not settled on a plan for hosting regular-season games in 2020, per Goff . The league could reportedly opt to keep all nine teams in the Washington D.C. area, using multiple venues within the city to kick off the season. 2020 ma

There were some polarizing picks in 2020 who will immediately garner a spotlight, for better or worse. This article is about rookies who will face the most immediate pressure in 2020, but let’s be clear about one thing: This stress will be shared—and perhaps shouldered more heavily—by the coaching staffs who are inheriting these talents. It’s more likely these days that an underperforming young star results in the firing of a coaching staff before a coaching staff is allowed to move on from a promising young star (See: any highly-drafted quarterback of the last 20 years). That said, there were some polarizing picks in 2020 who will immediately garner a spotlight, for better or worse. Here’s a look at who and why. ANDREW THOMAS, OT, NEW YORK GIANTS The Giants have been largely scorned by their last two high-profile acquisitions on the offensive line. Ereck Flowers, a former top 10 pick, bottomed out before reviving his career in Washington and is now in Miami as a guard. Nate Solde

There's plenty of reason for a new Newcastle regime to want Mauricio Pochettino managing its club, but there's little reason for the ex-Tottenham manager to reciprocate the feeling. Although the Saudi takeover of Newcastle United has not yet gone through, the expectation remains that, despite objections from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch; despite pleas from the fiancee of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi  and from the Qatari TV company beIN Sports; and despite the potential for Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, to influence Abdullah bin Musa'ad, a lower-ranking Saudi prince who owns Sheffield United, it will in the end be ratified. And inevitably, alongside the qualms about another Premier League club becoming an agent of soft-power for a government with a highly questionable human rights record, that means speculation. Excited hopes that Newcastle is about to launch a nine-figure bid for Kylian Mbappe are probably wide of the ma

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has become more likable during quarantine. Roger Goodell’s Q-Rating has gone up during quarantine. The Commissioner of the National Football League has had a good few weeks as I don’t think anyone is upset anymore that the NFL went through with the draft , which all things considered went rather seamlessly . And with the focus of so many eyeballs solely on the commish, it allowed for Goodell to display his basement, wardrobe, mood and for the first time maybe ever show a little personality. Sit up Roger, you're on television! Even if it could be said Goodell's vibe might be described as just a bit bumbling. However, overall he came across way more endearing than he ever has before. And please, someone get the man more M & M’s. And now it has  been revealed he volunteered to forgo his salary during the current crisis . Which hopefully will go toward helping NFL employees rather than team owners. I won’t be over the top calling this n

Dalton went 70–61–2 in nine seasons as the Bengals quarterback from 2011-19. The Bengals will release quarterback Andy Dalton on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter . Dalton started 133 games for the Bengals from 2011-19, going 70–61–2. The TCU product is Cincinnati's all-time leader in touchdown passes.  The Bengals were largely respectable with Dalton, reaching the postseason in four straight years from 2011-15. But after a four-year playoff drought, Cincinnati opted to go in a new direction this offseason. Cincinnati's move to release the veteran QB follows its decision to select Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Burrow won the Heisman Trophy with LSU in 2019, and he w on the National Championship . The Bengals finished last in the AFC North in 2019 at 2–14. They have not won a playoff game since 1990. 

Solving Jameis’s interception issues can’t be that simple, right? Now he can throw picks to guys he sees clear as day Jameis Winston is getting a fresh start in 2020. He has a new team (the Saints), a new job (backup) and new eyes (repaired with laser beams).  Winston, speaking reporters Wednesday for the first time since signing with New Orleans, said he decided to undergo LASIK eye surgery in February to fix his nearsightedness and astigmatism  and has been pleased with the results.  “I can read license plates. I can read street signs,” Winston told reporters . “I think the precision in the vision is the biggest difference.” Winston said his vision was imperfect before, but it wasn’t that bad. Still, he’s seeing significant improvements since the surgery.  “No blurriness, and I think that’s huge,” Winston said. “Depth perception has increased tremendously and those are the big things. I didn’t have bad eyes, I just had astigmatism. I had certain things that they had to fix to