The Next 10 Days in Sports: A guide to what’s returning and when

We aren’t out of the woods just yet.

COVID-19 is still a major problem across much of the world and despite some favourable data projections and governments beginning to lift some pandemic restrictions, we still have a long way to go before returning to normal, or something that resembles it. That doesn’t mean events aren’t starting to return. Especially across the world of sports.

Things came grinding to a halt on the evening of March 11 when a game between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed once it was revealed Utah’s Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. The NBA suspended its season minutes later and almost every other sports league worldwide followed their lead the day after.

But there could be some light at the end of the tunnel. As we hopefully continue to inch toward some kind of return to our everyday lives, TSN has your back with wall-to-wall coverage of various live events. Here is a look at what’s on tap over the next 10 days.

What’s coming up?

UFC 249 – Saturday, May 9

Watch Countdown to UFC 249 LIVE on TSN1, TSN4, TSN.ca, the TSN App and on TSN Direct beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT with the prelim card getting underway one hour later.

The UFC leads North America’s major sports comeback this Saturday evening with UFC 249 from Jacksonville, Fla. The main event features Tony Ferguson taking on Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title as one of five bouts on the main card in addition to four prelim showdowns. UFC 249 will be followed by events on May 13 and May 16, also in Jacksonville, as well as possibly another event on May 23 in Las Vegas. All cards are scheduled to take place without fans in attendance.

According to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, fighters are being given a COVID-19 test once arriving in Jacksonville and are also subject to daily temperature checks.

As if their line of work wasn’t risky enough, Ferguson says leading the charge in a return to professional sports outweighs the downside associated with carrying out an event at a time like this.

"We’ve got to go out there and keep sports alive," Ferguson said.

"I honestly had no reservations," he added. "Fighting is very dangerous, so I think we’ll be just fine."

"We’re going to bring a sense of normalcy to people," Gaethje said. "I’m proud to be a part of it. It’s the opportunity to inspire. People need to be inspired right now. They need to not let themselves become depressed [or] emotional because they can’t control what’s going on right now. We’ve got to ride it through. They need to be inspired, and we can do that."

NASCAR – Sunday, May 17

Watch NASCAR’s Cup Series return LIVE on TSN, TSN.ca, the TSN App and on TSN Direct Sunday, May 17, at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT.

Just over a week after the UFC kicks things off, NASCAR enters the fold with a race Sunday, May 17, at South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway. The grid will race again at Darlington three days later and then compete twice (May 24 and 27) at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR was last in action on March 8 in Phoenix when Joey Logano held off Kevin Harvick to take home the checkered flag. In the meantime, NASCAR has held a series of iRacing events that have been dominated by Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron, claiming three virtual victories in the past four events.

But it’s not quite like the real thing.

Even though no fans will attend the mid-May return, NASCAR president Steve Phelps sees the circuit’s return to action as a way to bring new fans to the sport.

"I think we’re going to have millions of fans that will tune in who otherwise wouldn’t that are going to see how great our sport is. I think we’ll have a potential [number of] lifetime fans that will come out of this really difficult situation that we’re experiencing," he told Dale Earnhardt Jr. on a podcast.

GOLF: TaylorMade Driving Relief skins match – Sunday, May 17

Watch LIVE coverage on TSN, TSN.ca, the TSN App and on TSN Direct Sunday, May 17, beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT.

Golf returns to the TV screen with a charity skins match featuring Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson taking on Rickie Fowler and 2019 NCAA champion Matthew Wolff at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla.

UnitedHealth Group is pledging $3 million in skins for charity with money going to　the American Nurses Foundation (represented by McIlroy and Johnson) and　the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation (Fowler and Wolff).

The PGA Tour is set to resume its season on June 11 in Fort Worth, Texas, after halting their schedule on March 13 at The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

According to the PGA, the skins event will follow "strict CDC social distancing guidelines, local mandates and will utilize appropriate testing measures to help protect the health and safety of the golfers, production crew and others on site."

For McIlroy, the skins match is about raising money and bringing entertainment to a world that could use something to cheer about right about now.

"It’s been difficult to witness what so many are enduring over the last several weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic," McIlory said in a statement. "I hope that we can provide some respite and entertainment for those tuning in across the globe. Dustin and I will have a lot of fun together and our games will fit well as we push to raise funds and awareness on May 17."

What’s already returned?

May 5 – Korea Baseball Organization

South Korea has contained COVID-19 as well as any nation. An improved public health outlook over the past few weeks exemplified with only three new cases being reported in the country two days ago gave the Korea Baseball Organization enough confidence to follow through with plans to begin their regular season on Tuesday.

Games were played in empty stadiums while umpires and coaches wore facemasks. Players and coaches went through fever screenings before entering stadiums and both spitting and high fiving with bare hands were outlawed in an effort to minimize risk.

Still, the league is taking appropriate precautions. If any member of any teams tests positive for COVID-19, the league will be shut down for a minimum of three weeks.

"The players just really wanted to play baseball, and we are delighted to do just that," said Kim Hyun-soo, who hit the first homer of the KBO season.

AEW Dynamite

Amazingly enough, All Elite Wresting has remained consistent in pumping out a new episode every Wednesday evening amid the coronavirus pandemic.

With the exception of this week’s event that was conducted live, most of the shows were pre-taped but broadcasted for the first time on TSN and other affiliated networks, giving wrestling followers new content to enjoy. Shows are happening without fans in attendance.

AEW’s Dustin Rhodes told TSN last month that wrestling without crowds is an adjustment but it’s far better than nothing.

"And because of our professionalism and our love for the business, we’re still going out there. It is a little more difficult when you don’t have fans that feed you that energy that you need, but you still get into a zone and your adrenaline kicks in and you start going through your motions and get into the match. Our crew is still giving 110 per cent out there each time without a crowd," he said.

On the horizon

- German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced Wednesday that the Bundesliga, Germany’s top soccer circuit, could be included in the loosening of lockdown measures and become Europe’s first major soccer league to return to play - without fans in the stands. The earliest the league can return is May 16, according to ESPN.

- According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, the NBA told teams they will be allowed to open practice facilities on Friday in states where COVID-19 restrictions have been eased. Players are permitted to participate in individual workouts while strength and conditioning activities that require staff members to be closer than 12 feet apart will be prohibited.

- TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported on Tuesday’s edition of Insider Trading the NHL is hoping to initiate Phase 2 of its potential restart by allowing teams to open facilities for small group workouts. However, Dreger adds the league is unlikely to allow players to return to team facilities until the vast majority of facilities around the league are allowed to open. TSN Senior Hockey Reporter Frank Seravalli also reported that players who are currently living outside of their team’s city may face a mandatory 14-day quarantine once they arrive there. He added that travel may prove to be difficult for some players as the U.S.-Canada border remains closed to non-essential travel. Moreover, players currently positioned at home in Europe may not have the ability to fly to their NHL city, at least on commercial airlines, until at least June.

- Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported Wednesday that MLB is planning on presenting a proposal to the MLB players association either late this week or early next week regarding a potential beginning to the season. The proposal is expected to include a best-case-scenario target date of June for spring training and July for the start of the regular season. Sherman adds there continues to be a number of obstacles to clear before a season can potentially begin.