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sports Diaranson 17 augustus 2022

NFL looks like old self entering 3rd season in COVID-19 era

(AP) — Derrick Henry training camps across the
has been seen jogging on NFL: Fans are back and close "Having these moments are
the field with his daughter enough to high-five and always precious, especially
after practice. Green Bay shake hands with players, no with your kids, but just being
Packers are once again longer kept at a distance and in football and training camp
borrowing kids' bicycles happy to resume preseason it takes up a lot of time,"
for rides to practice. Fans traditions. Henry said. "But any time
are rubbing elbows with you get a moment like that,
their favorite players to Players are happy to have fans you always cherish those mo-
get those coveted auto- fully back, grateful for the ments and something that we
graphs. energy boost during the mo- can look back at and laugh at
notonous routine and long and enjoy."
Yes, the NFL is looking and days of camp.
acting like it's essentially back Vaccinations eased the proto-
to normal going into its third "It's huge," Packers running cols from 2020 when team-
season dealing with COV- back Aaron Jones said. "The mates had to keep 6 feet apart
ID-19. fans are everything. They're and coaches wore masks on
what makes football go, and the field whether in practice
There are no more trailers or I would say this is one of the or games no matter if teams
tents for testing, and masks best traditions in football, the were inside or outdoors. Ti-
are rare. In fact, the protocols bike rides. I've had my same tans center Ben Jones said
devised and tweaked by the little bike rider since I came that meant friends sitting
league and the NFL Players in, got to bring my son to apart for breakfast and lunch,
Association in 2020 and 2021 practice with me as well, so making it tough to build team
were suspended last March. it's special to me." chemistry and camaraderie.
The NFL seems to be fol- The Packers were among the "It made it a lot of challeng-
lowing the lead of the CDC, teams that allowed fans to es for me who's a guy who's
which dropped social dis- watch training camp practices trying to get five guys on the
tancing and quarantine re- in 2021 at a distance, though same page to do it spread
quirements last week with an no interaction with players out," Ben Jones recalled. "It's
estimated 95% of Americans was allowed. not what you want. As a guy
16 and older acquiring some on the team, as a leader, you
level of immunity from vac- Cheers are very welcome want as many guys as close as
cinations or infections. after the relative silence the possible so you can have an
past two years when the only impact on them."
The league still wants any- sounds were pads thudding, break of the 2020 season, and ed individuals won't be able
one with possible symptoms coaches yelling and occasion- The social distancing signs Vrabel tested positive dur- to cross the border between
to speak up and wear a mask ally music over speakers to are gone. So too are the man- ing the 2021 preseason at the the U.S. and Canada, though
after contact with someone simulate fan noise. Families datory tests, saving time each start of another outbreak for the NHL only has a couple of
with COVID-19. A positive of players, coaches and team morning spent waiting for a the team. players and assistant coaches
test still means isolating at staffers couldn't attend either, positive or negative result. in that category.
home for at least five days. preventing them from steal- Other professional leagues — The NBA hasn't revealed
ing a few minutes at work No NFL regular-season also are adjusting protocols; its full policy for the upcom-
"I think we are always con- with their kids or spouses. games were canceled the past — Major League Baseball ing season. Commissioner
cerned about everybody's two seasons because of the dropped regular COVID-19 Adam Silver said last month
safety, ours and the health of Henry's daughter Valentina, pandemic, though many were testing for all but symptom- he's expecting continued
our families," Tennessee Ti- now 2, is the perfect age to moved around during 2020 atic individuals prior to the movement toward normalcy,
tans coach Mike Vrabel said, enjoy racing her father to an with the entire preseason start of the 2022 season. "I have learned over the last
adding that 2 1/2 years into end zone after an early prac- scrapped. About 95% of the — The NHL plans no test- 2 1/2 years not to make any
the pandemic: "Hopefully we tice at camp. The two-time players and nearly 100% of ing for players, coaches and predictions when it comes to
are past that." NFL rushing champ said team personnel were vacci- staff without symptoms with COVID, but only to say we'll
it's the kind of moment his nated, the league reported. locker rooms open to me- be prepared for anything that
The biggest changes have daughter can look at when dia members. Much like the comes our way."
been the easiest to notice at older. The Titans had the first out- NBA and MLB, unvaccinat-

Crystal Palace player gets death threats after Núñez ejected

(AP) — Crystal Palace threats and an avalanche was ejected for head- Some of the screenshots poned until a new leader of
defender Joachim Ander- of abuse online after Liv- butting him in a Premier called for the Palace player's the ruling Conservative party
sen says he received death erpool's Darwin Núñez League game on Monday death, and many were full of is chosen.
night. expletives. Some messages
threatened not just Andersen Núñez was making his first
Andersen took to Instagram but his family as well. competitive start for Liver-
to share what he said was a A Premier League spokesper- pool. The club's big offsea-
sample of hundreds of abu- son confirmed the governing son signing lost his temper
sive messages he has received body had been in touch with after jostling with Andersen
since the 1-1 draw at Anfield. Palace to offer help, Britain's off the ball and thrust his
Press Association said. head into the face of the de-
"Got maybe 300-400 of these fender. He was sent off in the
messages last night," the The British parliament had 57th minute. Andersen got a
Dane posted Tuesday to his been set to discuss new legis- yellow card in the same inci-
Instagram story, which called lation in July that would have dent.
on the league and Instagram forced tech companies to take
to take action. stronger measures to tackle Núñez is facing a three-
Media reports said Andersen abuse and hate on their plat- match ban for violent con-
has also spoken to the police. forms, but the bill was post- duct.