Latest sports news: Olympics could face cancellation if spread of coronavirus continues into 2021
The Olympics won't be postponed again. If the games can't happen in 2021, they'll be canceled.
The economic impact of a cancellation of the Olympics would be insurmountable.
One of the game’s top officials, Yoshiro Mori, told a Japanese newspaper that the Olympics will be completely canceled if it can’t be held in 2021. The Olympics has only been canceled during ongoing wars.
The general consensus is that the Olympics won’t be held without the discovery of a vaccine. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that a COVID-19 vaccine could take at least 12 to 18 months to develop.
With that timeline and Mori’s opinion, this could signal a complete cancellation, which would have a significant economic impact in Tokyo. The host country has spent an estimated $12.6 billion in preparation for the events.
The chances of having the 2020 Olympics next year are dwindling.
Does Zion have a shot at Rookie of the Year?
This argument seems oh-so-familiar.
Flashback to Joel Embiid’s rookie season. He played just 31 games, but he was so dominant that his case for Rookie of the Year couldn’t be ignored. He averaged 20.2 points in a limited 25.4 minutes per game. He finished with the second-most first-place votes, but Malcolm Brogdon’s full body of work over the course of the season was the difference.
Ja Morant is having a much better rookie season than Brogdon’s, but the emergence of Zion Williamson has caught the eye of the NBA. In 19 games, Williamson is averaging 23.6 points in 19 games, and the Pelicans have sneaked back into the playoff hunt.
Williamson shared his thoughts last night with Ernie Johnson on #NBATogether.
“Ja has worked for that," Williamson said. "He’s earned it, but at the end of the day, I am a competitor and I want to win that award.”
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He’s right; Morant has worked for that, which is why he’ll win it. Morant is averaging 17.6 points and 6.9 assists in 59 games. That’s 40 more games than Williamson.
Most importantly, Morant is winning. The Grizzlies are currently the eighth seed in the west. Their 32 wins through 65 games are one less than they had last season.
Williamson would have won the award with a bigger body of work, but Morant’s current case is too strong.
Dates set for the NFL Draft in 2021
The idea of an NFL season this year remains uncertain, but planning for the NFL Draft won’t stop. Cleveland has announced that the 2021 NFL Draft will be hosted on April 29-May 1 next year. This is the latest a draft will be held since 2015, when the dates were April 30-May 2.
Cleveland was awarded the draft in May 2019.
“We’re excited for Cleveland to ‘Rock The Clock’ as the host of next year’s NFL Draft and NFL Draft Experience – assuming large gatherings can take place without compromising the well-being of participants,” said David Gilbert, President and CEO of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Destination Cleveland.