Sports Section Test #2

• Three-time Grammy award winner The Weeknd will headline the Superbowl LV halftime show.
• The Pittsburgh Steelers expect Ben Roethlisberger to play on Sunday despite being listed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
• The Chicago White Sox will not comment on Tony La Russa’s DUI arrest until the case is resolved.

The NBA and National Basketball Player’s Association announced the two sides have struck a deal on rules and dates, as well as an amended collective bargaining agreement. Free agency negotiations will begin at 6 p.m. ET Nov. 20– two days after the 2020 NBA Draft. Official signings will be permitted on Nov. 22. 

Buckle up. Teams will only have 11 days to negotiate with free agents before the start of training camp on Dec. 1. In an ordinary NBA offseason, the free agent moratorium allowed teams to negotiate from July 1-6 and officially sign and/or trade players starting July 6, which gave teams at least two months to negotiate before training camp began.

Financially, the salary cap ($109.1 million) and luxury tax ($132.6 million) remain the same as the 2019-20 season. The NBA will reduce the luxury tax bill for teams if the league falls short on its Basketball Related Income projections.

There are currently four teams in the luxury tax: Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers.

Through nine weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the only undefeated team (9-0) in the league. Still, they only beat the 2-7 Cowboys 24-19 on Sunday — their fourth game which they’ve won by five points or less and the fifth team they’ve defeated that’s below .500. Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence discussed the difference, or lack thereof, between elite and non-elite teams.

“I don’t feel like nobody in this league is elite,” Lawrence said. “Their record might say different, but clearly, by looking at the game today, ain’t nobody elite… Everybody has a chance to win.”

Consider this: The Seattle Seahawks (6-2) are the top team in the NFC Conference. The seven-seed Chicago Bears (5-4) are less than two games away from the No. 1 seed. Digging deeper in the trenches, the worst teams in the NFC — the Giants (2-7) and Cowboys (2-7) —  are only three games back from a playoff spot. The same can be said for the AFC, where the 10-seed Patriots (3-5) and Broncos (3-5) are only two games out of the playoffs with eight games to be played.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, OL Jerald Hawkins, RB Jaylen Samuels and LB Vince Williams on the reserve/COVID-19 list after they were considered “close contacts” with TE Vance McDonald, who tested positive for the virus on Monday. Aside from McDonald, the four other players will be eligible to be removed from the list if they test negative throughout the week. 

The AFC North has accounted for 14 of 33 players currently listed on the Week 10 COVID-19 list.

The SEC has postponed Saturday’s football game between Auburn and Mississippi State due to COVID-19 positives. The game is “tentatively scheduled” for Dec. 12. 

That’s not all. Texas A&M shut down practice after receiving multiple positive tests, and Alabama-LSU is currently in jeopardy after LSU received multiple positive tests early this week. The game is still scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, and rescheduling may not be an option. LSU has already used their open date and rescheduled a game against Florida for Dec. 12. 

There have been 49 college football games impacted by COVID-19 with 11 cancelations, 27 postponements and 11 listed as TBD.

The MLB and the Baseball Writers Association announced the 2020 Rookies of the Year on Monday, with Mariners outfielder Kyle Lewis (AL) and Brewers reliever Devin Williams (NL) winning the honors. 

Rays’ rookie outfielder Randy Arozarena stole the show late when he led the Rays into the World Series. He set postseason records for most home runs (11) and hits (29) in MLB history. 

Here’s where things get interesting: Arozarena has technically been considered a “rookie” two consecutive seasons. However, since he only played 19 games with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2019 and only 23 games with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020, Arozarena is eligible to win Rookie of the Year for a third consecutive year in 2021. 

Miami (Ohio) at Buffalo, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN

Miami Ohio: +7.5 point spread (-108); +230 moneyline
Buffalo: -7.5 point spread (-113); -315 moneyline
Over/Under: 55.5