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The Friday 5: July 10th

By July 10, 2020 No Comments

Julian Edelman, Zach Banner, and Others Respond to Anti-Semitic Comments

After Philadelphia Eagles’ receiver DeSean Jackson posted anti-Semitic comments to social media earlier this week, Steelers’ OT Zach Banner, Patriots’ WR Julian Edelman, Chiefs’ Mitchell Schwartz, and many others in sports came out in support of the Jewish community.

 

Banner posted a powerful video of his own, and Edelman asked Jackson to join him at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, while Edelman said he would go with Jackson to the National Museum of African-American History & Culture so they could educate each other. Earlier today, Edelman said that he and Jackson have since spoken.

Also distressing were those who supported Jackson and his comments of hate. We need to be better. We need to fight hatred and bigotry in all its forms. Educating and listening is a great place to start.

 

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jackson met with a group against anti-Semitism yesterday and is meeting with a 94 year-old Holocaust survivor today.

 

In Mahomes KC Trusts

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is going to be Kansas City’s man under center for a very long time.

 

Earlier this week, the Super Bowl MVP signed a 10-year contract extension, worth up to $503 million, that will keep Mahomes with the Chiefs until 2031. It is the largest contract in sports history and frankly, it’s well-deserved.

 

Mahomes is a generational talent who could end up being one of the best to ever play the game. Beyond that, he has incredible leadership qualities on-and-off the field. And this is coming from the Fangirl whose team was beat by him in the Super Bowl, so…you know I mean it.

 

The extension has a no-trade clause and includes a$140 million injury guarantee. Get used to seeing the Chiefs a lot in February over the next 10 years.

 

Culinary Treats in the NBA Bubble

With the NBA restart just 20 days away, life in the bubble has begun with the biggest story, so far, being the food. That’s pretty much the biggest story of my day-to-day so I get it.

 

Troy Daniels of the Denver Nuggets started the conversation when he posted his dinner from night one. It’s giving me flashbacks of when I used to go on airplanes 1000 years ago.


Lakers JR Smith, Sixers Joel Embiid, and others have also been less than thrilled with their culinary delights, but, right now, it is the quarantine period and the food situation won’t always be like this.

The league has teamed up with six high-end restaurants that can deliver meals to team hotels. Also, each team will have their own team of chefs on-campus that can provide meals, while personal chefs can prepare meals off-campus and then bring them to players. And then, of course, there’s trusty room service.

I sincerely hope there is a documentary about life in the bubble.

 

Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Take Me Out Without a Crowd

As Major League Baseball continues its summer camp, so to speak, COVID test results are coming in and some players are opting out.

 

58 players and eight staff members have tested positive, with 27 of the league’s 30 teams having had someone test positive. Going forward, players will be tested every other day.

 

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey announced today that he will opt out of the season, as he and his wife have adopted twin baby girls who were born prematurely. Others who are sitting out the 2020 season due to health concerns are Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, Dodgers pitcher David Price, and Diamondbacks pitcher Mike Leake, and Rockies outfielder Ian Desmond.

 

Opening Day 2020 is July 23.

 

Big Ten. Big Announcement.

Yesterday, the Big Ten announced that all fall sports – yes, that includes football – will go to a conference-only season due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is the first of the Power 5 conferences to make this decision.

 

The ACC, who had already said it would delay all fall sports until at least Sept. 1, is planning to decide on its college football schedule later this month.

ESPN is reporting that SEC athletic directors will talk on Monday about how to proceed.

Tracy Sandler

Tracy Sandler

I created Fangirl Sports Network as a place for female sports fans to follow their favorite teams with content and coverage that speaks directly to females. It started with one and then eight and now 32 NFL Fangirls and 15 NBA Fangirls.