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sports Diahuebs 22 OctOber 2020

Rocky start to Dolphins' QB transition to Tua Tagovailoa

(AP) — The Miami Dol- Even Tagovailoa's parents
phins' transition to Tua "This eventually was going were surprised to hear of
Tagovailoa didn’t start the to happen; it was a matter of their son's promotion.
way coach Brian Flores in- when and not if. It’s still a “They didn’t believe me for
tended, and deposed quar- tough thing for me to hear, a little bit,” Tagovailoa said.
terback Ryan Fitzpatrick and to now have to deal with. “My dad joked, ‘After two
said the surprising timing But I'm going to do my best.” throws, they want to put you
left him heartbroken. Flores told Fitzpatrick and in?’”
Tagovailoa of his decision
Flores said he regretted that Tuesday, but the news leaked The two Dolphins QBs have
most of his players found out before the coach could share what Tagovailoa laughingly
about the change through so- it with other players. described as a father/son
cial media rather than from relationship, and they said
him, and said benching Fitz- “The one thing in this situ- that will continue. But both
patrick was a difficult deci- ation that’s unfortunate is agreed that for the moment,
sion. that I didn’t get a chance to the situation is awkward. team, has been characteristi- drills and exhibition games
“Fitz has done a great job,” address the team before this “This profession is interest- cally inconsistent this year. because of the coronavirus
Flores said Wednesday. “But was out in the media,” Flores ing,” Fitzpatrick said, “in that He is fifth in the the league slowed his NFL develop-
we felt like for the team now, said. "It's not the way I or we I basically got fired, and my in completion percentage but ment, and two weeks ago,
moving forward, this is a want to do business. Unfor- day of work today basically third in interceptions with Flores said Tagovailoa wasn't
move we need to make.” tunately, it's kind of the way consists of me in Zoom meet- seven. ready to start.
of the world right now. ings listening to the guy that
Tagovailoa, the fifth pick in fired me, and then locked in “Fitz has been great for the Now he is.
the April draft, will make “I'm not happy about that a room with my replacement last year and a half,” Flores “He has gotten more com-
his first NFL start on Nov. 1 at all. I'll address that to the for four hours. There aren’t said. “I don’t know if there fortable,” Flores said. “Ac-
against the Los Angeles Rams team, and really apologize to a whole lot of jobs like that.” has been anybody more in- curacy, decision making, all
after Miami's bye this week. them that they had to find out While the 37-year-old Fitz- strumental in trying to instill those things have been good
The Dolphins (3-3) have through social media. I don’t patrick is popular with his the culture that we're look- in practice. Practice is very
won their past two games by think that’s fair to them.” teammates, captain Jerome ing for. He has made an im- different from games, but
a combined score of 67-17, Baker said the locker room is pact on Tua and a lot of other we’re comfortable and confi-
and Fitzpatrick said he was Flores shed little light on his excited Flores is giving Tago- players on this team. I have dent he’ll be able to be com-
shocked by the timing of his reason to switch quarterbacks vailoa a chance to show what a great respect for him, and petitive.”
demotion. now. Tagovailoa made his he can do. that made this decision very Tagovailoa believes he's ready,
NFL debut during mop-up “We just put all our trust in tough.” too.
“It definitely caught me off time last week, completing Flo,” Baker said. “If he says
guard,” the 16-year veteran both passes in his first action Tua is the man to lead us, Even so, it was a decision an- “Opportunities come,” Ta-
said. “It was a hard thing for since suffering a serious hip we’re going to go with it.” ticipated since the day Miami govailoa said, “and when
me to hear. Digesting the injury last November that drafted Tagovailoa as a po- they come, you’ve got to take
news, my heart just hurt all ended his Alabama career. Fitzpatrick, in his second tential franchise quarterback. them and run with them.”
day. season with his eighth NFL The cancellation of offseason

Mickelson might go where fans are not for Masters tuneup

(AP) — The Houston Open will The Houston Open is Nov. 5-8 at drinking. It has yet to announce spe-
be the first domestic PGA Tour Memorial Park. That's the same cific guidelines for spectators. Mickelson said the PGA Tour has
event to have fans, and that might week as the 54-hole Charles Schwab done remarkably well in its return
be enough to send Phil Mickelson Cup Championship in Phoenix on The USGA announced the U.S. from the COVID-19 shutdown, and
elsewhere in his final tournament the PGA Tour Champions. Mick- Women's Open will not have spec- he's confident the Houston Open
before the Masters. Mickelson elson has won both his starts on the tators at Champions Golf Club in will have a safe environment.
typically plays the week before the 50-and-over circuit. Houston. The Women's Open is
Masters, and he was planning on Dec. 10-13, a month after the Hous- “But because I haven’t seen it before,
being at the Houston Open. The “I think that they will do a very good, ton Open. because it’s the first one out on the
tournament announced last week safe job in having 2,000 people at “Following extensive consultation tour with some people, I’m unsure
that 2,000 tickets a day would go the Houston Open,” Mickelson said with health officials, we have de- and I don’t want to take any unneces-
on sale starting Wednesday. Wednesday at the Zozo Champion- cided that hosting the U.S. Women’s sary risks,” Mickelson said.
ship at Sherwood. “However, for me Open without spectators will provide
personally, I don’t like the risk of hav- the best opportunity to conduct the Johnson last week was the 12th player
ing that happen the week before the championship safely for all involved,” to test positive at a PGA Tour event.
Masters. I just feel like the week be- said John Mickelson says players, caddie and
fore the Masters, that’s a big tourna- the rest of essential personnel who
ment we have and I just don’t want Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior face weekly testing at tournament
to have any risk heading in there. So managing director of championships. sites have been accountable in how
it has made me question whether or Dustin Johnson, who has withdrawn they operate and where they go amid
not I’ll play there.” from the last two PGA Tour events a pandemic.
after the world's No. 1 player tested
Mickelson said if the Charles Schwab positive for the coronavirus, is sched- What concerns him the most, espe-
Cup Championship also has limited uled to return at the Houston Open. cially with the coronavirus test he
spectators, he probably would go to After self-isolating for 10 days, John- faces at Augusta National, is false
Houston. son does not have to be tested again positives.
for three months.
“If Phoenix does not have people, I'll “That's the scare,” Mickelson said.
probably go there, to be honest," he Brooks Koepka also has said he's play- “Because I know that I've been able
said. ing Houston, while Tiger Woods said to stay safe, that my circle ... has been
The Houston Open said spectators Tuesday he has not decided whether safe, so we've made all those precau-
must have masks on at all times at to play the week before the Masters tions. But the false positives is the
Memorial Park except when eating or for the first time in his pro career. thing that scares me.”