INDIANAPOLIS — People in Lucas Oil Stadium during Sunday’s game between the Colts and Jaguars will have to find an alternative way to check the scores of games that have playoff implications for Indianapolis.
That’s because the Colts do not plan to post the scores of games involving Baltimore, Cleveland, Miami and Tennessee on the scoreboard at the stadium to try to avoid any possible distractions for players and coaches before and during their game against Jacksonville, which is 7-3 in its past 10 games against Indianapolis.
The Colts need to beat the Jaguars and have one of the Ravens, Browns, Dolphins and Titans lose to make the playoffs. Baltimore, Cleveland and Miami play at 1 p.m. ET. The Colts’ and Titans’ games are at 4:25 p.m. ET.
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“Maybe not to all guys, but if it’s a distraction to one guy, that’s one guy too many,” Colts coach Frank Reich said. “It’s better not to have them up there. It’s irrelevant. It can do nothing to add to what we have to focus on. It only has a potential negative effect in our view.”
Reich and general manager Chris Ballard started talking about the possibility of not posting the scores following Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It may seem like a good idea by Reich and Ballard to keep those scores off the scoreboard, but it’s only human nature for players to keep an eye on what’s going on with games that affect them when that information is easily accessible by phone.
“My normal mode when we play the 4 o’clock game, I kind of flip through the Sunday Ticket on my phone. So to say I won’t be doing that will be a lie,” quarterback Philip Rivers said. “I won’t be consumed with it, but I’ll be aware. To try to pretend like you’re not going to know the outcome of those games is probably unrealistic. But I don’t think it needs to consume our locker room. Go through normal routine. If your normal routine is checking on 1 o’clock games, I don’t know why you will change that to act like you’re not interested.”
Over the last 12 unprecedented months, soccer leagues across the globe shut down, opened back up, and played on despite numerous health and logistical challenges. The sport never looked – or sounded – so different. But it wasn’t only the coronavirus pandemic that made headlines in the world of soccer. In Part 1 of this series, theScore runs through stories 10-6.
10. Watford end Liverpool’s record run
An embarrassing defeat in late February to Watford denied Liverpool a shot at immortality, ending their unbeaten run in the Premier League at 44 matches. The loss, a 3-0 humbling at Vicarage Road, left the Reds several games short of tying Arsenal’s 49-match record, set by the Invincibles from 2003-04, and marked the end of an 18-match winning streak in league play.
Though Liverpool still had a commanding 22-point lead and eventually won the Premier League, the result cost them real estate in the record books. Jurgen Klopp’s side failed to break the 100-point threshold, which it had been projected to do, and lost to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League round of 16.
Few, if anyone, would have imagined Watford, then in 17th place, as Liverpool’s Achilles’ heel. The Hornets were battling issues of their own. Star winger Gerard Deulofeu was out injured, and manager Quique Sanchez Flores had just been replaced. Watford ended up being relegated, but earned themselves a footnote as the David to Liverpool’s Goliath.
9. Players walk out over ref’s racist remark
In an extraordinary show of solidarity, players for both Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir walked off the pitch and abandoned a Champions League match in December after learning an official used a racial slur.
Basaksehir assistant Pierre Webo, a former Cameroonian international, accused fourth official Sebastian Coltescu, who is Romanian, of racism after he was shown a red card. “Why do you say negro?” he was heard saying on the television broadcast.
Xinhua News Agency / Xinhua News Agency / Getty
The Romanian word for Black is “negru.”
UEFA agreed to postpone the match until the next day and replaced the officiating crew. The president of Basaksehir, meanwhile, demanded a lifetime ban for Coltescu.
It was the first time players staged a walkout during a Champions League match. An investigation is ongoing.
8. Manchester City banned, temporarily, from Europe
UEFA made the bold decision to kick Manchester City out of European competition in February, imposing a two-year ban and a €30-million fine for “serious” breaches of Financial Fair Play. The ruling threatened to destroy the multi-billion-pound investment by Abu Dhabi’s royal family and break up one of the most expensive sports teams ever assembled.
A few months later, City won an equally historic appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport and avoided the ban altogether. City’s lawyers successfully argued that UEFA had failed to act within an appropriate time period, dealing an embarrassing blow to European soccer’s governing body. The appeal made a mockery of FFP, rules UEFA enacted in 2011 to keep clubs from spending beyond their means, and threatened its future as a safeguard against overspending.
Afterward, it was business as usual. Pep Guardiola committed his future to City by signing a new contract, and the club went on to spend more than £120 million on defenders Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias, and winger Ferran Torres.
7. Rashford gets action on child hunger
When Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford started a charity drive to keep millions of vulnerable children fed through the summer months, the young forward began a movement that would result in action at the highest level of government and recognition from the Queen of England.
Rashford’s partnership with FanShare, a food distribution charity, raised an initial £20 million for children in need in June and encouraged the 23-year-old, who relied on free school meals during his childhood, to request direct intervention from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. After initially balking at Rashford’s plea, Johnson caved to public outcry and granted nearly £300 million in food vouchers.
Nathan Stirk / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The Queen added Rashford to her birthday honors list and made him an MBE, one of the highest distinctions in England.
“Let’s stand together in saying that no children in the UK should be going to bed hungry,” Rashford said in October. “As I have said many times before, no matter your feeling or opinion, not having access to food is NEVER the child’s fault.”
6. Bayern complete unlikely treble
Bayern Munich fell as low as seventh in the Bundesliga standings when Hansi Flick took over in November. They were reeling from a 5-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt – their heaviest defeat in a decade – and approaching what seemed to be the end of an era.
But Flick, known as a motivator and clear communicator in German soccer circles, reinvigorated the players. After replacing Niko Kovac as manager, Flick led Bayern to a second treble in club history, winning the Bundesliga, German Cup, and Champions League in an extraordinary turn of fortune.
Bayern’s greatest feat came in the Champions League final, where they dispatched PSG to win a sixth European title. With the 1-0 victory, the German juggernauts became the first side to win every match in a single Champions League campaign. Their devastating run included an 8-2 demolition of Barcelona in the semifinals that was eerily reminiscent of Germany’s 7-1 thrashing of Brazil in the 2014 World Cup.
Each week of the NFL season, we will identify fantasy football waiver-wire pickups specifically for those of you looking for streaming options in deeper formats (including IDP leagues). These are players available in a majority of ESPN Fantasy leagues (or close) who have enticing matchups in the week ahead that make them worthy of consideration for your lineup.
The 2020-21 NBA season may have already started, but you can create or join an ESPN Fantasy Basketball league at any time and start your season from when you draft your team.
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While you might notice some overlap with Field Yates’ pickup column that publishes on Mondays, an important distinction is that the options mentioned in this column are focused solely on this week’s matchup and not the players’ values for the remainder of the season.
Do you need replacement options for injured players? Or are you looking to block your championship game opponent from picking up a player who might help beat you? A roundtable of fantasy analysts join me to identify some names to consider.
Here are some of our favorites for Week 17:
Quarterback
Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts (14.8% rostered; vs. Jaguars)
Prior to last week’s struggles against the Steelers’ steady pass rush, Rivers had strung together five consecutive outings with multiple passing scores and had tallied at least 17 fantasy points in ESPN standard scoring in seven of the previous nine games. With the Colts incentivized to win in an attempt to make the postseason in a crowded AFC playoff bracket and the Jaguars depleted on defense and headed for the top draft pick next spring, Rivers makes for a solid streaming candidate given Jacksonville has surrendered the third-most fantasy points to passers this season. -Jim McCormick
Running Back
Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens (22.5% rostered; at Bengals)
I’m not sure what else this dude needs to do. Really. I mean, he’s averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Not over the past month or this year… for his career (402 carries). He led the Ravens in carries last weekend with 15 against the Giants. While I’m not labeling him the top dog in this backfield, I expect Baltimore to pound the rock plenty against the second- worst run defense in terms of running back yards per carry against (5.1). -Kyle Soppe, ESPN Fantasy researcher
With the January transfer window set to open later this week – and plenty of clubs in need of immediate upgrades – here’s a look at 20 high-profile players who could be on the move.
Note: Estimated transfer values are from Transfermarkt.
He needs to leave Arsenal eventually, right? Despite not making a competitive appearance since March, Ozil remains one of the most hotly debated names in the transfer space. Both the midfielder and the Gunners need to sever ties.
Giroud, understandably, wants more minutes ahead of this summer’s Euros. An exit has been looming for a while, but Frank Lampard has managed to keep him content. Recent performances suggest Chelsea still need Giroud to find the net.
An unlikely addition to this list a month ago, a surprisingly candid interview has thrust Salah’s name into the rumor mill. As Jurgen Klopp said in his response, the only reason for the Egyptian to leave Anfield right now is the weather.
Most likely destination: Remains at Liverpool
Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Age: 27 | Position: Central midfielder | Estimated value: €65M
The undisputed king of transfer season, Pogba is inevitably appearing again on our twice-annual list. His time at Manchester United is nearing its end, but Pogba’s hefty valuation makes a January deal almost impossible.
Most likely destination: Remains at Manchester United until summer
Mauricio Pochettino’s impending appointment at Paris Saint-Germain has given Alli a lifeline. Jose Mourinho clearly doesn’t appreciate the versatile midfielder, so reuniting with Pochettino is critical for Alli to reignite his career.
Luis Suarez’s arrival has pushed Costa out the door. That’s too much shithousery potential in one locker room, even for Atletico Madrid. The veteran has terminated his deal and will look to capitalize on a final chance to collect a huge paycheck.
Messi won’t decide on his future until June, even though he’ll technically be free to negotiate with other clubs. That won’t stop everyone else from speculating about his next move, though. Get ready for daily rumors.
Most likely destination: Remains at Barcelona until summer
Barcelona are broke. Signings of note will only occur in January if corresponding sales take place, and the oft-injured Dembele is both expendable and potentially capable of commanding a sizable fee.
Most likely destination: Remains at Barcelona until summer
Once regarded as being among the game’s silkiest midfielders, Isco’s stock has cratered. The Spaniard has played a mere 358 minutes this season while getting just three league starts. A change of scenery has never been more necessary.
A bust-up with Gian Piero Gasperini has pushed Atalanta’s longtime talisman toward the exit, and the relationship seems fractured beyond repair. Multiple clubs are interested, and Gomez could be the final piece to get a team over the hump.
Inter Milan, in no uncertain terms, want to get rid of Eriksen. The Danish midfielder’s tenure at the San Siro has been an unmitigated disaster, but his talent should still lead to attention from marquee suitors.
Dybala’s inability to secure a place in Andrea Pirlo’s XI – combined with his increasingly murky contract status – is throwing his future into doubt. Juventus came close to selling him once before. Perhaps they close the deal this time?
Most likely destination: Remains at Juventus until summer
Manchester City desperately wanted to sign Koulibaly this past summer, but once again, Napoli held onto their star center-back. It’s unlikely that he leaves midseason with a top-four place very much up for grabs in Serie A.
Most likely destination: Remains at Napoli until summer
Several clubs want to secure the versatile Alaba, who’s among the most coveted of the non-Messi impending free agents. That includes Real Madrid, with the uncertainty over Sergio Ramos’ future adding intrigue.
Most likely destination: Remains at Bayern Munich until summer
Similar to the Koulibaly situation, teams in contention for silverware or European spots aren’t selling cornerstone defenders in January. An agreement may well be reached over a fee, but Upamecano won’t change shirts just yet.
Most likely destination: Remains at RB Leipzig until summer
Schalke, the dysfunctional last-place Bundesliga club, should probably begin preparing for life in the second tier, starting with collecting a handsome fee for Kabak.
After a few seasons when it seemed like his promising career was in danger of derailing, Sanches is back on track in France. His resurgence has piqued the interest of Liverpool, setting the stage for a potential move in the future.
Most likely destination: Remains at Lille until summer
Depay looked to be heading to the Camp Nou last summer, but Barcelona’s financial issues scuppered that operation. Lyon should pump the brakes on selling the Dutchman for now while they’re in the title hunt.
Most likely destination: Remains at Lyon until summer
PSG sporting director Leonardo has been trying to move Draxler for about a year, and deals with Hertha Berlin collapsed during the last two transfer windows. Perhaps a swap with Eriksen would satisfy all parties involved in January?
Comparisons to former Ajax stud Matthijs de Ligt aren’t an accident, and Schuurs looks destined to make a mammoth move very soon. Liverpool are known admirers, and there’s an awful lot of smoke that could turn into a fire eventually.
Most likely destination: Remains at Ajax until summer
