February 14, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

iStockBY: ABC NEWS

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from yesterday’s sports events: 

February 13, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesBY: LEIGHTON SCHNEIDER, ABC NEWS

(NEW YORK) — The New York Mets have invited former Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow to spring training. 

This will be the fifth spring training for the 33 year-old former 2007 Heisman trophy winner, according to Anthony DiComo, the Mets beat writer for MLB.com. 

The 2021 season will be Tebow’s fourth in baseball. The 2020 season was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

In 2019, he reached Triple-A, the highest minor league level, with the Syracuse Mets. In 77 games, he hit for a .163 average, four home runs, and 19 RBIs. 

Tebow is one of 68 players to be invited to spring training by the Mets

The former Florida quarterback is currently working for ESPN’s SEC Network as an analyst. ESPN is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News. 

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February 13, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesBY: LEIGHTON SCHNEIDER, ABC NEWS

(MIAMI) — In Miami, man’s best friend is now an added layer of defense in the fight against COVID-19. 

The Miami Heat have welcomed spectators back to the American Airlines Arena with reduced capacity. But to get inside, fans have to get past one of their COVID-19 detection dogs. 

“Right before the metal detectors, as a new step, you line up socially distanced, you put your hands by your side and the dog [walks past] you. If they don’t detect anything, they keep moving. If they do detect, they sit down next to you, which is a gentle gesture to the handler,” Matthew Jafarian, executive vice president of business strategy for the Heat, tells ABC’s Lionel Moise on ABC Audio’s ‘Perspective’ podcast. 

He says if the dogs detect a fan has been exposed to the virus, that person and their entire group will be given a refund and sent home with no exceptions. 

“[We are] erring on the safe side. If the dog does detect whether the person has already recovered from COVID, and the dog still detects that, we still send them home,” says Jafarian.  

The Heat now uses four detection dogs, but there are plans to ramp up to 10 within the next month. For those afraid of dogs, the team is giving the option of a rapid antigen test before entry.

“The dogs are just one step of a larger fan safety plan. We have a really strict mask policy. In fact, we don’t allow any food or beverage inside the arena bowl because we don’t want to provide any reason for somebody to take off their masks,” says Jafarian. 

It’s not just sports teams. The nearby Florida International University is using its own team of detection dogs to sniff out COVID-19 in classrooms and public spaces so those areas can be deep cleaned.

“Two of them are purebred, one’s a Dutch shepherd and others a Belgian Malinois, while they look like your typical kind of large police dogs. And the other two are rescue dogs. So they’re mixes of terrier,” Dr. Ken Furton, provost and executive vice president at FIU, tells the ‘Perspective’ podcast.   

He spent 25 years researching detector dogs. When the pandemic started they pivoted having their dogs that were initially trained to detect a fungus common on avocado trees learn to detect covid-19 instead. 

“Those dogs only take two or three weeks [to] actually to switch over to the new odor,” says Dr. Furton.   

FIU partnered with Baptist Health to get used face-coverings of covid positive patients from the hospital.

“[We] essentially shine UV light, ultraviolet light, on those face coverings it kills the virus, but the odor stays there so that it’s a safe training that we can use,” says Dr. Furton.

He says there are two ways the dogs can detect the virus.  

“The dogs can either smell directly the virus odor, because the viruses do produce an odor, or they can be detecting the change in the metabolism of a person when they’re infected with the virus,” says Dr. Furton. 

He adds well-trained dogs have a high detection rate.

“We can achieve over 90 percent accuracy, which means more than nine times out of ten when the odor is there or a positive mask is there, the dogs alert and they get very few false positives. So they’re very, very accurate, actually more accurate than even PCR testing in the laboratory,” says Dr. Furton.

Both Florida International University and the Miami Heat stress this is just an added layer of security, not a replacement for testing or other safety measures. FIU is now discussing ways to train their dogs on new variants of the virus. 

As much of the nation waits their turn to get a vaccine, both groups are now looking at ways they can expand their programs. 

“We’ve gotten calls [from] hospitality, from casinos, from airlines, from cruise lines, from high rise buildings to sports teams and leagues, as well,” says Jafarian. 

Listen to this story on this week’s ‘Perspective’ podcast:

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February 13, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

iStockBY: ABC NEWS

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from yesterday’s sports events:

   NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

 Final  Charlotte      120  Minnesota      114

 Final  New York       109  Washington     91

 Final  San Antonio    125  Atlanta        114

 Final  Dallas         143  New Orleans    130

 Final  L.A. Clippers  125  Chicago        106

 Final  Detroit        108  Boston         102

 Final  Denver         97  Oklahoma City  95

 Final  Utah           129  Milwaukee      115

 Final  Orlando        123  Sacramento     112

 Final  Portland       129  Cleveland      110

 Final  L.A. Lakers    115  Memphis        105

   ——

   NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

 Final  Boston      1  N-Y Rangers   0

 Final  St. Louis   4  Arizona       1

   ——

   TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL

 Final  (6)Illinois  77  Nebraska  72

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February 12, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

Phil Ellsworth / ESPN ImagesBy JEANETTE TORRES-PEREZ, ABC News

(HOUSTON) — J.J. Watt’s request to be released from the Houston Texans has been granted, the team and defensive end announced on Friday.

In a video posted to Twitter, Watt said he “sat down with the McNair family and I have asked them for my release and we have mutually agreed to part ways at this time.”

Houston, I wanted you to hear this directly from me… pic.twitter.com/YqT3P6Lb6l

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) February 12, 2021

His departure comes 10 years after he was drafted by the Texans in 2011. During that time, Watt won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards (2012, 2014 and 2015) and became Houston’s all-time sacks leader.

“Change is never easy, especially when it involves the ones you love,” Texans Chair and CEO Cal McNair said in a statement. “J.J.’s impact on not only our organization, but the entire Houston community, is unlike any player in our franchise’s history.”

“I told J.J. earlier this week that we will forever consider him a Texan. We take solace in knowing that this is not a goodbye but a ‘see you soon.’ For now, we will build upon the foundation that J.J. created here and forge ahead with our unwavering mission to bring a championship to our city, create memorable experiences for our fans and do great things for Houston,” the CEO continued.

In his video message, Watt said he’s “excited and looking forward to a new opportunity, and I’ve been working extremely hard. But at the same time, it is always tough to move on.”

“And I just want you guys to know that I love you. I appreciate you. I appreciate the McNair family for drafting me and giving me my first opportunity in the NFL. Thank you, Houston. I love you,” the 31-year-old concluded.

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