NEW YORK (AP) — Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward earned the most in the NFL's performance-based pay program, getting an additional $654,750 out of an overall pot of just under $148 million. Ward, who was not selected in the 2018 draft, received nearly 15%t more than his 2019 salary of the league minimum for second-year players ($570,000). He started all 16 games during Chiefs' championship season, playing in nearly 95% of the Chiefs’ defensive plays, as well as almost 26% of the special teams plays.
UNDATED (AP) — Facing criticism for coaching his team when he was not feeling well Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg wrote in a social media post he would not have been on the bench if he knew his presence could expose others to illness. Hoiberg wrote on Twitter that he would never do anything that would put his team, family or anyone else in harm's way. Hoiberg was taken to an Indianapolis hospital after he left Wednesday night's 89-64 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament. Hoiberg was diagnosed with influenza-A, which the school characterized as a “common cold” in a news release.
UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA has canceled its men's and women's basketball tournaments because of the spread of coronavirus. The unprecedented move puts an abrupt end to the season less than a month before champions were to be crowned. The decision comes a day after the NCAA announced the games that were scheduled to start next week would go on but played in mostly empty arenas. That plan was scrapped as every major American sports league from the NBA to MLB put the brakes on its season due to concerns about the pandemic. The NCAA canceled all of its spring championships in every sport, which include hockey, baseball and lacrosse.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The cancellation of the NCAA basketball tournaments shook the nation. But more than two dozen other men's and women's championships won't be contested this winter and spring, either, and that doesn't include all the sports in Divisions II and III. The NCAA decision to cancel winter and spring sports championships means the College World Series will not be held for the first time in since 1946. The Division I baseball championship is the NCAA's No. 2 revenue producer and has been held in Omaha every year since 1950. The NCAA said the decision was based on the public health threat posed by the coronavirus.
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has delayed the start of its season by at least two weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak. Opening day had been scheduled for March 26, and the decision announced by Commissioner Rob Manfred left open whether each team would still play 162 games. MLB also suspended the rest of its spring training schedule.
UNDATED (AP) — The NHL has put its season on pause, effective immediately, because of the coronavirus pandemic. The move came one day after the NBA suspended its season following a positive test for COVID-19 by a Utah Jazz player. Bettman said the hope is to resume play later and still award the Stanley Cup. The NHL Players' Association backed the decision, calling it “an appropriate course of action at this time.”
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The PGA Tour has decided to scrap the rest of The Players Championship and shut down its other tournaments for the next three weeks. The tour did an about-face after Commissioner Jay Monahan initially said Thursday there would be no fans at the TPC Sawgrass for the final three rounds, or at the next three tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule. There was no immediately word whether The Players Championship would be rescheduled. Hideki Matsuyama was the first-round leader after firing a 6-under 63.