KANSAS CITY, Ks - The Kansas City, Kansas School Board Tuesday voted 5-2 to suspend all of its fall sports. This includes football, volleyball, cross country, girls tennis and boys soccer. The school district said the vote also suspends band and spirit squad.

“The decision is only for fall sports and will allow the district to evaluate COVID-19 cases in the future to determine the fate of winter sports,” the district said.

High schools in the Kansas City, Kansas school district include JC Harmon High School, FL Schlagle High School, Sumner Academy, Washington High School and Wyandotte High School.

In addition to the suspension of fall sports, the first nine weeks of the 2020-21 school year for students in Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools will be virtual/online learning only. The school year starts Sept. 8.

KANSAS CITY, Ks - The Kansas City, Kansas School Board Tuesday voted 5-2 to suspend all of its fall sports. This includes football, volleyball, cross country, girls tennis and boys soccer. The school district said the vote also suspends band and spirit squad.“The decision is only for fall sports and will allow the district to evaluate COVID-19 cases in the future to determine the fate of winter sports,” the district said.High schools in the Kansas City, Kansas school district include JC Harmon High School, FL Schlagle High School, Sumner Academy, Washington High School and Wyandotte High School.In addition to the suspension of fall sports, the first nine weeks of the 2020-21 school year for students in Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools will be virtual/online learning only. The school year starts Sept. 8.

Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools suspends fall sports

Wichita City League Cancels all Non-League Competitions

Whether college football players play a lot in the fall, a little in the spring or not at all over the next 10 months, some athletic administrators want to give them a mulligan on the 2020-21 season.

The NCAA Division I Council meets Wednesday with two important issues on the agenda:

— What will happen with the eligibility of fall sport athletes heading into an uncertain season already impacted by the pandemic?

— Should the NCAA stage fall sports championship events in the spring now that most of Division I has punted on trying to play sports in the first portion of the school year?

The Council’s job is to make a recommendation that the Division I Board of Directors can vote on when it meets Friday.

“I think the most forgiving, flexible plan would be the best,” Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said of the first question.

The council already made one recommendation last week. A year of eligibility and an additional season of competition would be granted to fall sport athletes who opt out of this coming season because of COVID-19 concerns or if they participate in 50% or less of the maximum number of competitions allowed by NCAA rules.

For a football player, that would be half or fewer of 12 regular-season games. Most of the Division I teams still hoping to play this fall have fewer than 12 games scheduled. Meanwhile, four Bowl Subdivision conferences and all of the Championship Subdivision have said they won’t play in the fall and instead try to have a spring football season.

Not a single game is guaranteed because of the pandemic, and athletes are wondering what should they do.

“For me and my parents, one of the things we’re focusing on is eligibility,” said Stanford defensive back Joshua Drayden, who is part of the players’ rights group We Are United. “We’re just trying to weigh all of our options. Same for a lot of athletes around the Pac-12 and the nation.”

Because of the uncertainty and so many variables, West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons, who is part of the DI Council, would like to allow athletes in all fall sports to get an extra year of eligibility and competition, regardless of how much they play and when.

“We talk about the student-athlete experience and definitely the season’s going to be different. With crowd sizes, the number of competitions,” said Lyons, who is also head of the NCAA’s football oversight committee. “Why charge these student-athletes with a year of eligibility? That’s one thing they don’t have to worry about.”

As Lyons and others in college sports describe it, the problem for athletes is not just weighing whether to opt out or in at the start of the season.

There is concern that a season filled with disruptions will have players who opted in reversing course before reaching the minimum number of games, which would burn a year of eligibility. It also could tempt coaches to hold back players they normally would have played in order to gain that extra year.

Lyons said protecting eligibility for all fall athletes “seems to be getting momentum” among athletic administrators.

Ted Gumbart, commissioner of the ASUN Conference — which does not sponsor football — said his league is in favor of raising the percentage of games an athlete would be permitted to play and still get the year of eligibility back.

“My understanding is there will be some discussion about 75%,” said Gumbart, who is also a member of the Council.

“There is going to be a solid argument made in favor of saying, ‘This should be a freebie,’” he added.

Calling 2020 a free year for fall sport athletes would mimic what the NCAA did after the spring sports season was canceled by COVID-19 in March. Athletes were guaranteed a make-good on the eligibility but not guaranteed a scholarship. That would be left up to the school.

The NCAA waived scholarship limits and roster size restrictions in spring sports where necessary to allow for the extra players, but only for this coming season.

The same would have to be done for fall sports. Instead of setting a new cap for football scholarships (85 in FBS and 63 in FCS), the sixth-year seniors would not count against the cap next year.

“How does everybody says it’s fair around the country when one team has 22 seniors that come back and one team has eight seniors that come back?” Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said. “I don’t know there’s going to be any one way that will be fair.”

As for fall championships possibly being held in the spring, Lyons said fields are likely to be cut by as much as 75%, bringing 64-team brackets to 16.

The limited space means conferences big and small could decide that holding NCAA championships in sports such as soccer, women’s volleyball and FCS football might not be worth it.

“Access to championships is really important,” Missouri Valley Football Conference Commissioner Patty Viverito said. “We’re going to continue to advocate for as robust an opportunity as we can get in the spring.”

Whether college football players play a lot in the fall, a little in the spring or not at all over the next 10 months, some athletic administrators want to give them a mulligan on the 2020-21 season.The NCAA Division I Council meets Wednesday with two important issues on the agenda:— What will happen with the eligibility of fall sport athletes heading into an uncertain season already impacted by the pandemic?— Should the NCAA stage fall sports championship events in the spring now that most of Division I has punted on trying to play sports in the first portion of the school year?The Council’s job is to make a recommendation that the Division I Board of Directors can vote on when it meets Friday.“I think the most forgiving, flexible plan would be the best,” Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said of the first question.The council already made one recommendation last week. A year of eligibility and an additional season of competition would be granted to fall sport athletes who opt out of this coming season because of COVID-19 concerns or if they participate in 50% or less of the maximum number of competitions allowed by NCAA rules.For a football player, that would be half or fewer of 12 regular-season games. Most of the Division I teams still hoping to play this fall have fewer than 12 games scheduled. Meanwhile, four Bowl Subdivision conferences and all of the Championship Subdivision have said they won’t play in the fall and instead try to have a spring football season.Not a single game is guaranteed because of the pandemic, and athletes are wondering what should they do.“For me and my parents, one of the things we’re focusing on is eligibility,” said Stanford defensive back Joshua Drayden, who is part of the players’ rights group We Are United. “We’re just trying to weigh all of our options. Same for a lot of athletes around the Pac-12 and the nation.”Because of the uncertainty and so many variables, West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons, who is part of the DI Council, would like to allow athletes in all fall sports to get an extra year of eligibility and competition, regardless of how much they play and when.“We talk about the student-athlete experience and definitely the season’s going to be different. With crowd sizes, the number of competitions,” said Lyons, who is also head of the NCAA’s football oversight committee. “Why charge these student-athletes with a year of eligibility? That’s one thing they don’t have to worry about.”As Lyons and others in college sports describe it, the problem for athletes is not just weighing whether to opt out or in at the start of the season.There is concern that a season filled with disruptions will have players who opted in reversing course before reaching the minimum number of games, which would burn a year of eligibility. It also could tempt coaches to hold back players they normally would have played in order to gain that extra year.Lyons said protecting eligibility for all fall athletes “seems to be getting momentum” among athletic administrators.Ted Gumbart, commissioner of the ASUN Conference — which does not sponsor football — said his league is in favor of raising the percentage of games an athlete would be permitted to play and still get the year of eligibility back.“My understanding is there will be some discussion about 75%,” said Gumbart, who is also a member of the Council.“There is going to be a solid argument made in favor of saying, ‘This should be a freebie,’” he added.Calling 2020 a free year for fall sport athletes would mimic what the NCAA did after the spring sports season was canceled by COVID-19 in March. Athletes were guaranteed a make-good on the eligibility but not guaranteed a scholarship. That would be left up to the school.The NCAA waived scholarship limits and roster size restrictions in spring sports where necessary to allow for the extra players, but only for this coming season.The same would have to be done for fall sports. Instead of setting a new cap for football scholarships (85 in FBS and 63 in FCS), the sixth-year seniors would not count against the cap next year.“How does everybody says it’s fair around the country when one team has 22 seniors that come back and one team has eight seniors that come back?” Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said. “I don’t know there’s going to be any one way that will be fair.”As for fall championships possibly being held in the spring, Lyons said fields are likely to be cut by as much as 75%, bringing 64-team brackets to 16.The limited space means conferences big and small could decide that holding NCAA championships in sports such as soccer, women’s volleyball and FCS football might not be worth it.“Access to championships is really important,” Missouri Valley Football Conference Commissioner Patty Viverito said. “We’re going to continue to advocate for as robust an opportunity as we can get in the spring.”

Mulligan: Extra year of NCAA eligibility for fall athletes?

The NCAA is expecting to have an answer by mid-September over whether or not the 2020-21 college basketball season can start as scheduled amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/ncaa-senior-vice-president-basketball-dan-gavitt-s-statement-preparation-2020-21-basketball-season" target="_blank">NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt announced in a statement on Monday.&nbsp;</a>Gavitt, in the statement, emphasized that a safe and competitive college basketball season is the "ultimate goal" as the decision looms.&nbsp;

"In the coming weeks, the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Oversight Committees will take the lead with me in a collaborative process of finalizing any recommendations for consideration by the NCAA Division I Council for the start of the college basketball season," Gavitt wrote in the statement. "By mid-September, we will provide direction about whether the season and practice start on time or a short-term delay is necessitated by the ongoing pandemic.

"We recognize that we are living and operating in an uncertain time, and it is likely that mid-September will be just the first milestone for many important decisions pertaining to the regular season and the NCAA basketball championships.&nbsp;While circumstances may warrant flexibility resulting in a different and perhaps imperfect season, the ultimate goal is to safely provide student-athletes and teams with a great college basketball experience."

Schools in at least one major conference are already guaranteed to have their basketball seasons impacted. The Pac-12 announced earlier in the month that it would not hold athletic competition for the remainder of the 2020 calendar year due to the pandemic.

Both the 2019-2020 men's and women's college basketball seasons ended without national champions, as the NCAA canceled all winter and spring championships for the previous school year in March due to the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States. The decision marked the first time that the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament -- better known as "March Madness" -- was not held since its inception in 1939.&nbsp;

Last week, NCAA Presiden Mark Emmert revealed that there will be no NCAA championships in fall sports this year, with FBS football being the only possible exception. Due to a number of conferences already canceling their fall seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of teams that would be vying for a national championship has been trimmed significantly. Because of that, the legitimacy of fall championships would be very much in question, per Emmert. The only fall sport that could potentially crown a national champion in the 2020 season would be FBS football, but two power conferences -- the Pac-12 and Big Ten -- have already called off their fall seasons.

“We cannot now, at this point, have fall NCAA championships because there’s not enough schools participating,” Emmert said. “The Board of Governors also said if you don’t have half the schools playing the sport, you can’t have a legitimate championship. We can’t, in any NCAA Division-I championship sport now, which is everything other than FBS football, that goes on in the fall. Sadly and tragically, that’s going to be the case this fall. Full stop.”

The NCAA is expecting to have an answer by mid-September over whether or not the 2020-21 college basketball season can start as scheduled amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/ncaa-senior-vice-president-basketball-dan-gavitt-s-statement-preparation-2020-21-basketball-season" target="_blank">NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt announced in a statement on Monday.&nbsp;</a>Gavitt, in the statement, emphasized that a safe and competitive college basketball season is the "ultimate goal" as the decision looms.&nbsp;"In the coming weeks, the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Oversight Committees will take the lead with me in a collaborative process of finalizing any recommendations for consideration by the NCAA Division I Council for the start of the college basketball season," Gavitt wrote in the statement. "By mid-September, we will provide direction about whether the season and practice start on time or a short-term delay is necessitated by the ongoing pandemic."We recognize that we are living and operating in an uncertain time, and it is likely that mid-September will be just the first milestone for many important decisions pertaining to the regular season and the NCAA basketball championships.&nbsp;While circumstances may warrant flexibility resulting in a different and perhaps imperfect season, the ultimate goal is to safely provide student-athletes and teams with a great college basketball experience."Schools in at least one major conference are already guaranteed to have their basketball seasons impacted. The Pac-12 announced earlier in the month that it would not hold athletic competition for the remainder of the 2020 calendar year due to the pandemic.Both the 2019-2020 men's and women's college basketball seasons ended without national champions, as the NCAA canceled all winter and spring championships for the previous school year in March due to the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States. The decision marked the first time that the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament -- better known as "March Madness" -- was not held since its inception in 1939.&nbsp;Last week, NCAA Presiden Mark Emmert revealed that there will be no NCAA championships in fall sports this year, with FBS football being the only possible exception. Due to a number of conferences already canceling their fall seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of teams that would be vying for a national championship has been trimmed significantly. Because of that, the legitimacy of fall championships would be very much in question, per Emmert. The only fall sport that could potentially crown a national champion in the 2020 season would be FBS football, but two power conferences -- the Pac-12 and Big Ten -- have already called off their fall seasons.“We cannot now, at this point, have fall NCAA championships because there’s not enough schools participating,” Emmert said. “The Board of Governors also said if you don’t have half the schools playing the sport, you can’t have a legitimate championship. We can’t, in any NCAA Division-I championship sport now, which is everything other than FBS football, that goes on in the fall. Sadly and tragically, that’s going to be the case this fall. Full stop.”

NCAA: More clarity on basketball season by mid-September


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The AVCTL is considering attendance restrictions at athletic events, according to USD 308 Superintendent Mike Folks, who spoke to Hutchinson High Athletic Director Kevin Armstrong about it.

"There's conversations happening currently related to that," Folks said Tuesday. "Many of the school districts within the league are talking about it being a local decision. Based on the county you're in, based on the maximum number of fans you can have."

One event has already been changed for this year.

"Some are talking about not allowing visiting fans, only the home fans. Some are talking about 50% capacity" Folks said. "The other thing is hosting tournaments. I know Kevin said that we host a very large volleyball tournament in September with 14 schools. We have decided to split that into seven and seven. Seven of those schools are going to go to McPherson and play a pool."

KSHSAA, for its part, is leaving those decisions up to the schools and leagues to make.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579618707683.jpeg" alt="" />
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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The AVCTL is considering attendance restrictions at athletic events, according to USD 308 Superintendent Mike Folks, who spoke to Hutchinson High Athletic Director Kevin Armstrong about it."There's conversations happening currently related to that," Folks said Tuesday. "Many of the school districts within the league are talking about it being a local decision. Based on the county you're in, based on the maximum number of fans you can have."One event has already been changed for this year."Some are talking about not allowing visiting fans, only the home fans. Some are talking about 50% capacity" Folks said. "The other thing is hosting tournaments. I know Kevin said that we host a very large volleyball tournament in September with 14 schools. We have decided to split that into seven and seven. Seven of those schools are going to go to McPherson and play a pool."KSHSAA, for its part, is leaving those decisions up to the schools and leagues to make.

Local schools will make decision about fans, lots of options on table

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The game between Cincinnati and Kansas City scheduled for Tuesday will be played as part of a doubleheader Wednesday so that the Reds can do additional testing after a player tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend.

Players, coaches and other members of the Reds organization were retested for the coronavirus Saturday and Sunday after one player was sidelined because of a positive result. The final two games of a series against Pittsburgh at Great American Ball Park were postponed, and the Reds were planning to fly into Kansas City early Tuesday.

Now, the Reds and Royals will play both games of their two-game set Wednesday. The first game will start at 4:05 p.m. CDT, with the second game taking place after a 30-minute break. Both of them will be seven innings.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596253987010.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The game between Cincinnati and Kansas City scheduled for Tuesday will be played as part of a doubleheader Wednesday so that the Reds can do additional testing after a player tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend.Players, coaches and other members of the Reds organization were retested for the coronavirus Saturday and Sunday after one player was sidelined because of a positive result. The final two games of a series against Pittsburgh at Great American Ball Park were postponed, and the Reds were planning to fly into Kansas City early Tuesday.Now, the Reds and Royals will play both games of their two-game set Wednesday. The first game will start at 4:05 p.m. CDT, with the second game taking place after a 30-minute break. Both of them will be seven innings.

Royals-Reds put off due to Red testing positive for COVID-19, doubleheader Wednesday

<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/877842259&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/hutchpost" title="HutchPost.com" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HutchPost.com</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/hutchpost/eagle-sports-august-18-2020" title="Eagle Sports August 18 - 2020" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Sports August 18 - 2020</a></div></div>

🎙AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Tuesday

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Ryan O'Reilly had two goals and an assist as the St. Louis Blues beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 to even in their first-round playoff series. Alex Pietrangelo also scored for the Blues and added an assist. Jake Allen made 22 saves. J.T. Miller scored for the Canucks, and Jacob Markstrom stopped 34 shots. Game 5 is Wednesday. O'Reilly gave the Blues a 2-1 lead at 6:52 of the second as he took a pass out of the corner from David Perron, walked out in front of the net and flicked a backhander into the top corner for the second two-goal playoff game of his career. Pietrangelo fired shot that hit Edler's stick and went in with 4:13 to go in the middle period.

CHICAGO (AP) — David Bote hit a three-run homer in Chicago's four-run sixth inning, and the Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 for a doubleheader split. With two outs and runners on the corners, Bote put Chicago ahead to stay with a massive drive to center field off Tyler Webb for his second career pinch-hit homer. Bote belted a game-ending grand slam for his first pinch-hit shot in a 4-3 win against Washington on Aug. 12, 2018.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nelson Cruz continued his climb up the all-time leaderboard with two home runs and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-1. Devin Smeltzer (2-0) picked up the win in relief of opener Matt Wisler for Minnesota. Cruz tied Mark Teixeira for 55th on the all-time home run list. Rookie Kris Bubic (0-3) surrendered two runs on four hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings for the Royals. Hunter Dozier homered in the ninth inning to end Minnesota's shutout bid.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Taco Charlton has been a bust on two different teams. Tanoh Kpassagnon was considered the same for a while as he moved between linebacker and defensive end. Breeland Speaks is still trying to live up to expectations as a second-round pick after injuries scrapped his second season in the league. Yet those three could provide the depth that turns the Kansas City Chiefs defensive line into one of the best in the NFL this season.

CHICAGO (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have optioned right-hander Roel Ramírez to their alternate training site a day after he surrendered four consecutive homers in his major league debut. The 25-year-old Ramírez will remain with the team in Chicago on its taxi squad. He yielded consecutive drives by Yoán Moncada, Yasmani Grandal, José Abreu and Eloy Jiménez in the fifth inning of the Cardinals' 7-2 loss to the White Sox on Sunday. Right-hander Nabil Crismatt was promoted from the team's training site in Springfield, Missouri. St. Louis also announced that right-hander Jake Woodford will serve as the 29th man for its doubleheader against the Cubs.

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds scheduled a flight to Kansas City early Tuesday for a two-game series against the Royals that was put in doubt after a Reds player tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. Players, coaches and other organization members were retested over the weekend. The final two games of a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park were postponed. Monday was a scheduled day off. The Reds made travel plans for Kansas City and expected to start Luis Castillo in the series opener Tuesday night, assuming it's played.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The National Association of Basketball Coaches is creating a coalition of players to provide feedback on a variety of issues in the latest example of student-athletes gaining a greater voice both on and off the court. NABC executive director Craig Robinson says the coalition will meet quarterly and address the organization's board of directors and NCAA committees. The coalition also will provide coaches and other NABC members with their own experiences in professional and personal development opportunities.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Donovan Mitchell shattered the Utah Jazz playoff record for points in a game as the NBA embarked on its bubble playoffs near Orlando. But his 57-point performance wasn't enough for the Jazz to avoid a loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Jamal Murray led the victory by scoring 20 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to lead the Nuggets' 135-125 win against Utah. Murray sealed the win on a 3-pointer with 46.8 seconds remaining.

Nikola Jokic (nee-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) finished with 29 points and 10 rebounds in the first game of postseason.

Mitchell was 19 of 33 from the floor and 13 of 13 from the free-throw line. He also had seven assists.

Mitchell's scoring spree surpassed the Jazz mark of 50 by Karl Malone on April 22, 2000, against Seattle.

— Fred VanVleet scored 30 points and led the Toronto Raptors' sizzling 3-point attack in a 134-110 romp over Brooklyn. The defending champs were 22 of 44 from beyond the arc, with VanVleet hitting eight of his 10 attempts. Toronto's accuracy from beyond the arc helped the Raptors grab a 68-35 lead with less than five minutes left in the first half. Serge Ibaka (ih-BAH'-kah) scored 22 points off the bench for the Raptors, while Pascal Siakam (see-AK'-ihm) had 18 points and 11 rebounds.

— Jayson Tatum had career playoff highs of 32 points and 13 rebounds to guide the Celtics to a 109-101 victory over the 76ers. Tatum scored 15 points in the second quarter to give the Celtics a 55-49 lead at halftime. Kemba Walker added 19 points for the Boston, which scored 16 points off Philadelphia's 13 turnovers. Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') had 26 points and 16 rebounds for the 76ers, who nearly pulled off the win while All-Star guard Ben Simmons sits out indefinitely after left knee surgery. 

— Kawhi (kah-WY') Leonard had 29 points and 12 rebounds, and the Clippers got a big boost from the ejection of Kristaps Porzingis (KRIHS'-tahps pohr-ZIHN'-gihz) to beat the Mavericks. 118-110. Los Angeles pulled into the lead when Porzingis was ejected for picking up his second technical foul in the third quarter. Paul George added 27 points and Marcus Morris had 19 for the Clippers. Dallas lost despite 42 points, nine assists and seven rebounds from Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch). 

UNDATED (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche hold three-games-to-one leads in their Stanley Cup first-round series after winning on Monday.

Barclay Goodrow and Yanni Gourde (YAH'-nee gohrd) each had a goal and an assist as the Lightning downed Columbus, 2-1. Tampa Bay took control by scoring twice in the first 4:09 of the second period.

Andrei Vasilevskiy (va-sih-LEHV'-skee) had 28 saves and blanked Columbus after Cam Atkinson beat him in the middle period, two minutes after Gourde gave the Bolts a two-goal lead.

Also in Toronto, Jake DeBrusk scored twice while the Bruins were turning a 2-0, third-period deficit into a 4-3 win over the Hurricanes. Brad Marchand and Connor Clifton also scored in the third for Boston, which outshot the Hurricanes, 16-2 in the final 20 minutes. Justin Williams and Jordan Martinook scored to give Carolina the 2-0 lead before the Bruins ran off four straight goals. 

The Avalanche coasted to a 7-1 rout of the Coyotes as Nazem Kadri (NA'-zehm KA'-dree) delivered two goals and an assist. Kadri already has five goals and nine points in seven games at the Edmonton bubble.

Matt Calvert, Cale Makar (mah-KAHR') and Mikko Rantanen each had a goal and an assist for the Avs, who chased Darcy Kuemper (KEHM'-pur) from the nets after two periods. 

Philipp Grubauer faced just 15 shots and blanked the Coyotes until Jakob Chychryn (JAY'-kuhn CHIHK'-rihn) scored a power-play goal 13 1/2 minutes into the second period.

Meanwhile, the defending Stanley Cup champs have knotted their series at two games apiece.

Ryan O'Reilly scored twice and had an assist in the Blues' 3-1 verdict over the Canucks. O'Reilly snapped a 1-1 tie seven minutes into the second period and set up Alex Pietrangelo (peh-TRAN'-jeh-loh) later in the stanza. 

Jake Allen stopped 23 shots for the Blues, who have won the last two games of the series.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin has undergone left elbow surgery. The team did not provide specifics on the nature of Malkin's injury or when it occurred. The 34-year-old Malkin led the Penguins with 74 points during the regular season but was ineffective during a four-game loss to Montreal in the qualifying round of the playoffs. 

UNDATED (AP) — Fernando Tatis (tah-TEES') Jr. continues to add to his young baseball legacy.

The second-year player leads the majors with 11 home runs and 28 RBIs after delivering a three-run shot and a grand slam in the Padres' 14-4 dismantling of the Rangers. Tatis put the game out of reach with his eighth-inning blast before his bases-loaded bomb capped the Padres' scoring in his 108th big league game. The two homers raised his average to .305.

Austin Hedges also homered and Jurickson Profar (JUR'-ihk-suhn PROH'-fahr) had two RBIs for San Diego.

— Brad Miller hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning of the Cardinals' 3-1 win over the Cubs in Game 1 of a doubleheader. St. Louis improved to 3-1 since it returned Saturday after a coronavirus outbreak derailed their season, leaving them idle for weeks and resulting in 18 confirmed cases in the organization.

— The Cubbies ended the season-worst, four-game skid in the nightcap as David Bote (BOH'-tee) belted a three-run homer in a four-run sixth that pushed them to a 5-4 victory. St. Louis wasted a big performance by Miller, who homered twice and drove in three runs in Game 2.

— Dansby Swanson slammed a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to cap the Braves' four-run rally against Daniel Hudson in a 7-6 triumph over the Nationals. Washington led 6-3 in the ninth until Adam Duvall hit a two-run shot.

— Pete Alonso and Robinson Cano (kah-NOH') each homered twice as the Mets crushed the Marlins, 11-4 to end a three-game losing streak. Alonso and Cano each had three of New York's 14 hits.

— Luke Voit (voyt) homered twice in the Yankees' 10th consecutive win over the rival Red Sox, 6-3. Aroldis (ah-ROHL'-dihs) Chapman picked up the save in his return from the COVID-19 injured list, helping New York get its sixth straight victory overall.

— Carlos Correa hit a two-run double to back a strong start by rookie Brandon Bielak in the Astros' fifth win in a row, 2-1 versus the Rangers. Bielak allowed one hit and one run in six innings to move to 3-0.

— Nelson Cruz Jr. smacked a pair of solo homers and six pitchers combined on a seven-hitter in the Twins' 4-1 victory against the Royals. Cruz surpassed Duke Snider and tied Mark Teixeira (teh-SHEHR'-uh) with his 409th career homer, good for 55th all-time.

— Tim Anderson and Luis Robert each hit two of the White Sox's six home runs in a 7-2 decision over the Tigers. Yoan Moncada and Danny Mendick also left the yards for Chicago, which banged out four consecutive home runs in Sunday's win over the Cardinals.

— Kike (KEE'-kay) Hernandez launched a two-run homer that capped the Dodgers' five-run eighth in their sixth straight win, 11-9 against the Mariners. Mookie Betts also homered and Corey Seager added a three-run blast for Los Angeles. 

— David Peralta slapped a bases-loaded single with one out in the ninth inning to give the Diamondbacks their fifth straight win and ninth in 12 games, 4-3 over the Athletics. Nick Ahmed atoned for a game-tying error by leading off the ninth with a double and scoring the winning run, helping Arizona move above .500 for the first time this season.

— The Angels came away with a 7-6 win over the Giants after Tommy La Stella hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning. Mike Trout hit his 10th homer and Albert Pujols had a two-run double to help Los Angeles halt a four-game slide.

— Hyun Jin Ryu (hyoon jihn ree-OO') pitched six innings of four-hit ball as the Blue Jays whipped the Orioles, 7-2. Randal Grichuk (GRIH'-chuhk) homered and drove in four runs to back Ryu.

Cowboys newcomer Gerald McCoy out for season with leg injury

UNDATED (AP) — Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is out for the season after tearing the quadriceps tendon in his right leg.

McCoy suffered the injury while working out against Antwaun Woods in an individual drill during the first padded practice of training camp.

— The Giants have cut placekicker Chandler Catanzaro, just 16 days after the team signed the veteran following the release of incumbent Aldrick Rosas. New York is in talks with former Carolina Panthers veteran Graham Gano. 

— Bengals cornerback Trae Waynes had surgery for a torn pectoral muscle, a significant setback to a defense in transition. The Bengals signed Waynes to a three-year deal as a free agent from Minnesota.

— The Lions have signed running back Jonathan Williams, adding depth in the backfield behind Kerryon Johnson and rookie D'Andre Swift. Williams has 329 yards rushing on 79 carries with two touchdowns over parts of three seasons with the Colts, Saints and Bills. 

— The Washington Football Team has hired Jason Wright as team president. He's the first Black person to hold that position in NFL history and at 38 becomes the league's youngest team president. Wright spent seven years as an NFL running back, was an Arizona Cardinals captain and their Players Association representative. 

K-State OK'd for 25% capacity for football games

UNDATED (AP) — Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn says his players have had 33 positive tests for COVID-19 this summer. 

Malzahn says his Tigers had no positive tests last week, but four players are still going through the testing protocols. He added that the school has administered 863 tests among players, an average of more than seven times each. 

— Kansas State will allow 25% capacity at its football stadium for games this season after getting approval Monday from the county commission. That means a maximum crowd of just under 15,000 fans. 

— Mississippi starting center Eli Johnson says he won't play football this season. Johnson announced on Twitter that he'll sit out the season and focus on completing his master's degree in criminal justice in December. 

No fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium through Sept.

UNDATED (AP) — There will be no fans at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium for NFL and MLS games played in September. The Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United say the coronavirus pandemic forced the decision. The teams say they will continue to collaborate with local and national health officials before deciding on the possibility for fans in games after September. 

— The Canadian Football League has canceled its 2020 season because of the pandemic. The decision marks the first year since 1919 the Grey Cup won't be awarded. 

NEW YORK (AP) — Simona Halep (see-MOH'-nah HA'-lehp) will skip the U.S. Open, saying she wants to put her health first amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Halep is a former top-ranked player who is currently No. 2. She won the title in Prague on Sunday. 

Six of the top eight women in the WTA rankings won't play in New York, including No. 1 Ash Barty and defending champion Bianca Andreescu.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Ryan O'Reilly had two goals and an assist as the St. Louis Blues beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 to even in their first-round playoff series. Alex Pietrangelo also scored for the Blues and added an assist. Jake Allen made 22 saves. J.T. Miller scored for the Canucks, and Jacob Markstrom stopped 34 shots. Game 5 is Wednesday. O'Reilly gave the Blues a 2-1 lead at 6:52 of the second as he took a pass out of the corner from David Perron, walked out in front of the net and flicked a backhander into the top corner for the second two-goal playoff game of his career. Pietrangelo fired shot that hit Edler's stick and went in with 4:13 to go in the middle period.CHICAGO (AP) — David Bote hit a three-run homer in Chicago's four-run sixth inning, and the Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 for a doubleheader split. With two outs and runners on the corners, Bote put Chicago ahead to stay with a massive drive to center field off Tyler Webb for his second career pinch-hit homer. Bote belted a game-ending grand slam for his first pinch-hit shot in a 4-3 win against Washington on Aug. 12, 2018.MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nelson Cruz continued his climb up the all-time leaderboard with two home runs and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-1. Devin Smeltzer (2-0) picked up the win in relief of opener Matt Wisler for Minnesota. Cruz tied Mark Teixeira for 55th on the all-time home run list. Rookie Kris Bubic (0-3) surrendered two runs on four hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings for the Royals. Hunter Dozier homered in the ninth inning to end Minnesota's shutout bid.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Taco Charlton has been a bust on two different teams. Tanoh Kpassagnon was considered the same for a while as he moved between linebacker and defensive end. Breeland Speaks is still trying to live up to expectations as a second-round pick after injuries scrapped his second season in the league. Yet those three could provide the depth that turns the Kansas City Chiefs defensive line into one of the best in the NFL this season.CHICAGO (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have optioned right-hander Roel Ramírez to their alternate training site a day after he surrendered four consecutive homers in his major league debut. The 25-year-old Ramírez will remain with the team in Chicago on its taxi squad. He yielded consecutive drives by Yoán Moncada, Yasmani Grandal, José Abreu and Eloy Jiménez in the fifth inning of the Cardinals' 7-2 loss to the White Sox on Sunday. Right-hander Nabil Crismatt was promoted from the team's training site in Springfield, Missouri. St. Louis also announced that right-hander Jake Woodford will serve as the 29th man for its doubleheader against the Cubs.CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds scheduled a flight to Kansas City early Tuesday for a two-game series against the Royals that was put in doubt after a Reds player tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. Players, coaches and other organization members were retested over the weekend. The final two games of a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park were postponed. Monday was a scheduled day off. The Reds made travel plans for Kansas City and expected to start Luis Castillo in the series opener Tuesday night, assuming it's played.&nbsp;KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The National Association of Basketball Coaches is creating a coalition of players to provide feedback on a variety of issues in the latest example of student-athletes gaining a greater voice both on and off the court. NABC executive director Craig Robinson says the coalition will meet quarterly and address the organization's board of directors and NCAA committees. The coalition also will provide coaches and other NABC members with their own experiences in professional and personal development opportunities.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-PLAYOFFSMitchell's 57 not enough vs. NuggetsLAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Donovan Mitchell shattered the Utah Jazz playoff record for points in a game as the NBA embarked on its bubble playoffs near Orlando. But his 57-point performance wasn't enough for the Jazz to avoid a loss to the Denver Nuggets.Jamal Murray led the victory by scoring 20 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to lead the Nuggets' 135-125 win against Utah. Murray sealed the win on a 3-pointer with 46.8 seconds remaining.Nikola Jokic (nee-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) finished with 29 points and 10 rebounds in the first game of postseason.Mitchell was 19 of 33 from the floor and 13 of 13 from the free-throw line. He also had seven assists.Mitchell's scoring spree surpassed the Jazz mark of 50 by Karl Malone on April 22, 2000, against Seattle.In other playoff-opening action:— Fred VanVleet scored 30 points and led the Toronto Raptors' sizzling 3-point attack in a 134-110 romp over Brooklyn. The defending champs were 22 of 44 from beyond the arc, with VanVleet hitting eight of his 10 attempts. Toronto's accuracy from beyond the arc helped the Raptors grab a 68-35 lead with less than five minutes left in the first half. Serge Ibaka (ih-BAH'-kah) scored 22 points off the bench for the Raptors, while Pascal Siakam (see-AK'-ihm) had 18 points and 11 rebounds.— Jayson Tatum had career playoff highs of 32 points and 13 rebounds to guide the Celtics to a 109-101 victory over the 76ers. Tatum scored 15 points in the second quarter to give the Celtics a 55-49 lead at halftime. Kemba Walker added 19 points for the Boston, which scored 16 points off Philadelphia's 13 turnovers. Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') had 26 points and 16 rebounds for the 76ers, who nearly pulled off the win while All-Star guard Ben Simmons sits out indefinitely after left knee surgery. — Kawhi (kah-WY') Leonard had 29 points and 12 rebounds, and the Clippers got a big boost from the ejection of Kristaps Porzingis (KRIHS'-tahps pohr-ZIHN'-gihz) to beat the Mavericks. 118-110. Los Angeles pulled into the lead when Porzingis was ejected for picking up his second technical foul in the third quarter. Paul George added 27 points and Marcus Morris had 19 for the Clippers. Dallas lost despite 42 points, nine assists and seven rebounds from Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch). NHL PLAYOFFS-SCHEDULEBolts, B's, Avs up 3-1UNDATED (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche hold three-games-to-one leads in their Stanley Cup first-round series after winning on Monday.Barclay Goodrow and Yanni Gourde (YAH'-nee gohrd) each had a goal and an assist as the Lightning downed Columbus, 2-1. Tampa Bay took control by scoring twice in the first 4:09 of the second period.Andrei Vasilevskiy (va-sih-LEHV'-skee) had 28 saves and blanked Columbus after Cam Atkinson beat him in the middle period, two minutes after Gourde gave the Bolts a two-goal lead.Also in Toronto, Jake DeBrusk scored twice while the Bruins were turning a 2-0, third-period deficit into a 4-3 win over the Hurricanes. Brad Marchand and Connor Clifton also scored in the third for Boston, which outshot the Hurricanes, 16-2 in the final 20 minutes. Justin Williams and Jordan Martinook scored to give Carolina the 2-0 lead before the Bruins ran off four straight goals. The Avalanche coasted to a 7-1 rout of the Coyotes as Nazem Kadri (NA'-zehm KA'-dree) delivered two goals and an assist. Kadri already has five goals and nine points in seven games at the Edmonton bubble.Matt Calvert, Cale Makar (mah-KAHR') and Mikko Rantanen each had a goal and an assist for the Avs, who chased Darcy Kuemper (KEHM'-pur) from the nets after two periods. Philipp Grubauer faced just 15 shots and blanked the Coyotes until Jakob Chychryn (JAY'-kuhn CHIHK'-rihn) scored a power-play goal 13 1/2 minutes into the second period.Meanwhile, the defending Stanley Cup champs have knotted their series at two games apiece.Ryan O'Reilly scored twice and had an assist in the Blues' 3-1 verdict over the Canucks. O'Reilly snapped a 1-1 tie seven minutes into the second period and set up Alex Pietrangelo (peh-TRAN'-jeh-loh) later in the stanza. Jake Allen stopped 23 shots for the Blues, who have won the last two games of the series.NHL-PENGUINS-MALKINMalkin undergoes elbow surgeryPITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin has undergone left elbow surgery. The team did not provide specifics on the nature of Malkin's injury or when it occurred. The 34-year-old Malkin led the Penguins with 74 points during the regular season but was ineffective during a four-game loss to Montreal in the qualifying round of the playoffs. MLB-SCHEDULETatis batters RangersUNDATED (AP) — Fernando Tatis (tah-TEES') Jr. continues to add to his young baseball legacy.The second-year player leads the majors with 11 home runs and 28 RBIs after delivering a three-run shot and a grand slam in the Padres' 14-4 dismantling of the Rangers. Tatis put the game out of reach with his eighth-inning blast before his bases-loaded bomb capped the Padres' scoring in his 108th big league game. The two homers raised his average to .305.Austin Hedges also homered and Jurickson Profar (JUR'-ihk-suhn PROH'-fahr) had two RBIs for San Diego.Elsewhere in the majors:— Brad Miller hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning of the Cardinals' 3-1 win over the Cubs in Game 1 of a doubleheader. St. Louis improved to 3-1 since it returned Saturday after a coronavirus outbreak derailed their season, leaving them idle for weeks and resulting in 18 confirmed cases in the organization.— The Cubbies ended the season-worst, four-game skid in the nightcap as David Bote (BOH'-tee) belted a three-run homer in a four-run sixth that pushed them to a 5-4 victory. St. Louis wasted a big performance by Miller, who homered twice and drove in three runs in Game 2.— Dansby Swanson slammed a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to cap the Braves' four-run rally against Daniel Hudson in a 7-6 triumph over the Nationals. Washington led 6-3 in the ninth until Adam Duvall hit a two-run shot.— Pete Alonso and Robinson Cano (kah-NOH') each homered twice as the Mets crushed the Marlins, 11-4 to end a three-game losing streak. Alonso and Cano each had three of New York's 14 hits.— Luke Voit (voyt) homered twice in the Yankees' 10th consecutive win over the rival Red Sox, 6-3. Aroldis (ah-ROHL'-dihs) Chapman picked up the save in his return from the COVID-19 injured list, helping New York get its sixth straight victory overall.— Carlos Correa hit a two-run double to back a strong start by rookie Brandon Bielak in the Astros' fifth win in a row, 2-1 versus the Rangers. Bielak allowed one hit and one run in six innings to move to 3-0.— Nelson Cruz Jr. smacked a pair of solo homers and six pitchers combined on a seven-hitter in the Twins' 4-1 victory against the Royals. Cruz surpassed Duke Snider and tied Mark Teixeira (teh-SHEHR'-uh) with his 409th career homer, good for 55th all-time.— Tim Anderson and Luis Robert each hit two of the White Sox's six home runs in a 7-2 decision over the Tigers. Yoan Moncada and Danny Mendick also left the yards for Chicago, which banged out four consecutive home runs in Sunday's win over the Cardinals.— Kike (KEE'-kay) Hernandez launched a two-run homer that capped the Dodgers' five-run eighth in their sixth straight win, 11-9 against the Mariners. Mookie Betts also homered and Corey Seager added a three-run blast for Los Angeles. — David Peralta slapped a bases-loaded single with one out in the ninth inning to give the Diamondbacks their fifth straight win and ninth in 12 games, 4-3 over the Athletics. Nick Ahmed atoned for a game-tying error by leading off the ninth with a double and scoring the winning run, helping Arizona move above .500 for the first time this season.— The Angels came away with a 7-6 win over the Giants after Tommy La Stella hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning. Mike Trout hit his 10th homer and Albert Pujols had a two-run double to help Los Angeles halt a four-game slide.— Hyun Jin Ryu (hyoon jihn ree-OO') pitched six innings of four-hit ball as the Blue Jays whipped the Orioles, 7-2. Randal Grichuk (GRIH'-chuhk) homered and drove in four runs to back Ryu.NFL NEWSCowboys newcomer Gerald McCoy out for season with leg injuryUNDATED (AP) — Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is out for the season after tearing the quadriceps tendon in his right leg.McCoy suffered the injury while working out against Antwaun Woods in an individual drill during the first padded practice of training camp.In other NFL news:— The Giants have cut placekicker Chandler Catanzaro, just 16 days after the team signed the veteran following the release of incumbent Aldrick Rosas. New York is in talks with former Carolina Panthers veteran Graham Gano. — Bengals cornerback Trae Waynes had surgery for a torn pectoral muscle, a significant setback to a defense in transition. The Bengals signed Waynes to a three-year deal as a free agent from Minnesota.— The Lions have signed running back Jonathan Williams, adding depth in the backfield behind Kerryon Johnson and rookie D'Andre Swift. Williams has 329 yards rushing on 79 carries with two touchdowns over parts of three seasons with the Colts, Saints and Bills. — The Washington Football Team has hired Jason Wright as team president. He's the first Black person to hold that position in NFL history and at 38 becomes the league's youngest team president. Wright spent seven years as an NFL running back, was an Arizona Cardinals captain and their Players Association representative. COLLEGE FOOTBALLK-State OK'd for 25% capacity for football gamesUNDATED (AP) — Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn says his players have had 33 positive tests for COVID-19 this summer. Malzahn says his Tigers had no positive tests last week, but four players are still going through the testing protocols. He added that the school has administered 863 tests among players, an average of more than seven times each. In other college football news:— Kansas State will allow 25% capacity at its football stadium for games this season after getting approval Monday from the county commission. That means a maximum crowd of just under 15,000 fans. — Mississippi starting center Eli Johnson says he won't play football this season. Johnson announced on Twitter that he'll sit out the season and focus on completing his master's degree in criminal justice in December. VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTSNo fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium through Sept.UNDATED (AP) — There will be no fans at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium for NFL and MLS games played in September. The Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United say the coronavirus pandemic forced the decision. The teams say they will continue to collaborate with local and national health officials before deciding on the possibility for fans in games after September. In other virus-related sports news:— The Canadian Football League has canceled its 2020 season because of the pandemic. The decision marks the first year since 1919 the Grey Cup won't be awarded. TENNIS - US OPENHalep opts out of U.S. OpenNEW YORK (AP) — Simona Halep (see-MOH'-nah HA'-lehp) will skip the U.S. Open, saying she wants to put her health first amid the coronavirus pandemic. Halep is a former top-ranked player who is currently No. 2. She won the title in Prague on Sunday. Six of the top eight women in the WTA rankings won't play in New York, including No. 1 Ash Barty and defending champion Bianca Andreescu.

Tuesday Sports Headlines

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nelson Cruz continued his climb up the all-time leaderboard with two home runs and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-1. Devin Smeltzer (2-0) picked up the win in relief of opener Matt Wisler for Minnesota. Cruz tied Mark Teixeira for 55th on the all-time home run list. Rookie Kris Bubic (0-3) surrendered two runs on four hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings for the Royals. Hunter Dozier homered in the ninth inning to end Minnesota’s shutout bid.

&nbsp; •&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/royals-vs-twins/2020/08/17/631258#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=631258">Box score</a>

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nelson Cruz continued his climb up the all-time leaderboard with two home runs and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-1. Devin Smeltzer (2-0) picked up the win in relief of opener Matt Wisler for Minnesota. Cruz tied Mark Teixeira for 55th on the all-time home run list. Rookie Kris Bubic (0-3) surrendered two runs on four hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings for the Royals. Hunter Dozier homered in the ninth inning to end Minnesota’s shutout bid.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g2ejKLJxiic" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>&nbsp; •&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/royals-vs-twins/2020/08/17/631258#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=631258">Box score</a>

🎥  Cruz homers twice; Twins beat Royals 4-1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs announced Monday that fans will be welcomed back to Arrowhead Stadium this season.

Working with the National Football League, Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas and Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department Director Dr. Rex Archer, the team said it will welcome roughly 16,812 fans, or roughly 22 percent of Arrowhead’s capacity.

"We may be able to stay with this, or we may find we can’t do this," Archer said, "but we felt that because it’s outdoors and we could get people separated enough. We thought it was worth trying."

Due to the reduced number of tickets, the club plans to make available single-game tickets to the club’s first three home games starting on Aug. 24. Season ticket members will have the ability to purchase tickets in order of their tenure.

Monday’s announcement includes the season-opener Sept. 10 against the Houston Texans, Oct. 4 against the New England Patriots and Oct. 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The team said it will work with health officials as the season continues.

Season ticket holders who order tickets will be notified via email with additional information. The team said tickets will be sold in pods of seats, with as many as six seats per pod available in the online process.

According to Archer, every three rows will remain empty.

"I am concerned about shouting because we do know with singing and shouting the virus can move farther than with normal speech," Archer said. "That is why we are pushing it a little more than six feet in most exposures so we can protect people from the shouting risk."

Fans will be required to attend with known guests within the purchased pod. Any tickets that remain after they’ve been offered to season ticket holders would be offered to Jackson County residents.

Fans will be required to wear a mask at all times except when eating or drinking. The team will require fans to bring their own mask. Fans that attend the first three games will receive a commemorative Chiefs mask.

Fans will not be allowed to bring in bags, including previously approved clear bags. Smoking, vaping or spitting (including the use of sunflower seeds) will be prohibited.

Outside the stadium, the team will allow tailgating, but all parking passes must be purchased ahead of time. Only ticket holders will be allowed into the parking lots. Fans can only tailgate with those in their seating pod, and fans will be “encouraged” to wear masks in the parking lot.

Guests will see physical distancing measures in seating areas and other places where lines tend to form.

The team plans to provide enhanced “cleaning and sanitation measures,” which will include high-touch areas before, during and after the game.

Staffers entering the stadium will be required to complete a questionnaire and undergo a temperature check. All staff will be “directed” to wear personal protective equipment.

"With any of these things, there’s an honor system," Archer said. "Is it going to be easy? No. But we’ve been thinking about it for a lot of months."

More information on the team’s plans are available on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/stadium/covid/" target="_blank">its website.</a>

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs announced Monday that fans will be welcomed back to Arrowhead Stadium this season.Working with the National Football League, Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas and Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department Director Dr. Rex Archer, the team said it will welcome roughly 16,812 fans, or roughly 22 percent of Arrowhead’s capacity."We may be able to stay with this, or we may find we can’t do this," Archer said, "but we felt that because it’s outdoors and we could get people separated enough. We thought it was worth trying."Due to the reduced number of tickets, the club plans to make available single-game tickets to the club’s first three home games starting on Aug. 24. Season ticket members will have the ability to purchase tickets in order of their tenure.Monday’s announcement includes the season-opener Sept. 10 against the Houston Texans, Oct. 4 against the New England Patriots and Oct. 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders.The team said it will work with health officials as the season continues.Season ticket holders who order tickets will be notified via email with additional information. The team said tickets will be sold in pods of seats, with as many as six seats per pod available in the online process.According to Archer, every three rows will remain empty."I am concerned about shouting because we do know with singing and shouting the virus can move farther than with normal speech," Archer said. "That is why we are pushing it a little more than six feet in most exposures so we can protect people from the shouting risk."Fans will be required to attend with known guests within the purchased pod. Any tickets that remain after they’ve been offered to season ticket holders would be offered to Jackson County residents.Fans will be required to wear a mask at all times except when eating or drinking. The team will require fans to bring their own mask. Fans that attend the first three games will receive a commemorative Chiefs mask.Fans will not be allowed to bring in bags, including previously approved clear bags. Smoking, vaping or spitting (including the use of sunflower seeds) will be prohibited.Outside the stadium, the team will allow tailgating, but all parking passes must be purchased ahead of time. Only ticket holders will be allowed into the parking lots. Fans can only tailgate with those in their seating pod, and fans will be “encouraged” to wear masks in the parking lot.Guests will see physical distancing measures in seating areas and other places where lines tend to form.The team plans to provide enhanced “cleaning and sanitation measures,” which will include high-touch areas before, during and after the game.Staffers entering the stadium will be required to complete a questionnaire and undergo a temperature check. All staff will be “directed” to wear personal protective equipment."With any of these things, there’s an honor system," Archer said. "Is it going to be easy? No. But we’ve been thinking about it for a lot of months."More information on the team’s plans are available on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/stadium/covid/" target="_blank">its website.</a>

Kansas City Chiefs, health officials announce plans for fans

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Former Wichita State Shocker Fred VanVleet scored 30 points and led Toronto’s sizzling 3-point attack as the defending NBA champion Raptors defeated the Brooklyn Nets 134-110 in the opening game of their first-round playoff series. VanVleet went 8 of 10 from 3-point range and the Raptors shot 22 of 44 from beyond the arc as a team. VanVleet also had 11 assists with only one turnover. He's the first Raptor in franchise history to combine 30-plus points and 10-plus assists in a playoff game.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Former Wichita State Shocker Fred VanVleet scored 30 points and led Toronto’s sizzling 3-point attack as the defending NBA champion Raptors defeated the Brooklyn Nets 134-110 in the opening game of their first-round playoff series. VanVleet went 8 of 10 from 3-point range and the Raptors shot 22 of 44 from beyond the arc as a team. VanVleet also had 11 assists with only one turnover. He's the first Raptor in franchise history to combine 30-plus points and 10-plus assists in a playoff game.

VanVleet leads red-hot Raptors to 134-110 triumph over Nets

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

Final Nashville 0, FC Dallas 0, tie	Nashville	0	FC Dallas	0	

AP-Scorecard<h2>Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:</h2>___INTERLEAGUEFinal	Houston	2	Colorado	1	Final	San Diego	14	Texas	4	Final	Arizona	4	Oakland	3	Final	L.A. Angels	7	San Francisco	6	Final	L.A. Dodgers	11	Seattle	9	___AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	N.Y. Yankees	6	Boston	3	Final	Toronto	7	Baltimore	2	Final	Minnesota	4	Kansas City	1	Final	Chicago White Sox	7	Detroit	2	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	St. Louis	3	Chicago Cubs	1	Final	Chicago Cubs	5	St. Louis	4	Final	Atlanta	7	Washington	6	Final	N.Y. Mets	11	Miami	4	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal OT	Denver	135	Utah	125	Final	Toronto	134	Brooklyn	110	Final	Boston	109	Philadelphia	101	Final	L.A. Clippers	118	Dallas	110	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Tampa Bay	2	Columbus	1	Final	Colorado	7	Arizona	1	Final	Boston	4	Carolina	3	Final	St. Louis	3	Vancouver	1	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION___MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCERFinal Nashville 0, FC Dallas 0, tie	Nashville	0	FC Dallas	0	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		Colorado	at	Houston	3:10 p.m.			San Diego	at	Texas	4:05 p.m.			San Francisco	at	L-A Angels	4:10 p.m.			Oakland	at	Arizona	6:10 p.m.			Cleveland	at	Pittsburgh	7:05 p.m.			Seattle	at	L-A Dodgers	7:10 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Boston	7:30 p.m.			Cincinnati	at	Kansas City	8:05 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Minnesota	8:10 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		Tampa Bay	at	N-Y Yankees	7:05 p.m.			Toronto	at	Baltimore	7:35 p.m.			Detroit	at	Chi White Sox	8:10 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		N-Y Mets	at	Miami	7:10 p.m.			Washington	at	Atlanta	7:10 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Chi Cubs	8:15 p.m.	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS		Orlando	at	Milwaukee	1:30 p.m.			Miami	at	Indiana	4 p.m.			Oklahoma City	at	Houston	6:30 p.m.			Portland	at	L.A. Lakers	9 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS		Philadelphia	at	Montreal	3 p.m.			Calgary	at	Dallas	5:30 p.m.			Washington	at	N-Y Islanders	8 p.m.			Chicago	at	Vegas	10:30 p.m.	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Indiana	at	Connecticut	7 p.m.			Las Vegas	at	Chicago	9 p.m.			New York	at	Seattle	10 p.m.	___MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER		Vancouver	at	Toronto FC	8 p.m.	___

Sports Update for Monday

🎥 Training Camp with Mitch Holthus and Matt McMullen

The Kansas City Chiefs have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-announce-season-ticket-member-plan-for-the-2020-season" target="_blank">announced their plan</a>&nbsp;addressing seating capacity concerns in anticipation of fans returning to Arrowhead Stadium during the 2020 season.

The final seating capacity and adjustments that need to be made have yet to be determined by the Chiefs. However, as the team anticipates guidelines related to seating capacity from the CDC, NFL and local authorities, they’ve come up with a plan to offer the most possible flexibility to their season ticket holders.

“People around the country and around the world are getting accustomed to a constantly changing environment and the same goes for all of us in Chiefs Kingdom,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “While our goal all offseason was to have a full stadium as we begin our Super Bowl title defense, it is out of consideration of the health and safety of our fans, employees, coaches and players that we move forward with a reduced-capacity plan that adheres to local guidelines and expert recommendations. As we looked at ways to navigate this unusual season, our first priority was to offer a fair and flexible plan for our loyal and valued Season Ticket Members, and we believe we accomplished that. While it will be a different experience for everyone, we are looking forward to welcoming fans to Arrowhead this fall.”

The team does not believe their capacity in 2020 will allow for them to fairly re-seat every season ticket holder. Because of that fact, they’ll have two options for season ticket holders to weigh. They can be refunded in full for their 2020 season tickets or they can receive a credit toward season tickets in 2021. Season ticket holders will automatically have the 2020 season tickets credited toward 2021. If you don’t want that and prefer a refund, you’ll need to contact the Chiefs’ ticket office.

Those with season tickets who do choose to use the credit toward 2021 will receive a number of perks:

Without the ability to accommodate season ticket holders, the team will also be issuing refunds to those who have already purchased single-game tickets and parking passes through what is considered a primary ticketing marketplace. Once they have a final idea of seating capacity at Arrowhead Stadium, the team will have a “reduced-capacity single-game on-sale” where season ticket holders will get first dibs at claiming seats before it’s opened to the general public. The team also anticipates only selling tickets for a few games at a time in anticipation of the ongoing changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to the changes to seating capacity, the Chiefs pledge to continue working with local health experts to ensure the safety of all fans, staff, coaches and players. All aspects of gameday including parking, tailgating, guest service, food and beverage, retail and stadium operations are under review to finalize procedures for the upcoming season.

To find out more about the Chiefs’ plan,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-announce-season-ticket-member-plan-for-the-2020-season" target="_blank">visit their website</a>.

The Kansas City Chiefs have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-announce-season-ticket-member-plan-for-the-2020-season" target="_blank">announced their plan</a>&nbsp;addressing seating capacity concerns in anticipation of fans returning to Arrowhead Stadium during the 2020 season.The final seating capacity and adjustments that need to be made have yet to be determined by the Chiefs. However, as the team anticipates guidelines related to seating capacity from the CDC, NFL and local authorities, they’ve come up with a plan to offer the most possible flexibility to their season ticket holders.“People around the country and around the world are getting accustomed to a constantly changing environment and the same goes for all of us in Chiefs Kingdom,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “While our goal all offseason was to have a full stadium as we begin our Super Bowl title defense, it is out of consideration of the health and safety of our fans, employees, coaches and players that we move forward with a reduced-capacity plan that adheres to local guidelines and expert recommendations. As we looked at ways to navigate this unusual season, our first priority was to offer a fair and flexible plan for our loyal and valued Season Ticket Members, and we believe we accomplished that. While it will be a different experience for everyone, we are looking forward to welcoming fans to Arrowhead this fall.”The team does not believe their capacity in 2020 will allow for them to fairly re-seat every season ticket holder. Because of that fact, they’ll have two options for season ticket holders to weigh. They can be refunded in full for their 2020 season tickets or they can receive a credit toward season tickets in 2021. Season ticket holders will automatically have the 2020 season tickets credited toward 2021. If you don’t want that and prefer a refund, you’ll need to contact the Chiefs’ ticket office.Those with season tickets who do choose to use the credit toward 2021 will receive a number of perks:<ul>
 <li>STMs will be automatically included in a single-game presale for any available seats in 2020, once a final capacity is determined.</li><li>Their credit can be utilized to purchase single-game tickets for a reduced-capacity 2020 season, if they choose.</li><li>They will receive their 2020 Season Ticket Member box with exclusive gifts.</li><li>STM pricing will remain flat for 2021 and they will accrue a year of STM tenure for the 2020 season, regardless of if they attend any games or not in 2020.</li><li>In the event that the club is permitted to host a full-capacity crowd for any potential playoff games, STMs that did not opt for a refund will be given the first opportunity to purchase their seats.</li><li>Parking or hospitality club passes purchased as part of a Season Ticket Membership can be managed exactly like tickets – either as a credit for 2021 or a full-refund, if requested.</li>
 </ul>Without the ability to accommodate season ticket holders, the team will also be issuing refunds to those who have already purchased single-game tickets and parking passes through what is considered a primary ticketing marketplace. Once they have a final idea of seating capacity at Arrowhead Stadium, the team will have a “reduced-capacity single-game on-sale” where season ticket holders will get first dibs at claiming seats before it’s opened to the general public. The team also anticipates only selling tickets for a few games at a time in anticipation of the ongoing changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic.In addition to the changes to seating capacity, the Chiefs pledge to continue working with local health experts to ensure the safety of all fans, staff, coaches and players. All aspects of gameday including parking, tailgating, guest service, food and beverage, retail and stadium operations are under review to finalize procedures for the upcoming season.To find out more about the Chiefs’ plan,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-announce-season-ticket-member-plan-for-the-2020-season" target="_blank">visit their website</a>.

Chiefs announce plan for reduced capacity at Arrowhead Stadium for 2020 seasontitled

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State received approval on Monday from the Riley County Commission to open&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=154">Bill Snyder</a>&nbsp;Family Stadium to approximately 25 percent capacity this fall for Wildcat football games.&nbsp; During a work session at Monday's meeting, commissioners reviewed K-State's plan to open the stadium at a reduced capacity, which includes new protocols – including the requirement that all fans must wear face coverings and that no tailgating be permitted – which will be implemented to provide the safest environment possible under guidelines pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. The commissioners voted to modify proposed Health Order #18 to remove a provision that prohibited facilities above a capacity of 2,000 from opening.&nbsp; "We are appreciative of the consideration the commissioners gave to all facets of our plan and their ultimate endorsement," Athletics Director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;said. "Our plan is very detailed in how we intend to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 spread at a football game. We are implementing several new policies and will be strict in our enforcement in our best efforts to accomplish playing football games safely," Taylor added.&nbsp; Meanwhile, Taylor said the department has developed new ticket options that will be unveiled to season ticket holders this week. Following are the new guidelines and safety measures that will be in place for the 2020 season

Face Coverings In accordance with City of Manhattan ordinance and Kansas State University policy, fans must wear face coverings over their mouths and noses in order to enter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=154">Bill Snyder</a>&nbsp;Family Stadium and continue wearing them inside the stadium.&nbsp;Fans should provide their own face coverings; K-State will not provide face coverings.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No Tailgating Tailgating will be prohibited in parking lots controlled by K-State Athletics and satellite lots operated by Kansas State University groups in order to reduce the risk of large gatherings. Parking lots will open in conjunction with stadium gates two hours prior to kickoff and fans will be encouraged to immediately enter the stadium once parked. No Re-Entry To assure the safest environment possible, once inside&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=154">Bill Snyder</a>&nbsp;Family Stadium fans will not be permitted to re-enter the stadium should they elect to exit. This will help eliminate unnecessary congestion at gates, particularly prior to and after halftime. Alcohol Sales With tailgating and re-entry into the stadium eliminated, beer and wine will be available for purchase for the first time ever in the general seating sections of the stadium at multiple locations on the concourse and concession stands.&nbsp; Other Safety Measures Hand sanitizing stations will be located throughout the stadium, as well as signage, to encourage social distancing. Also, stadium employees will be required to wear protective gear and face coverings. "These are unprecedented times and we want our fans to feel safe and comfortable when they attend games this season," Taylor said.&nbsp;"While there is no reasonable way to guarantee that no fan could contract the virus, we will take every measure that we can to help. We all know our fans play a tremendous role in making our gameday environment one of the best in the Big 12, but ultimately each fan needs to make their own individual decision to attend games or not."

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State received approval on Monday from the Riley County Commission to open&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=154">Bill Snyder</a>&nbsp;Family Stadium to approximately 25 percent capacity this fall for Wildcat football games.&nbsp; During a work session at Monday's meeting, commissioners reviewed K-State's plan to open the stadium at a reduced capacity, which includes new protocols – including the requirement that all fans must wear face coverings and that no tailgating be permitted – which will be implemented to provide the safest environment possible under guidelines pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. The commissioners voted to modify proposed Health Order #18 to remove a provision that prohibited facilities above a capacity of 2,000 from opening.&nbsp; "We are appreciative of the consideration the commissioners gave to all facets of our plan and their ultimate endorsement," Athletics Director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;said. "Our plan is very detailed in how we intend to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 spread at a football game. We are implementing several new policies and will be strict in our enforcement in our best efforts to accomplish playing football games safely," Taylor added.&nbsp; Meanwhile, Taylor said the department has developed new ticket options that will be unveiled to season ticket holders this week. Following are the new guidelines and safety measures that will be in place for the 2020 seasonFace Coverings In accordance with City of Manhattan ordinance and Kansas State University policy, fans must wear face coverings over their mouths and noses in order to enter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=154">Bill Snyder</a>&nbsp;Family Stadium and continue wearing them inside the stadium.&nbsp;Fans should provide their own face coverings; K-State will not provide face coverings.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No Tailgating Tailgating will be prohibited in parking lots controlled by K-State Athletics and satellite lots operated by Kansas State University groups in order to reduce the risk of large gatherings. Parking lots will open in conjunction with stadium gates two hours prior to kickoff and fans will be encouraged to immediately enter the stadium once parked. No Re-Entry To assure the safest environment possible, once inside&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=154">Bill Snyder</a>&nbsp;Family Stadium fans will not be permitted to re-enter the stadium should they elect to exit. This will help eliminate unnecessary congestion at gates, particularly prior to and after halftime. Alcohol Sales With tailgating and re-entry into the stadium eliminated, beer and wine will be available for purchase for the first time ever in the general seating sections of the stadium at multiple locations on the concourse and concession stands.&nbsp; Other Safety Measures Hand sanitizing stations will be located throughout the stadium, as well as signage, to encourage social distancing. Also, stadium employees will be required to wear protective gear and face coverings. "These are unprecedented times and we want our fans to feel safe and comfortable when they attend games this season," Taylor said.&nbsp;"While there is no reasonable way to guarantee that no fan could contract the virus, we will take every measure that we can to help. We all know our fans play a tremendous role in making our gameday environment one of the best in the Big 12, but ultimately each fan needs to make their own individual decision to attend games or not."

K-State Approved for Reduced Capacity During 2020 Football Season

The CFL has cancelled its 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It marks the first year the Grey Cup won't be presented since 1919.

The nine-team league announced the move Monday, dashing hopes of a shortened season in the hub city of Winnipeg.

"Our league governors decided today it is in the best long-term interests of the CFL to concentrate on the future," commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement.

"We are absolutely committed to 2021, to the future of our league and the pursuit of our vision of a bigger, stronger, more global CFL."

The move comes after the CFL couldn't solve a number of issues in an effort to try to salvage a season.

The league was unable to secure financing from the federal government after presenting Ottawa with a $30-million, interest-free loan request Aug. 3 to stage an abbreviated 2020 campaign. News of the deal falling through broke Sunday night.

The league had maintained it required government funding to stage a shortened season, despite having a far more stable ownership situation than in previous years.

However, Ambrosie has said the league lost more than $20 million last season.

"Even with government funding and a new CBA, our owners and community-held teams would have had to endure significant financial losses to play in 2020," Ambrosie said.

"Without it, the losses would be so large that they would really hamper our ability to bounce back strongly next year and beyond. The most important thing is the future of our league."

The CFL said the federal government suggested the league pursue a commercial loan, which would be partially backed by Ottawa.

"That kind of arrangement would hamper our recovery more than bolster it. On two occasions, in June and again at the beginning of August, the government reached out to us with new indications they might step up and help in a more meaningful way. But at the end of the day, the help we needed to play this year never materialized," Ambrosie said.

"This outcome after months of discussions with government officials is disappointing. But we’re focused now on the long-term future and we will continue to work with the federal and provincial governments in that context."

Approval from the Public Health Agency of Canada also was needed.

Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada's deputy chief public health officer, said last Friday he was encouraged by the CFL's plan, but couldn't provide a timeline for a decision the league quickly needed to try to stage a season.

With the cancellation, the CFL becomes one of the few major North American pro sports leagues to wipe out play in 2020. Major League Baseball is running a shortened season, while the NHL, NBA and Major League Soccer have resumed play. The NFL says it's planning to start its season on time next month.

Unlike other major leagues in North America, however, the CFL does not have the luxury of a billion-dollar television contract. While its deal with TSN has become more lucrative over the years, the CFL remains a gate-driven league — which is a major problem when fans aren't allowed in the stands.

CFL officials announced in late July they had chosen Winnipeg as a hub city for a regular season with six games, followed by an eight-team playoffs. No fans were scheduled to be in attendance.

But it was contingent on the league securing financial assistance from the federal government, solidifying an extension of the collective bargaining agreement and approving health-and-safety protocols.

While the CFL said it could have staged the Grey Cup game after its traditional late November date, time was running thin to get about half the league's players back to Canada, follow quarantine rules, stage training camps and hold a season and playoffs.

The CFL also couldn't line up federal funding. In late April, Ambrosie told The Canadian Press the CFL was seeking up to $150 million in federal assistance in the event of a wiped-out season.

The league dropped its ask to about $44 million in the summer as it tried to find a way to grapple with next to no revenue. Later, it requested the loan of $30 million.

Meanwhile, the league also struggled to mend fences with the CFL Players' Association. Politicians from all major parties criticized the CFL for not having its players involved in its initial financial assistance request.

While the players eventually supported the league's second financial assistance proposal, the two sides could not come to terms on an extension of the CBA, though the CFL said it was close to a deal when it called off the season Monday.

When the pandemic first hit in March, the CFL had time on its side, with training camps not set to open until May.

But as the situation worsened around the world, the CFL had to start postponing camps and, eventually, the start of the regular season in June.

Later, the CFL pulled the plug on the Grey Cup game in November in Regina, saying the model would not work without fans. The league hoped at the time to play the Grey Cup in either the city with the best record or the hub city.

While the NHL, NBA and Major League Soccer adopted hub-city formats to get going and Major League Baseball went with a travel plan, the CFL was left watching all those other leagues begin or resume play this summer.

It marks the first time the CFL won't crown a champion since it was founded in 1958.

Before that, amateur leagues and other circuits competed for the Grey Cup. It was last not awarded in 1919 — which also happened to be during a pandemic — because of a rules dispute in the west, lack of interest in the east and education concerns in the university ranks.

The cancelled season is a blow for Ambrosie, who took the job in 2017.

One of his biggest objectives has been expanding the CFL's footprint internationally with his CFL 2.0 initiative, holding combines in countries around the world and creating roster spots for international players.

But the pandemic quashed plans for a second global draft this year. International players made minimal impact following the first draft last year.

Ambrosie appeared to solve one of the league's biggest problems early this year when Toronto businessmen Sid Spiegel and Gary Stern were introduced as owners of the Montreal Alouettes, who were run by the league and financed by other teams last season after owner Robert Wetenhall stepped away.

The CFL has cancelled its 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.It marks the first year the Grey Cup won't be presented since 1919.The nine-team league announced the move Monday, dashing hopes of a shortened season in the hub city of Winnipeg."Our league governors decided today it is in the best long-term interests of the CFL to concentrate on the future," commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement."We are absolutely committed to 2021, to the future of our league and the pursuit of our vision of a bigger, stronger, more global CFL."The move comes after the CFL couldn't solve a number of issues in an effort to try to salvage a season.The league was unable to secure financing from the federal government after presenting Ottawa with a $30-million, interest-free loan request Aug. 3 to stage an abbreviated 2020 campaign. News of the deal falling through broke Sunday night.The league had maintained it required government funding to stage a shortened season, despite having a far more stable ownership situation than in previous years.However, Ambrosie has said the league lost more than $20 million last season."Even with government funding and a new CBA, our owners and community-held teams would have had to endure significant financial losses to play in 2020," Ambrosie said."Without it, the losses would be so large that they would really hamper our ability to bounce back strongly next year and beyond. The most important thing is the future of our league."The CFL said the federal government suggested the league pursue a commercial loan, which would be partially backed by Ottawa."That kind of arrangement would hamper our recovery more than bolster it. On two occasions, in June and again at the beginning of August, the government reached out to us with new indications they might step up and help in a more meaningful way. But at the end of the day, the help we needed to play this year never materialized," Ambrosie said."This outcome after months of discussions with government officials is disappointing. But we’re focused now on the long-term future and we will continue to work with the federal and provincial governments in that context."Approval from the Public Health Agency of Canada also was needed.Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada's deputy chief public health officer, said last Friday he was encouraged by the CFL's plan, but couldn't provide a timeline for a decision the league quickly needed to try to stage a season.With the cancellation, the CFL becomes one of the few major North American pro sports leagues to wipe out play in 2020. Major League Baseball is running a shortened season, while the NHL, NBA and Major League Soccer have resumed play. The NFL says it's planning to start its season on time next month.Unlike other major leagues in North America, however, the CFL does not have the luxury of a billion-dollar television contract. While its deal with TSN has become more lucrative over the years, the CFL remains a gate-driven league — which is a major problem when fans aren't allowed in the stands.CFL officials announced in late July they had chosen Winnipeg as a hub city for a regular season with six games, followed by an eight-team playoffs. No fans were scheduled to be in attendance.But it was contingent on the league securing financial assistance from the federal government, solidifying an extension of the collective bargaining agreement and approving health-and-safety protocols.While the CFL said it could have staged the Grey Cup game after its traditional late November date, time was running thin to get about half the league's players back to Canada, follow quarantine rules, stage training camps and hold a season and playoffs.The CFL also couldn't line up federal funding. In late April, Ambrosie told The Canadian Press the CFL was seeking up to $150 million in federal assistance in the event of a wiped-out season.The league dropped its ask to about $44 million in the summer as it tried to find a way to grapple with next to no revenue. Later, it requested the loan of $30 million.Meanwhile, the league also struggled to mend fences with the CFL Players' Association. Politicians from all major parties criticized the CFL for not having its players involved in its initial financial assistance request.While the players eventually supported the league's second financial assistance proposal, the two sides could not come to terms on an extension of the CBA, though the CFL said it was close to a deal when it called off the season Monday.When the pandemic first hit in March, the CFL had time on its side, with training camps not set to open until May.But as the situation worsened around the world, the CFL had to start postponing camps and, eventually, the start of the regular season in June.Later, the CFL pulled the plug on the Grey Cup game in November in Regina, saying the model would not work without fans. The league hoped at the time to play the Grey Cup in either the city with the best record or the hub city.While the NHL, NBA and Major League Soccer adopted hub-city formats to get going and Major League Baseball went with a travel plan, the CFL was left watching all those other leagues begin or resume play this summer.It marks the first time the CFL won't crown a champion since it was founded in 1958.Before that, amateur leagues and other circuits competed for the Grey Cup. It was last not awarded in 1919 — which also happened to be during a pandemic — because of a rules dispute in the west, lack of interest in the east and education concerns in the university ranks.The first Grey Cup was held in 1909.The cancelled season is a blow for Ambrosie, who took the job in 2017.One of his biggest objectives has been expanding the CFL's footprint internationally with his CFL 2.0 initiative, holding combines in countries around the world and creating roster spots for international players.But the pandemic quashed plans for a second global draft this year. International players made minimal impact following the first draft last year.Ambrosie appeared to solve one of the league's biggest problems early this year when Toronto businessmen Sid Spiegel and Gary Stern were introduced as owners of the Montreal Alouettes, who were run by the league and financed by other teams last season after owner Robert Wetenhall stepped away.Fresh off their first trip to the playoffs since 2014 under new coach Khari Jones last season and bolstered by new owners, the Alouettes never got a chance to build on that momentum.The league has long-running attendance problems in its two other biggest markets, Toronto and Vancouver, which now will turn their sporting focus to other teams with active seasons.The cancellation also puts the new-look Edmonton team on hold. The team announced it was dropping the name Eskimos this summer after facing pressure from sponsors, along with other teams with racist or stereotypical names.Now, the Edmonton Football Team faces the challenge of creating a new name with extremely limited revenue