The Big Ten is the latest Power Five conference to announce that a team must forfeit if it doesn’t have enough players available for a league game because of COVID-19.

The Big Ten said Monday the team that forfeits will be assessed a loss in the conference standings and its opponent will be credited with a win. If both teams are unable to compete on the date of a scheduled conference game because of COVID-19, and the game can’t be rescheduled, it will be considered a “no contest.”

The Power Five conferences appear headed toward having similar forfeit policies.

Big 12 teams unable to play because of COVID-19, or any other reason, will have to forfeit and be given a loss in the conference standings. A no contest would be declared only if both teams are unable to compete, and there are no plans to make up any games not played as scheduled.

Pac-12 teams that can’t play will forfeit, but the conference did not directly address what happens if both teams are unable to play.

The Southeastern Conference has not released its policy, but Commissioner Greg Sankey has warned that teams that can’t play will forfeit and that games will not be rescheduled.

In the ACC, teams forfeiting games will be assigned a loss in the standings, and the team that was prepared to play will be awarded a victory. If both teams are unable to play because of the player shortages, both will be forced to forfeit.

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A violent hazing ritual that led to misdemeanor charges against four Plainfield Central football players had been a tradition for years at the far southwest suburban high school, according to a lawsuit filed Monday by two former freshman players who claim they were sodomized with a broomstick in the locker room in 2019.

Some 15 to 20 varsity players chanted “Code Blue” as two freshman players were forcibly held down and assaulted in October 2019, according to the lawsuit, which identifies the victims as Child Doe A and B.

“They stuck their head in the sand and allowed young men to be sodomized by varsity football players with broomsticks in a disgusting and reprehensible high school football ritual known as ‘Code Blue,'” attorney Antonio Romanucci said during an online news conference.

“When will the educational community finally wake up and stop this practice of hazing, bullying and sexual assault for the sake of bonding and a winning football record during the school year?”

Four students at Plainfield Central in 2019 were charged with misdemeanors in connection with the incidents. The victims and their assailants all were minors at the time of the assault, according to lawyers for the victims. The status of those cases was not immediately known. The lawsuit states that the four varsity players involved in the incident were handed three-day suspensions and no other punishment.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, claims coaches at the school were aware of the practice of sexually assaulting freshman players, and even recognized the phrase “Code Blue” as the name of the ritual. One of the players involved in the assault told Child Doe A that he had endured similar abuse when he was a freshman.

Lawyer Ian Fallon said that “dozens and dozens” of Plainfield students had endured similar abuse over the years.

The lawsuit contends school administrators and coaches failed to follow school policies and state laws involving hazing and bullying during the investigation of the incident and in punishing the varsity players involved. Will County prosecutors have said that the alleged assaults did not meet the legal requirements for criminal hazing charges.

A spokesman for Plainfield District 202 did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit from the Chicago Sun-Times on Monday.

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The Bears gave up a haul of assets to land outside linebacker Khalil Mack in 2018 and he was exactly the game-changer they needed that season. Since then, though, his production hasn’t been quite in line with what he’s been paid.

That, along with the Bears’ salary-cap nightmare in the recent offseason, prompted a trade call from the Raiders. Las Vegas inquired about trading to reacquire Mack, but the Bears turned them down, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur reported.

After trading two first-round picks for Mack, the Bears signed him to a six-year, $141 million contract extension. They restructured that deal this offseason rather than trade him. The reworked contract lowered his cap hit to $14.6 million this season. It spikes to $30.2 million next season if they don’t restructure.

Mack, 30, earned his third all-pro selection in 2018 with 12.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and an interception.

The Raiders’ call was worth a shot. As the Bears clawed to get under the salary cap, they released veteran cornerback Kyle Fuller and left tackle Charles Leno to clear about $20 million in space.

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The Big Ten is the latest Power Five conference to announce that a team must forfeit if it doesn’t have enough players available for a league game because of COVID-19.

The Big Ten said Monday the team that forfeits will be assessed a loss in the conference standings and its opponent will be credited with a win. If both teams are unable to compete on the date of a scheduled conference game because of COVID-19, and the game can’t be rescheduled, it will be considered a “no contest.”

The Power Five conferences appear headed toward having similar forfeit policies.

Big 12 teams unable to play because of COVID-19, or any other reason, will have to forfeit and be given a loss in the conference standings. A no contest would be declared only if both teams are unable to compete, and there are no plans to make up any games not played as scheduled.

Pac-12 teams that can’t play will forfeit, but the conference did not directly address what happens if both teams are unable to play.

The Southeastern Conference has not released its policy, but Commissioner Greg Sankey has warned that teams that can’t play will forfeit and that games will not be rescheduled.

In the ACC, teams forfeiting games will be assigned a loss in the standings, and the team that was prepared to play will be awarded a victory. If both teams are unable to play because of the player shortages, both will be forced to forfeit.

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KABUL, Afghanistan — A firefight just outside Kabul’s international airport killed at least one Afghan soldier early Monday, German officials said, the latest chaos to engulf Western efforts to evacuate those fleeing the Taliban takeover of the country.

The airport shooting came as the Taliban sent fighters north of the capital to eliminate pockets of armed resistance to their lightning takeover earlier this month. The Taliban said they retook three districts seized by opponents the day before and had surrounded Panjshir, the last province that remains out of their control.

Afghanistan’s security forces collapsed in the face of the Taliban advance, despite 20 years of Western aid, training and assistance. Tens of thousands of Afghans have sought to flee the country since, fearing a return to the brutal rule the Taliban imposed the last time they ran Afghanistan. That has led to chaos at the airport in Kabul, the main route out of the country.

Gunfire broke out near an entrance to the airport, where at least seven Afghans died a day earlier in a panicked stampede of thousands of people. The circumstances of the shooting, which occurred around dawn, remained unclear.

The German military tweeted that one member of the Afghan army was killed and three others were wounded by “unknown attackers.” An Italian humanitarian organization that operates hospitals in Afghanistan said it had treated six patients with bullet wounds from the airport.

The U.S. military and NATO did not immediately acknowledge the shooting. There was no comment from the Taliban.

The tragic scenes around the airport have transfixed the world. Afghans poured onto the tarmac last week and some clung to a U.S. military transport plane as it took off, later plunging to their deaths. At least seven people died that day, in addition to the seven killed Sunday.

The Taliban blame the chaotic evacuation on the U.S. military and say there’s no need for any Afghans to flee. They have pledged to bring peace and security after decades of war and say they won’t seek revenge on those who worked with the U.S., NATO and the toppled Afghan government.

Addressing a conference of Muslim clerics, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid urged them to push back against Western “propaganda” about the Taliban and said the U.S. was undermining the their rule by sending planes and offering Afghans asylum.

Despite their promises, the Taliban have violently suppressed protests and beat people with batons as they try to control the crowds outside the airport perimeter. There have also been reports in recent days of the Taliban hunting down their former enemies. It’s unclear if Taliban leaders are saying one thing and doing another, or if fighters on the ground are taking matters into their own hands.

German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told the Bild newspaper that the main obstacle to getting people out was the crowds outside the airport.

“We must switch much more to picking people up, so to speak, and we are doing that,” Kramp-Karrenbauer said.

Asked about Taliban assurances of safe passage to the airport she said: “So far, I can say that what we need is being granted; the danger comes more from these uncontrollable crowds of people.”

As the airlift continues, the U.S. government asked for 18 aircraft from American commercial carriers to assist in transporting Afghan refugees to their final destinations after their initial evacuation. The request fell under the Civil Reserve Air Fleet program, which was born in the wake of the Berlin airlift and can add to the military’s capabilities during crises.

Since Aug. 14, the U.S. has evacuated or facilitated the evacuation of more than 30,000 people on military and coalition flights. Tens of thousands of people — Americans, other foreigners and Afghans who assisted in the war effort — are still waiting to join the airlift, which has been slowed by security issues and U.S. bureaucracy hurdles.

U.S. President Joe Biden said Sunday he would not rule out extending the evacuation beyond Aug. 31, the date he had set for completing the withdrawal of U.S. forces. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to press Biden for an extension.

But Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen, in an interview with Sky News, said Aug. 31 is a “red line” and that extending the American presence would “provoke a reaction.”

There are also concerns that a local affiliate of the Islamic State group might target the crowds outside the airport with suicide bombers or fire missiles at U.S. aircraft. Military planes have been executing corkscrew landings, and other aircraft have fired flares upon takeoff — both measures used to avoid missile attacks.

The Taliban and IS have different ideologies and have fought in recent years, but one concern about the Taliban’s takeover is that they could again shelter extremist groups. The Taliban harbored al-Qaida while it orchestrated the 9/11 attacks, leading to the U.S. invasion in 2001. The Taliban now say they will not allow Afghanistan to be a base for attacks on other countries.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, the Taliban have faced limited armed resistance from fighters in Baghlan province, some 75 miles north of Kabul. The anti-Taliban fighters claimed to have seized three districts in the Andarab Valley on Sunday, but the Taliban said Monday that they had cleared them out overnight.

Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, said the group’s forces have also surrounded nearby Panjshir, the only one of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces yet to fall to the fighters.

Several Taliban opponents have gathered there, including Amrullah Saleh, the vice president in the toppled government who claims to be the acting president. Ahmad Massoud, son of the slain commander of the Northern Alliance militias that partnered with the U.S. to drive the Taliban from power in 2001, is also in Panjshir.

In interviews with Arab media outlets over the weekend, Massoud said his fighters would resist any attempt to take the province by force but were open to dialogue with the Taliban.

Mujahid said there had been no fighting in Panjshir yet and that the Taliban are seeking a “peaceful solution.”

___

Faiez reported from Istanbul and Krauss from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin, Jill Lawless in London and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed to this report.

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A whimper. That’s how the Cubs dynasty or near dynasty of the 2010’s ended. The trading of franchise icons Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and closer Craig Kimbrel signaled the end of one of the most dominant runs in recent memory. A run that included 505 wins from 2015 to 2020, 5 playoff berths, 3 division titles and 1 World Series victory in 2016. Cubs fans are about to enter a dark time, possibly darker than the years prior to 2015 but there’s a way forward and it requires a brutally honest at all aspects of the team; the ownership, the front office, the players and the fans.

Stop Sinking Money into Wrigleyville

Since the Ricketts family purchased the team in 2009, they have been committed to not only rebuilding the team but rebuilding Wrigley Field and the surrounding neighborhood. The field additions came first with a new videoboard and more prominent sponsorship signs as well as a completely revamped clubhouse that makes my apartment look like a broom closet. Wrigleyville also got a major facelift as well with the addition of a merchandise store, corporate team offices, a luxury hotel across the street from the ball park and recently, plans for a sports book were approved to be built adjacent to Wrigley Field. 

While these additions have been much needed for a long time, it has also directed capital away from the team and really prohibited the team from signing long term contracts for their beloved players. It’s not a coincidence that everyone traded at the July 31st deadline was a pending free agent. Contract talks for Rizzo stalled out before spring training, Kris Bryant seemed to be an annual victim of arbitration meetings, Baez was going to command a $200 million contract and Kimbrel was likely going to walk anyway after finally figuring out his command into an All Star season for 2021. 

Realistically though, given how MLB contracts have ballooned over the past 20 years, did we all really expect the Cubs to be able to resign all of their big contributors? Rizzo was going to be 33 years old next season and coming to the end of a 7 year deal, Bryant possibly could’ve been signed but his demands might have been too much for the team to acquiesce to considering he managed to command a high salary in arbitration and Baez might have happened but he’s also frustratingly inconsistent. His defense has always been spectacular but he never met a fastball that he didn’t want to hit.

Dump Jason Heyward

Let’s get this out of the way first, Heyward was and is not worth the $184 million contract he signed in December 2015. Heyward has always been a great defensive player but he’s only been to one All Star game in 2010 and has won 2 Gold Glove awards during his time with the Cubs. He’s never been known as a power hitter and he did hit a career high of 27 home runs in 2012, his high with the Cubs has been 21 and has never managed to hit above .300 in any of his seasons in a Cubs uniform.

It’s easy to be sentimental about a player who supposedly fired up the team ahead of the 10th inning in the World Series but the time for sentimentality is over and look at him realistically. During that great 2016 season, he only hit .260 and grounded into more double plays than he hit home runs. The problem is his age and his contract; he’s owed $22 million in 2022 and will be 33 next season so it’s unlikely the team will receive a top prospect but they need pitching help and need to get younger as a team. The team will also need to eat a big chunk of his contract similar to what happened with Milton Bradley and Carlos Zambrano.

Fire David Ross

This may seem like an overreaction but it’s not. The salad days of the 2016 season are far away and Ross is a constant reminder of the fun times that happened during his two seasons as Jon Lester’s personal catcher. He’s also an awful reminder of the front office screwed up Joe Maddon’s exit. His inexperience managing games really comes through at times and he’s simply too close to the players to properly manage them. He’s also presided over 2 separate losings streaks of 11 and 12 games during the 2021 season and seems to only resort to using position players to pitch because he doesn’t know how to manage a bullpen. 

Jed Hoyer Belongs on the Hot Seat

Another overreaction? Possibly but Cubs fans also need to recognize that Theo Epstein isn’t coming back so we can’t pin our hopes on any sort of phoenix allegory but in one season following Epstein’s departure, every franchise icon was traded and the team currently sits at fourth in the NL Central standings (as of August 19, 2021) and has overseen the collapse of a once promising team. Inability to sign plays to long-term deals, the near constant salary arbitration hearings and misfiring on scouting and developing top level pitching talent have all been hallmarks of the Theo & Jed Era of the front office.

Trade Willson Contreras and/or Kyle Hendricks

I know this is going to be like nails on a chalkboard for fans given all of the other trades that occurred but this is one or two trades that should happen at the end of the season. While painful, these moves would be absolutely necessary for the team to improve in the future. Hendricks will be 32 at the start of next season but he’s going to accidentally win 20 games in 2021 simply because he has great control and is probably the only rotation pitcher that gets run support. I’ve personally watched Hendricks pitch several times and he’s going to have a long career because of his control but the Cubs would be wise to entertain trade propositions for him. 

Contreras on the other hand has been something of an enigma during his tenure with the team. He was a key contributor to the 2016 team, has been a two time All Star but has never put up stats similar to other slugging catchers like Buster Posey or JT Realmuto. His defense consistently ranks near the top for other catchers but is also injury prone and often disappears for long stretches of time. One or both of these trades need to happen after the conclusion of the season in order to get back a haul of prospects. Trading away beloved players is always painful but sometimes it needs to happen in order to improve for the future. 

The Fans need to be Patient

“Trust the Process”. Three words that only 76er’s fans should be familiar with but the Cubs are due to enter a dark time for the franchise. Look at the seasons between 2010 and 2014; they had lost 464 games and their All Stars were players like Marlon Byrd, Starlin Castro and Bryan LaHair. They emerged from that dark time to be one of the best contenders in the National League with franchise icons and heart pumping moments. The team will get back to prominence again but it’s going to take time, savvy trades and patience in order to get there. 

Featured Image Credit: Screenshot from Youtube

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