Dallas Cowboys were a team that many felt good about once Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper were all at camp, especially considering that the Cowboys' defense looked dominant the year prior.
The Philadelphia Eagles also looked like a team that could make a deep playoff run. Carson Wentz was healthy and the team belonged to him with Nick Foles gone. They added nice pieces on draft day, and they had the experience of being recent Super Bowl champions.
There was also a lot of public interest in the New York Giants last season because their win total seemed manageable. New York seemed poised to move on from Eli Manning and Saqoun Barkley looked like he could be the best running back in the NFL.
Finally, Washington was Washington and they did not disappoint. Head coach Jay Gruden was fired during the season and the team only won three games last season.
The NFC East ended up being one of the worst, if not the worst division in the NFL last season. The Eagles went on a four-game winning streak to end the season with a division title at 9-7. The Cowboys were a major disappointment, as they only won right games and Jason Garrett was fired after the season. Washington and New York combined for seven wins, both with young quarterbacks and both have new head coaches this season.
Dallas Cowboys - 9.5 Wins (Over -130; Under +110)
The Cowboys come into 2020 as the favorite to win the NFC East once again. The Cowboys' main goals this offseason were to hire a head coach to turn the franchise around and get both Prescott and Cooper under contract. Cooper has been signed, but they had to place the franchise tag on Prescott—they still have until July 15 to get him a long-term contract.
No matter who you listen to, everyone talks about the talent of the Cowboys. Yes, they are a talented bunch, but with Jason Garrett now gone the Cowboys have no one else to blame if the team fails.
Mike McCarthy takes over as the head coach. He had plenty of success coaching the Packers and Aaron Rodgers and was brought into Dallas to turn Prescott from a good quarterback into a championship quarterback.Elliott is one of the best running backs in football and the Cowboys' offensive line should still be dominant even with the loss of Travis Frederick.
Dallas won eight games last season, but five of those wins came against division opponents. In order to improve, Dallas must win games outside of the NFC East. Outside of the division, the Cowboys play the AFC North and the NFC West.
I think the Cowboys will win around 10 games in 2020. They should remain strong against their own division and feast on the bottom of the AFC North, but they will have to win road games against the NFC West to truly be a contender.
Pick: Over 9.5 Wins
Philadelphia Eagles - 9 Wins (Over -130; Under +110)
The Eagles are the reigning champs of the NFC East. They looked bad at times last season, but when they needed it Wentz was able to make enough plays to get them over the hump.
The Eagles needed to get better in the secondary over the offseason and they were able to do that by getting Darius Slay, who is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Philadelphia does have issues in their wide receiving corps, as Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson have seen their best day and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside is a young player who still needs work. Luckily for the Eagles and Wentz, the 2020 NFL draft class is filled with extremely talented wide receivers. In my mock draft that was published last week, I had the Eagles drafting LSU standout WR Justin Jefferson, but a player like Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III or CeeDee Lamb might possibly be available for the Eagles.
Philadelphia, like Dallas, has what appears to be a fairly easy schedule in 2020. The Eagles have the 25th-toughest schedule in the NFL. The Eagles will play at San Francisco and at Green Bay as their two toughest games this season outside of Dallas.
Pick: Over 9 Wins
New York Giants - 6.5 Wins (Over -115; Under -105)
The Giants, like Dallas and Washington, changed coaches in the offseason. While Dallas and Washington hired head coaches with Super Bowl experience, the Giants hired Joe Judge, the Patriots' special teams coach. Yes, he does have some former head coaches on his staff, but this was an interesting hire to say the least.
The Giants have the luxury of coming into the season with an easy schedule, but I don't think they are better than the AFC North teams and they haven't been able to beat the Cowboys or Eagles. Last season, the Giants' four wins came against the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington. This year, outside of the NFC East, the Giants have road games against the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks—they could lose all these games.
The Giants roster still needs work. Barkley is great, but their leading wide receiver can't be Darius Slayton. I don't see how the Giants can win seven or more games this season.
Pick: Under 6.5 Wins
Washington Redskins - 5 Wins (Over -110; Under -110)
The great Bill Parcells always said you are what your record says you are, and last season Washington was a three-win team. Quarterback has been an issue in Washington since Kirk Cousins left town.
Last season, Case Keenum and Dwayne Haskins each got snaps at quarterback. Nether played well, but Washington's problem didn't start with the quarterback play, it started with Gruden and him behaving like he was trying to get fired.
Washington struggled all season long. Haskins looked like he was ill-prepared most games and has a lot of work to do to turn things around. Ron Rivera was hired to be the head coach in the offseason and I think that was a perfect hire. Rivera is a well-respected head coach who has won plenty of games. He brought offensive coordinator Scott Turner along with him. Turner is a big fan of Kyle Allen, who will be Haskins' main competition for the starting quarterback job.
Washington does have some playmakers on the team. Derrius Guice showed flashes last season and Terry McLaurin looks like a really good wide receiver. Washington also has some talent in the trenches, but they must trade Trent Williams so they can move ahead as a franchise.
Rivera has been a head coach in the NFL for nine seasons and his teams have won at least six games or more in every season he's completed. Washington won't compete for the division, but they will win more than five games this season.
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum told ESPN that the parties would look to try and move the fight to the fall.
"You could not guarantee the fighters that the event would take place on that date. We couldn't convince them or ourselves," Arum told ESPN of a possible July 18 fight. "Where were they going to train for it? It just made no sense. You just have to take a step back. How are you going to sell tickets? It's absolutely ridiculous to say the fight is on when the Brits can't even get there."
Less than a week after the pair's second bout, the parties settled on a date for a third fight. In late February, Wilder's trainer, Mark Breland, ended the one-sided fight in the seventh round after Wilder was knocked down twice. Wilder announced that he would not be letting Breland go despite being upset at his camp for throwing in the towel.
The loss was the first in Wilder's career as a heavyweight boxer, who is now 42-1-1 with 41 knockouts. Fury improved his record to 30-0-1 with 21 knockouts.
The first meeting between Wilder and Fury took place on Dec. 1, 2018, which went down as a split draw.
As of Tuesday night, there are more than 406,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus worldwide, causing more than 18,000 deaths. There are more than 52,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States.
The deal completes a major hurdle in the Clippers' effort to construct a new arena in Ingelwood, Calif., something Ballmer has pushed for since he purchased the team for $2 billion in 2014.
“This is an unprecedented time, but we believe in our collective future,” Ballmer said in a statement. “We are committed to our investment in the City of Inglewood, which will be good for the community, the Clippers, and our fans.”
"The Clippers continue to pursue plans to build a state-of-the-art, 18,000-seat basketball arena and entertainment complex in Inglewood and are currently working with the city to successfully complete the comprehensive Environmental Impact Report," the team told ESPN in a statement regarding the prior report.
"We are examining every possible way to resolve our differences with Madison Square Garden Co. regarding our new arena."
MSG acquired The Forum in 2012, but it has dealt with legal battles in recent years, namely as it relates to the Clippers building a new stadium nearby.
In 2017, Los Angeles agreed to a deal with the city in hopes of developing an arena complex just south of the Rams' new stadium.
Per Greif, the deal will also resolve litigation brought by MSG, which attempted to block the Clippers’ proposed privately funded, arena.
The Forum will continue to operate as a music venue until a new Clippers arena is finished, per the official release.
An NBA team hasn't regularly played in The Forum since 1999, when the Lakers moved to Staples Center. The Los Angeles Sparks played in The Forum from 1997 until 2001, when they also moved to Staples Center.
While the Pirates await word on when they can return to Pittsburgh, amid the coronavirus pandemic, the club provided 400 pizzas from two city establishments to the workers at area hospitals on Monday.
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Kansas City has agreed to a contract with Jordan Ta'amu, the former Ole Miss star who was the XFL's third-rated quarterback for the St. Louis BattleHawks this season.
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when he emerged victorious in this past January’s Royal Rumble match. He also eliminated Lesnar from the Rumble, which will forever stand as a career highlight. He celebrated his victory in front of over 40,000 people at Minute Maid Park in Houston and visions of an even grander celebration at WrestleMania—with nearly 75,000 people from around the world packing in to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa—were merely a few short months away.
But the impact of the coronavirus has turned McIntyre’s dream into a stone-cold reality. He will still wrestle Lesnar at WrestleMania, but the match will now take place in WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando in front of an empty venue.
“I’m happy and proud it’s still going ahead,” said McIntyre, hours before his Raw appearance on Monday. “It’s not what I imagined as a kid, with thousands of people. But that moment is still going to happen, and it’s very important that we have WrestleMania and give people an escape in today’s climate.”
Ever since the Royal Rumble, seemingly every reaction McIntyre has had behind the curtain has been captured by WWE cameras, which includes the emotional roller coaster of learning WrestleMania’s status was in jeopardy and then, ultimately, relocated to the Performance Center.
“It’s going to make a very interesting documentary—I’ve already said to the guy producing that this is going to be his Citizen Kane because we’ve had so many twists and turns,” said McIntyre. “When I was in Europe, I heard that ‘Mania may not happen with everything going on, and then with the switch to the PC, and with all the other sports shutting down, I am very proud of WWE for being one of the few places to bring original content to help people take their minds off things.
“I think WrestleMania is going to turn out to be more like WWE presents: Mortal Kombat, which will be a pretty cool scene. But most importantly, everyone is going to be safe and we’ll provide an escape for everyone in the world. This ‘Mania is never going to be forgotten.”
Standing 6’5” and weighing 272 pounds, McIntyre appears to be far more Goliath than David. Upon deeper look, which requires peering into the soul of Andrew McLean Galloway IV, that could not be further from the truth.
Life has thrown curveballs and obstacles at McIntyre, who failed in his first run with WWE due to a combination of youth, arrogance and misfortune. The end of his first run in WWE also coincided with his divorce and the deteriorating health of his mother. He was released without fanfare in June 2014, which doubled as the same point that he said he ceased feeling sorry for himself and vowed to embark on a new pathway toward success.
Two major events served as key moments in McIntyre’s life, ones that have shaped the man he is today. McIntyre lost his mother, Angela Galloway, in 2012. Though it's been more than seven years since her death, a day does not pass without him thinking of the woman who raised him. And he also met Kaitlyn Frohnapfel, developing a bond that led them to marriage in 2016. That is why he is dedicating the match against Lesnar at WrestleMania to his wife and the loving memory of his mother.
“This match is dedicated to my mother and wife,” said McIntyre. “They’re the two most important people in my entire life. My mother instilled that fire in me and taught me to never give up, and my wife has pushed me as a person and helped me fill my potential as a man.”
McIntyre lovingly recalls his mother. She suffered for over 30 years from a rare condition that killed the balance portion of her brain. Doctors recommended that she not have children, which is advice she did not heed.
“She said she’d rather die than not have kids,” said McIntyre. “That’s why I am here, and the same for my brother. I’m not where I am today without my mother. The lessons I learned growing up, I didn’t even realize I was learning. She taught me to never give up. No matter if a doctor tells you that you have a disease only one or two other people have in the U.K, she kept pushing forward and never complained. I still think about her all the time, and I feel her all the time, even in the ring. She’s in my ear, my head and my heart. I would never be here now without her.”
Since WrestleMania is a two-night affair, McIntyre was asked whether his match will take place on Saturday or Sunday. He responded by stating he does not know yet, but remains optimistic that, whichever night the match airs, it is the main event.
“I don’t know where I’m positioned on the card, but I do hope it’s the last match,” said McIntyre. “I think it’s very important that the Royal Rumble winner earns that right to be last in that big title match. Roman Reigns vs. Goldberg is also a big match. I don’t think that’s going to go very long. I saw Roman getting all those tweets after he said, ‘I’m next,’ with people voicing that he didn’t have to win the Rumble to get a title shot. Realistically, he never lost the title, so I think he earned that right.
“Randy Orton and Edge have a more compelling case. Edge has been out for nine years. It’s been so personal, they’re both phenomenal storytellers, and this is an opportunity for creative people to provide some unique content. I’ve seen some of our superstars try things that didn’t work, like walk out and talk to imaginary fans. I don’t know if I’d approach it that way. With Randy Orton and Edge, I guarantee you they’re going to approach it like a movie—and they’ll thrive in that environment. But the title is not on the line, so it’s not quite the main event. This has been a 19-year journey for me, and with Brock being the beast that he is, we’re going to lay into each other. That match should, and I believe will, be last.
McIntyre was asked if he is frightened of traveling or performing during the virus, as well as if the pros of holding WrestleMania outweigh the cons.
“There are necessary safety precautions in place by WWE, and WWE is doing everything possible to make sure we are following all the recommended CDC guidelines,” said McIntyre. “And the Drew Galloway, Drew McIntyre way has never been the easy way, from situations out of my control, situations I caused myself, and now the situation that the world is going through together.”
In the same manner he learned from his mother, McIntyre will not be complaining about the hand he, WWE, or the world has been dealt. He is embracing his opportunity, undeterred that WrestleMania will not be held in front of thousands of people at a football stadium in Tampa. Or that it will take place in an empty arena while the world continues to protect itself from coronavirus.
“I’m going to tell my story at WrestleMania—I am David, but when I kick it into gear, I’m Goliath,” said McIntyre. “My journey in wrestling and life has prepared me to be the number one guy in WWE. The world is now being presented with this difficult situation, and I am the guy to carry the load for WWE.
“It’s not what I pictured, but I’m very proud to represent during this time and keep a positive message for everyone. We’re going to keep pushing forward as long as we can, as long as it’s safe, to keep entertaining everybody. And this isn’t just my moment. This is a moment for all wrestling fans to have together.”
Georgia plans to revive Tskaltubo, an abandoned Soviet-era spa town, but it's an uncertain time for thousands of civil war refugees living among the decaying sanatoriums.
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Brady, Buccaneers GM Jason Licht and head coach Bruce Arians reportedly spoke for around 90 minutes on Wednesday evening, the first official day of the new NFL year. Brady never talked about money, per Stroud, who adds that "it was last on the list of priorities" that Brady's agent, Don Yee, presented to the team on Monday when the legal tampering period opened.
After their conversation on Wednesday, Licht and Arians hung up the phone and turned to each other "incredulously, as if to say, 'Wow, this is really happening,'" per Stroud.
The 42-year-old Brady had never tested the open market before this offseason and questions about his future picked up steam upon the Patriots' unexpected Wild Card round loss to the Titans.
Brady announced on Tuesday morning via a social media post titled "Forever A Patriot" that he would be leaving New England after 20 seasons.
Despite making 14 Pro Bowls with the Patriots and winning six Super Bowls, Brady's production has slipped in recent years. He threw for just 4,035 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2019. His completion percentage (60.8%) was also his lowest since 2013.
Tampa Bay finished 7–9 last season in Bruce Arians's first season as the team's head coach. The club has had just one winning season since 2011.
The No. 199 pick in the 2000 NFL draft will look to help the Buccaneers make their first playoff appearance since 2007 as the franchise has made just two postseasons since winning the Super Bowl in 2002.
The new Tampa Bay quarterback's desire to win with the club was obvious to them, per Stroud.
"Excited, humble and hungry...if there is one thing I have learned about football, it’s that nobody cares what you did last year or the year before that...you earn the trust and respect of those around through your commitment every single day," Brady wrote on Friday. "I’m starting a new football journey and thankful for the Buccaneers for giving me an opportunity to do what I love to do."
Wells Bayou took an early lead and held off NY Traffic to win the $1 million Louisiana Derby by a head on Saturday in one of the few U.S. sporting events to continue as scheduled amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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In sports, a multi-day delay presents the risk that a player, coach or referee who learns that he or she tested negative may have become infected after the test occurred—and may have unknowingly infected others, too.
This concern seems particularly worrisome for team-based sports. Basketball, football, baseball, hockey and soccer all involve players in close proximity with one another; in most of those sports, regular and direct physical contact is part of the game. In addition, several of the pro athletes who have been identified as infected express feeling fine and are asymptomatic. It’s thought that players’ young age and peak physical condition improve their odds to defeat the virus. That’s good news for them, but not so much for those around them. Infected people who are asymptomatic are more contagious than was originally assumed.
On Saturday, the possibility of real-time COVID-19 testing became much more possible.
Cepheid, a molecular diagnostics company based in California, announced it had received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a diagnostic test that takes only 45 minutes to determine if a person is infected with COVID-19. The test is called “Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2” and it assesses if a person has SARS-CoV-2, the technical name for the virus that causes COVID-19. The test is also conducted at the point-of-care, meaning on the spot and not requiring that samples be sent to a lab for analysis. According to Cepheid, the tests will begin to be shipped next week.
The FDA’s decision to grant emergency use authorization is legally significant. FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn is authorized under section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to permit unapproved medical products, including newly designed medical tests, as well as unapproved uses of approved medical products to be used in an emergency to diagnose a life-threatening disease. The requisite emergency condition was likely satisfied on March 13, when President Donald Trump proclaimed a national emergency on account of the outbreak of COVID-19.
The prospect of COVID-19 tests that indicate a result in 45 minutes could save lives, boost public health and restore the public’s confidence. With such results, health care providers could supply much more timely treatment to the infected, who in turn would be quarantined and less likely to infect others. Respirators and other crucial medical equipment to treat the infected could become more efficiently allocated, too. If all goes well, Xpert Xpress could be a real game-changer.
It’s unknown how accurate Xpert Xpress will prove to be. It’s also unknown how quickly the test will be made available to private businesses, like sports leagues, or the health care testing companies with whom they conduct business. Cepheid states that Xpert Xpress can rely on the company’s “GeneXpert Systems,” which are “automated systems that do not require users to have specialty training to perform testing—they are capable of running 24/7.” Cepheid has 23,000 of these systems, about 5,000 of which are in the United States. As described, Cepheid, the tests and the automated systems that run them are relatively straightforward to use and administrate.
While not nearly as important as the promise of saving lives and preventing infections, Xpert Xpress also offers the promise of helping to restore pro sports competitions. The prospect that players, coaches and referees could be tested before same-day practices and same-day games would increase the feasibility of resuming practices and games. To be sure, leagues might elect to play games without live audiences until COVID-19 testing becomes more available to the general population or until a vaccine is approved and distributed. Yet even without fans present, resuming games in safe environments for players, coaches and referees would provide a big financial boost to the U.S. sports industry and psychological lift to many sports fans. It would also help the country return to some semblance of normalcy, with sports back on TV.
Any improvements to testing of NBA players and other pro athletes could nonetheless spark controversy. Criticisms have been raised of NBA players who are asymptomatic being tested while many Americans who exhibit worrisome symptoms lack access to tests. The accompanying inference is that because NBA players are wealthy and privileged, they have moved ahead of the line for vital healthcare services.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has pushed back against this narrative on two grounds. First, public health officials—meaning government officers, not NBA executives—were the first to order that NBA players be tested. This occurred in the aftermath of Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert testing positive on Mar. 11. Second, NBA players are considered “super spreaders” in that they are young people who tend to be asymptomatic, who work in close proximity to one another and who often travel and appear in large groups. The NBA has been advised by a group of experts led by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D., and noted infectious disease expert David Ho, M.D., of Columbia University that the testing of NBA players advances the interests of public health.
The ability to test players in real-time would be merely one piece of a puzzle before games could return. For one, the NBA and National Basketball Players’ Association, just like other leagues and their respective players’ unions, would need to agree on COVID-19 testing policies. Such agreement is necessary for leagues with unionized players as collective bargaining agreements cover wages, hours and other working conditions, including medical testing. In addition, many states and municipalities have adopted gathering restrictions that in some instances would prevent NBA games even without fans present. The hope is that such restrictions will become unnecessary as the pandemic eases and as economic activity resumes.
Michael McCannis SI’s Legal Analyst. He is also an attorney and the Director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law.
Until this week, most of the company's massive workforce had been working on-campus. An employee in the travel department died Sunday after contracting the virus.
