After the NFL postponed a Steelers game in Nashville this Sunday due to coronavirus concerns, the Tennessee Titans appear to be turning the corner when it comes to controlling the spread.
But will they get disciplined for protocol violations after failing to take proper measures to prevent its introduction to the facility?
Tuesday’s “First Call” has an update on that continuing story. And we examine how the Cleveland Browns will deal with the loss of Nick Chubb.
Also, a celebration of two Penguins landmark moments and a look at Gerrit Cole’s first start in the American League Divisional Series.
Bad break for Browns
The arrow has been pointed up for the Cleveland Browns. They’ve won their last three games to improve to 3-1.
The road gets hard over the next two weeks. They have to host the Indianapolis Colts and visit the Steelers at Heinz Field. And they will have to do so without star running back Nick Chubb. He suffered an MCL injury in the team’s win Sunday over the Dallas Cowboys.
Chubb has been placed on injured reserve. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is expecting Chubb to be sidelined for “several weeks.” So that means Kareem Hunt is going to have shoulder the burden at the running back position against the Colts and Steelers, and beyond.
All Stefanski would say is that Chubb is expected back in the lineup at some point later in the season.
Hunt has only totaled 154 yards on 40 carries in four games against the Steelers during his time in Cleveland and Kansas City. He also has 17 catches for 159 yards and two scores.
D’Ernest Johnson and Dontrell Hilliard will also be slotted in at running back. The three players combined for 185 yards on 27 carries during the 49-38 win over Dallas. Johnson had 95 of those yards on 13 carries.
Clear of covid?
The Tennessee Titans had no positive covid-19 tests Monday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
That’s a first since the Steelers game in Nashville last Sunday was postponed. Twenty members of that franchise have tested positive since Saturday of last week.
Schefter says, “Tennessee will need no positive tests on consecutive days, so if it repeats Tuesday, the facility potentially could reopen Wednesday.”
Officials from the NFL and NFLPA have been in Tennessee since Friday. They are trying to determine what caused the outbreak.
Via ESPN.com, “the league will issue discipline that could include loss of draft choices or forfeit of a game if protocol violations occur that result in the spread of the virus, adjustments to schedule or other unspecified league impact.”
Over the weekend, Schefter reported that “there is a sense from sources that the Titans were not diligent about wearing masks around their training facility” and “a potential failure by at least some to report symptoms.”
‘Sid’sational anniversary
Monday was the 55th birthday for Penguins legend Mario Lemieux.
It also marked the 15th anniversary of Sidney Crosby’s first game — and first point — for the Pens.
On Oct. 5, 2005, Crosby suited up for the first time as a rookie. He registered an assist on a Mark Recchi goal in a 5-1 loss to the Devils in New Jersey.
Two days later, Crosby posted another assist in a 3-2 shootout loss at Carolina before the club’s home debut for the season on Oct. 8.
That night Crosby scored his first goal and tallied two more assists before the Penguins lost a 7-6 overtime shootout to the Boston Bruins.
The Pens wouldn’t win until Crosby’s 10th game, a 7-5 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers when Crosby had two more assists. He’d finish the season with 102 points as a rookie. That was four points behind Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals who won the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year.
Crosby is now up to 1,263 total points … and three Stanley Cups.
Gotcha
Monday was also the anniversary of one of the greatest sports pranks ever.
Future Pirate Derek Bell watched from the dugout as his Toronto Blue Jays teammate, Joe Carter, drove Bell’s car onto the field during the game. It was the object of a fake raffle, which was read over the Toronto speakers.
Bell, a rookie at the time, was caught on camera completely baffled as to what was going on.
On this day, 28 years ago: In one of the greatest pranks in sports history, Joe Carter drives rookie Derek Bell’s car onto the field mid-game as part of a mock raffle, while the announcer reads a winning raffle ticket. The look on Bell’s face is the best.pic.twitter.com/dWs3m949z5
— Yoni (@OriginalYoni) October 5, 2020
Now, if there was a raffle for Bell’s yacht where he lived before and after the “Operation Shutdown” days with the Pirates, I would definitely buy a fistful of raffle tickets for that.
I mean, I’m not a “boat guy.” And I can’t afford to maintain a boat anyway. But for that prized piece of Pittsburgh sports memorabilia, I’d definitely make a bid.
Game 1 Gerrit
Former Pirates All-Star Gerrit Cole got the Game 1 start for the New York Yankees against Tampa Bay in the American League Divisional Series Monday night.
Cole also got the call for Game 1 of the playoffs in the first round against the Cleveland Indians. The right-hander finished seven innings, allowing two runs. He had 13 strikeouts with no walks en route to a 12-3 victory.
On Monday night Cole was much more pedestrian, allowing three earned runs in six innings pitched. He totaled eight strikeouts while walking two.
Two games, two wins and 21 Ks for @GerritCole45 this #postseason. ? pic.twitter.com/aGG4y6u2aX
— MLB (@MLB) October 6, 2020
Cole yielded home runs to Ji-Man Choi and Randy Arozarena.
The Yankees ended up winning Game 1 by a final score of 9-3.
