Wednesday, July 22, 2020
PHOENIX – Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement Tuesday that fans will not be allowed to attend college sporting events in the state of New York during the fall shed light on an interesting discrepancy between New York and Arizona.
One has a lot of colleges. The other does not.
New York has 102 schools that sport Division I, II or III programs. Arizona? Try four: Arizona, Arizona State, Northern Arizona and Grand Canyon.
The abundance of schools in New York made Cuomo’s decision a significant story.
“Fanless, the game can go on, the game can be televised, but no fans,” Cuomo said during a conference call with reporters.
One has a lot of colleges. The other does not.
New York has 102 schools that sport Division I, II or III programs. Arizona? Try four: Arizona, Arizona State, Northern Arizona and Grand Canyon.
The abundance of schools in New York made Cuomo’s decision a significant story.
“Fanless, the game can go on, the game can be televised, but no fans,” Cuomo said during a conference call with reporters.
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks caught their first glimpse of pandemic baseball.
Cardboard cutouts and piped in fan noise were among the oddities as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 9-2 in an exhibition game Sunday at Dodger Stadium. It was the first time Diamondbacks fans saw the team in game action since March 10 when spring training and baseball were put on pause due to COVID-19.
Team travel was one of the first challenges the team faced during pandemic baseball. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said the plane ride from Phoenix to L.A. was very quiet. Players kept to themselves and their own space on the plane.
Typically, the team would fly into the airport then go to the hotel before heading to the stadium. On this trip, the team went straight from airport to stadium. Lovullo said that abnormality may have taken the team out of its comfort zone.
The team took four buses instead of the usual two. This ensured everyone was evenly spaced apart and nobody was sitting directly in front of, behind or next to another person.
Dodger Stadium did not have fans in attendance. Instead, hundreds of cardboard cutouts were scattered throughout and advertising banners stretched across rows of seats to take up several sections.
Cardboard cutouts and piped in fan noise were among the oddities as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 9-2 in an exhibition game Sunday at Dodger Stadium. It was the first time Diamondbacks fans saw the team in game action since March 10 when spring training and baseball were put on pause due to COVID-19.
Team travel was one of the first challenges the team faced during pandemic baseball. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said the plane ride from Phoenix to L.A. was very quiet. Players kept to themselves and their own space on the plane.
Typically, the team would fly into the airport then go to the hotel before heading to the stadium. On this trip, the team went straight from airport to stadium. Lovullo said that abnormality may have taken the team out of its comfort zone.
The team took four buses instead of the usual two. This ensured everyone was evenly spaced apart and nobody was sitting directly in front of, behind or next to another person.
Dodger Stadium did not have fans in attendance. Instead, hundreds of cardboard cutouts were scattered throughout and advertising banners stretched across rows of seats to take up several sections.
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
PHOENIX – Washington’s NFL team on Monday officially dropped its name, a derogatory term for Native Americans that the team has held since 1933.
Native leaders and supporters in Arizona hailed a change activists have been working toward for years. The reactions ranged from relief to reflection.
Reflecting on a victory years in the making
Amanda Blackhorse
An activist and member of the Navajo Nation, Blackhorse was a plaintiff in the lawsuit Blackhorse v. Pro Football Inc. (2014)
“Today is truly a monumental day in our fight to eliminate racist ‘Native’ mascots and names in professional sports. Farewell to the Washington team’s racist r-word name and logo!” she said in a news release. “As much as I want to fully celebrate this day, I am concerned with the Washington team’s lack of clarity around their rebrand. In their statement, they did not commit to rebranding without any ‘Native’ names, themes, or imagery. Given the history of the Washington franchise and recent public statement from Coach Ron Rivera, they’ve mentioned favoring new branding that honors Native people and the military. In order for the Washington team to truly stand for racial equality, a 100% rebrand of the Washington franchise with NO Native themes/imagery/names is required.”
A chance to get it right
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez
“For us, here in the Navajo Nation, we are grateful; we appreciate that the name will not be used anymore. But we have been advocating for that for some time, and Amanda (Blackhorse) has been at the forefront of this and I appreciate her strength and her resilience even though she is dealing with others out there, maybe non-Natives that are pushing back on this. If this name has been utilized for many decades to put down Native Americans, here is a chance for the NFL and the team to get it right.”
Native leaders and supporters in Arizona hailed a change activists have been working toward for years. The reactions ranged from relief to reflection.
Reflecting on a victory years in the making
Amanda Blackhorse
An activist and member of the Navajo Nation, Blackhorse was a plaintiff in the lawsuit Blackhorse v. Pro Football Inc. (2014)
“Today is truly a monumental day in our fight to eliminate racist ‘Native’ mascots and names in professional sports. Farewell to the Washington team’s racist r-word name and logo!” she said in a news release. “As much as I want to fully celebrate this day, I am concerned with the Washington team’s lack of clarity around their rebrand. In their statement, they did not commit to rebranding without any ‘Native’ names, themes, or imagery. Given the history of the Washington franchise and recent public statement from Coach Ron Rivera, they’ve mentioned favoring new branding that honors Native people and the military. In order for the Washington team to truly stand for racial equality, a 100% rebrand of the Washington franchise with NO Native themes/imagery/names is required.”
A chance to get it right
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez
“For us, here in the Navajo Nation, we are grateful; we appreciate that the name will not be used anymore. But we have been advocating for that for some time, and Amanda (Blackhorse) has been at the forefront of this and I appreciate her strength and her resilience even though she is dealing with others out there, maybe non-Natives that are pushing back on this. If this name has been utilized for many decades to put down Native Americans, here is a chance for the NFL and the team to get it right.”
Monday, July 13, 2020
PHOENIX – Following the lead of the Big Ten and others, the Pac-12 Conference announced its football teams will play only conference games in 2020.
“Arizona State University and Sun Devil Athletics support the Pac-12’s announcement of a strictly conference schedule for the 2020 football and fall sports season,” said Ray Anderson, ASU’s vice president for university athletics.
The news came after executive members of the Pac-12 met Friday to discuss their options. The sports affected also include men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball. The conference also said it is delaying the start of mandatory athletic activities until health and safety indicators, “which have recently trended in a negative direction, provided sufficient positive data to enable a move to a second phase of return-to-play activities.”
“The health and safety of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 sports continues to be our number one priority,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said.
The Pac-12 is not alone in its thought to rethink the season. ACC commissioner John Swofford announced the conference would make a decision at the end of July, while Sports Illustrated reports that the SEC is gathering all 14 of its athletic directors on Monday for an in-person meeting to discuss the season.
The news is a result of the coronavirus pandemic as cases increase in many states.
Sixty-nine FBS schools nationwide have released or reported data on coronavirus testing of its athletes, the Buffalo News reported. Arizona State is not one of them. An athletic department spokesman said the reason is a university-wide policy to not disclose information.
Five other conference schools said they will not report data: Oregon, Utah, Stanford, UCLA and Washington State.
“As you know, we work in close coordination with ADHS and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health and will continue deferring to those public health agencies regarding disclosure of positive test results and related information,” the university said in a statement “Public health officials will advise ASU if additional disclosure measures are necessary. University leaders, in consultation with public health officials, will determine the right protocols for intramural sports and fitness programs.”
On June 29th, Arizona decided to halt its athletes’ return to campus. At that time, there had been just one positive test among the 83 athletes that returned for voluntary workouts, the school said in a statement.
If the Pac-12 does decide to cut non-conference games, Arizona State would lose games against Northern Arizona, UNLV and Brigham Young. Arizona would lose games against Hawaii, Portland State and Texas Tech.
Other notable Pac-12 non-conference games that have already been canceled due to the Big Ten’s announcement are Michigan visiting Washington in Week 1 and Ohio State visiting Oregon in Week 2. If the Pac-12 follows suit, the yearly matchup between USC and Notre Dame would also not be played.
Across the country, there has been a wave of universities deciding to cut numerous sports programs in order to save money due to the coronavirus pandemic. That wave hit Stanford on Wednesday as it decided to drop 11 programs including wrestling and men’s volleyball. The move will save the school $70 million, reports The New York Times.
On Thursday, Anderson said he would do his best to ensure that wave would not reach ASU.
“We recognize many of our Pac-12 colleagues and other institutions across the country have made difficult decisions to cut sports and support staff in recent weeks,” he said. “We remain steadfast in our intent and commitment to avoid such drastic measures through every means possible. We are entering a critical period of time which will inform us of many pieces to the larger puzzle of our fall seasons. Until we have more clarity on those timelines and the parameters in which we’ll need to adhere to, we will continue to prepare for all scenarios to ensure the safest environment possible for the entire ASU community.”
Bidwill hospitalized for coronavirus
Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill has been hospitalized for the coronavirus, the team announced Friday,
It is believed Bidwill, 55, contracted the virus after traveling on the East Coast.
“His symptoms have subsided and Bidwill is expected to be released sometime this weekend,” the team said in a statement.
List of MLB players opting out increases
The list of players opting out of the 2020 MLB season added another name as San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey has decided to not play.
The decision comes after Posey and his wife adopted prematurely-born identical twins on Thursday.
Posey joins Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price, Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Mike Leake, among others.
Newest MLB coronavirus test results
After some back and forth and numerous holdups, Major League Baseball has released the numbers it has received highlighting the first round of coronavirus testing it has done across players and employees.
The league has just 66 positive results from the 3,748 total samples tested, making a 1.8% total percent positive. For context, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported the most recent total percent positive in Arizona to be 11.7%.
Of the 66 positive cases, 58 were from players, and the remaining eight were staff members.
Reduced capacity for Cardinals games
The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority said it expects to see significantly reduced seating capacity when the NFL season begins in September.
The organization projects 17.5% attendance at football games in the fiscal year that began July 1, the Arizona Republic reported. The overall budget was reduced about 36.6% year over year.
“The authority and its stadium partners feel confident that some level of event activity will return to the stadium, slowly being phased in as new guidelines are put into place,” the organization said in its budget.
Planned upgrades to the stadium facilities are on hold for six months.
“Arizona State University and Sun Devil Athletics support the Pac-12’s announcement of a strictly conference schedule for the 2020 football and fall sports season,” said Ray Anderson, ASU’s vice president for university athletics.
The news came after executive members of the Pac-12 met Friday to discuss their options. The sports affected also include men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball. The conference also said it is delaying the start of mandatory athletic activities until health and safety indicators, “which have recently trended in a negative direction, provided sufficient positive data to enable a move to a second phase of return-to-play activities.”
“The health and safety of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 sports continues to be our number one priority,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said.
The Pac-12 is not alone in its thought to rethink the season. ACC commissioner John Swofford announced the conference would make a decision at the end of July, while Sports Illustrated reports that the SEC is gathering all 14 of its athletic directors on Monday for an in-person meeting to discuss the season.
The news is a result of the coronavirus pandemic as cases increase in many states.
Sixty-nine FBS schools nationwide have released or reported data on coronavirus testing of its athletes, the Buffalo News reported. Arizona State is not one of them. An athletic department spokesman said the reason is a university-wide policy to not disclose information.
Five other conference schools said they will not report data: Oregon, Utah, Stanford, UCLA and Washington State.
“As you know, we work in close coordination with ADHS and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health and will continue deferring to those public health agencies regarding disclosure of positive test results and related information,” the university said in a statement “Public health officials will advise ASU if additional disclosure measures are necessary. University leaders, in consultation with public health officials, will determine the right protocols for intramural sports and fitness programs.”
On June 29th, Arizona decided to halt its athletes’ return to campus. At that time, there had been just one positive test among the 83 athletes that returned for voluntary workouts, the school said in a statement.
If the Pac-12 does decide to cut non-conference games, Arizona State would lose games against Northern Arizona, UNLV and Brigham Young. Arizona would lose games against Hawaii, Portland State and Texas Tech.
Other notable Pac-12 non-conference games that have already been canceled due to the Big Ten’s announcement are Michigan visiting Washington in Week 1 and Ohio State visiting Oregon in Week 2. If the Pac-12 follows suit, the yearly matchup between USC and Notre Dame would also not be played.
Across the country, there has been a wave of universities deciding to cut numerous sports programs in order to save money due to the coronavirus pandemic. That wave hit Stanford on Wednesday as it decided to drop 11 programs including wrestling and men’s volleyball. The move will save the school $70 million, reports The New York Times.
On Thursday, Anderson said he would do his best to ensure that wave would not reach ASU.
“We recognize many of our Pac-12 colleagues and other institutions across the country have made difficult decisions to cut sports and support staff in recent weeks,” he said. “We remain steadfast in our intent and commitment to avoid such drastic measures through every means possible. We are entering a critical period of time which will inform us of many pieces to the larger puzzle of our fall seasons. Until we have more clarity on those timelines and the parameters in which we’ll need to adhere to, we will continue to prepare for all scenarios to ensure the safest environment possible for the entire ASU community.”
Bidwill hospitalized for coronavirus
Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill has been hospitalized for the coronavirus, the team announced Friday,
It is believed Bidwill, 55, contracted the virus after traveling on the East Coast.
“His symptoms have subsided and Bidwill is expected to be released sometime this weekend,” the team said in a statement.
List of MLB players opting out increases
The list of players opting out of the 2020 MLB season added another name as San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey has decided to not play.
The decision comes after Posey and his wife adopted prematurely-born identical twins on Thursday.
Posey joins Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price, Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Mike Leake, among others.
Newest MLB coronavirus test results
After some back and forth and numerous holdups, Major League Baseball has released the numbers it has received highlighting the first round of coronavirus testing it has done across players and employees.
The league has just 66 positive results from the 3,748 total samples tested, making a 1.8% total percent positive. For context, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported the most recent total percent positive in Arizona to be 11.7%.
Of the 66 positive cases, 58 were from players, and the remaining eight were staff members.
Reduced capacity for Cardinals games
The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority said it expects to see significantly reduced seating capacity when the NFL season begins in September.
The organization projects 17.5% attendance at football games in the fiscal year that began July 1, the Arizona Republic reported. The overall budget was reduced about 36.6% year over year.
“The authority and its stadium partners feel confident that some level of event activity will return to the stadium, slowly being phased in as new guidelines are put into place,” the organization said in its budget.
Planned upgrades to the stadium facilities are on hold for six months.
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks announced their 60-man roster for their upcoming summer training camp Monday, but the biggest news was which player on that list would not be joining the team.
Mike Leake, a key rotation piece and pending free agent, notified the club that he will exercise his ability to opt out of playing the 2020 season, Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said.
Players who are “high risk” for COVID-19 are entitled to full service time and salary if they opt out, according to the 2020 Operations Manual developed by MLB and the MLB Players Association. Players with no high-risk concerns may opt out, but without accruing service time or salary. It’s unclear which category Leake would fall into, and Hazen declined to specify when asked.
Hazen said he received a phone call from Leake recently that informed him of the news. Hazen declined to discuss the reasons for Leake’s decision, calling the conversation “personal in nature.”
Mike Leake, a key rotation piece and pending free agent, notified the club that he will exercise his ability to opt out of playing the 2020 season, Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said.
Players who are “high risk” for COVID-19 are entitled to full service time and salary if they opt out, according to the 2020 Operations Manual developed by MLB and the MLB Players Association. Players with no high-risk concerns may opt out, but without accruing service time or salary. It’s unclear which category Leake would fall into, and Hazen declined to specify when asked.
Hazen said he received a phone call from Leake recently that informed him of the news. Hazen declined to discuss the reasons for Leake’s decision, calling the conversation “personal in nature.”
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
"Our mission has always been, first and foremost, the safety of our student-athletes, staff and community," Dr. Stephen Paul of C.AT.S. Medical Services said.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we have made this decision with campus and community partners to pause our re-entry process," Vice President and Director of UA Athletics Dave Heeke. "The health, safety, and wellbeing of all members of our community is our number one priority. We will continue to work in conjunction with campus partners and our local government agencies to support and evaluate a safe and healthy return to campus."
UA Athletics Department reported one student-athlete tested positive for COVD-19 out of 83 others who recently returned to campus for voluntary physical activities. UA Officials confirm the student-athlete is following department guidelines for students who are confirmed to have coronavirus.
The university has not announced if this will delay the 2020-2021 football season. At this time, the fall semester is still expected to resume on Aug. 24.
UA Athletics Department reported one student-athlete tested positive for COVD-19 out of 83 others who recently returned to campus for voluntary physical activities. UA Officials confirm the student-athlete is following department guidelines for students who are confirmed to have coronavirus.
"Health and safety continue to be the guiding force in our re-entry process. We will continue to monitor the status and impact of COVID-19 in our community and our ongoing and safe training of student-athletes already on campus," Dr. Stephen Paul of C.A.T.S. Medical Services. 'Arizona Athletics will assess when to resume its re-entry process in collaboration with the guidelines and protocols of the University of Arizona, Pac-12 Conference, NCAA, and state and local government agencies."
The university has not announced if this will delay the 2020-2021 football season. At this time, the fall semester is still expected to resume on Aug. 24.
Thursday, June 25, 2020
PHOENIX – When Major League Baseball canceled the remainder of spring training games on March 12 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, it was with the initial hope of holding Opening Day for the 2020 season on April 9.
That hope never manifested as the spread of the coronavirus forced the league and its players into a labor dispute that lasted just shy of three months. After much back and forth between MLB and the MLBPA, the two sides managed to strike a deal on Monday.
Finally, it was decided, there will be baseball in 2020.
“I can’t wait to compete and have our players compete,” Diamondbacks Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Hazen said Wednesday. “The hardest part of this has been the team we put together in the offseason getting paused and not getting to see those guys go out there as a team. They tell us to play, we’re going to go out there and compete. We have a good team and I’m glad we’re going to be able to bring baseball to a lot of people.”
Teams are to report to a “Spring Training 2.0” at their home facilities on July 1 to begin preparing for a 60-game season that will begin on July 23.
The Diamondbacks’ schedule will feature 10 games against each club in the National League West. The remaining games will be played against clubs playing in their opposite league’s corresponding geographical division in order to mitigate travel. For the Diamondbacks, that means playing against teams in the American League West, setting up entertaining matchups with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers and the 2019 American League champion Houston Astros.
In an effort to finish games more quickly, every half-inning after the ninth will begin with a runner on second base, USA Today reported. The designated runner would be the player who made the final out in the previous half-inning.
On top of that, the designated hitter will be utilized in the National League for the first time in 2020. Thus far, neither of these rule changes has been extended past this upcoming season.
That hope never manifested as the spread of the coronavirus forced the league and its players into a labor dispute that lasted just shy of three months. After much back and forth between MLB and the MLBPA, the two sides managed to strike a deal on Monday.
Finally, it was decided, there will be baseball in 2020.
“I can’t wait to compete and have our players compete,” Diamondbacks Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Hazen said Wednesday. “The hardest part of this has been the team we put together in the offseason getting paused and not getting to see those guys go out there as a team. They tell us to play, we’re going to go out there and compete. We have a good team and I’m glad we’re going to be able to bring baseball to a lot of people.”
Teams are to report to a “Spring Training 2.0” at their home facilities on July 1 to begin preparing for a 60-game season that will begin on July 23.
The Diamondbacks’ schedule will feature 10 games against each club in the National League West. The remaining games will be played against clubs playing in their opposite league’s corresponding geographical division in order to mitigate travel. For the Diamondbacks, that means playing against teams in the American League West, setting up entertaining matchups with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers and the 2019 American League champion Houston Astros.
In an effort to finish games more quickly, every half-inning after the ninth will begin with a runner on second base, USA Today reported. The designated runner would be the player who made the final out in the previous half-inning.
On top of that, the designated hitter will be utilized in the National League for the first time in 2020. Thus far, neither of these rule changes has been extended past this upcoming season.
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
PHOENIX – The first time Deric Ladnier, the Diamondbacks’ director of amateur scouting, saw Bryce Jarvis, he knew he wasn’t ready for the big leagues.
“The stuff that was coming out was very marginal. And I remember telling (his father Kevin Jarvis), I said, ‘I like him. He’s not where he needs to be,’” Ladnier said about Bryce in high school. “This is the perfect guy that I think needs to go to college and prove that he’s going to be something. And his dad was adamant about he’s going to be something.”
Prove it he did, as Jarvis became a first-round pick (No. 18 overall) for the Diamondbacks in the 2020 Major League Draft last Wednesday. The team further indicated a desire to stockpile top-line pitching talent by selecting Miami’s Slade Cecconi No. 33 overall with its competitive balance round A selection.
Jarvis, whose father Kevin played and scouted for the club, compiled a 0.67 ERA in 27 innings pitched in his 2020 junior season. He hurled a 15-strikeout perfect game with his father in attendance in February, a brilliant highlight in an otherwise abbreviated season due to the spread of COVID-19.
“The college guys, even Bryce and Slade, we probably got four or five starts out of them this year,” general manager Mike Hazen said.
“The stuff that was coming out was very marginal. And I remember telling (his father Kevin Jarvis), I said, ‘I like him. He’s not where he needs to be,’” Ladnier said about Bryce in high school. “This is the perfect guy that I think needs to go to college and prove that he’s going to be something. And his dad was adamant about he’s going to be something.”
Prove it he did, as Jarvis became a first-round pick (No. 18 overall) for the Diamondbacks in the 2020 Major League Draft last Wednesday. The team further indicated a desire to stockpile top-line pitching talent by selecting Miami’s Slade Cecconi No. 33 overall with its competitive balance round A selection.
Jarvis, whose father Kevin played and scouted for the club, compiled a 0.67 ERA in 27 innings pitched in his 2020 junior season. He hurled a 15-strikeout perfect game with his father in attendance in February, a brilliant highlight in an otherwise abbreviated season due to the spread of COVID-19.
“The college guys, even Bryce and Slade, we probably got four or five starts out of them this year,” general manager Mike Hazen said.
Monday, June 8, 2020
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Thursday, June 4, 2020
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