National Sports

Update on the latest in sports:

by Associated Press

NFL-PLAYOFFS

NFL owners vote to expand playoffs by one team per conference

UNDATED (AP) — NFL team owners have voted to expand the playoffs by one team in each conference for next season.

During a conference call to discuss league business after the annual meetings were canceled because of the new coronavirus pandemic, the owners also awarded one of those extra games to CBS and one to NBC.

Only the teams with the best record in the AFC and NFC will get a bye under the new format; the top two teams skipped wild-card weekend in the past. 

NFL MOVES

Bengals release cornerback Kirkpatrick

The Latest: Baseball Digest makes archives free until July

by Associated Press

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Baseball fans who want to brush up on the history of Stan Musial, Roberto Clemente and others from yesteryear now have an extra opportunity.

The magazine Baseball Digest has made its entire archive file — dating to its first issue in 1942 — available for free through July 15. Publisher Norman Jacobs said he wanted to provide the service to help fill the void while the season is delayed because of the new coronavirus outbreak.

Baseball Digest has produced features, crossword puzzles, cartoons, stats and

The Latest: Southeastern Conference cancels spring meetings

by Associated Press

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The Southeastern Conference now has canceled its spring meetings because of the coronavirus.

Commissioner Greg Sankey announced the move Tuesday and said the league will figure out a different way to meet to consider SEC operations and how to recognize award winners.

The SEC meetings have been held annually the last week of May in Destin, Florida, since 1985.

Sankey says the spring meetings are one of the SEC’s great traditions to celebrate the past year and plan for the future. He says the SEC knows

The Latest: NASCAR’s Logano sets up $1 million recovery fund

by Associated Press

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NASCAR star Joey Logano has established a $1 Million COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

The fund is from the Joey Logano Foundation in partnership with Elevation Church.

The money will be used to address a variety of needs, including educational equity and access, medical supplies, food distribution, and financial shortages throughout the greater Charlotte, North Carolina area and communities across the United States.

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The National Hockey League has extended its self-quarantine recommendation for

The Latest: NHL extends self-quarantine recommendation

by Associated Press

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The National Hockey League has extended its self-quarantine recommendation for players and staff until April 15.

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the extension in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday. The league had previously sent out a memo recommending self-quarantining until April 4.

So far, four NHL players — two each from the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche — have tested positive for COVID-19.

— Reporting by Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno

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The postponement of the Tokyo

The Latest: World Games to shift dates to avoid OLY overlap

by Associated Press

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The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics to the summer of 2021 will have an impact on numerous other events — including an Olympic-style event for sports that are not part of the Summer Games.

The new dates for the Olympics — July 23-Aug. 8, 2021 — now overlaps with the 2021 World Games, which were set to be held in Birmingham, Alabama between July 15-25.

The International World Games Association says it will shift the dates of its signature event to an earlier date in 2021 or to a similar time in 2022.

The Latest: Patrick McEnroe says he has coronavirus

by Associated Press

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Former U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe says in a video posted on social media that he tested positive for the coronavirus.

McEnroe, younger brother of eight-time major champion John, said he did a drive-through test in upstate New York after developing what he called “minor symptoms” about 10 days ago.

Patrick McEnroe said: “The good news is I feel fine. My symptoms have passed. I feel, really, 100 percent.”

As a player, he won one tournament in singles and 16 in doubles, including the 1989 French

The Latest: Dr. Vivek Murthy to talk on Twitter to NBA fans

by Associated Press

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Dr. Vivek Murthy, the former surgeon general of the United States under President Barack Obama and someone who has advised the NBA throughout the global coronavirus pandemic, will take questions from NBA fans later this week.

The league is setting up a live question-and-answer session on its Twitter account with Murthy, beginning Wednesday at 4 p.m. Eastern.

NBA fans are being urged to send in questions ahead of time to Murthy with the hashtag of #NBATogether.

The NBA Together initiative was born “to

The Latest: China orders major sports to remain suspended

by Associated Press

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:

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China’s government has ordered all major sports events to remain suspended because of the coronavirus outbreak, meaning the country’s basketball league will have to push back its planned restart.

The Chinese Basketball Association had hoped to resume play in mid-April but was denied government approval to do so. Instead, China’s General Administration of Sport issued a statement saying any large sporting events that draw crowds “are temporarily not being resumed.”

The agency did not give a timeline for

The Latest: Bellator postpones its three cards set for May

by Associated Press

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Bellator has postponed its three cards set for May in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The MMA organization says it will try and reschedule Bellator 242 set for May 9 in San Jose, California, a May 16 card in London and Bellator 243 on May 29 in Temecula, California.

Bellator says it will try to reschedule the events as soon as it can.

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Soccer players in Germany could be tested for the coronavirus before games if the season resumes.

The German Football League says it has set up a medical task