bransonglobe.com SPORTS July 3 - 4, 2020 • 17 NFL cutting preseason in half, pushing back start Have a (AP) The NFL will cut its preseason in half and push back the start of exhibition play so teams have more time to train following a virtual offseason made necessary by the coronavirus pandemic, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t announced that the preseason will be cut from four games to two. Players are still discussing with their union whether to ask for cancellation of all preseason games, according to two people • SHOW Continued from page 16 2019, he said. “I didn’t know about COVID when I booked this show. Nobody did,” Brannam said. Brannam said the rapper had committed to asking fans to wear masks and follow proper social distancing guidelines. The venue was going to be checking patrons’ temperatures at the entrance and giving a mask to anyone who needed one, he said. The restaurant has been hosting live music performances since it reopened in May. Brannam said no one complained until it was a Vanilla Ice concert. Brannam said he postponed upcoming concerts by Coolio and Tone Loc next weekend because he wouldn’t lose money. “Vanilla Ice, he’s poised for people to poke fun at. Nobody was saying anything until he made his post. That’s when everything went crazy,” Brannam said. “I’m the most hated person on the planet right now over a Vanilla Ice show.” Support Our Local Veterans! familiar with their thinking. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because a decision hasn’t been made. The pandemic forced teams to conduct their entire offseason programs via videoconference. So, teams will be gathering together for the first time when training camps open July 28. Minus the usual minicamps, on-field practices and in-person weight training from April to June, players’ conditioning won’t be what it normally is. So, eliminating the first week of preseason games Aug. 1316 will give them more time to ratchet up their football fitness. Teams will now play exhibitions Aug. 20-24 and Aug. 2731 during what were originally the second and third weeks of exhibition play, with all 32 teams playing one home and one road game. Most of those games will remain the same as originally scheduled, although some matchups in that second slate will have to be changed so every team gets a game at home. The exhibition finales on Sept. 3 were also scrapped, giving teams more time to get ready for the regular season, which opens Sept. 10 with Houston at Kansas City. There are no changes to the regular season schedule. The league continues to draw up protocols, not only for COVID-19 mitigation but for ramping up practices during the first few weeks of training camp. The annual Hall of Fame Game pitting Pittsburgh and Dallas on Aug. 6 was recently scrapped as the induction ceremonies were pushed back to 2021. news tip? Send it to us at info@ branson globe.com
18 Publizr Home