GLOBAL NEWS

In a two-page letter sent Tuesday to Adam Silver, Sen. Marsha Blackburn expressed “concern” over the NBA’s dealings with a country governed by a Communist regime. A U.S. Senator is demanding answers from NBA commissioner Adam Silver on his league’s relationship with China. In a letter sent Tuesday to Silver, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) expressed “concern” over the NBA’s dealings with a country governed by a Communist regime that has abused human rights, squashed pro-democracy protests and hidden details on the coronavirus outbreak. Sports Illustrated obtained a copy of the two-page letter. Blackburn is giving Silver a July 21 deadline to respond to three questions she poses at the letter’s end regarding China Central Television’s ban on NBA games, the league’s relationship with Chinese state-owned enterprise Alibaba and the league’s training center in the controversial region of Xinjiang. The relationship between China and the United States is at a “pivotal moment,” she writes

Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that teams have not been given clearance to announce which players end up on the injured list due to COVID-19. Trying to find out the status of a baseball player coming back from an ankle injury will definitely be easier than learning whether someone tested positive for the coronavirus. New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said during a conference call Tuesday that teams have not been given clearance to announce which players end up on the injured list due to COVID-19. A positive test, medical recommendation or exposure to someone who has had the virus could all put players out of action. “I believe the information I’ve been given is that you’ll be left to try to figure that out because we would not be (able to disclose),” Cashman said. “It would be a speculating circumstance.” Non-baseball related injuries do not have be explained in detail under terms of the collective bargaining agreement. Cashman noted the situation continues to evolve

Four potential breakout candidates highlight SI Fantasy expert Shawn Childs's list of fantasy superlatives from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Breakout: SS Corey Seager After earning a full-time starting job for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, fantasy owners haven’t seen the best of Seager yet. Last year he missed a month over the summer with a hamstring injury. His contact batting average (.340) remains below his first two full seasons (.391 and .390). Seager saw fade in his walk rate (8.1) while owning a favorable strikeout rate (18.1). He had two productive months (May – .264 with five runs, five HRs, and 20 RBI and September – .291 with seven HRs and 26 RBI) while coming up short over his other 316 at-bats (.268 with seven HRs and 41 RBI). His batting average (.240) had risk against left-handed pitching, but he did have four HRs and 24 RBI over 167 at-bats. Seager had a low hard-hit rate (37.9 – 190th) with much more strength in this area in 2016 (43.8 – 44th). He had a more

Ten years later it is hard argue against 'The Decision' LeBron James made. Let’s be honest, no one was mad about "The Decision" until LeBron James didn’t say what they wanted him to . Not one, not two, not three, not any of y’all were that upset going in. I didn’t talk to a single person before the show aired on ESPN who was angered by the idea. In fact, everyone I had a conversation with was excited to see where he would go and if it would be their team. Sorry Knicks fans.  And as it turns out, the whole thing was a fan's idea  in the first place. Look, I’m not even saying I wasn’t a little agitated for a minute too after it aired, though I certainly didn't burn any jerseys. But I believe that's more a testament to what we all knew LeBron could do. And the idea of him playing with prime Dwyane Wade (and Chris Bosh) seemed more unfair than it actually was—which is why the pep rally I referenced was what really may have rubbed the most people the w

Will other D-II schools, or even D-I, follow in the footsteps of Morehouse football and forgo the 2020 season? David Thomas isn’t your normal academic. President of one of the nation’s most esteemed Black colleges, Thomas once played center and linebacker on the football field and, as a foreign-exchange student, competed overseas in basketball. He realizes the cultural significance of sports and understands its place in the world. That’s why his decision to cancel Morehouse College’s 2020 football season is so jarring. While hundreds of NCAA universities feverishly debate contingency plans to play football around a pandemic, Thomas last week ended all discussion on the topic at his Division II school in Atlanta. More than two months before the season was scheduled to kickoff, he pulled the plug. Though unrelated, Morehouse’s announcement Friday came amid unrest in the college sports world, as well as the nation. COVID-19 cases are surging across the country, with at least five sta

Denver reportedly has not determined when it will re-open its practice facility. The Nuggets have closed their practice facility for several days after members of the team's traveling party tested positive for the coronavirus, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski . Wojnarowski reports the practice facility was locked to players and staff starting on Saturday and it could potentially re-open later this week. The next few days of testing will determine exactly when the Denver facility will open again.  The people that tested positive were part of the Nuggets' traveling party heading to Orlando for the NBA's restart, sources told Wojnarowski. The 2019-20 NBA season is set to resume on July 30 in Orlando, where teams will be contained in the league's bubble. News of the Nuggets' positive tests came one day after Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie and his teammate DeAndre Jordan revealed they had tested positive for COVID-19 . Jordan announced he will not play in Or

Six NBA games you should circle on your calendar as we await the 2019-20 season's resumption. We’re now exactly one month away from the NBA resuming play in Orlando , and barring any COVID-19 complications, we could be in store for one of the most exciting postseasons in recent memory. And the eight-game lead-in to the playoffs should add plenty of drama. Both conferences have a deep collection of teams jockeying for playoff position as we approach the restart, and seeding could prove critical. Western Conference teams will scrap to avoid the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds, while the Celtics and Raptors could face a difficult round one matchup if they fall below the No. 2 spot. Add in a dose of play-in drama, and the league has a roadmap to capturing the public’s full attention for the next two months. So which games should we circle on our calendar as we await the 2019-20 season’s resumption? The Crossover selected the six most important games before the beginning of the 2020 playoffs

Find out how to watch Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Tuesday. Barcelona will continue to chase Real Madrid for first place in La Liga on Tuesday as it faces Atletico Madrid.  Kickoff from Camp Nou in Barcelona is  slated for 4 p.m. ET. Barcelona currently sits second in La Liga with 69 points, two back of Real Madrid. Lionel Messi and Co. have not lost since La Liga resumed play on June 13, but the club has tallied two draws in its last three contests. Barcelona most recently drew Celta Vido 2-2 on June 27 as Luis Suarez netted a pair of goals. Atletico Madrid will enter Tuesday's match No. 3 in La Liga, though the club trails Barcelona by 11 points. Atletico Madrid has won each of its last five matches, including a 2-1 victory over Alaves on June 27.  How to Watch: Time: 4 p.m. ET TV Channel: beIN Sports Live Stream: You can stream the match online at FuboTV .

The tournament was supposed to take place in Cameroon in January 2021. CAIRO (AP) — Next year’s African Cup of Nations was postponed Tuesday to 2022 amid a backlog of matches caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Confederation of African Football said the 24-team tournament in Cameroon will now open one year later in January 2022. The 12 qualifying groups face a challenge to be completed this year. “The date for the final tournament and the remaining matches of the qualifiers will be communicated in due course,” CAF said in a statement after an executive committee meeting. It’s the second scheduling change this year for the continental championship. It was originally set to be played in June-July 2021, during Cameroon’s rainy season, but was moved to the beginning of the year. The second switch means clubs in Europe will retain their African players next season without being required to release them for a January-February tournament. In a separate decision, CAF canceled the 20

In some ways, we're all winners. But in other ways, there are certain people who can be much happier about the former MVP joining in the Patriots. The real winner here is all of us. No longer will watching the Patriots win be a twinge uncomfortable, the players nervously milling about the post-game festivities like the psychologically tortured children of overcompetitive Texas high school football parents. Cam Newton is fun. He’ll wear great hats. He’ll probably do good impressions of Bill Belichick, just like he did Norv Turner . Have you ever seen parents around their grandchildren for the first time and wondered where these affable, jovial people came from? This is Belichick’s twilight phase. Newton is the carefree talisman of a new phase in life. But like every large-scale transaction in the NFL, there are two sides of the coin. Some people will benefit from the offseason’s most consequential move . Some people, most certainly, will not. Here is a list of said people as b

Fox's Joe Buck praises Jim Nantz, Mike Tirico, Dan Hicks as better golf announcers 1 . If you're a sports media nerd, the story of Fox bailing out of the U.S. Open and NBC's picking up the rights is very intriguing. While scheduling conflicts were a factor, with the tournament getting moved from June to September, this could be a sign that networks might not pay insane prices for rights fees after taking financial hits during the pandemic. According to Sports Business Journal , Fox was supposed to pay $93 million a year through 2027 for the Open rights. NBC will now pay in the low–$40 million range. That is a significant drop. Another layer to this story was that Fox had its up and downs getting into the golf business and covered the Open differently than other networks. The network put its main broadcaster, Joe Buck, on coverage from Day 1, and naturally Buck became a lighting rod for viewers. But Buck, who is one of the best people in sports media, kept it classy as

Find out how to watch Brighton vs Manchester United in the Premier League on Tuesday. Liverpool captured the 2019-20 Premier League title on June 25, but the fight for a top-four finish will continue on Tuesday as Manchester United faces Brighton. Kickoff from Falmer Stadium in Brighton is slated for 3:15 p.m. ET. Manchester United currently sits No. 6 in the Premier League with 49 points, five back of Chelsea for the No. 4 spot. The club has won two of its last three matches after play resumed on July 19, including a 2-1 win over Norwich City on June 27.  Brighton will enter Tuesday's match No. 15 in the Premier League with 33 points. The club is 1–0–1 since play resumed following a win over Arsenal on June 20.  How to Watch: Time: 3:15 p.m. ET TV Channel: NBCSN Live Stream: You can stream the match online at FuboTV

Let's dive into the implications of the 60-game sprint MLB will begin next month. Three weeks has never felt so far away. That's when the MLB season is supposed to begin, but it's hard to nail down any future plans having to do with anything anymore. Let's close our eyes for a moment and imagine we do, in fact, get baseball at the end of July. It's going to be a 60-game season, a campaign unlike any other we've seen; the equivalent of a six-game NFL slate or 30-game NBA schedule. What are the implications of such a short season? What does it mean? SI's MLB staff weighs in: Tom Verducci The key to the 60-game season is to get off to a good start. Two weeks is about 25% of the season. Teams better play those first few weeks like it’s the postseason, which is why aggressive managing will be in order. The games will lack energy without fans. Players will have limited personal freedom because of the necessary health protocols. Paychecks have been reduced an

On this week's Beyond the Baseline podcast, host Jon Wertheim talks with former player, broadcaster, agent, businessman and more, Donald Dell. Wertheim and Dell talk about the prospect of combining the men's and women's tours; the current state of tennis right now, especially amidst the coronavirus pandemic; what the USTA and the sport as a whole can do to attract young athletes to tennis; and more. On this week's Beyond the Baseline podcast , host Jon Wertheim talks with former player, broadcaster, agent, businessman and more, Donald Dell. Wertheim and Dell talk about the prospect of combining the men's and women's tours; the current state of tennis right now, especially amidst the coronavirus pandemic; what the USTA and the sport as a whole can do to attract young athletes to tennis; and more.  Listen and subscribe to the Beyond the Baseline podcast below: The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Jon Wertheim: I think when you&#

Emoni Bates, widely considered the top Class of 2022 recruit, committed to Michigan State on Monday Emoni Bates' Highlights Are The Real Deal Emoni Bates, widely considered the top basketball prospect in the country and a possibly No. 1 NBA draft pick in 2022, surprised many on Monday afternoon when he appeared on ESPN and announced that he has committed to Michigan State. There's a chance he may not get there since he just finished his sophomore year at Ypsilanti (Mich.) Lincoln High School and plans to start his father's new prep school. Time is on Bates' side and there are still plenty of options on the table  for the direction of his career before he even steps foot on campus in East Lansing. Because there's nothing but time for Bates and sports fans amid a pandemic, it's a good time to revisit some of his recent highlight mixtapes to see just what kind of a generational talent Michigan State has to look forward to. Tim Tebow Still Being Considered F

Lillard is the cover star for the current gen systems. Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard will be one of three NBA players featured on the cover of NBA 2K21 . 2K announced Tuesday that Lillard will serve as the cover star for the current-gen systems. He follows Lakers star Anthony Davis who was featured on last year's cover. "I made it," Lillard told Stadium's Shams Charania . "To be able to join the line of players that's been on the cover of 2K, it's an honor. Fans got a look at Lillard's cover when 2K released a video on Twitter teasing "Everything is Dame." Lillard is the first Blazers player to appear on the cover of a 2K game. He's in the middle of another dominant season averaging career highs in points (28.9) and assists (7.8) prior to the NBA's coronavirus-induced hiatus.

The league has good intentions, but its initial handling of the pregame national anthem and subsequent shift have resulted in some negative and avoidable consequences. The predictable snowball effect is here.  NWSL returned on Saturday, kicking off its Challenge Cup tournament/likely 2020 season substitute in Utah. In the opener, Lynn Williams's stoppage-time header lifted the defending champion North Carolina Courage to a 2–1 win over the Portland Thorns. In the nightcap, Rose Lavelle helped spark the Washington Spirit to a 2–1 win over the Chicago Red Stars. Despite  all the missing USWNT players  from this competition, two entertaining matches unfolded, and more are on the horizon. It's great to have the sport back in the U.S. You'd be forgiven for not fully grasping all of that, though. The discourse surrounding the league and that night, still some three days later, has been focused solely on the national anthem.  This had to have been expected to some degree once

The Forde Bowl Subdivision proposal would produce a heck of an expanded postseason. You read about the Forde Bowl Subdivision realignment plan Monday on this website. Today, let’s see how it would look if it were put into action for 2020. What we would have is merely the greatest postseason* in college football history. (*This is assuming that there will be a season, of course, and a postseason thereafter. No guarantees at this point.) The best and biggest playoff ever would start with Selection Sunday, Nov. 29. A 12-team bracket would be revealed—10 automatic bids to conference champions, two at-large teams chosen by a selection committee, the whole thing seeded by said committee. That would lead to four mammoth, on-campus playoff games on December 4–5. Then four more on different campuses the next weekend. Teams from every geographic region would be involved. Fans from coast to coast would be engaged. From there, the playoff reverts to customary form: semifinals on New Year’s

A promising rookie season has left SI Fantasy expert Ben Heisler wanting to see more of Chicago Bears RB David Montgomery. What does he have in store for fantasy owners in Year 2? It's never too early to start your fantasy football research, and we at SI Fantasy want to provide you with the best information possible heading into your drafts. Our "Draft or Pass" video series takes a closer look at a fantasy player that will be debated often leading up to fantasy drafts. Are our hosts targeting this player specifically? Are they avoiding him entirely? Today's video focuses on Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery. Draft or Pass at current ADP (average draft position): 56 (RB25) I’m still slowly recovering from the overdose of David Montgomery Kool-Aid that I endlessly consumed in the summer of 2019. The Bears were coming off a 12-4 season in which Mitchell Trubisky took a significant leap in Year 2. If not due to a 43-yard field goal somehow meticulousl