Sports

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - San Francisco Giants pitcher Sam Coonrod was the only player to stand during a moment honoring the Black Lives Matter movement ahead of the season opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers, telling reporters after the game that as a Christian he “can’t kneel before anything besides God.”MLB provided teams with a long black ribbon that players on both sides jointly held as they kneeled in unity.TRUMP WANTS PLAYERS TO STAND DURING NATIONAL ANTHEM AFTER HE SAYS HE WILL THROW FIRST PITCH AT YANKEES GAMEEvery player and coach from the Washington Nationals and New York Yankees took part in the demonstration ahead of their game, but hours later, Coonrod stood alone.I’m a Christian," he said, according to TMZ Sports. “So I just believe that I can’t kneel before anything besides God.” 

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- There were no defenders nearby.

WASHINGTON — The Nationals and Yankees knelt in unison before the first game of the baseball season as part of an opening day ceremony Thursday night that featured references to the Black Lives Matter movement, the coronavirus pandemic -- including an off-the-mark first pitch by Dr.

GREEN BAY -- The Green Bay Packers' annual shareholders meeting, like many other events during the COVID-19 pandemic, was held virtually on Thursday, July 23.

MILWAUKEE -- The body that oversees Wisconsin high school sports recommended Thursday that schools offer fall sports but delay start dates by several weeks as the coronavirus surges across the state.The Wisconsin Interscholastic Association Board of Control voted 8-3 to approve pushing back the start date for girls golf, tennis and swimming to Aug. 17.

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball and the players’ union agreed Thursday to expand the playoffs from 10 teams to 16 for the pandemic-delayed season, a person familiar with the deal said, a decision that makes it likely teams with losing records will reach the postseason.The agreement was reached Thursday hours before the season opener between the New York Yankees and World Series champion Washington Nationals, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to owner approval.Sixteen of the 30 teams will advance to a best-of-three first round.

LOS ANGELES -- Fox will be taking viewers out to the ballgame by adding a virtual crowd in parks during its baseball telecasts this season.The network revealed on Thursday that it will include computer-generated fans in the stands beginning with their three games on Saturday.

WASHINGTON -- After days of handwringing about a new nickname, Washington's NFL team has temporarily settled on going without one.For the time being, the team will simply go by the “Washington Football Team.”

CARSON, Calif. -- The gloves are back on.

MILWAUKEE -- For the first time, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s second signature shoe, the Nike Zoom Freak 2, will be available for purchase.

NEW YORK -- If fans are allowed in the stands for the upcoming season, the NFL will require them to wear face coverings, an NFL public relations employee tweeted on Wednesday, July 22.Brian McCarthy, the vice president of communications for the NFL's league office, said the planned policy would take effect for each of the league's 32 teams.

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, July 22 released a video giving fans a behind-the-scenes look of the NBA bubble as the Bucks prepare for the NBA restart in Orlando.The Bucks, who have an NBA-leading 53-12 record, will face the Boston Celtics on July 31 in their first game since the pandemic-imposed hiatus began in mid-March.

NEW YORK -- The 2020 MLB season will be totally different – one that has never been seen before.

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks will broadcast each of the team’s three upcoming inter-squad scrimmages as part of the NBA’s season restart at Walt Disney World in Orlando.The Bucks’ scrimmages will be streamed live exclusively on the Bucks app and on Bucks.com.

MILWAUKEE -- After facing off against their teammates for the past three weeks in summer camp, the Milwaukee Brewers are looking forward to going up against someone else.

GREEN BAY -- Green Bay Packers CEO Mark Murphy says he expects the team’s home games this season will have no more than 10,000-12,000 fans, if spectators are allowed at all.The Packers had announced two weeks ago that their 81,441-seat Lambeau Field would have a “significantly reduced” capacity this season due to the coronavirus pandemic.