Football
Le’Veon Bell Continues His Lengthy Hold Out
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell continued his holdout Wednesday and has officially been ruled out for their week 1 matchup with the Cleveland Browns.
It’s been talked about for months… and it may be talked about for months to come. Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back Le’Veon Bell has still yet to report to practice as he awaits a new contract. And the Steelers’ first game of this season is in three days.
This happens every off-season. Players always hold out. But it’s rare for it to go this long and it’s rare for it to become as dramatic and as much of a soap opera as this one has been. In the latest episode, many people, including most of the Steelers players, expected Bell to report to practice on Wednesday so he could properly prepare for their game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. And when he didn’t show, many players didn’t hold back their frustration.
“He f—ed us.” That was the sentiment of one unnamed veteran on the team. While Maurkice Pouncey, the longtime starting center on the team, had a little more to say. At Monday’s practice, Pouncey went as far as to say that Bell would show up for practice on Wednesday and to “count on it.” But, clearly, he was proven wrong.
“I just felt confident that he was gonna come,” Pouncey said after Wednesday’s practice. “But now that he didn’t, obviously it’s Le’Veon over the Steelers, and we’re the Steelers and we’re going to play as the Steelers. […] Now when it’s game time and you have $14 million looming out there, and you’re still not here and your team really wants you here? At this point, we got Conner [backup running back James Conner].”
The $14 million Pouncey is referring to is the $14.5 million franchise tag that Bell was offered but refused. At this point, no one has any idea how long the holdout might last, but Bell is set to become a free agent in 2019. And technically, as long as he signs the tag by week 11, he’ll still be able to become a free agent. “If you don’t want to be here, it is what it is. Hold out 10 weeks,” Pouncey added.
And that’s not completely out of the questions. Bell’s agent Adisa Bakari has at least implied that Bell is willing to wait out as long as it takes. “He’s going to do the things necessary to protect his value long-term,” Bakari said on NFL Live recently. So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see exactly how long that will be…
Featured
Lionel Messi Decides Barcelona’s Future This Coming Summer
Barcelona’s legendary star, Lionel Messi, shares that he will decide his next career move in summer. Messi nearly departed the Nou Camp after he successfully submitted a request transfer in summer. However, he opted to remain at the club. Josep Maria Bortomeu pointed out that Messi had to pay the €700 million release clause before he would be given the right to do so. Bortomeu’s words were said during an interview, alerting Manchester City as they were involved in Messi’s decision to either stay or move on.
“Nothing will be crystal clear before the end of the year. I’ll wait until the season is over. What matters now is thinking about the team, finishing the year well and not being distracted by other things, shared Lionel Messi. “I don’t know what will happen. I’m focused on what we have here and battling for whatever we can. “I’m not thinking about how the year will end. As of today, it wouldn’t be wise for me to say what I’m going to do because I don’t know,” he continued.
While Messi declined to speak further about his next career move, he spoke fondly of his close friendship with Paris Saint-Germain’s forward, Neymar, as he mentioned that he would also want to have a chance to join the Major League Soccer (MLS) games. “I’ve always had the dream of playing in another league, in the United States,” Messi explained. “Maybe it will happen, doesn’t have to be right away. Today I am just focused on these next six months.”
He went on to speak of a possible Barcelona reunion with his friend Neymar. “It’ll be difficult to bring in players because the funds aren’t there. We’ll have to bring in plenty of top players to get us competing on all fronts again and they come at a price. Neymar would be extremely expensive. How would the club pay PSG for the transfer (of Neymar)? The situation will be tough for the new president, who will have to be intelligent and get everything in order. Changes will be needed for him to do well,” Lionel Messi speculated. “I don’t know if Neymar said that (that the two would play together next year). You’d have to ask him about what he said. We do chat sometimes and we are in touch,” he added.
Speaking of Luis Suarez, Messi also shared how he felt about Barcelona selling the striker to Athletico Madrid despite the fact that the club was one of their biggest rivals. “What they did seemed crazy to me, because of how he left. He left for free, paying him his contract and a team that fights for the same thing as us,” Messi lamented.
Although Lionel Messi plans to make his future career decisions at the end of this season, fans are still glad to have him around. Surely, wherever he decides to go and whatever options he chooses to go with, he will still be one of the main Barcelona star players for many of his avid fans.
Baseball
Sports World Today Still Heavily Affected by Covid-19
The unprecedented outbreak of the novel coronavirus badly impacted the normal sports routine worldwide. Massive suspension and cancellation of various sports events were initiated in a move to curb the rapid transmission of the deadly virus earlier this year. Let’s take a look, however, at the condition of the sports world today.
In the world of basketball, Mississippi coach Kermit Davis unfortunately tests positive for COVID-19. His condition might result to him being placed at the sidelines when the season finally begins. The news was announced earlier on Tuesday, adding that Davis will undergo a second test. If he, however, tests positive again, he will be forced to opt out of the Rebels’ first couple of games as he will be required to go through self-quarantine at home.
To offset his absence, though, Ronnie Hamilton is expected to play as head coach during the upcoming home events on November 25 and 26. The Rebels are scheduled to go against Central Arkansas and Jackson State on the said dates. To soften the blow, Davis will be allowed to watch through the practice sessions and even contact the team via virtual means.
During the scheduled basketball season opening, the Indiana Hoosiers won’t have the usual live audience to cheer them on. According to school authorities, the stands will indefinitely remain empty. Nevertheless, officials plan to work closely with local health authorities and the campus and Big Ten leaders to find out when fans can be permitted to enter the Assembly Hall.
The sports world today is anticipating the time when new normal protocols will provide them easier gameplay. As for the Hoosiers, they are used to having the biggest basketball student fanbase.
To stem the lack of live audience, the university plans to put cutouts for sale. These cutouts will be placed on the empty seats. They will be priced at US$25 a piece with the option of having either women’s coach Teri Moren or men’s coach Archie Miller autograph these cutouts which will, then, be sent to the fans who purchase the tickets. Also, ticket buyers are guaranteed to avail of refunds or simply avail of the different options via the varsity club’s online site.
As for Tennessee Tech, the school is presently undergoing a difficult time with regard to their attempt to begin their women’s basketball season. Vanderbilt cancelled their game and then Chattanooga followed suit.
On Tuesday morning, Vanderbilt announced the necessity of cancelling their game against Tennessee Tech that was scheduled for November 25 due to the sudden occurrence of positive tests among their athletes. Following that announcement, Chattanooga made a similar call, stating the need to halt activities for a two-week quarantine. The said move resulted to the cancellation of their schedule games against Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech.
Indeed, the sports world today is still reeling from the hideous impacts of the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak. At present, it is not only basketball events that are being cancelled and suspended. Several other sports are being halted, as well, as sports authorities struggle to find a way to conduct their events while observing the new normal protocols.
Featured
John Jay Defeats Lourdes as Sports Events Resume in Dutchess County
Interscholastic games finally start in Dutchess County despite the current COVID-19 pandemic. “You always want to have a great season and make it far, but this time it’s not just about winning. We have to do the right things to make sure the season keeps going so we’ll even have a chance to get far,” asserts Kari Horos, a sophomore member of the John Jay East Fishkill girls soccer team as sports events begin in the country.
However, Horos mentions that this season will be a unique experience as bagging a victory won’t be the only goal during this time. As it happens, there are several other things that factor into the equation. Amid the on-going Covid situation, there are several hindrances that players need to tackle—and get accustomed to—so that this season becomes a good experience for all.
Many players mention the difficulty of playing while wearing a mask. Wearing a mask, they say, prevents them from breathing easily. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that athletes are not in their optimal conditions due to the prolonged inactivity brought about by the previous and on-going COVID-19 lockdowns, according to Patriots coach CJ Greenwood.
Running, a basic activity involved in various sports, is like “taking deep breaths with a plastic bag on your head,” says the 61-year-old referee, Rick Snyder, referring to the necessary protocol of wearing masks during in-game events. Nonetheless, they all accept that this is one of the sacrifices that they have to tackle this season.
Despite the various difficulties experienced by players during these season’s events, John Jay’s Ava Viebrock got to handle the game well. She was able to lead John Jay into winning over the Patriots with a 2-1 score during their game against the Our Lady of Lourdes High School. “[It] was important because it gets us started on a good note,” Viebrock shares.
With only about 40 spectators present, the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams successfully hosted the Duchess County high school games in spite of the raging coronavirus pandemic that forced all schools in the country to close in March, earlier this year.
The decision to push through with the events remained previously unclear. But in August, authorities decided to resume the activities. This, amid the continuous health concerns as New York became the country’s epicenter during the height of the pandemic. Hayler, Viebrock’s sister, is part of the Johnson and Wales’ soccer team. Earlier in July, her school opted to withdraw from all fall sports.
John Jay team members feel that this fall season is in a precarious condition. The games, they say, may depend on the unfolding situation as authorities are strictly monitoring any upsurge in COVID-19 in-game infection which could decide whether the games will continue or not. “It’s been a long, winding road to get here. [District athletic directors] Kurt Jesman and Maureen Myers have done a great job to get us to this point and my girls are doing what they need to for the protocols. But I keep telling them that every game could be our last, so play like it,” Greenwood shares.
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