Axios Sports: Big Ten is back — Cardboard fans — U.S. Open

1 big thing: 🏈 Big Ten football is back | Thursday, September 17, 2020

View in browser     Axios Sports By Kendall Baker ·Sep 17, 2020 👋 Good morning! Let's sports. Today's word count: 1,770 words (6 minutes).     1 big thing: 🏈 Big Ten football is back Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios   Big Ten presidents and chancellors voted Wednesday to start the football season the weekend of Oct. 24, citing new medical information and testing capabilities presented to them over the weekend. Why it matters: In the span of six weeks, the Big Ten went from claiming it couldn't safely play football to announcing an October kickoff that will see its 14 member schools play nine games in nine weeks. The backdrop: Students in 30 large residences at Michigan State have been ordered to quarantine for two weeks due to a coronavirus outbreak. At Iowa, more than 1,800 students have tested positive, with 221 cases in the athletic department alone. At Wisconsin, cases have exceeded 2,100, and the seven-day average in the state hit an all-time high on Wednesday. Details: Teams will be provided with eight-game, conference-only schedules in the coming days. The ninth and final game will be based on division seeding. Daily coronavirus testing will begin on Sept. 30. Players who test positive must wait 21 days to return to play, while also undergoing a cardiac M.R.I. exam. If players test above 5% or the combined positivity rate of players, coaches and staff exceeds 7.5% over a seven-day period, football activities must cease for seven days. Timeline: Wednesday's announcement followed a tumultuous five weeks that included a mind-boggling amount of drama, chaos and political posturing. Aug. 5: Big Ten announces 10-game schedule Aug. 11: Big Ten votes to postpone fall sports Aug. 15: Ohio State QB Justin Fields starts a petition to reverse the decision Aug. 19: Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren releases a statement reiterating that the conference's decision is final Aug. 26: Big Ten parents protest and form #B1GParentsUnited Aug. 27: Eight Nebraska football players sue the conference Sept. 1: President Trump speaks on the phone with Warren Sept. 5: Michigan parents, players and head coach Jim Harbaugh appear at a campus protest in favor of playing fall football Sept. 8: Republicans from Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin sign a letter asking the conference to reconsider its decision Sept. 10: Ohio State coach Ryan Day issues a statement urging the conference to reverse its decision Sept. 13: Presidents and chancellors review the latest medical information Sept. 15: Big Ten announces football will return in October What's next: The Pac-12 could also play football this fall, with mid-to-late November serving as the "most aggressive" return date, per ESPN's Heather Dinich. Go deeper: How the Big Ten's decision impacts the College Football Playoff (ESPN) The Big Ten might save its football season, but the myth of college sports has been shattered (WashPost)     2. 🏟 The business of cardboard fans Photo: Harry How/Getty Images When whispers of sports' fanless return first began, a cottage industry emerged to fill a need few knew existed: cardboard cutout fans, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. Why it matters: Cardboard proxies have been a bright spot in an otherwise dark year, providing a better TV viewing experience, an opportunity for remote fan engagement and even financial relief for companies impacted by the pandemic. What's happening: The trend began in Europe and Asia, where sports were first to return, and created an opportunity for companies, teams and leagues willing to think outside the box. Pivot: When Lara Smedley's event production company was put on hold, she pivoted and launched My Fan Seats to help teams/schools create cardboard fan programs. Her first partnership with Wake Forest went live last week. Adapt: AAA Flag & Banner is an L.A.-based print shop. Making and installing cardboard fans for the Rams, A's and Giants has helped the company rebuild after losing two-thirds of its workforce in the wake of the pandemic. Innovate: The Premier Lacrosse League offered cardboard cutouts for its Championship Series in Utah and sold 50% of inventory in the first 24 hours, per the league. They also had celebrities promote their individual cutout images on social media, generating exposure for the two-year-old PLL. Cardboard cutouts of Rams fans during Sunday night's opener. Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images How it works: Leagues and teams don't all follow the same blueprint, but the process looks fairly similar across the board. Take the Rams, for example: Step 1: Visit the dedicated website about a week before the home game you wish to "attend." Step 2: Upload a high-resolution photo of yourself (or your pet!) wearing either neutral or team-branded clothing. Step 3: Pay $40 and AAA Flag will take care of the rest, including on-site installation in the stands at SoFi Stadium. Highlights: Cardboard fans have played a role in some heartwarming stories at the ballpark this summer. They helped Juan Soto enjoy his season debut with his family looking on behind him in left field. They allowed a father and son — both former big leaguers who never knew the other existed — to finally catch a game together (subscription). They gave another father one last chance to sit next to his son at the ballpark, eight years after losing him to cancer. The big picture: Though cardboard fans sprung up purely out of need, there's no reason they can't carve out a niche once the pandemic subsides. Where's the harm in reserving space for a few each game so fans can support their teams from afar or honor loved ones? Why not let people pay to see themselves on the broadcast and feel like they're part of the experience?     3. 🏈 Week 2 NFL Power Rankings Table: Axios Visuals The NFL's opening week was full of surprises, and while it's important not to overreact, we can't ignore what we saw, either. Tonight: Bengals (+6) at Browns (8:20pm ET)     A message from Axios How companies are creating the new workplace     As the coronavirus crisis continues, workers and businesses are finding ways to adapt to the new working world. Axios @Work identifies the latest trends to keep you up to speed. Sign up here.     4. 🏀 69 days until college hoops Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   Six months after college basketball abruptly shut down, the NCAA Division I Council approved the basic framework to get a 2020-21 season off the ground. Later start: Teams can begin practice on Oct. 14, and the season will begin on Nov. 25, which is two weeks later than usual. Fewer games: Teams will play a maximum of 27 regular-season games, with a minimum of 13 to be eligible for the NCAA tournament (down from 25). The committee recommended a minimum of four non-conference games. What to watch: The lack of non-conference games will likely be a concern for mid-major schools looking to make their case to the selection committee. Dayton would have been a No. 2 seed back in March, thanks partly to taking Kansas to overtime in the Maui Invitational title game. Without that on their résumé, the Flyers probably would have been more like a No. 4 seed. San Diego State went 30-2 last season but earned most of its respect for beating Iowa and Creighton by double digits on a neutral floor in November. Go deeper: The difference in return plans for college basketball vs. football is striking (SI) NCAA tourney selection is going to be a mess, and we're here for it (The Athletic)     5. ⛳️ U.S. Open: Grueling Winged Foot awaits Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images   The 120th U.S. Open tees off today at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y., and if you're expecting the same low scores that became standard this summer, prepare to be disappointed, Jeff writes. The course: Winged Foot opened in 1923, hosting its first of five U.S. Opens in 1929 and its last in 2006, when Phil Mickelson fell victim to the course's dastardly ways, double-bogeying No. 18 on Sunday to lose by one stroke. Just one U.S. Open here has produced a winner that finished under par for the tournament (1984, -4). The most notorious was 1974's aptly named "Massacre at Winged Foot," won by Hale Irwin with an unsightly score of seven-over-par. The greens are lightning-fast; the fairways, diabolically narrow. As for the rough? Put it this way: the USGA has recruited extra on-course marshals, and even veteran Winged Foot caddies, to assist in finding balls. The intrigue: Though Winged Foot was recently renovated by famed course architect Gil Hanse, he was charged not with updating its design, but restoring it to the layout originally created 97 years ago. "It's the hardest golf course I've ever played. But I'm not scared. I think it'll be fun — maybe, you know, a different kind of fun." — Justin Thomas The field: 156 golfers will contend for the first of an unprecedented six majors this season. Betting favorites: World No. 1 Dustin Johnson leads the pack (+800), followed by Jon Rahm (+900), Justin Thomas (+1200) and Xander Schauffele (+1400). Tiger Woods (+4000) has drawn more bets than any other golfer in the field, though Mickelson earned the single largest wager ($45,000 at 75-1 odds). Go deeper: Look: Round 1 tee times, pairings (CBS Sports) Read: The long, winding road of Dustin Johnson (The Ringer)     6. 🏀 Dynamic duo: LeBron, AD make history Photo: Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images   LeBron James was named to his 16th All-NBA team in his 17-year career on Wednesday, snapping a tie with Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most in league history. First team: James, Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Luka Dončić Second team: Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Nikola Jokić Third team: Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons, Russell Westbrook, Jayson Tatum, Rudy Gobert The big picture: James and Davis are the first pair of teammates to make All-NBA first team since Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire in 2006-07. Other duos to achieve the feat in the past 50 years: Shaq/Kobe (3x) Jordan/Pippen (1995-96) Malone/Stockton (2x) Bird/McHale (1986-87) Magic/Kareem (2x) Erving/Malone (1982-83) Biggest snub: Bradley Beal is the first player in NBA history to average at least 30 points and six assists and not make an All-NBA team. Beal was also left off the All-Star roster this season.     7. 📊 By the numbers Data: The COVID Tracking Project, state health departments; Map: Andrew Witherspoon, Sara Wise/Axios 😷 17 states: The U.S. saw an average of about 37,000 new COVID-19 cases per day over the past week. The daily rate of new cases increased in 17 states. ⚽️ 35 per 100,000: Bundesliga teams can fill 20% of their stadiums when the season kicks off Friday — but only if cases stay low. If a seven-day infection rate in a home city is above 35 per 100,000, spectators won't be allowed. 🏎 97 years: History will be made at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend when an all-female team competes in the LMP2 class for the first time in the event's 97-year history. 🏈 14 candidates: Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson, Calvin Johnson and Wes Welker are among 14 first-year-eligible candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Overall, there are 130 nominees for five modern-era spots. Photo: Doug Devoe/Sporting News via Getty Images     8. Sept. 17, 1920: 🏈 The birth of the NFL Ralph Hay's automobile dealership on the corner of Cleveland Avenue and Second Street in Canton, Ohio. Courtesy: Pro Football Hall of Fame 100 years ago today, representatives from 11 pro football clubs met at Canton Bulldogs owner Ralph Hay's automobile showroom and formed the American Professional Football Association, which was renamed the NFL two years later. The backdrop: In 1920, pro football lived in the shadow of the college game and was confined mostly to small Midwestern industrial cities. The clubs present at the meeting: Ohio: Akron Professionals, Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Indians, Dayton Triangles, Racine Cardinals, Massillon Tigers Illinois: Decatur Staleys, Rock Island Independents Indiana: Hammond Pros, Muncie Flyers New York: Rochester Jeffersons The big picture: By the start of the first APFA season in 1920, the Buffalo All-Americans, Chicago Tigers, Columbus Panhandles and Detroit Heralds had joined. Only two of the original 15 franchises — the Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) and the Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) — still exist. Go deeper: The birth of the NFL (History)     9. ⚾️ MLB trivia Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images   The Dodgers clinched their eighth straight playoff berth on Wednesday, marking the third-longest streak in MLB history. Question: Who are the only two franchises with longer streaks? Hint: Both ended this century. Answer at the bottom.     10. 🎥 Wednesday's top plays Tony Kemp avoids the tag. Photo: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images   ⚾️ Tag, avoided ⚽️ Laser finish ⚾️ Fernando Tatis! Watch all 3.     A message from Axios How companies are creating the new workplace     As the coronavirus crisis continues, workers and businesses are finding ways to adapt to the new working world. Axios @Work identifies the latest trends to keep you up to speed. Sign up here.   Talk tomorrow, Kendall "Celtics -2.5 is a lock tonight" Baker Trivia answer: 1991-2005 Braves (14) and 1995-2007 Yankees (13). Invite friends to follow Axios Sports Use your personal link to track how many readers you bring into the community You currently have 00 referrals. Share with a friend or use your personal referral link https://www.axios.com/referral/sports?code=JF3x1A1DQ6Cm For questions email referralsupport@axios.com. 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