Hometown Broadcasting Sports Thursday 4/16/20
16 April 2020 Sports
Willie Davis, a Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman who helped the Green Bay Packers win each of the first two Super Bowls, has died. He was 85.
The Packers confirmed Davis’ death to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday, as did his former teammate and fellow hall member, Dave Robinson.
A 15th-round draft pick from Grambling, Davis began his NFL career by playing both offense and defense for the Cleveland Browns in 1958 and ’59. He had his greatest success after getting traded to the Packers.
He remained with the Packers until finishing his NFL career in 1969 as a five-time All-Pro. Although tackles and sacks weren’t measured at the time Davis played, his 22 career fumble recoveries showcased his dominance and big-play ability.
He was voted to the NFL’s all-decade team for the 1960s and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.
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Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said during an interview with Chantel McGabe of the Golf Channel on Wednesday that he’s looking forward to seeing former Patriots star Tom Brady in his new uniform this year. “It will be strange to not see him in a Patriot jersey. We played them a couple of years ago and thought that was probably the last time we’d play each other. Now, we get another chance.
Rodgers has talked about playing into his 40s the way Brady’s doing now, though he’d prefer not to change teams late in his career.
As cross-conference foes, they’ve rarely seen each other on the field. Rodgers has started against Brady twice, splitting games in 2014 and 2018 (Rodgers missed their 2010 meeting with a concussion).
The Packers are scheduled to visit the Buccaneers this year, so they’ll get a chance to reconnect in person — along with the possibility of a playoff matchup.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert and one of the faces of the United States’ fight against the coronavirus, says the only way professional sports will happen this summer is by holding events without fans in attendance and by keeping players in hotels.
“There’s a way of doing that,” Fauci told Snapchat’s Peter Hamby as part of a weeklong interview series. “Nobody comes to the stadium. Put [the players] in big hotels, wherever you want to play, keep them very well surveilled. … Have them tested every single week and make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family, and just let them play the season out.”
Fauci, who specifically addressed a question about an abbreviated baseball season and the start of football, said he thought there would be enough interest from fans to watch games, even if they could not attend.
Major League Baseball and its players have been considering plans that could allow them to start the season in a single location, likely Arizona, with no fans attending, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan last week. On Tuesday, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said his state would be willing to host all 30 major league teams if conditions allow for it.
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The NHL continues to explore all options for resuming the season while waiting for clearance from authorities, after pausing the season March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. The NHL had asked players to self-quarantine through Wednesday, but on Tuesday that was extended through April 30.
Commissioner Bettman told CNN the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association have discussed how long players would need to prepare for the resumption of the season.
“As much as you may try to stay in shape with a home gym, our guys haven’t been on the ice now for a month, and they’re going to need 2-3 weeks to get back into playing shape,” he said.
Asked about playing games without fans or at neutral sites, Commissioner Bettman said the NHL had to be ready for anything, even if some scenarios ultimately turned out to be unrealistic.
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