Thursday’s Sports

MLB

Baseball season starts Thursday night when excitable World Series champion Washington Nationals host the New York Yankees with no fans, plenty of masks, piped-in sound effects, and possible delays as the DC forecast calls for thunderstorms. It is the latest rocky inning in this what-can-go-wrong game. It’ll mark the most bizarre year in the history of Major League Baseball. The 60-game season stars opting out. The Texas Rangers are projected to finish fourth in their division.

NFL

If you plan on attending an NFL game this season, you will be required to wear a mask. “For those wondering, yes, it is league-wide. Brian McCarthy, vice president of communications for the NFL, confirmed in a tweet on Wednesday that fans at NFL games would be required to wear face coverings. Yes, it is league-wide. 

OLYMPICS

The Tokyo Olympics hit the one-year-to-go mark, again. But few are in a mood to celebrate. Tokyo observed the original date a year ago, and that was before the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the Olympics and pushed back the opening to July 23, 2021. Fireworks cascaded over Tokyo Bay back then, and local celebrities unveiled the medals in a highly colorful show. There’s none of that this time. Organizers produced a 15-minute, no-fans event on Thursday inside the new national stadium. They also teased the Olympic flame’s presence, which arrived in Japan in March, and they tucked away for next year.

HIGH SCHOOL

Longview High School football coach John King said the Lobos will not be selling football season tickets, at least for now. Due to the UIL’s limited stadium capacity rule of 50%, the Lobos will not renew season tickets the week of August 3, though they will reevaluate the situation at a later date. The Longview Lobos will play their first game on the weekend of September 25 against the Temple Wildcats.