Update on the latest sports

NFL-FINANCES

NFL’s revenue dip in pandemic significant, but not crippling

UNDATED (AP) — The dip in revenue for the NFL during the pandemic has been substantial but not crippling.

The biggest positive in this season of COVID-19 might not be measurable: the value of finishing on time in Tampa with the Super Bowl between Tampa Bay and Kansas City on Feb. 7.

The biggest negative was revenues on the lower end of what was hoped since the majority of stadiums either didn’t have fans at all or just a few thousand at most. Marc Ganis, co-founder of Chicago-based consulting group Sportscorp, says the league missed out on $3 billion to $4 billion while playing in the pandemic.

But with the majority of revenue tied to national TV contracts that benefit all teams equally, the NFL was well-positioned to handle the pandemic as long as games could be played.

While the TV ratings were down 7% during the regular season, experts say the ratings don’t matter much because the league is poised for more huge TV contracts in the next couple of years.

NFL-LIONS

Lions add Staley, Brunell, DeLeone to new coaching staff

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have added Duce Staley, Mark Brunell and Mark DeLeone to their coaching staff.

Staley joins new coach Dan Campbell’s staff as running backs coach and assistant head coach. Brunell will be the team’s quarterbacks coach, and DeLeone will coach inside linebackers.

This is Staley’s 11th season as an NFL coach. He was also a running back as a player for the Eagles from 1997-2003 and the Steelers from 2004-06. Brunell played quarterback from 1993-2011 for Green Bay, Jacksonville, Washington, New Orleans and the New York Jets.

MLB-GRIFFEY

Griffey hired as MLB senior adviser for youth development

NEW YORK (AP) — Ken Griffey Jr. has been hired as a senior adviser to baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred.

Major League Baseball said Friday that the Hall of Fame outfielder will work in baseball operations and on youth baseball development. He is tasked with improving diversity at amateur levels. Griffey will work as an MLB ambassador at youth initiatives and at its special events, including the postseason and the All-Star Game.

Griffey was a 13-time All-Star who hit .284 with 630 home runs and 1,836 RBIs in 22 seasons for Seattle (1989-99, 2009-10), Cincinnati (2000-08) and the Chicago White Sox (2008). He was elected to the Hall in 2016.

USA BASKETBALL-AMERICUP

Thomas, Johnson on USA Basketball’s next AmeriCup roster

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — NBA veterans Isaiah Thomas and Joe Johnson are on USA Basketball’s roster for the final round of AmeriCup qualifying next month.

The Americans have already clinched an AmeriCup berth but still have two more games to play, against Bahamas on Feb. 19 and Mexico on Feb. 20. Those games will take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

USA Basketball said Friday that Joe Prunty will coach the Americans in those games, assisted by Othella Harrington and Yale coach James Jones.

The Americans will train in San Juan from Feb. 13 through Feb. 18, and plan on releasing the full roster for the two qualifying games next week.

AmeriCup — to be held in September 2022 — is the 12-team tournament that serves as the championship of the teams in the FIBA Americas zone, covering nations from North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. USA Basketball has won the AmeriCup title seven times in nine previous attempts.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTS

Oman Open postponed

UNDATED (AP) — The Oman Open scheduled for March 4-7 on the European Tour has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. It is the first event of the 2021 golf season lost to the pandemic.

The tour says the decision was made following an announcement by the Omani government that all gatherings, international functions and sporting events are to be stopped in the country immediately. The tour says organizers are looking into the possibility of rescheduling the tournament but “there are no definitive plans at this stage.”

In other virus-related sports news:

— Japan’s prime minister says he is determined to host the postponed Tokyo Olympics this summer, despite growing uncertainty as coronavirus cases rise at home. Speaking today at a virtual meeting of the World Economic Forum, he said the Olympics would be a symbol of human victory over the pandemic. He pledged to get infections under control in Japan as soon as possible and achieve a “safe and secure” Olympics. Olympic officials have repeatedly said the games will be held in July as planned after a one-year postponement, though various scenarios including the holding of events without spectators are being considered.

— Serena Williams decided a trip to the zoo with her daughter was the first thing she wanted to do between leaving quarantine and playing Naomi Osaka in an exhibition match in Adelaide. Williams says she’s been crossing off the 14 days of COVID-19 pandemic-enforced quarantine on a calendar, having spent the time with her three-year-old daughter Olympia. Williams beat Osaka 6-2, 2-6, 10-7 in the first appearance of the year for both players. They now have just over a week to prepare for the Australian Open in Melbourne.