NBA Player Pay Cuts
Per ESPN, it looks like NBA players will see a pay cut of 25% starting May 15, as agreed upon by the league and the National Basketball Players Association.
If the season does indeed start up again, the players will get the lost funds back.
ESPN Sources: The NBA and NBPA have agreed on the withholding of 25 percent of each player paycheck beginning on May 15. Deal gives gradual reduction in salary should Force Majeure provision be enacted with cancellation of regular season games. May 1 checks will be paid in full.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 17, 2020
NFL’s Draft-A-Thon
We are less than a week away from the 2020 NFL Draft, and though it will look a lot different this year, the NFL has a plan and it’s a plan to help the relief efforts for COVID-19.
Rich Eisen and Deion Sanders will be hosting a virtual Draft-A-Thon that will be live streamed on NFL social and digital platforms and featured on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network and ESPN Deportes throughout the Draft.
The event will feature actors, athletes and musicians. Donations can be made starting today at NFL.com/RELIEF and people will be able to donate via text during the live stream.
Donations will go to the American Red Cross, CDC Foundation’s All of Us: Combat Coronavirus, Feeding American’s COVID-19 Response Fund, Meals on Wheels COVID-19 Response Fund, the Salvation Army and United Way’s COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund.
NFL Schedule and Draft Trade Talk
The NFL has said it still plans to release the 2020 schedule on May 9 as planned and that schedule will include a full season. The league says it will adjust as necessary.
But before any of that, we’ve got the aforementioned NFL Draft, which always brings with it both the unexpected and expected trades. Teams trade up to get their man or trade back to get a lot more men.
Due to their dismal 2019 season, the Detroit Lions hold the third pick in the draft and Lions’ General Manager Bob Quinn has said he’s DTT (down to trade, just made that up).
Meanwhile, New York Giants’ GM Dave Gettleman has basically said the phone lines are open for the fourth pick. We are going to see a lot wheeling and dealing next Thursday night, and I am 100% here for it.
Broncos’ Von Miller Has Coronavirus
Denver Broncos linebacker has tested positive for the coronavirus and is now quarantined. Miller has asthma and decided to get tested when he started coughing several days ago.
Miller was on ESPN’s NFL Live today and said, “What keeps me at peace is knowing I did everything I was supposed to do. I was here at home. I’ve been here at home for about a month now, and I’ve probably left the house a total of four times. And when I left, I didn’t get out of the car or anything like that. I didn’t have any contact. I was just riding with my brother up the street to get some food. I literally took it serious, I wasn’t out and about. It hit me right here in my house.”
The Home Plate Project
Set to launch its second year this fall, the Home Plate Project pivoted due to COVID-19 and has raised almost $1 million to provide over four million meals to children during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Home Plate Project is a partnership between Major League Baseball, Garth Brooks’ Teammates for Kids Foundation and Big League Impact. The Project worked with over 50 MLB players to get raise these funds. Bravo to these players for getting this done and getting it done quickly.
