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Good morning.
We’re now 79 days away from Vanderbilt football’s scheduled season opener against Mercer. There is no #79 on the current roster.
Optional Musical Accompaniment
Not really much Vanderbilt news today. Chris Lee recorded a podcast with higher education consultant Mike Spivey, in which they talked about how COVID-19 is affecting universities. Speaking of which, we’re seeing that second wave everybody talked about. Stay safe, everyone.
Tyler Brown signed with the Astros yesterday:
It’s official! Can not wait to see what the future will bring. Thank you god for this opportunity, couldn’t have done it any other way! Now when can we start! pic.twitter.com/ts5Dg6W4kg
— Tyler Brown (@TbTy10) June 18, 2020
So, nobody wears the number of the day and the most news we’ve got is a podcast about COVID-19. This would be the most worthless Anchor Drop ever, but let’s talk about the latest from MLB!
Updated: When are sports coming back?
The MLB proposal to the MLBPA, as @Ken_Rosenthal said, is for a 60-game season that ends around Sept. 27 and gives players fully prorated salaries. It would have expanded playoffs and would include waiving of right to grieve by the union.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 17, 2020
Well I like the sound of this. I could probably do without the expanded playoffs and... wait... oh, NO.
MLB offer includes universal DH for not just 2020, but 2021 too. It also includes on top of 100 pct prorated salary for 60 games, a $25M postseason pool.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) June 17, 2020
I hate Rob Manfred with the fire of a thousand suns.
For the record, the designated hitter rule is right there next to artificial turf as a sports thing that I hate both passionately and irrationally.
But anyway — 60 games is better than zero. The deal, assuming the players accept it, also calls for full prorated salaries and the playoffs will temporarily expand to 16 teams. (There’s actually precedent for that, as the strike-shortened 1981 season saw eight teams make the playoffs as opposed to the then-usual four. Also, remember when MLB had four-team playoffs? Good times.)
On a different front, the NBA coaches’ union (the coaches have a union?) apparently fears that some coaches won’t be able to go into the Orlando bubble and that this could jeopardize their careers.
The NCAA DIvision I council approved a six-week preseason plan for football.
Actual Sports on TV
Costa Rican soccer, bitches. I will be extremely, extremely disappointed in all of you if this does not turn into a live thread for the match between Deportivo Saprissa and C.S. Cartagines (1:00 PM CT, ESPN Deportes.)
Other than that, the Golf Channel is picking up coverage of the RBC Heritage on Hilton Head Island at noon CT, and ESPN+ has a Swedish Allsvenskan match (BK Hacken v. Malmo FF, 11:55 AM CT) as well as a couple of English League Two matches (Colchester United v. Exeter City at 11:10 AM CT, Northampton United v. Cheltenham at 1:40 PM CT.) Fun fact: League Two is actually the fourth level of the English soccer pyramid.