data-mm-id=”_umbcek3ll”>MLB's shortened season is scheduled to start on July 23rd. The NBA is set to return a week later. Both leagues open with double-headers on a Thursday night. Both leagues will show games on national television throughout their opening weekend. That's where the similarities end as the NBA is going to make an insane amount of basketball available to fans while baseball will go back into hiding.Take a look at the opening night double-headers. The NBA has games scheduled at 6:30 PM ET and 9 PM. There's a good chance you could watch both those games and get to bed before midnight. Meanwhile, MLB has Yankees – Nationals at 7 PM and Dodgers and Giants starting at 9 PM. The next few days are full of games for both leagues split between their various broadcast partners. Then as basketball returns and MLB moves into its second week, baseball returns to business as usual. (Here are the MLB and NBA schedule pages on ESPN.com for your reference)On Thursday, July 30th, with the NBA returning, MLB has three nationally televised games scheduled between two time slots and they go head-to-head with basketball. Not a single game starts before 6 PM. On Friday, July 31st, MLB has one game that starts before 6 PM and zero nationally televised games. As the seasons go on MLB looks like it is just going to fade into the background like it always does.On Thursday, August 6th for example, the NBA will broadcast a quadruple-header with games starting at 1:30 PM, 4 PM, 6:30 PM, and 9 PM. That same day MLB has given FOX the rights to two games at 7:15 PM. The next day the NBA has a triple-header that starts at 4 PM. MLB has a single game on FS1 at 9:15 PM.While the NBA is giving fans all they can handle, MLB is treating 2020 like any other year. Blackout restrictions. A game or two every other night. The NBA bent over backwards to put Zion Williamson, who had to leave campus today for a family emergency, front and center for a couple weeks. He's scheduled to play in the first game from the NBA bubble. His second game will also be nationally televised. Six of the Pelicans' eight games are already scheduled for national television and a seventh is still TBD.Meanwhile, Mike Trout is buried at 10 PM on the second night of the season and just two of his next eight games will be on national television. Not that anyone cares. Mike Trout is an 8-time All-Star who has been dominating for about a decade and unless you're a fan of frozen pretzels, you probably don't even know what he looks like. What about MLB's future? Fernando Tatis Jr. will play on FS1 at 9:10 PM on the third night of the season. The only other game the San Diego Padres have scheduled on national television right now is at 9:45 PM on July 30th. If you want to get a look at Ronald Acuña Jr., the Atlanta Braves play two of their first three games of the season against the New York Mets on ESPN. After that you have to wait eight days until you can watch Acuña again. Against the Mets. Do you get the impression MLB wants to promote a young star or that they might just accidentally do it while showing a team from New York who will play three of their first four games on ESPN?This is a horrible situation, but a unique opportunity and baseball is throwing out a chance to create new fans and promote their most exciting young players. They're going to be especially sorry when America's complete lack of unified response to COVID-19 results in states starting to shut down again in a few weeks. People are going to be home. Baseball could be there for them, but they won't. I guess it doesn't get more American than that.
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England captain Harry Kane will come back stronger from his penalty heartbreak against France, says Tottenham team-mate Hugo Lloris.
The Three Lions suffered a 2-1 loss in Saturday s keenly fought quarter-final tie, sending Gareth Southgate s side home from Qatar 2022 as Didier Deschamps men remained on course for a title defence.
Having converted an earlier spot-kick to level both the match and Wayne Rooney s all-time England goal record, Kane subsequently skied another penalty over the crossbar late on, missing the chance to make it 2-2.
Lloris, who has played with Kane at Tottenham for a decade now, says he has briefly spoken with his club colleague, and believes he will pick himself up in impressive fashion when the dust has settled.
I don t need to …
It all comes down to this.
Whether you re flying high at the top of your local leagues, battling for the top 100 nationally or just desperate not to lose face with friends, matchday 38 of the Premier League is a decisive moment for fantasy football players the world over.
Amid last-minute transfers, wildcards and triple-captaincies, it can be difficult to find true value in selections that could give you the edge over your rivals.
That s where we come in.
Using Opta data, we have compiled a final selection of seven recommended players to draft in for this most dramatic of weekends
MARTIN DUBRAVKA
If you were considering a Newcastle United goalkeeper but just didn t have the guts previously, now is the time to be bold.
…
FIFA president Gianni Infantino expressed joy at the announcement of ground-breaking law changes that should improve the rights of workers in Qatar, host nation of the next World Cup.
It was confirmed on Sunday that the Emir of Qatar had abolished certain restrictions in place for migrant workers in the country, with two new laws passed by authorities.
The changes mean workers are no longer unable to change jobs without their employer s permission, while a monthly minimum wage of 1,000 Qatari riyal – plus basic living allowances for some workers – has been introduced.
Human rights organisation Amnesty International hopes these steps will strike at the heart of the abusive kafala system , a practice that requires so-called unskilled labourers to have a sponsor…
Michael Olise s spectacular stoppage-time free-kick ended Manchester United s nine-match winning run as Crystal Palace held them to a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park on Wednesday.
United looked destined to go second in the Premier League thanks to Bruno Fernandes first-half opener, but ultimately paid the price for their apparent decision to sit on the narrow lead.
Although it was United who survived the game s first scare when Palace hit the crossbar in the 40th minute, they were deserved leaders as Bruno Fernandes netted on the stroke of half-time.
But they committed far fewer bodies to attack in the second period and Olise made them pay, denying United the chance to enter the top two for the first time since September 2021.
Michael Olise s stunning free-kick…
The 2021 Copa America has been slightly overshadowed by the thrill of football potentially coming home but instead of dwelling on the Euros, we think there s a lot of room for excitement with regards to the Copa America especially now that we ve got a final set in stone for Saturday night.
The manner in which we got to that point was as dramatic as you d expect with Argentina battling it out against Colombia earlier this week, ending in a penalty shootout win for the Argentines. It sets them up for an absolutely huge occasion this weekend where they will take on bitter rivals Brazil at the Maracana.
Martinez heroics
Emiliano Martinez has already proven himself to be one hell of a goalkeeper through his time in the Premier League but against Colombia, he took his game t…
There have been few days in Premier League history quite as remarkable as October 4, 2020.
Manchester United s 6-1 home defeat to Tottenham raised eyebrows, but Liverpool s 7-2 thrashing at Aston Villa a few hours later dropped jaws. Did that really happen?
Those results at Old Trafford and Villa Park means there have been 144 goals in 38 Premier League games so far this season – making for an average of 3.79 per fixture the highest in the top flight since 1930-31.
Here, using Opta data, take a look at the key stats from Sunday s six games.
3.79 There have been 144 goals scored in 38 Premier League games this season, an average of 3.79 per game; this is the highest goals per game ratio in an English top-flight season since 1930/31 (3.9…
Eden Hazard has decided to stay with Real Madrid next season as the club s forgotten superstar clings to the faint hope of reviving his Santiago Bernabeu career.
The Belgian winger was Chelsea s player of the year in 2018-19, his final season at Stamford Bridge, hitting 16 goals in 37 Premier League games and helping the Blues win the Europa League.
Since leaving London as a 28-year-old at the peak of his powers, however, Hazard has suffered a wretched run of injuries that have blighted his Madrid career.
He has been fit for most of this season, but Ancelotti seemingly regards him as peripheral to his plans, and there is no obvious prospect of his status changing.
Hazard has played only 98 minutes in LaLiga this term and just 297 minutes across all compet…
Wales welcome Poland to Cardiff on Tuesday with a place at Euro 2024 at stake.
The play-off final winners will qualify for the European Championship this summer, joining Austria, France and the Netherlands in Group D.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the main talking points surrounding the Cardiff City Stadium clash.
Golden era
Qualifying for a third successive European Championship, and a fourth major tournament out of five, would extend Wales’ golden era.
While that record would be expected by many countries, it would represent a huge achievement for a nation with a population of just over three million and one that did not reach a major tournament between 1958 and 2016.
It would also be achieved without their retired former captain …
Michail Antonio s second-half finish was enough to see West Ham past Tottenham 1-0 as the Hammers moved into the top four in the Premier League.
The two teams came into Sunday s clash on the back of contrasting fortunes in Europe, Spurs downed 1-0 by Vitesse while David Moyes side cruised to a 3-0 victory over Genk.
It took until the 72nd minute for Antonio to break the deadlock at the London Stadium, his sixth career top-flight goal against Spurs seeing West Ham move above their rivals.
West Ham, at least temporarily due to Manchester United facing high-flying Liverpool later, climb from seventh into the Champions League spots as Moyes men continue to prove their quality.
52 All 52 of Michail Antonio s Premier League goals have been scored from inside th…
Hull boss Liam Rosenior saw Daniel Bachmann dent the Tigers’ play-off hopes – then heaped praise on the Watford keeper after the 0-0 draw at Vicarage Road.
Bachmann saved Ozan Tufan’s 11th-minute penalty to rob City of vital points in their push for the top six.
Rosenior spared Tufan any criticism for the miss, insisting Bachmann deserved all the credit for keeping City at bay.
The manager said: “Their keeper was magnificent. You just have to hold your hands up. There was the penalty stop and three or four other world-class saves.
“But no blame on Ozan. He’s been brilliant all season. He’s brave and he will take the next penalty.
“I was pleased with the response of the whole group after that. We never gave up until the final whistl…