November 30, 2020 • No Comments • Sports News

Timothy T Ludwig/Getty ImagesBY: JULIA JACOBO, ABC NEWS

(WASHINGTON) — Minnesota Vikings linebacker Cameron Smith is feeling “great” as he recovers from open heart surgery for a birth defect that was detected as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smith received a presumptive positive test result when the Vikings reported for training camp in July, but when another optional test came up positive for the antibodies, meaning he had contracted the virus at some point, a cardiac work-up was ordered.

The closer look at Smith’s heart may have saved his life, Vikings head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman told the Minnesota Star Tribune. Doctors discovered Smith was born with an bicuspid aortic valve, Smith wrote on Instagram in August, which means the valve has only two leaflets instead of three and can eventually lead to heart failure.

Smith’s heart was “severely enlarged” and would not have lasted much longer, he wrote. Doctors told Smith that had the condition not been discovered, it could have meant “sudden death,” he told the Star Tribune.

Smith has periodically posted updates to his recovery on the social media platform, including when the surgery was deemed a success and when he attempted his first steps following the surgery.

The linebacker told the Star Tribune he feels blessed he hasn’t struggled physically.

“I haven’t hit a low point. I haven’t struggled,” he said. “Sometimes I feel that’s not fair of me to say because I know some people struggle with open heart surgery. But for me, I just look at God and I say, ‘Thank you. I appreciate You giving me this sign.’”

Smith has slowly been increasing how much weight he can lift — starting from 15 pounds in September, but no upper body exercises, and 25 pounds through October. He has now been given unrestricted clearance and is building back the muscle he lost.

Smith believes the surgery changed him mentally as well, saying that he no longer feels “on edge” and doesn’t “get angry anymore.”

“It’s all just like, ‘Life’s too short for this.’ Life is supposed to be fun,” he told the newspaper. “It’s about doing things and creating memories, not just talking about it.”

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

November 30, 2020 • No Comments • Sports News

Bryan Allen/Getty ImagesBy IVAN PEREIRA and KATIE CONWAY, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — The NFL cracked down this weekend on two teams who broke the league’s coronavirus-related policies and are looking into two other teams for possible violations, according to reports.

The league fined the New Orleans Saints $500,000 after the players and the team posted a video on social media showing unmasked team members celebrating their Nov. 8 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the locker room, a source told ABC News. The NFL also took away a seventh-round draft pick as punishment for the Saints’ violation, the source said.

The Saints are appealing the punishment, according to ESPN.

A source told ABC News the team’s steep fine and draft pick loss stemmed from the Saints’ repeated violations of COVID-19 protocols and warnings from the league. In September, Saints Coach Sean Payton, who was seen in the video, and the team were fined a combined $350,000 after he was seen not wearing a face mask during a game.

Payton told NOLA.com back in September he should have been more careful while on the field and kept his mask on.

“It’s something we’re just going to have to remind ourselves to do,” he said.

The NFL sent out a memo to all teams on Nov. 3 with updated COVID-19 rules that stressed: “All players and staff must wear masks or double-layered gaiters in the locker room on game day — prior to the game, during halftime, and post-game.”

The New England Patriots were also fined $350,000 for violations related to positive tests of Cam Newton and other players in October, ESPN reported.

Although Newton didn’t play in the Oct. 4 game against the Kansas City Chiefs two days after he was diagnosed, 20 teammates and staff members who were deemed to be close contacts to Newton flew out to the game, according to ESPN. The day after the game, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who had been in close contact with Newton, tested positive for COVID-19, ESPN reported.

The Patriots did not immediately release a statement about the fine.

The league is also investigating the Baltimore Ravens and the Denver Broncos over coronavirus-related violations, sources told ABC News.

The two teams were scheduled to play on Thanksgiving Day, but the game was moved to Tuesday after the Ravens reported at least 19 coronavirus cases among its players and staff members, including quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The Broncos’ current starting quarterback, Jeff Driskel, also tested positive last week.

The Broncos had its three quarterbacks in a room together for a meeting for an extended period of time without masks after Driskel contracted the disease, according to sources. The players, who were considered close contacts to Driskel, allegedly took off their tracking devices that are used by teams to assist with contact tracing, according to the sources.

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio was fined earlier in the season for not wearing a face mask, and the team would be considered a repeat offender if the league determines it violated protocols.

The Broncos released a statement Saturday that said the team would work with the NFL if they discover any positive tests among their players or staff.

Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, told ABC News he expects the situation to get harder as the season progresses due to the growing cases across the country.

He added that the league is constantly evolving its coronavirus protocols and pushes teams to follow the science.

“What keeps us safe are the same measures that work for everyone outside of football, and that’s wearing masks, physical distancing, good hand hygiene, prompt reporting of symptoms,” Sills told ABC News.

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

November 30, 2020 • No Comments • Sports News

iStockBy ABC News

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

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Atlanta 43, Las Vegas 6
Buffalo 27, LA Chargers 17
Cleveland 27, Jacksonville 25
Miami 20, NY Jets 3
Minnesota 28, Carolina 27
NY Giants 19, Cincinnati 17
New England 20, Arizona 17
Tennessee 45, Indianapolis 26
New Orleans 31 Denver 3
San Francisco 23, LA Rams 20
Kansas City 27, Tampa Bay 24
Green Bay 41, Chicago 25

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
New England 3, Orlando City 1
Columbus 2, Nashville 0

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

November 28, 2020 • No Comments • Sports News

Michael Vi/iStockBy MEREDITH DELISO, ABC News

(SANTA CLARA, Calif.) — The San Francisco 49ers will not be allowed to practice or play in their stadium for three weeks under new county health restrictions that prohibit contact sports.

Stanford University’s athletics, including its football program, will also be affected.

Santa Clara County health officials announced the new restrictions on Saturday, as the county reported a record 760 COVID-19 cases.

“Our case rates have been surging since November. In fact, we have the highest case rate of any county in the San Francisco Bay area,” county health officer Dr. Sara Cody said at a press briefing.

Hospitalizations have also doubled since Nov. 12, she said, with a record 239 reported on Saturday.

The restrictions, which start Monday and last through Dec. 21, impact gatherings, capacity limits and recreational activities.

Among them, professional, collegiate and youth sports that involve direct contact are temporarily prohibited.

Health officials confirmed that means that the 49ers will not be allowed to play home games at Levi’s Stadium. The team has games scheduled there on Dec. 7 and Dec. 13. It is unclear if the games will be moved or postponed.

The Stanford Cardinal football team also currently has a home game scheduled for Dec. 12.

Neither team has allowed fans into their stadiums this season.

Additionally, people who travel more than 150 miles from home will have to quarantine for 14 days. The 49ers are currently headed to Los Angeles for a game against the Rams Sunday afternoon, as noted by sports reporter Jennifer Lee Chan. It’s unclear if the new quarantine order will impact the team.

“We are aware of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department’s emergency directive,” the 49ers said in a statement. “We are working with the NFL and our partners on operational plans and will share details as they are confirmed.”

Stanford has not publicly responded to the new measures. Neither have the NFL or Pac-12.

The San Jose State football program would also be affected by the regulations. Training camp for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, set to begin in early December, could also be affected.

Other new county restrictions will limit hotels to essential travel, health care workers and quarantine or isolation purposes. Card rooms will also close. Capacity at most indoor facilities will be reduced to 10% (grocery stores and pharmacies can operate at 25% capacity), and outdoor gatherings will be limited to 100 people.

Health officials also urged residents to stay home as much as possible.

“This pandemic is like a high-speed train, and our projections tell us that we are on target to derail by around the third week of December if we don’t apply brakes right now with all our collective might,” Cody said.

The current projections do not take Thanksgiving into account, with holiday gatherings and travel likely to “create a surge,” she added.

The measures are in addition to a nightly curfew and nonessential business closures issued by the state for counties including Santa Clara that are in the “purple” tier, indicating widespread COVID-19 risk.

ABC News’ Abigail Shalawylo and Matthew Fuhrman contributed to this report.

November 28, 2020 • No Comments • Sports News

fstop123/iStockBY: MEREDITH DELISO, ABC NEWS

(NEW YORK) — No woman has ever played in a Power 5 conference game. That all changed on Saturday, when Sarah Fuller took to the field as Vanderbilt plays Missouri.

Fuller kicked off for Vanderbilt to start the second half of the game.

The history-making move came on the heels of a Southeastern Conference championship-winning soccer season for the Vanderbilt senior, who sported her soccer jersey number — 32 — for Saturday’s game.

“Let’s make history,” Fuller wrote Friday on Twitter.

The athlete drew support from both Vanderbilt and Missouri spectators at Saturday’s game, with one self-proclaimed Mizzou fan sporting a sign cheering for Fuller.

The goalkeeper was recruited as a kicker after several of the football team’s specialists had to quarantine this week due to COVID-19 testing, according to ESPN.

Fuller told Vanderbilt University the opportunity to help the team out would be “an honor.”

“I think it’s amazing and incredible,” Fuller said in an article on the athletic program’s website. “But I’m also trying to separate that because I know this is a job I need to do, and I want to help the team out and I want to do the best that I can. Placing that historical aspect aside just helps me focus in on what I need to do. I don’t want to let them down in any way.”

Fuller also made history as the SEC’s first female football player, according to Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt’s head soccer coach, Darren Ambrose, said Fuller’s “the right person for the job.”

“So excited for you and for college football,” the coach said in a social media post.

Congratulations also poured in from the SEC, Tennessee Titans, Jen Welter, the first female coach in the NFL, tennis great Bille Jean King and Vanderbilt alums including Adena Friedman, the president and CEO of Nasdaq, who called Fuller a “tremendous athlete and role model.”

The Commodores, who are 0-7 for the season, play at Missouri.

For the game, Fuller wore “Play Like a Girl” on the back of her helmet, a nod to a nonprofit that encourages girls to become leaders in STEM by keeping them engaged in sports.

Fuller joins an elite company of female athletes who have competed in the Football Bowl Subdivision also as kickers: Katie Hnida for New Mexico in the early 2000s, and April Goss for Kent State in the mid-2010s.

Ashley Martin is believed to be the first female athlete to play and score in an NCAA Division I football game, for Jacksonville State in 2001.

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