TNT’s “Inside the NBA” will return for a special edition on Thursday. Plus: MLB players and owners remain deadlocked; MLS players and owners have reached a deal; and more.
Inside the NBA returning for Thursday special
TNT will televise an “Inside the NBA” special on Thursday night to discuss NBA owners’ expected vote on a return-to-play plan earlier that day as well as the national unrest of the past week. It will be the first edition of “Inside” since a special edition on March 12, the day after the NBA suspended its season. “Inside” has aired three special editions this year, the first being a tribute to Kobe Bryant two days after his death in January. [Turner Sports]
MLB rejects players’ 114-game proposal with no counter-offer
Major League Baseball has rejected the players union’s proposal for a 114-game regular season and does not plan to offer a formal counter-proposal, according to multiple reports Wednesday. Per The Athletic, the league told the union that it is in talks with its owners about a shorter season and “ready to discuss” ideas to that effect.
Sports Business Daily reported Wednesday that team owners see “two paths” forward — either a season as short as 45-60 games in which players would be paid their full prorated salaries, or the 82-game format the league initially proposed in which players would accept significant salary reductions. The New York Post previously reported that MLB was looking into a 30-60 game season; The Athletic and ESPN have both reported 50 games as the target number.
The Athletic characterized owners and players as “deadlocked” on the issue of player pay with the impasse showing “no signs of abating.” [The Athletic 6.3, Sports Business Daily 6.3]
MLS union ratifies deal, agrees to Orlando tournament
The Major League Soccer players union voted Wednesday to ratify the league’s collective bargaining agreement and approve plans to resume the halted 2020 season with a tournament in Orlando. The CBA was originally agreed to in February, but owners were threatening a lockout if the players did not agree to a number of pandemic-related changes, including the since-shelved addition of a force majeure clause tied to team attendance.
MLS did not disclose details of the Orlando tournament in a Wednesday press release, but CBS Sports reports that the league is targeting July 9 as a potential restart date and August 9 as the final day of play. The tournament, it should be noted, is a precursor to — not a replacement for — the regular season. [MLS 6.3, CBS Sports 6.3]
Plus: Vilma, WNBA, PGA Tour
ESPN college football studio analyst Jonathan Vilma is leaving to join Fox Sports, where he will “likely” replace Ronde Barber as Kenny Albert’s partner on NFL games, according to the New York Post. Vilma, who had been with ESPN since 2016, joins Adam Amin and Emmanuel Acho in leaving ESPN for Fox Sports this year. … The WNBA plans to stage its season in one location, with MGM Resorts in Las Vegas and the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., the top candidates, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. … The PGA Tour has added a second event at Muirfield Village, the site of the Memorial Tournament, to replace the canceled John Deere Classic. The new tournament will take place the week before the Memorial, giving the course back-to-back events. [NYP 6.3, AP 6.2, Golf.com 6.2]
