🗞 No Play, No Pay

March 17, 2020

G'day sports fans,

There isn't a lot of sport on at the moment, but we've committed to continue sending the newsletter, we'll continue to find interesting and amusing stories to keep you going.

🍷 We've brought forward the discounted wine offer, in a bid to hopefully beat any restrictions on movement in the coming days/weeks.

Check it out below. If you like the newsletter, this would be an awesome way to support us and get yourself a bargain. I've set it up as Up the Creek Winery on our homepage to cover us both on the payments and shipping!

Anyone that got in touch after Monday's edition, I've mailed you personally.

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🏈 Brady is moving on

🏉 NRL is keepin' on

🏀 Grand Final, final game is off

A Very Special Offer!

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Your kid/partner has driven you mad after you've spent every waking minute with them for days (it feels like weeks).

You turn to your old friend, wine, only to find that it tastes that bad, you'd be better off using it to kill the weeds in the garden, than drink it.

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Your family gathers around, hailing you as the genius you so clearly are for having the foresight to know a bargain when you saw one.

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That's 6 bottles for the price of 2.

(minimum buy 6 bottles/1 case)

🇺🇸 USA

Tom Brady to leave Patriots, says he’ll continue NFL career elsewhere

Tom Brady, who transformed himself from an NFL draft afterthought into an all-time quarterbacking great during two dynastic decades with the New England Patriots, announced Tuesday that he will be leaving the team.

Brady, 42, said via social media he will make his exit from New England after teaming with Patriots Coach Bill Belichick for six Super Bowl victories. He wrote on Twitter that “it is time for me to open a new stage for my life and career.”

He added that he didn’t know what his “football future holds.” Brady, a free agent for the first time during his NFL career, suggested that he will continue playing rather than retire, saying that his “football journey will take place elsewhere.”

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Chargers are believed to have made contract offers to Brady worth $30 million per season or more, according to a person with knowledge of the deliberations. (Washington Post)

🇦🇺 AFL

AFL delays call on R1 start for one more day

THE AFL will delay until Wednesday a final decision on whether to play its opening round of the 2020 season. 

After another full day of meetings and phone hook-ups with government officials, clubs, players and medical experts, the AFL Commission on Tuesday evening again deferred its decision.

The AFL is now committed to making a decision on Wednesday about the full set of round one matches – and, in the event of a cancellation, effectively a minimum of five rounds beyond round one – and not wait until the actual day of the season-opening game. 

Richmond is scheduled to play Carlton at the MCG on Thursday night as the season-opener, and the Western Bulldogs are to host Collingwood at Marvel Stadium the following night. (AFL.com)

AFL clubs are likely to be forced to shave at least $5 million – and as much as $10 million – from their balance sheets due to the shortened 2020 season and reduced overall revenue.

Local footy and Auskick to halt for months over coronavirus

Footy will disappear across the country for months, with AFL-managed local footy leagues and Auskick programs postponed until the end of May due to coronavirus.

The AFL announced community football leagues and programs would be put on hiatus until May 31.

However independent leagues, such as Victoria’s six senior metropolitan leagues (the Essendon District FL, Eastern FNL, Northern FNL, Southern FNL, VAFA and Western Region FL) have only postponed until May 2. (Fox)

🎾 Tennis

Coronavirus: French Open tennis moved to September

The French Open has been moved to September and October as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The event at Roland Garros was due to be played from 24 May to 7 June, but instead will take place between 20 September and 4 October.

That means it will begin just one week after the completion of the US Open in New York.

All professional tennis across the world is currently suspended until at least 20 April.

🏉 NRL

NRL Round 2 teams: See every confirmed 21-man squad here

TEAMS CONFIRMED: Coronavirus is wreaking havoc with world sport, but the NRL is trucking on and every club has released their squads for Round 2. See them all here. (Fox)

No play, no pay: Benji Marshall ‘applauds’ V’landys’ bid to keep NRL on

Wests Tigers star Benji Marshall has applauded ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys’ bid to keep the NRL playing on despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The NRL is determined to keep the competition running and has already explored scenarios of what the season might look like if the Warriors returned to New Zealand or if a positive player test forced an entire club to go into isolation.

Marshall said the Tigers playing group had got together to discuss the latest developments around the virus situation on Tuesday.

“One thing you have to do as a team is address issues as they arise,” Marshall told NRL 360 on Fox League.

“Today we got together and we talked about all the questions we wanted to know. One of the questions was: if we don’t play, do we get paid?

“We had our football manager in talking about what could possibly happen with being isolated from the public and stuff.

“One of the boys asked if we don’t play, do we still get paid? And the blunt answer was no because obviously the agreement we have with the broadcast rights deal, if there’s no game, no playing, no pay. We understand that.

NRL power brokers and club CEOs held an emergency phone hook-up where the possibility of players being “locked down” was discussed to keep the elite rugby league competition afloat.

V’landys already revealed on NRL 360 on Monday that the league has organised private chartered flights for teams travelling interstate in Round 2.

🏀 B'Ball

NBL grand final series between Sydney Kings and Perth Wildcats cancelled because of coronavirus

The Perth Wildcats have lashed out at the Sydney Kings for withdrawing midway through the NBL grand final series and demanded to be crowned champions.

The final two games of the five-match series, which Perth were leading 2-1, were cancelled by the NBL earlier on Tuesday after the Kings expressed their reluctance to continue the series and fly to Perth as planned on Wednesday. (ABC)

Key points:

  • The NBL will consider the outcome of the grand final series over the next 48 hours

  • The Kings expressed reluctance to continue the series in Perth, with game four scheduled for Friday

  • The last two games in the grand final series had been played in empty venues

⚽️ Football

Since Jurgen Klopp received this letter from a young Manchester United fan asking them to lose some games, Liverpool have lost 4 of their next ten games. Now the league is suspended, their first league trophy in 30 yrs in some doubt!

Euro 2020 has been postponed by one year until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, says Uefa.

European football's governing body made the decision during an emergency video conference involving major stakeholders on Tuesday.

The tournament, due to take place from 12 June-12 July this summer, will now run from 11 June to 11 July next year. (BBC)

ICYMI: Ronaldinho scores multiple goals in Paraguayan prison tournament

According to local media reports, the Brazilian participated in a friendly with other prisoners.

His team won the game 11-2. Ronaldinho scored 5 goals & assisted 6.

Ronaldinho Gaúcho is currently being held in Paraguay after he entered the country using fake documents.

Apparently, the winners of the tournament received a 16kg pig.

Breaking News: Ex-Cardiff and Premier League player, Peter Whittingham has died after apparently falling down the stairs, aged just 35. (At time of writing there is no official confirmation from his family).

Throwback to: "When Footballers found Twitter".

🏏 Cricket

New South Wales awarded Sheffield Shield as coronavirus pandemic ends cricket season

CA has also recommended all grade and amateur cricket should cease, bringing the 2019-20 cricket season to an abrupt end.

The decision to cancel the final round of the Sheffield Shield season was made on Sunday, but there was still a suggestion the decider could be played, starting on March 27.

"By effectively cancelling the remainder of our season, Cricket Australia is playing its part in protecting fans, players, staff, volunteers and match officials during this unprecedented global health issue," CA boss Kevin Roberts said. (ABC)

🏅 Olympics

Coronavirus: Japan still planning 'complete' Tokyo Olympics

Japan's Olympic minister says the country is still planning for a "complete" hosting of the Tokyo Olympics that will be held on time, with spectators in attendance.

On Saturday Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the Olympics would still go ahead despite coronavirus.

The IOC is meeting on Tuesday to discuss the Olympics and in particular qualifying events that have been hit.

"A complete Olympics is what we are aiming for," said Seiko Hashimoto.

"We will do our utmost to prepare [to hold the Olympics] as scheduled so that the International Olympic Committee will be convinced we are capable of hosting the games," she added.

📚 Book

The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs: Coyle, Daniel, Hamilton, Tyler: Amazon.com.au: Books

We'll be back on Friday!

📺 Live sport

Wednesday

🏏 01:00 - Pakistan Super LeaguePakistan Super League Final

Thursday

🇦🇺 19:25 - AFL - Richmond Tigers v Carlton Blues (Fox Footy or 7mate)

🏉 20:05 - NRL - Canterbury Bulldogs v North Queensland Cowboys (Fox League or Nine)