The Rush: Virus outbreak rocks NFL, overshadows start of MLB postseason
The NFL is in the middle of its first true COVID-19 crisis as multiple people in the Tennessee Titans organization tested positive for the virus, the MLB Postseason kicked off as the White Sox, Rays, Astros and Yankees all won the first game of their Wild Card series, and Jimmy Buckets thinks the Lakers are the underdog in the NBA Finals. PLUS: Dion Waiters can’t lose, and one Twins fan can’t forget the Astros trash history.
Video Transcript
- Uh-oh, that could be the start of something. The big fella gets hold of one and has a solo homer here in the ninth. 12 to 2 Yankees.
JARED QUAY: If it feels like there's an awful lot of teams in the postseason this year, it's because there are. 16 actually, which is more than half. And yesterday the American League kicked off October madness.
Last night in Cleveland, the Yankees roughed up future Cy Young winner Shane Bieber and took game 1 over the Tribe. Elsewhere in the Midwest, Minnesota reminded the Astros of their trash history.
- Houston Asterisk.
JARED QUAY: But Houston took game 1 anyways as the Twins lost their 17th consecutive playoff game. It's not good. In the other two series, Chicago and Tampa both won behind strong starting pitching. I mean, Lucas Giolito was perfect in the first seven innings of the Sox 4-1 win.
And Blake Snell racked up nine K's against Buffalo, which is Toronto, but they're playing in Buffalo, so I won't call them Toronto.
Players won't enter a bubble until the second round, but just ask the NFL. If you ain't in a bubble, you're just asking for trouble.
The Tennessee Titans reported that multiple people in their organization tested positive for COVID-19. And while the NFL insists they're still going to play on Sunday, the team closed all their facilities until at least Saturday. I ain't the smartest person, but one day of work usually don't equal being ready.
Now the most important thing is everyone's asymptomatic so far, which is good news. But the bad news is this puts three teams in limbo, and it's only week 4. It's a long road ahead of us. Now whatever the NFL does, one thing is clear. They're going to have a much harder time finishing the season than the NBA will.
The NBA Finals start tonight. And according to the best damn sports book currently available in New Jersey, West Virginia, Indiana, and Colorado, the Lakers are heavy favorites, but not according to this dude.
JIMMY BUTLER: I just don't think that we're underdogs. I don't. So what that nobody picked us to be here. But we understand that. We embrace that.
JARED QUAY: Now look, nobody knows who's going to win this series for sure. But I can tell you one guy who's not going to lose for sure, Dion Waiters. Now you might have forgot because it feels like 10 years ago, but before joining the Lakers, he played for the Heat this year, meaning no matter what, he's going to get a ring.
Look, we should just give it to him now. I mean, it could be part of the opening ceremony in game 1. Let's have him get the ring, then you sing the national anthem. Then you have LeBron come out and win Finals MVP because that's going to happen regardless.
