A Memorable Olympics, but for the Right Reasons?

By BY ANDREW KEH from NYT Sports A feat of organizational planning and execution in a pandemic left even gold medalists hurrying home from an atmosphere drained of pomp and full of anxiety.https://nyti.ms/3fH7C8o

The Pandemic Drove People to Tennis and Golf. Will They Keep Playing?

By BY MATTHEW FUTTERMAN AND BILL PENNINGTON from NYT Sports Recreational athletes flocked to accessible and safely distanced sports. Leaders in golf and tennis — both of which have had massive public investment — want to sustain their pandemic booms.https://nyti.ms/3rGGVoj

PGA Tour Is About to Admit its Largest Crowd of the Year

By BY BILL PENNINGTON from NYT Sports The Players Championship plans to welcome 10,000 spectators each day, and the golfers hope they don’t gather around the 18th hole all at once.https://nyti.ms/3t6RNMl

PGA Tour Is About to Admit its Largest Crowd of the Year

By BY BILL PENNINGTON from NYT Sports The Players Championship plans to welcome 10,000 spectators each day, and the golfers hope they don’t gather around the 18th hole all at once.https://nyti.ms/3rz74oZ

With Indoor Rinks Closed, Players Turn to ‘Speakeasy Hockey’

By BY KEVIN ARMSTRONG from NYT Sports In barns and backyards, outdoor rinks built with kits or from scratch are filling a void for hockey players amid pandemic-related closures.https://nyti.ms/3rPfbgE

NBC Sports Network Will Shut Down to Bolster Peacock Streaming Service

By BY KEVIN DRAPER from NYT Sports NBCSN was the No. 2 sports channel on cable last year, but coverage of the N.H.L., the English Premier League and NASCAR is now moving to Peacock and the USA Network.https://nyti.ms/3qJI4uq

Scrambling Across State Lines to Play During the Pandemic

By BY DAVID WALDSTEIN from NYT Sports Some high schools have postponed football seasons. Some are forging ahead. And others are in limbo, with young athletes desperate to find a way to avoid a lost season.https://nyti.ms/3bnVqWJ

He Needed to Train. David Duchovny’s Pool Was Out There.

By BY MATTHEW FUTTERMAN from NYT Sports Rudy Garcia-Tolson’s attempt to make a fifth Paralympic swim team after three years of retirement was missing a crucial element — a pool where he could train. Enter Special Agent Mulder.https://nyti.ms/33RX94R

Pandemic Leaves a Void for Young Athletes Seeking to Make College Teams

By BY JOE DRAPE from NYT Sports High school juniors who would now be in the thick of recruiting are losing the benefits of in-person recruiting.https://nyti.ms/2Yl5BFx

With or Without the Say of Players, College Football Moves Toward a Return

By Unknown Author from NYT Sports “Players don’t have a strong voice and have a union. Their voice is always suppressed,” said Camren McDonald, a tight end at Florida State.https://nyti.ms/2TIO4oY

Can the N.F.L. Really Return to Normal This Fall?

By BY KEN BELSON AND JOE WARD from NYT Sports Before the N.F.L. can begin the season as planned in September, it must first figure out how to safely open team facilities for training camps in mid-July.https://nyti.ms/2LhR9If

For Coaching ‘Lifers,’ Losing the Game but Sticking With It

By BY MATTHEW FUTTERMAN from NYT Sports Their days are built around teaching adolescents about sports and life. Now the sports are gone.https://nyti.ms/3cj6ZxN