(670 The Score) The Bears don't currently plan to welcome fans to their home games at Soldier Field when the regular season begins, the team announced Monday evening. They left open the possibility that fans could be allowed if the health and safety outlook improves amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Bears and city of Chicago reached the decision, citing local COVID-19 health metrics. The Bears are set to host the Giants in their home opener on Sept. 20. "The Chicago Bears, Soldier Field’s management partner, ASM Global, the Chicago Park District and public health officials have worked together to assess whether a responsible plan that follows city, state, CDC and NFL guidelines could be developed to safely accommodate a limited number of fans at Soldier Field this season," a team statement said. "After discussing a draft plan with city health officials, the Bears and the City of Chicago agreed the health metrics show that it is not the right time to welcome fans back to Soldier Field. The health and safety of the city’s residents and fans of the Bears will always take priority. The team and city will continue to monitor the environment and believe there can be a sound plan in place to bring fans back to Soldier Field once it is deemed safe and appropriate. Until then, Bears home games will not include in-person fans." The state of Illinois is currently allowing up to 20% capacity for outdoor venues, which would include Soldier Field. However, the city of Chicago hasn't given such approval on that front. On Monday, the Chiefs announced they'll welcome fans at a reduced capacity of around 22% into Arrowhead Stadium in 2020. Kansas City hosts Houston in the NFL season opener on Sept. 10. Chicago opens its season at Detroit on Sept. 13. Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.

A quick peek at the AL Central standings would suggest the 13-9 Indians, who trail the division-leading Twins by a single game, are firing on all cylinders. Of course, looks can be deceiving. Though it has yet to affect the Tribe’s on-field product, Cleveland’s locker room finds itself in a state of disrepair stemming from the turmoil caused by starting pitchers Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac, who were both quarantined and subsequently demoted for breaking curfew during the team’s recent trip to Chicago. Clevinger and Plesac, who seemed less than apologetic for eschewing the league’s COVID protocols (Plesac exacerbated the situation with an ill-advised rant on Instagram, calling out the media for framing him as a villain), have drawn the ire of teammates, who expressed their frustration in what ESPN’s Jeff Passan described as a “testy” team meeting held Friday. Per Passan, the anger in the room was “palpable” with one player—veteran reliever Oliver Perez—threatening to opt out if and when Clevinger and Plesac are reinstated. Though both tested negative for the virus, Clevinger and Plesac put their teammates including fellow starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco—who battled Leukemia as recently as last year—at risk of infection. That carelessness and seeming lack of remorse exhibited by Clevinger and Plesac clearly didn’t sit well with teammates. “They hurt us bad. They lied to us,” said Adam Plutko, who was promoted when Clevinger and Plesac were optioned to the team’s alternate site in Lake County, where they will remain for at least 10 days. Perennial All-Star Francisco Lindor was similarly outspoken, alluding to Clevinger and Plesac in comments made last week. “We have to look ourselves in the mirror. And it’s not about the person we see in the mirror. It’s who's behind you.” Francisco Lindor, on Mike Clevinger, Zach Plesac and being selfless: pic.twitter.com/njXpjQEqR8— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) August 11, 2020Beyond the atmosphere of tension in Cleveland’s broken clubhouse, Clevinger and Plesac’s uncertain standing with the team could also have significant financial ramifications. If Clevinger’s demotion lasts longer than 19 days, his service time would be affected, delaying his eventual free agency. The same goes for Plesac, who was slated to be arbitration-eligible in 2022 but, depending on the length of his demotion, may have to wait an extra year. A faction of the team has accepted Clevinger and Plesac’s apologies, but if the damage to the locker room can’t be undone, Cleveland could look to shop one or both players ahead of the August 31 trade deadline. While that would be a worst-case scenario—Cleveland’s preference would surely be to retain both Clevinger and Plesac, a pair of talented starters on affordable contracts—there is some precedent for this. Eccentric right-hander Trevor Bauer earned a well-deserved lashing from manager Terry Francona for angrily hurling a ball into the center-field seats last season. He never made another start for the Tribe, who traded him to Cincinnati in a swap that brought Yasiel Puig to the Rock and Roll Capital. "They sat here, in front of you guys, and said things publicly that they didn't follow through on,” said Plutko. “It's gonna’ be up to them. It really is.” LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM AppFollow RADIO.COM SportsTwitter | Facebook I Instagram

Dodger Stadium will be a Vote Center for the 2020 Presidential General Election in November. There will be free parking to any registered voter in Los Angeles County over a five-day period, according to a press release from the LA Dodgers Thursday. The Dodgers are the first MLB team to make their stadium available for voting.  The news was announced by the Dodgers, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, and California Secretary of State’s office. The Dodger Stadium voting site is a joint effort between the Dodgers and More Than A Vote, a non-profit coalition of that Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James helped create. The nonprofit is Black athletes and artists working together to combat systemic, racist voter suppression. “I may still be new to LA but didn’t take long for me to learn how special the relationship is between the Dodgers and Lakers.  We are all in this together,” said LeBron James, who helped create More Than A Vote, an emailed press release.  “I’m really proud we were able to help the Dodgers become the first MLB stadium to open for voting. This is exactly why we created More Than a Vote. A lot of us now working together and here for every team who wants to follow the Dodgers lead and turn their stadium into a safer place for voting.” Dodger Stadium has been used, for the majority of this year, as the biggest COVID-19 testing site in LA County.  “Dodger Stadium is part of the fabric of Los Angeles, and we’re proud to continue to partner with the County to make the property available for the benefit of the community at large,” said Dodger President & CEO Stan Kasten in an emailed press release. “Voting is all of our civic duty, and we’re excited to work with More than a Vote to do anything we can to help get out the vote by making this process as easy, accessible and safe for all Angelenos.” “The Los Angeles Dodgers hosting a vote center at Dodger Stadium is a home run for democracy,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in an emailed press release. “Civic partnerships that help us offer new and safer voting options is critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope this partnership, which is the first by a Major League Baseball team, inspires others to join us as we work to educate the public on changes to the November General Election and to identify new voting locations and poll workers.“ Thank you @Dodgers and @DAVIDprice24 for bringing MLB into this important initiative.  Who got next?  @Morethanavote #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/qYAUY30T3M— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 13, 2020The Dodgers, @LACountyRRCC and @CASOSvote announced today that Dodger Stadium will serve as a Vote Center for the Presidential General Election. The voting site is a joint effort between the Dodgers, @morethanavote, @KingJames and @DAVIDprice24. pic.twitter.com/F4KN6TYdQs— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 13, 2020LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM AppFollow RADIO.COM SportsTwitter I Facebook I Instagram

College football is still reeling from Tuesday’s announcement from the Big Ten, the first Power Five conference to pull the plug on its fall sports season amid the coronavirus (the Pac-12 followed suit hours later). Several coaches including Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh and Penn State’s James Franklin were critical of the conference scrapping its fall football schedule, though Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren argued that the decision, while difficult, was done to preserve the health and safety of both coaches and student athletes. So where does the Big Ten go from here? Momentum seems to be building toward a spring football campaign, though that would pose logistical challenges for players eyeing lucrative NFL careers. In the event of a spring football season, the NFL would undoubtedly be forced to alter its league calendar to accommodate the class of 2021. Unfortunately, the league doesn’t offer a ton of leeway in that respect. Per the collective bargaining agreement (which has already been amended once to address COVID concerns), the NFL can stage its draft no later than June 2. That would obviously be much later than usual (the 2020 Draft took place April 23-25), but maybe not late enough for incoming rookies, depending on when the Big Ten decides to hold its season. As you might expect, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day had plenty to say on the matter, sharing his thoughts in Wednesday’s media availability. Day, who fell to 16-1 as head coach following the Buckeyes’ loss to Clemson in January’s College Football semifinals, wants football to return as soon as possible. In fact, the 41-year-old is advocating for an unprecedented winter football season. Clear from Ryan Day's comments that he wants to put the focus on the spring. "We need to start it as soon as we can." He wants an 8-week season the first week of January. Says it will give separation with the fall and that early entry recruits can get two (seasons) this year.— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 12, 2020While Day’s proposal would offer certain benefits—outgoing players should have enough time to prepare for the draft, or whatever else awaits them after college football, with a January start date—it ignores other factors like weather (Ann Arbor and Madison don’t offer the most inviting winter climates) and the continued uncertainty surrounding COVID (who knows if we’ll have a vaccine by then). Day is understandably wary of losing Heisman candidate Justin Fields to the NFL Draft. Many draft-eligible talents have opted out of bowl games in recent years to avoid injury and though Fields fits the profile of a player who’d pursue that path, an accelerated start date could improve Day’s chances of keeping the 21-year-old in Columbus, at least for another few months. Ryan Day on the future of Justin Fields: "I think Justin wants to see what the schedule is." Day said its "our job" so "someone like Justin can plan...his next few months." Day mentions report that the NFL could push the draft back. Day wants to start the spring in early Jan.— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 12, 2020Tuesday’s announcement by the Big Ten seemed pretty definitive, though Day is still holding out hope for a fall football slate, as small a possibility as that may be. Ryan Day on trying to play this fall: "It's a fluid situation. We're looking at everything. I can promise you that."— billlandis25 (@BillLandis25) August 12, 2020Like all of us, Day sounds like a man who desperately misses college football. Unfortunately, as the NCAA and other governing bodies have discovered, there are no easy solutions when it comes to navigating a colossal, unrelenting global health crisis. LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM AppFollow RADIO.COM SportsTwitter | Facebook I Instagram