The Olympics has been rescheduled for the same weeks next year that it was supposed to occupy this year. Also: ESPN will air classic NBA and Major League Baseball games throughout next month; Wimbledon is next on the chopping block.
Olympics rescheduled for same time next year
The Tokyo Summer Olympics has been officially rescheduled for July 23-August 8 of next year, the same weeks it would have occupied had it gone on as scheduled this year (July 24-August 9). The announcement Monday came one week after the Games were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. There had been speculation that the Olympics could take place in the spring. [Olympic.org 3.30]
ESPN to air weekly NBA, MLB classics
ESPN announced Monday that it will begin airing classic NBA and Major League Baseball games weekly through the end of April. The lineup includes two NBA Finals games each Wednesday night, starting this week with Games 5 and 7 of Cavaliers-Warriors in 2016. Each of the NBA games will have originally aired on ABC, with Game 5 of Lakers-Pistons in 2004 the oldest game on schedule.
The baseball games, which will air on Tuesday nights, will be older and not limited to games that aired on ESPN networks. The schedule begins this week with Braves-Mets from 2001 and includes games as far back as Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
In addition to the weekly series, ESPN will also continue to air themed days of classic games, including a marathon on Saturday devoted to this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductees. [ESPN PR 3.30 a, b]
Wimbledon to be canceled, per German tennis exec
The vice president of the German Tennis Federation says that the All England Club will vote Wednesday to cancel, rather than postpone, Wimbledon. The tournament is scheduled to run from June 29 to July 12. It was previously canceled from 1915-18 and 1940-45 due to World War I and World War II, respectively.
The French Open, originally scheduled for May, has already been pushed back to September. [The Guardian 3.30]
