N.F.L. Fines Aaron Rodgers and Packers for Violating Covid-19 Protocols

By BY KEN BELSON from NYT Sports Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers quarterback who is not vaccinated and has voiced unfounded claims about Covid-19 vaccines, was penalized for not wearing a mask in some places.https://nyti.ms/31H3YXP

Washington State Fires Football Coach Over Vaccine Refusal

By BY BILLY WITZ from NYT Sports Nick Rolovich said in July he would not get a Covid-19 vaccine and maintained his stance once a state mandate was announced in August. Four of his assistants were also fired.https://nyti.ms/3AUMALl

Washington State Fires Football Coach Over Vaccine Refusal

By BY BILLY WITZ from NYT Sports Nick Rolovich said in July he would not get a Covid-19 vaccine and maintained his stance once a state mandate was announced in August. Four of his assistants were also fired.https://nyti.ms/3vqOpyn

U.S. Open Stars Fall at Indian Wells, Which Struggles to Draw a Crowd

By BY CHRISTOPHER CLAREY from NYT Sports The tournament, the first major sporting event canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, was moved to October for its return, but attendance is down by half and atmosphere is lacking.https://nyti.ms/30rhq1t

After a Long Wait, the Boston Marathon Returns as a Fall Classic

By BY MATTHEW FUTTERMAN, ALEXANDRA E. PETRI AND VICTOR MATHER from NYT Sports More than two years after the last race, runners finally hit the pavement on Monday. “It just feels so good to be out here doing this,” one said.https://nyti.ms/3lwRCJx

U.S.O.P.C. Will Require Covid-19 Vaccinations for Winter Games

By BY ANDREW KEH from NYT Sports Any athlete vying to represent the United States at the 2022 Olympics or Paralympics in Beijing will be required to present proof of inoculation by Dec. 1.https://nyti.ms/3AAXCGa

Putting the ‘Open’ Back Into the U.S. Open

By BY DAVID WALDSTEIN from NYT Sports The Grand Slam tournament that signals the end of summer in New York welcomes fans who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 to pack the house when the main draw begins Monday.https://nyti.ms/38s4Qjj

Just by Playing, These Goalies Made Crucial Saves

By BY MARISA INGEMI from NYT Sports Covid-19 protocols sometimes left teams without a traditional goaltender, meaning another player had to put on a lacrosse helmet or soccer gloves to keep the games going.https://nyti.ms/36zHxmH

Yankees’ Virus Case Count Rises to Seven

By BY JAMES WAGNER from NYT Sports The team announced that three coaches and four support staff members had tested positive as breakthrough cases ahead of Wednesday’s win over Tampa Bay.https://nyti.ms/3hkXQuf

Canucks’ Outbreak Can Be Traced to a Variant, Team Says

By BY GERALD NARCISO from NYT Sports Vancouver has 25 confirmed cases of coronavirus within its organization and hasn’t played since late March.https://nyti.ms/39P054w

New Study Finds Covid Spikes After N.F.L. Games With Fans

By BY KEN BELSON from NYT Sports As the N.F.L. makes plans to return to stadiums at full capacity this season, researchers published findings that “fan attendance at N.F.L. games led to episodic spikes” in the number of Covid-19 cases.https://nyti.ms/3rVyjt5

Nationals Player Tests Positive for Virus Before Opening Day

By BY DAVID WALDSTEIN from NYT Sports Because of contract-tracing rules, four other players and a staff member will be held out of Washington’s season opener against the Mets on Thursday.https://nyti.ms/3u7MQ6D

Texas Removes Restrictions, but Fans Show Some Caution

By BY JESUS JIMÉNEZ from NYT Sports The Rangers raised eyebrows by opening 40,300 seats at Globe Life Field for Monday’s exhibition. Only 12,911 fans showed up.https://nyti.ms/2O7N91W

Mark Cuban Says He Told Mavericks to Stop Playing Anthem

By BY MARC STEIN from NYT Sports The N.B.A. has long required the playing of the national anthem before games, but the league gave teams permission to skip the ritual this season.https://nyti.ms/3jxRLd3

N.W.H.L. Suspends Season One Day Before Scheduled TV Broadcasts

By BY SETH BERKMAN from NYT Sports Two of the six teams had already withdrawn from the competition, a two-week season aiming to return the league to the public eye after a 10-month hiatus.https://nyti.ms/39IVrFt

The N.W.H.L. Is Coming Back, for Two Weeks Only

By BY SETH BERKMAN from NYT Sports The league, which has been shut down since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, will begin its very brief sixth season with a new team and an agreement to have its playoffs broadcast on NBC Sports.https://nyti.ms/3c52iKQ

N.H.L. and Players’ Union Reach Framework for 2020-21 Season

By BY ANDREW KNOLL from NYT Sports The season would start Jan. 13 with all seven Canadian teams in one division, but authorities in Canada need to approve plans for teams to practice and play in their markets.https://nyti.ms/3nEiuFQ

College Sports Has Reported at Least 6,629 Virus Cases. There Are Many More.

By BY ALAN BLINDER, LAURYN HIGGINS AND BENJAMIN GUGGENHEIM from NYT Sports The N.C.A.A. does not track coronavirus cases, but a New York Times analysis shows the pandemic’s toll across college athletics. Many universities have kept their case counts from the public.https://nyti.ms/3gDMAqr

Do We Need Football in America This Badly?

By BY KURT STREETER from NYT Sports The N.F.L.’s efforts to keep the season going are reaching heights of absurdity as the pandemic worsens. It’s time to pause.https://nyti.ms/3mvbrPl

As Hiking Surges During the Pandemic, So Do Injuries

By BY GILLIAN R. BRASSIL from NYT Sports Novice hikers and climbers have flocked to the outdoors, but some are unprepared for the dangers on the trails.https://nyti.ms/37h4kDO