Overshadowed by top target Equanimeous St. Brown were sophomore Miles Boykin and freshman Chase Claypool. Boykin was redshirted as a freshman the year prior, and then as a 2016 sophomore caught only six passes for 81 yards and a score. The freshman Claypool had similar numbers that year with five grabs for 81 yards and no touchdowns.
A strange thing has happened as the league and NHLPA consider when and how to reopen the season.
Could this change the game? Former NFL player Chris Valletta and sports reporter Jason Page weigh in.
One good way to measure the mood of the country is to watch what ads pop up on Facebook’s Words With Friends (Scrabble) app. There are spots for survival gear, facemasks, home-workout subscriptions. And, lately, the Dinsler Practice Net ($99.95) to catch your stay-at-home tee shots. Be it in densely populated New York, where an executive order closed most courses, or New Jersey, where courses, parks and boardwalks are shut down, or even Florida, where courses remain mostly open, stay-at-home golf has never been hotter. “You’re really seeing an eagerness to play, and people are figuring out where and when they can do that,� said Rodney Chamblee, Merchant of Accessories at PGA TOUR Superstore. “Hitting nets, chipping nets, hitting mats, putting mats. People who are staying at home, wanting to hit balls, stay flexible – we’ve seen an uptick in practice and/or training aids.� That could mean something as simple as a putting matt with automatic ball return ($39.99 on pgatoursuperstore.com), or a training aid like the SuperSpeed Training Sticks ($199.99), which help players improve swing speed like weighted bats for ballplayers. The Orange Whip ($119.99), a flexible golf shaft with an orange ball at the end of it that helps players feel and generate tempo and flexibility, is also selling well. The answer to where exactly people are using these things is a four-letter word: H-O-M-E. Tiger Woods, broadcaster Jim Nantz, and short-game guru Dave Pelz have some of the most elaborate home practice areas on earth, but they were built pre-pandemic. For the rest of us, like Scott Jones of Fleming Island, Florida – near TPC Sawgrass, home of THE PLAYERS Championship – the COVID-19 crisis has inspired a flurry of architectural creativity. Jones, whose dog is named Rory McIlroy, can still avail himself of open courses near him but built an elaborate backyard course with an assortment of mats and nets, plus a launch monitor. “As a golfer,� he told Jacksonville television station Fox 30 Action Sports Jax, “I can hit all 14 clubs in the bag.� Lexi Thompson of the LPGA lives in Palm Beach County, one of three “hot spot� counties in Florida where officials have closed courses; on social media, she posted a photo of her garage/hitting area. Others have shared videos of themselves chipping in the back yard and/or showing off. Golf Digest published two lists of “the best quarantine-themed golf trick shots we’ve seen.� All of which has added up to a rare bit of good news for retailers. For retrieving balls hit in a park or other open space, some of PGA TOUR Superstore’s online buyers are even going back to the shag bag ($19.99). A shag tube is just $12.99. The National Golf Foundation has kept close tabs on the coronavirus pandemic and how it’s impacting the industry. It also measures pent-up demand and estimated 43% of golfers are practicing at home more than ever, adding, for emphasis, “About 1 in 5 say they’re doing this a lot more than usual. Might be a good time to get into the window-replacement business.� Last week was a better one for course availability, the NGF reported Monday, as 58 percent of U.S. courses were open for play, up from 49 the week before. Although golf operations were cleared to resume in Minnesota and Wisconsin, with “pockets of play� opening back up in California, plus a ruling in New York allowing for play at private clubs, the Northeast remains largely shut down. Just 3 percent of courses are open in Nevada. The itch to play, though, isn’t going away so easily. Said Chamblee, “Titleist has always had a promotion, a stock-up program at beginning of the season, mid-March to mid-April. The customer buys three dozen ProV1s and gets the fourth free, and gets them personalized. That’s always been a very strong promotion for us, and I’ve noticed we’ve had an increase over historicals; there’s a pent-up demand, people are eager to get out there and play. As soon as they can, they’ll be ready to go.�
Juan Manuel Correa is targeting an early 2021 comeback to racing after completing rehabilitation, but admits his parents have lost the passion he still has for motor racing.
Want to take a friend for a round of golf with Justin Thomas at Medalist Golf Club right after getting a lesson from his father Mike? How about taking on Lake Nona with Ian Poulter? Or Pinehurst with Webb Simpson? California more your scene? How does the ultimate Pebble Beach experience, hosted by Jim Nantz, sound? All of these and more incredible and unique golf experiences are available via the “Chipping Inâ€� COVID-19 Relief Charity Golf Auction and Sweepstakes but time is running out. April 30 is the final day to get involved. Click here for the auction, and here for the sweepstakes before 9 p.m. ET on April 30. The Acushnet Company stable of brands – Titleist, FootJoy, Scotty Cameron, Vokey Design, Links & Kings and KJUS along with their brand ambassadors have combined to offer these awesome prizes. One hundred percent of the proceeds are set to benefit the CDP COVID-19 Response Fund, the Golf Emergency Relief Fund, and the United Way chapters of Greater New Bedford and San Diego County where the majority of Titleist and FootJoy associates work. It continues the efforts from Acushnet to help out during the pandemic which has included donating more than 100,000 masks and other PPE supplies to hospitals and those in need and retrofitting processes in their Massachusetts manufacturing facilities to produce PPE items and components, including protective face shields. The company is also donating 15% of all purchases made Titleist.com, FootJoy.com, ScottyCameron.com, Vokey.com and Kjus.com, from April 8-30, to the CDP COVID-19 Response Fund. Auction experiences include: Ultimate Pebble Beach Experience – You and three friends head to Pebble Beach for a personalized adventure from local resident Jim Nantz. Includes breakfast at The Gallery, a pre-round putting contest, personalized live and recorded introductions from Nantz on the first hole of 18 at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Concludes with visit to Nantz’s home to hit balls on his now famous par-3 hole – a replica of Pebble Beach’s seventh, a special “Our Tribute” bottle from Jim’s wine brand The Calling, and numerous opportunities to add a plaque in your name to “The Rock of Fame” – where only the 16 who have aced the hole are permanently enshrined. The winner of the ‘closest to the hole’ competition will also receive a custom set of Titleist clubs. Ian Poulter Experience – Lunch and golf for you and two friends with Poulter at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club. Mike & Justin Thomas Experience – You and a friend enjoy a lesson from PGA Master Professional Mike to prepare you for 18 holes at Medalist Golf Club with him and his son, Justin. Brad Faxon Experience – You and three friends get private putting lessons from eight-time PGA TOUR champion and FOX golf analyst Brad Faxon at Old Marsh Golf Club. Michael Breed Experience – You and a friend get lunch, world-class instruction and golf with this renowned teacher at the Michael Breed Golf Academy at Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point. Butch Harmon Experience – You and two friends get two hours of lesson time, lunch and nine holes with Harmon at the Butch Harmon School of Golf at Rio Secco in Las Vegas. Peter Kostis Experience – You and two friends get personal Kostis swing analysis at the Peter Kostis Golf Academy at Grayhawk GC that also includes Peter’s son, John, a Golf Digest “Best Young Teacher Under 40.â€� Includes a round at Whisper Rock. Cameron McCormick Experience – You and two friends can learn from McCormick at Trinity Forest GC in Dallas, where he will provide lessons, join you for lunch and round out your foursome for 18 holes. James Sieckmann Experience – You and two friends will join the No. 1-rated short game coach in the country for three hours of private instruction before 18 holes at either Shadow Ridge in Nebraska or at a Phoenix golf course arranged by James. Scotty Cameron Experience – Enjoy the TOUR treatment and get fit at the Scotty Cameron Golf Gallery in Encinitas, Calif. Includes a Scotty Cameron meet and greet, a personally selected Cameron gift bag, a two-hour world-class fitting, a one-of-a-kind prototype Scotty Cameron carry bag and your own custom-fit Scotty Cameron MOTO putter. Bob Vokey Experience – You and two friends work with their own fitter at the world-class Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside, Calif., as Vokey, shares his expertise about bounce fitting, yardage gapping and wedge selection. Includes three hand ground, hand stamped, custom made Vokey Design wedges and 18 holes with Vokey rep Aaron Dill at LaCosta Resort & Spa. If the auction items prove out of your reach you can join the sweepstakes that give you a chance to play with major champion Webb Simpson at the legendary Pinehurst No. 2. The winner and two friends join Simpson for the round plus lunch and the experience includes a one night stay for each at the Carolina Hotel; a round at The Cradle, Pinehurst’s 9-hole short course; and a gift certificate for dinner at the Pinehurst Brewing Company. There will be four additional winners, who will receive valuable gift packages from each of the participating brands, including: a Titleist Dream Bag Set-Up; a complete Head-to-Toe FootJoy offering; the newest rain suit technology, Gemini from Kjus; and a luxurious Links & Kings gift package.
Now that college athletes will be allowed to profit from sponsorships, just how much money will the biggest stars be able to make?
Rob Gronkowski went on Twitter on Wednesday to clarify that a comment he made over the weekend suggesting that he had received the Bucs’ playbook before his trade was in jest.
Sports Betting News NFL Podcast hosts Terez Paylor and Charles Robinson are joined by Senior College Football Writer Pete Thamel and NFL Draft Expert Eric Edholm to debate which QB in the 2020 NFL Draft class will make the most immediate impact. Hear the full conversation on the Sports Betting News NFL Podcast. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that his country is working with the Canadian Football League on potential financial assistance due to the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said the league is seeking $150 million.
