Yardbarker

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

EXPERTISE:

NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, Premier League, MLS, US Soccer, UFC

76ers' Ben Simmons likely out for season following knee surgery

76ers star Ben Simmons underwent left knee surgery in the City of Brotherly Love on Monday and will likely miss the remainder of the season.

Diamondbacks place Madison Bumgarner on injured list with strained back

Arizona has dropped all four games in which Bumgarner started, and he took losses in three of those outings. 

Nebraska willing to play outside of Big Ten if conference cancels football

Amid rumors that the Big Ten Conference could announce the cancellation of its football season on Monday evening or Tuesday because of the coronavirus pandemic, Nebraska coach Scott Frost declared he's ready to play outside of the league.

Zion Williamson to sit on Tuesday for eliminated Pelicans

New Orleans was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention following Sunday's results, so there is little reason to risk the long-term health of Williamson or any other potential future cornerstones.

NHL reports zero coronavirus cases inside bubble sites

Leagues utilizing bubble formats for return-to-play scenarios have been overwhelmingly successful since the National Women's Soccer League began its Challenge Cup.

Suns' Deandre Ayton missed COVID-19 test on Sunday

Phoenix had won five straight contests to begin the resumption of the 2019-20 campaign. 

Report: Pac-12 could postpone football season on Tuesday

Sources have told ESPN that it's "highly unlikely" the Pac-12 will conduct a campaign this fall. Instead, the conference will optimistically look to push the season to a springtime format. 

Magic's Terrence Ross leaves Orlando bubble for medical tests

It's unknown if he'll be available to play versus the Milwaukee Bucks in Orlando's postseason series.

Ravens Pro Bowl TE Mark Andrews never considered opting out despite COVID-19 risks

Andrews told reporters he was planning to play amid the worsening coronavirus pandemic even though he suffers from diabetes and is high-risk for COVID-19.

Manager Terry Francona to return to Indians after bout with gastrointestinal issue

A similar problem bothered the skipper during spring training in March before MLB paused the season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

President Donald Trump tweets support for college football season amid pandemic

Under the current schedule, a decision on Division I sports, including football, must be announced by the end of Aug. 21. 

Stephen Curry interviews Collin Morikawa after PGA Championship win

Curry, an avid golfer, was made a "guest reporter'' and, thus, allowed to attend the final round of the PGA Championship.

Atletico Madrid cleared for Champions League quarterfinal after positive coronavirus tests

Barring the discovery of a virus outbreak within the team, Atleti should be cleared to take the pitch on Thursday evening.

Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. exhibition postponed to November

The bout was moved from Sept. 12 to Nov. 28 "because Tyson’s team felt they could maximize revenue by rescheduling."

Conference USA follows Sun Belt, AAC with '8 plus 4' football schedule

The first conference games kick off no sooner than Sept. 12, with non-league contests left up to each member school.

Washington releases RB Derrius Guice amid domestic violence charges

The Washington Football Team moved quickly regarding running back Derrius Guice.

End of an era? Canadiens eliminate Penguins from playoffs

Montreal , the lowest seed (No. 12) in the Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Qualifying Round, defeated Pittsburgh (No. 5) 2-0 in Game 4 to close the series out and send the Pens back to Pennsylvania.

Cardinals-Cubs weekend series postponed following positive coronavirus test

As had been expected, the weekend series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs has been postponed. 

Indians hitting coach opts out due to coronavirus concerns

Indians team president Chris Antonetti told reporters on Friday that Cleveland hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo opted out of the campaign due to coronavirus risks.

Nationals' Stephen Strasburg will make season debut on Sunday

Manager Dave Martinez told reporters on Friday that the 32-year-old has been cleared to return to the bump.

Heat's Jimmy Butler will miss third straight game with sore foot

Miami plays three games in five days next midweek ahead of the postseason, so expect Spoelstra to proceed with caution regarding his leading scorer and best overall player.

Real Madrid, Juventus crash out of Champions League

Two of the giants of club football that won domestic honors for the 2019-20 season won't participate in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. 

MLB reports 0.1% positive rate in latest coronavirus testing period

Relatively speaking, MLB enjoyed a positive week as it concerns coronavirus testing of players and staff. 

Taulia Tagovailoa transfer from Alabama to Maryland approved

The transfer news comes on the same day that six Maryland football players, including QB Josh Jackson, opted out of the college football campaign.

Ohio State athletes back school's COVID-19 protocols

Back in July, the OSU Department of Athletics temporarily paused voluntary workouts for seven programs, including football, following the results of coronavirus testing of athletes. The school kept the results of those tests private.