Monthly Archives: August 2020

MMA Weekly

After spending the last few years on the cusp of stepping up to the UFC but not making the move, bantamweight Adrian Yanez was finally able to do just that with a win over Brady Huang at Contender Series 2020 on Aug. 11, earning a UFC contract.By finishing Haung in just 39 seconds, Yanez had exactly the kind of performance he was hoping for entering into the fight.It felt like it went phenomenal, Yanez told MMAWeekly.com. I was in the zone. I went out there and implemented every drill that I had did over this camp.I didnt want to throw any single pot shots, (like I) sometimes get caught up doing. I wanted to throw full combinations. I wanted to do everything I worked on this training camp. I went out and put a stop to a tough opponent. It went really well for me. Im still on cloud nine. Its been an awesome week.Though the fight itself went smoothly, Yanez admits that fighting without a crowd during the age of coronavirus was an adjustment.It was very weird fighting with no crowd or anything like that, but also I felt pretty comfortable, said Yanez. We had to take more precautions due to Covid-19 and everything, but we were super safe, everything was right, every precaution was the right precaution.But as far of the weirdness of it, it was pretty weird, because Im used to seeing everybody and seeing a lot of people, and to see it slimmed down to almost none was a little weird. It worked out well in my favor.Earning a UFC contract after years of being so close to getting one but not doing so was a very cathartic moment for Yanez followed by a bit of disbelief, then the realization that things only get harder from here.Immediately after the fight, it wasnt shown on ESPN, I immediately collapsed on my back, Yanez said. I was on cloud nine. I reached my goal that Id been reaching for, for a very long time.Going back to the press conference, looking at the microphone it had the UFC logo on it, and I was just so taken away. But at the same time theres a whole other mountain I need to climb. I feel like its settled in, and Im kicking into a different gear now because Im ready to go and ready to get back in there and prove myself.Having come out of his bout relatively unscathed, Yanez is more than willing to step back into the Octagon sooner than later if need be and close out his 2020 on a hot streak.Were trying to line something up right now, said Yanez. There might be something soon. But at the same time Im staying ready in case somebody drops out.If I can take a full camp and fight eight weeks from now, thats fine too. But Im ready 100 percent to go. I took no injuries in that fight. Im ready to get back in there. Two weeks from now or eight weeks from now Im ready to go in there and showcase my skills again.* * *TRENDING > Dana Whites RNC speech: We need President Trumps leadership now more than ever* * * Dana White names Contender Series week two UFC contract winners(Video courtesy of UFC)

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Isiah Thomas has All-Star MVP trophy returned after theft from high school - Yahoo Sports

From Digital Spy

Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan have revealed that they choreographed their own sex scene in new drama Ammonite.

The upcoming film sees the Oscar-winner play palaeontologist Mary Anning, who is entrusted with caring for depressed housewife Charlotte Murchison (Ronan). Despite some initial tensions, the two end up falling in love.

As part of the movie, the two actors were involved in one particularly explicit sex scene, which Winslet revealed was choreographed by the stars themselves.

"It's definitely not like eating a sandwich," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "I just think Saoirse and I, we just felt really safe. [Director] Francis [Lee] was naturally very nervous. And I just said to him, 'Listen, let us work it out.'

"And we did. 'We'll start here. We'll do this with the kissing, boobs, you go down there, then you do this, then you climb up here.' I mean, we marked out the beats of the scene so that we were anchored in something that just supported the narrative.

She added: "I felt the proudest I've ever felt doing a love scene on Ammonite. And I felt by far the least self-conscious."

Related: Pose star Billy Porter explains why season 2 sex scene was "hardest and most difficult thing" to do

Ronan added that Winslet's "performances are incredibly human", noting that the two knew each other casually before working together on Ammonite.

"Obviously, she's incredibly skilled, but she's also someone you always feel you can identify with, and I think that says a lot about the kind of person she is," she added of her co-star. "It's sort of in [her] bones."

Digital Spy has launched its first-ever digital magazine with exclusive features, interviews, and videos. Access this edition with a 1-month free trial, only on Apple News+.

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College football in 2020 is off to a roaring start.

After months of uncertainty, postponements, cancellations, sniping, protests and, as always, the coronavirus, FCS Austin Peay and Central Arkansas opened the season on Saturday in Montgomery, Alabama.

Following an Austin Peay touchback on the opening kickoff, the Governors instantly scored with a 75-yard run from running back CJ Evans Jr.

Thats a welcome sight for a season that some feared wouldnt be happening over the summer. Multiple conferences, including the Big Ten and Pac-12, canceled or postponed their seasons as the coronavirus started hitting campuses.

The threat of COVID-19 was even felt by Austin Peay, which reportedly had multiple key players sidelined because someone they lived with tested positive for the virus.

While the touchdown was a strong start for Austin Peay, Central Arkansas ended up winning 24-17.

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The first offensive play of the 2020 college football season was a touchdown - Yahoo Sports

TipRanks

The markets are up, and the bulls are running. According to Mike Wilson, chief US equity strategist for Morgan Stanley, now is the time to buy in. Wilson believes that the markets recent rise signals a pretty darn good economic recovery in store for us next year. We think that a return of topline growth and a material reduction in the cost base will lead to operating leverage flow through that such that peak profits will appear again before peak sales Weve seen margin upside drive earnings growth coming out of prior recessions and expect the same this time, with potential further upside from massive fiscal stimulus, Wilson wrote in a recent note.Weve taken a page from Wilsons book, and used the TipRanks database to tag two stocks with a clear appeal to investors in the current climate: they have a low cost of entry (under $3 per share), they have a Strong Buy consensus rating from Wall Streets analysts, and the upside potential starts at 90% and goes rises from there. Golden Minerals Company (AUMN)Well start with Golden Minerals, a Colorado-based miner focusing on precious metals exploration and extraction. The companys portfolio of exploration projects includes locations in Nevada, Mexico, and Argentina. Two mines in Mexico are leased to Hecla, and that lease provides a positive cash flow for Golden.During 1H20, the company announced two points of major interest to investors. First is the commencement of exploration drilling at the Durango mine in Mexico, with early results showing significant deposits of recoverable near-surface gold in high grades. In other words, its a gold mine, and potentially a valuable one. The second point of interest to investors concerns the stock. Golden closed out an $8.6 million public offering of common stock, totaling more than 20.5 million shares. The move puts the company on a sounder capital footing heading into 2H20.Roth Capital analyst Jake Sekelsky sees multiple paths forward for Golden: "AUMN is well positioned to transition from developer to producer over the next year with limited capital requirements. Given this, we believe the stock is poised to undergo a re-rating once the companys Rodeo Gold Project enters production in 1H21. Our thesis is predicated on our belief of the following: 1) Rodeo Project to drive transition from developer to producer. 2) Optimization work provides path for restart at Velardea Mine. 3) Longer-term optionality exists at the El Quevar Project."In line with his optimism, Sekelsky rates AUMN shares a Buy. His $1 price target implies an upside potential of 129% in the next 12 months. (To watch Ihles track record, click here)Overall, AUMN shares get a unanimous thumbs up, with 3 Buys backing the stocks Strong Buy consensus rating. Shares sell for $0.43, and the average price target of $0.98 suggests an upside potential of 124%. (See AUMN stock analysis on TipRanks)Greenlane Holdings (GNLN)Greenlane markets cannabis accessories, CBD, and liquid nicotine products through a network of subsidiaries, along with house brands though direct methods. The company distributes to smoke and vape shops, along with licensed cannabis dispensaries. Greenlanes network includes more than 11,000 retail locations, as well as its own wholly owned e-commerce platform.Retail generally was slammed during the first quarter of this year, as the COVID crisis took hold, and Greenlanes results reflected that. Q1 EPS was sharply negative, at a 61-cent per share loss, after revenues fell 11%. The second quarter, while still negative, showed improvement. The EPS loss was 16 cents, and the collapse in revenues slowed down.Through the difficult quarter, the company has continued to roll out new products a line of rolling papers, child-resistant packaging, and pre-rolled cones. This activity has occurred while the company also brought in new leaders in upper management, with new faced taking over the CFO and COO positions.Taking a broad view of the company and its retail landscape, Northland Capital Markets Mike Grondahl writes of Greenlane: COVID-19 impacted 2Q20 with decreased brick and mortar retail traffic and issues with the supply chains in certain areas. This was somewhat offset by improved e-commerce growth. While stores/cities are starting to open back up, it will take time for the brick and mortar side of the business to normalize e-commerce revenues were $6.0M, up 18% y/y as Vapor.com reported daily store transaction were up 74% to 16,000 orders in the quarter as COVID-19 pushed people into the online channel from brick and mortar With $41.8M in cash, GNLN has enough capital to continue the transition into higher margin segments.Accordingly, Grondahl rates GNLN an Outperform (i.e. Buy), and his $5 price target suggests it has room for 103% growth this year. (To watch Grondahls track record, click here)Overall, Greenlane has 3 recent analyst reviews, and all are positive, making the Strong Buy consensus rating unanimous. The stock is selling for $2.24 and the average price target of $4.67 makes the one-year upside 90%. (See GNLN stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Why Nike's decision to cut ties with 9 major wholesalers is 'a positive': analyst - Yahoo Finance

Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley was the lone exception as 21 other starters took a knee to protest police brutality and systemic racism as the Canadian national anthem played before Fridays MLS match between the Reds and Montreal Impact the first MLS game to be played since 10 teams refused to take the field Wednesday in response to Jacob Blake being shot by Wisconsin cops earlier in the week.

Following Fridays contest in the Canadian province of Quebec, the longtime United States mens national team midfielder explained why he stood as his teammates and opponents kneeled.

Its obviously something that Ive thought a lot about, Bradley, who knelt during a moment of silence before kickoff a few minutes later, said after the Reds won 1-0 on Alejandro Pozuelo's second-half penalty kick. I could talk about myself and give you some of my thought process, but its not about me. Thirty seconds talking about myself is 30 seconds we should be talking about the real issues.

The conversation and the rhetoric that has been created around the decision for people to peacefully protest by kneeling, its designed by the people that dont want change, to take away from the real conversation that we all need to be having every single day, continued Bradley, who has spoken on social issues often throughout his 16-year professional career that has included stops in the top leagues in England, Germany and Italy.

Thats what they want. They want this divisive, hateful rhetoric, conversation where there is no nuance, there is no middle ground. So for me, I will always be a strong voice for racial equality and I will continue to try to do everything I can to use the platform that I have to talk about things I believe are important. When you look at out society right now, its heartbreaking to see the systemic racism that still exists after hundreds of years. The social injustice. The police brutality. It all has to end.

After George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was killed while in police custody in Minnesota in May, sparking outrage across the globe, Bradley said he was horrified, angry, disgustedand embarrassed we live in a world where Black men, women, children fear for their lives daily. The son of former USMNT coach and current LAFC boss Bob Bradley has also slammed U.S. president Donald Trump.

Justin Morrow, Bradleys longtime TFC teammate and the executive director of the MLS Black Players for chance coalition, backed the decision of Bradley and head coach Greg Vanney, who also stood as the anthem played. Vanney said that his Canadian assistant coach Jason Bent, who is Black, wanted to stand for his countrys anthem and that he decided to stand alongside Bent.

First and foremost, I completely support them, Morrow said of fellow Americans Bradley and Vanney. Theres no other two people that have been in my corner more than those two guys.

Ive said from the very beginning that standing or kneeling for the national anthem is acceptable, because the conversation at the end of the day gets turned sideways, Morrow added. These guys show their support in so many different ways to us.

Bradley, Morrow and Vanney spoke to reporters via Zoom because of the coronavirus pandemic, which also limited attendance at Fridays match to just 250 spectators inside 21,000-seat State Saputo.

I spent that moment during the national anthem thinking of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Jacob Blake, Bradley said, reeling off the now-household names of victims of police and/or racial violence. Thinking of them, thinking of their families. I want justice for them, and I want to live in a world and a society where the hateful, hurtful things that have been going on for hundreds of years come to an end.

I wholeheartedly support Black Lives Matter, Bradley said. I have seen firsthand the emotion and just how difficult some of these days have been for our Black players.

The way that they have led us, and the way that they have shown such courage and leadership in all of this, its been incredible to see.

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Heres why Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley didnt kneel during the Canadian nation anthem on Friday - Yahoo Sports

The same faction of Big Ten coaches who pushed hard to hold onto the 2020 season in its traditional time slot are leading the charge to have the 2.0 version of the season happen earlier.

There are four ideas deep in the discussion phase for the Big Ten as it slogs forward from its contentious decision to cancel the 2020 fall season, sources told Yahoo Sports on Friday.

One of those ideas caught fire online on Friday afternoon the idea of the season starting Thanksgiving weekend after being initially reported Friday morning by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The other prominent idea revolves around starting near New Years, a plan first hatched publicly by Ohio States Ryan Day soon after the Big Ten canceled the season. Sources say the other potential start dates are mid-January and post-Super Bowl.

The Big Ten starting in November or, really, in the scheduled version of the 2020 season planted the seed of possibility of some type of reversal by the league of its cancellation of the fall season. Sources stressed to Yahoo Sports that isnt happening.

The push to play at some point in the calendar year of 2020 is being led by Wisconsins Paul Chryst, Ohio States Ryan Day, Penn States James Franklin, Nebraskas Scott Frost and Michigans Jim Harbaugh. Four of those five coaches would be among the favorites to win the league this year, and Nebraska has essentially put a Let Us Play bat signal over Lincoln for the past two months. Its not a coincidence that the high-end programs flush with NFL players want to use the best version of their roster.

The best way to contextualize the possibility of the Big Ten playing over Thanksgiving is that, for now, its just a possibility. Sources told Yahoo Sports that the discussion remains at the coach and athletic director level.

The Big Ten logo is displayed on the field before an NCAA college football game. (AP)

Before booking your Thanksgiving weekend in Madison or Ann Arbor, just remember that if it was up to the coaches and athletic directors, the Big Ten would still be attempting to play its regular schedule this fall.

This is a decision that lies with the Big Ten presidents. Not the coaches. Not the athletic directors. And not the league office. If the presidents do it, theyll have to articulate clearly not the specialty of the league these days whats so different playing in late November as opposed to early September. And remember, this is a league that didnt feel comfortable with full-contact football practices this month, so theres skepticism that the presidents will suddenly become bullish on playing.

But there are a few compelling variables that make a Thanksgiving start more realistic. One of those is that it would benefit television to have the games both start earlier and at a time when there are other college games playing, which increases the legitimacy of the season.

The second benefit for television is basic math. Sources told Yahoo Sports that the Thanksgiving model being discussed would be a 10-game model, plus one extra game. The New Years model being discussed, or really anything that starts in January, would be only eight games, plus one.

This is simplistic but important, as the great driver of collegiate decisions the past 15 years has been inventory. (Realignment taught us this a decade ago.) The Thanksgiving model would mean essentially 20 percent more inventory in a time fans associate with college football, which would mean the television audience would inherently be that much more interested in it. Think about it this way: Who wouldnt want a 20 percent pay raise?

Thats simplistic of course, because the theoretical value of what this truncated Big Ten season could be worth still hasnt been determined. The only sure thing is that its less than what the traditional season could have been worth, and the Big Ten is also facing a potential haircut that comes with the expectation that it wont be part of the College Football Playoff.

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Dont underestimate this. The Big Ten is in a fascinating spot with its television partners, as 2020 was scheduled to be the fourth year of a six-year deal. That means conversations about a new deal start in about a year, which could prove a motivator to work with them now for future benefits down the line.

It would behoove the league to dance with Fox and ESPN, as both television titans couldnt be thrilled with the leagues spree of miscommunications, poor messaging and messy headlines the past three weeks. Itll be fascinating to see where the Big Ten presidents land, as they have already once prioritized safety over television cash. It shouldnt be surprising if they start the season in the second semester.

The coaches pushing the November start are many of the same ones dealing with angry parent groups and its a delicate challenge trying to answer questions to parents and players when there arent clear answers available. Thats a difficult spot, attempting to show you are fighting when your actual clout is limited.

The other aspect to playing in November that should be acknowledged is that many of the programs in the Big Ten havent said a negative peep about the league canceling the season. Minnesota, another team with a legitimate shot to win the league (or at least the West), had many players go public and say it was the right call.

There havent exactly been waves of protest from Michigan State, Indiana, Rutgers and Maryland. Just because schools havent been vocal doesnt mean their opinions dont matter.

These conference decisions are all ensconced in layers, and the opinions of medical experts will remain a primary driver in the Big Ten decisions. These are the same experts the league listened to when deciding to not have contact practices.

There are no easy decisions here. Theres a lot of public sentiment, player pressure and coaches pushing for football at the earliest possible dates. Thered be extra TV money to sweeten the pot, but that has yet to prove a driver.

The prospect of the ACC, SEC and Big 12 playing this season will also have an outsized impact on how the Big Tens decision is viewed. As those leagues get close to kickoff, a November start feels like a hedge by the Big Ten. If theres a spree of canceled games or health issues, the push for it may quiet some. If those leagues falter early, its the expectation that all the leagues would attempt to get on the same calendar again.

For now, its safest to label this notion as a well-intentioned and smart discussion among many constituents that want to play football this fall.

But if you look back at how the Big Ten presidents and medical experts have approached the 2020 season, theres a long way to go before rearranging Thanksgiving plans.

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As the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 continues to accelerate the shift towards working from home, one new amenity is proving to be the new must have for any home.

Its no longer the master bathroom and no longer the kitchen, instead 2020 has made the home office and all the privacy and quiet that comes with it the new hot item being spotlighted by new real estate listings.

But what if youre stuck in a crowded house with nowhere left to take your Zoom calls? Turns out an increasing number of Americans have recently been turning to purchasing prefabricated, stand-alone office options.

For Boulder, Colorado-based Studio Shed, which has been building small offices and bedrooms that cost an average of $20,000 to $30,000 in backyards since 2008, business has been exploding. Studio Shed co-founder Mike Koenig tells Yahoo Finance that the shift to work from home during the pandemic has propelled sales to increase 14-fold over what his company saw last year.

Boulder, Colorado-based Studio Shed has seen demand for its prefabricated offices explode due to the shift to work from home during the pandemic.

Recently, we have seen a massive surge in the 80- to 120-square feet option, which is a perfect office size or home gym or kids study area, Koenig said. We were already seeing some very good growth having started in 2008 just seeing these shifts in the way people work and wanting to spend more time at home and maybe not commute, but starting in March its just been growing significantly.

Studio Shed's stand-alone offices vary in size and cost, but average about $20,000 to $30,000, including foundation and sight work costs.

While most of the demand for Studio Sheds home offices have traditionally come from Western U.S. states, Koenig says the East Coast has been experiencing a spike in demand as more people work from home. In many areas where permits arent required for add-on dwellings below 200 square feet, the pop-up office has become an attractive solution to reduce a cramped home feeling as homes double as workspaces.

As soon as March and April hit we definitely saw that Eastern part of the country grow, that market is up a couple hundred percent over last year, he said.

For the month of August, a traditionally slow month for sales, Koenig says business is pacing to top last years mark by a factor of 14.

Zack Guzman is the host ofYFi PMas well as a senior writer and on-air reporter covering entrepreneurship, cannabis, startups, and breaking news at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter@zGuz.

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Americans are shelling out $30,000 on these pop-up backyard home offices during the pandemic - Yahoo Finance

The NBA season is back on track, and it looks like Russell Westbrook is too.

According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, the Houston Rockets star will play in Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, several weeks after straining his right quad.

Had the NBA walkout not happened, Westbrook reportedly would have played in Game 5 on Wednesday, when it was originally scheduled. He was upgraded to questionable that day, which left room for him to make it into the game.

The Rockets' Russell Westbrook will reportedly play in Game 5 against the Thunder after being out for several weeks with an injured quad. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The NBA walkout on Wednesday gave Westbrook a little extra time to rest his quad. On Thursday, the Houston Rockets star reportedly participated in his first full-speed 5-on-5 scrimmage since he injured his quad. A source told ESPNs Tim McMahon and Adrian Wojnarowski that it went very well, and Westbrook looked as explosive as ever.

Westbrook has been mostly out of commission since Aug. 4, just three games into the restart. He initially bruised his right quad and returned on Aug. 11 after sitting out for a few days. However, he woke up sore the next day and an MRI revealed that he had strained his right quad. He hasnt played since and has missed all four of the Rockets playoff games against the Thunder.

The series is tied 2-2, but the Thunder have won two straight games after initially falling into a 2-0 hole. With the Thunder putting up a real fight, the Rockets must be thrilled to get Westbrook back.

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Rockets' Russell Westbrook will reportedly play in Game 5 vs. Thunder - Yahoo Sports

Some 53 years before NBA players walked out on their season, 53 years before a police officer shot Jacob Blake, in the fall of 1967, Dr. Harry Edwards founded the Olympic Project for Human Rights. The goal was to fight racial injustice. Edwards ultimately helped engineer a boycott of the 1968 Games. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then Lew Alcindor, and other Black athletes refused to participate. Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists on a podium. Edwards stood by them. And he has watched as other athletes have taken similar stands in the half-century since.

There've been boycotts before, he says.

But this? A league-wide strike in the name of human rights? During the NBA playoffs?

Thats unprecedented, Edwards told Yahoo Sports. Which is why the multi-sport movement that unfolded Wednesday took even him, perhaps the worlds foremost authority on athlete activism, some time to wrap my mind around.

You can demonstrate, and I'm supportive of demonstration, he said over the phone Wednesday night. But at the end of the day, I've always advocated for the strongest possible action. And that was a boycott. And this is something that really got everybody's attention. And it's going to spread.

A boycott, or more accurately a strike, puts more teeth into the situation than a protest where statements are made, Edwards explained. Kaepernick made a statement. Tommie Smith and John Carlos made a statement. The athletes who are boycotting today with the NBA are sending a message: We are serious about this. Stop killing us! It's more important that we deal with that than we play a basketball game and entertain you out here. Stop killing us.

That's the message, he continued. Now the issue becomes, as I've told some of the athletes and the coaches how do you create a strategy that gets you to next steps? And that's always the challenge: To move from protest to progress.

NBA players met for nearly three hours Wednesday night at Disney Worlds Coronado Springs resort. The question looming throughout the meeting, sources told Yahoo Sports Chris Haynes, was the big one: Should they walk out on the remainder of the season?

The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers voted to do just that, sources told Haynes. Other teams, though, voted to play. On Thursday morning, the players met again, and decided to resume the playoffs.

To Edwards, however, the question of ending the season was never the right one to ask. I don't think that's the issue now, he said. They are not boycotting basketball any more than Kaepernick was protesting the flag and the anthem. Rather, players are sending a message about police brutality. A strike wasnt the endgame. It was a means to real, tangible change.

The players, Edwards said, should be negotiating a strategic plan for enacting that change. You've got to get people who are in the best position to leverage what they have access to to compel changes, he said. By that, first and foremost, he means the billionaires who own NBA franchises. They can pick up the telephone and call a governor, and a governor will pick up, he explained. They can call the attorney general, and the attorney general will pick up. They can call the mayor, and the police chief of a local town, and then have one of the athletes go with them to talk about these issues that we have to clean up.

In other words, these are people that have resources that they can leverage, to get this situation [fixed]. So owners, sponsors, broadcast partners anybody who benefits from basketball being played, and wholl suffer if it isnt played must help the players push for change. But they've got to be strategic about it, Edwards said.

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The NBAs board of governors also met Thursday. A prolonged strike would have pulled them to the negotiating table, to engage with players, coaches and league officials, to figure out how they can help push for racial justice. With the players deciding to resume play, their leverage is diminished. But they still have power. Theyll need to use it to get the owners to work together.

It's for the owners, the sponsors, the players, to all come out with a united front, saying, We're going to go to the governor of Wisconsin, and we're gonna work our way down through the attorney general, to the local DA, to the police commissioner, to the neighborhood organization groups, and so forth, Edwards said.

Milwaukee Bucks players have already spoken with Wisconsin politicians. They released a statement calling on the Wisconsin state legislature to reconvene after months of inaction and take up meaningful measures to address issues of police accountability, brutality and criminal justice reform. Next, theyll need others to echo their call. LeBron James, according to Haynes sources, was critical of NBA owners at Wednesdays meeting, suggesting they werent doing enough to support players and Black people facing systemic racism. Players, owners, union reps and league officials will meet Thursday afternoon to discuss next steps, according to the NBA.

The threat of a strike provided owners with incentive to listen to players and do more. But workers dont strike just to strike. Players dont protest just to protest. As Edwards likes to say: They protest for progress. And progress can be made even as the playoffs get back up and running.

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The NBA season will resume. Players, though, can still 'move from protest to progress' - Yahoo Sports

Les Miles is one of the many college football coaches who believe players are safer playing football in 2020. during the coronavirus pandemic. And, in true Miles fashion, he has a unique way of expressing that sentiment.

Miles said Thursday that if players opt out because of the pandemic then they opt into the pandemic. Last I saw it, the pandemic was worldwide, OK?

Heres his full quote, via the Topeka Capital-Journal:

If they opt out because of the pandemic, then they opt into the pandemic, Miles said at a news conference. The last I saw it, the pandemic was worldwide, OK? So I dont know what their advantage is to turn at this point away from what would be a good finish to a college career and opportunity to advance their abilities and then have a choice whether to go off to the NFL or to stay and compete. So wed love to have them stay and compete.

Miles made the comments about players opting out as he said defensive lineman Antione Frazier would be opting out of the 2020 season and entering the transfer portal.

Numerous players across college football have decided to skip the 2020 season because of the pandemic and some like Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley and Penn State LB Micah Parsons (before the Big Ten postponed the football season) have started preparing for the 2021 NFL draft. Other players who return to school in 2021 wont lose a year of eligibility. The NCAA said last week that every player in a fall sport would get an extra year.

Earlier this month, Alabama coach Nick Saban noted that players were much more liable to get coronavirus somewhere else on campus than they were at the football facilities or on the field. And hes right. The social distancing and mask-wearing policies that athletic departments have implemented are significant. And theyre only in place in those football facilities and not at dorms, apartments or even parties.

But players arent spending all of their waking hours at football facilities. College athletic departments arent set up like the NBA, WNBA or NHLs bubbles.

Thats why its hard to say that a player opting out of a football season is opting into the pandemic. Workouts and practices have been paused recently at Louisiana-Monroe and East Carolina because of coronavirus outbreaks among the teams.

And since COVID-19 is still so new, we dont know what its longterm health effects are. The risks of COVID-19, both known and unknown, were a big reason why the Big Ten and Pac-12 postponed their football seasons. If a player is concerned about the potential health effects from coronavirus or any other related reason, they have every right to make the choice not to play.

Nick Brombergis a writer for Yahoo Sports.

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Les Miles: Players opting out because of coronavirus pandemic then 'opt into the pandemic' - Yahoo Sports