The good news for Premier League fans is that there really only are two obstacles standing in the way of a return from the pause because of the coronavirus pandemic. One of them may well be out of their hands, and yes, it's partly their fault at this stage. The other is nothing that can't be resolved with common sense, serious negotiation and goodwill, though the way the sport is set up in England makes it more difficult.

Let's deal with the one the Premier League can't really control: establishing a medical protocol for training and matches that both satisfies government regulations in terms of safety, and satisfies those players and coaches who have legitimate concerns.

I touched upon this on Monday, so I won't dwell on it, but the fact that they're only dealing with this now in a public arena is both staggering and counterproductive. (The latest plans: On Thursday, the UK government meets again to discuss easing the lockdown, the day after which Premier League doctors and medics will hold talks. Prime minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce new measures on Sunday, with key Premier League stakeholders to reconvene on Monday.)

Unlike other leagues, most notably Germany and Spain -- where league CEOs Christian Seifert and Javier Tebas have spoken out extensively and in detail -- the Premier League have flown under the radar, avoiding public statements. Instead, the league and clubs (most notably certain clubs) continued to disseminate rumours and fragments of information about how they would deal with matters medically. Some of it may have been true, some of it may have been false, some of it may have been once true but now out-of-date.

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Officially, we got nothing, and while the strategy may have been that it's best not to put a plan out there so that it doesn't get attacked, especially since it will necessarily change over time as medical and scientific opinion changes, all it did was stoke further fears and uncertainty. Not just among players, but among club doctors who wrote to the league and government officials with a list of concerns and unanswered questions.

One question stood out: "As doctors, how can we 'approve' guidelines that still carry risk of death?"

The obvious answer is that there's risk of death in most things you do; it's really a question of mitigating and assessing that risk. If this had been part of the conversation from day one, then maybe the landscape and public opinion -- and possibly the government's response -- would be different. Instead, footballers are waking up to headlines about how the very people who are supposed to keep them safe, their own club doctors, worry about approving protocols that "carry risk of death?"

Ultimately, it's going to be the government's call, so the Premier League can abdicate responsibility there. But given how governments are sensitive to public opinion (read: voters), then the Premier League certainly haven't helped their chances of getting a green light to return to action.

The other hurdle comes courtesy of law enforcement, who decreed that games must be played in neutral venues, in part because of fears that supporters will congregate outside the grounds. My colleague Mark Ogden agrees with this; me, less so, but it's really a moot point: the cops' word is final.

This has had the knock-on effect of clubs near the bottom of the table, understandably, pointing out that this undermines the integrity of the league as some will have had more games than others, and they are threatening to vote against a return as a result. It takes 14 votes out of 20 to approve a return, so if they can get seven on their side, there will be no more Premier League football this season.

Those clubs would reportedly be happy to play again in neutral venues if relegation were scrapped. But that, of course, would mean no promotion and the English Football League (EFL), which comprises the three tiers below the Premier League, is, understandably concerned about this.

"The lawyers are going to get wealthy if that happens," EFL chairman Rick Parry told government officials. "There would be varying degrees of outrage from a number of clubs in our Championship, it would breach the tripartite agreement between us, the Premier League and the Football Association ... the safe answer is that it would get very messy."

That "tripartite agreement" to which he's referring is the deal that was struck when the Premier League broke away from the Football League with the Football Association's blessing. It guarantees a number of things, one of them the "three up, three down" concept. So this is where you can go Chicken Little and throw in the towel. This is where you'd basically see three outcomes, all of them bad.

1. The PL sticks to its current plan, enough clubs vote against a restart and everything shuts down, leaving a long, hot summer of legal battles to determine what happens next.
2. The PL scraps relegation, football returns, the EFL and its clubs take legal action -- possibly broadcasters, who would be stuck with a glut of meaningless games, too -- leaving a long, hot summer of legal battles to determine what happens next.
3. The PL and EFL try to reach some sort of clunky compromise where they agree to scrap relegation but still promote, say, the top two teams from the Championship, meaning next season will feature 22 clubs. Except at that point, Premier League clubs vote against it because they don't want to split the PL revenue pie into 22 slices rather than 20, and they don't want an extra four fixtures clogging up the calendar. (My colleague Dale Johnson goes into detail in this thread here.)

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So are we screwed? Thankfully not, because ultimately, the Premier League is made up of 20 separate businesses. They may work together under a common set of rules to market their product, but they are 20 separate entities with their own bottom lines, and "bottom line" means one thing: money.

The great thing about money is that it's fungible. Which doesn't mean it's "fun" (yes, it can be that too) but means it can be readily exchanged either for goods and services or, in this case, compensation. And that means you can reach an agreement.

Scrap relegation and you save yourself around £150 million in parachute payments -- the cash paid to relegated clubs to soften the blow of going down. Leeds and West Bromwich Albion are seven and six points clear in the automatic promotion slots respectively. Split that £150m between them and, considering that most Premier League clubs earn between £100m-150m from TV money depending on league finish and appearances, you're basically guaranteeing them most of what they would have earned in the Premier League. It's true that they'd be making less from sponsorship and gate receipts with another season in the Championship, but then their wage bill and costs would be lower, too.

If that's not enough to make the EFL and their lawsuit go away? Make every Premier League club kick a little bit more money into a compensation pot, say an average of 2%, perhaps tiered so the bottom clubs contribute a little bit more, since they're benefitting most. That would raise you another £40m, and that's before you get into the fact that the opposite may be true. Maybe Norwich would be OK with going down -- possibly because they've spent wisely and their player contracts all have relegation clauses, where wages get cut if they're no longer in the top flight -- provided they get the parachute payments and, perhaps, a little contribution from the promoted club's TV money next year: say, 10%, which would be £10m or, in the case of Leeds, likely more.

You can squabble over the figures, but it's pretty evident that there's a deal to be worked out. One that is preferable to simply not playing, and one that doesn't tie us up in endless legal battles. All it takes is common sense and an ability to negotiate. Surely those are qualities they can find, given the alternatives?

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Fans will be allowed to enter baseball stadiums for games in Taiwan for the first time this season as part of a gradual easing of restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The China Professional Baseball League said up to 1,000 people would be permitted to enter ballparks Friday after an agreement between the league and Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center.

Other baseball leagues around the world were still suspended last month when games began in Taiwan in empty stadiums. South Korea's league commenced this week, also without fans in the stands.

"One month has elapsed since the start of play on April 11. With the unity and cooperation of the government and the people, the epidemic in Taiwan has eased," the CPBL said on its official website. "Welcome back fans!"

The CPBL said it would continue to maintain high levels of epidemic prevention policies in order to "let baseball gradually return to Chinese life."

Taiwan's five-team Chinese Professional Baseball League has been barring spectators over concerns of spreading the coronavirus in a crowded space. But Taiwan has relatively few cases of COVID-19, so the league decided last month it was safe to let in players, coaches, cheerleaders, costumed mascots, face-mask-wearing batboys and the media.

To keep fans watching on their phones, PCs and TVs, the league encouraged teams to give their stadiums a realistic, lively feel. That's where the placards on the seats and cheerleaders come in. Online game commentary has been broadcast in English as well as Chinese this year in case fans overseas want to watch a live season.

In Taiwan's Taoyuan city, the Rakuten Monkeys charmed fans by placing 40 mannequins in the stands -- to be sent to local clothing stores once their duties are done.

The Monkeys, last season's champions, deploy six robots to bang drums along with the cheerleaders.

Major League Baseball expects to offer a return-to-play proposal to the MLB Players Association within a week as teams have begun to encourage players to prepare for a "spring" training that could begin in mid-June and a season that would start in early July, sources familiar with the discussions told ESPN.

While a significant number of hurdles remain and some industry leaders believe June and July return dates are optimistic, the approval of ownership on a plan and dialogue about specifics with the union would mark two vital steps in baseball's return from a season so far delayed six weeks by the coronavirus.

General managers and managers from at least a dozen teams have reached out to players and suggested they ramp up baseball activities, executives, players and agents familiar with the conversations told ESPN. Some teams have suggested players prepare for a spring training that would begin as early as June 10 and a season that would begin July 1, dates first suggested publicly by former player Trevor Plouffe. Other teams, sources said, are being more general in their timetables, understanding the complications that hard dates can cause and wanting instead to nudge players toward being in game shape.

Already dozens of players are working out at team facilities around the country, according to sources, and the possibility of holding a three- to four-week spring training at teams' home stadiums appeals to a number of stakeholders. After entertaining the ideas of quarantining all players in Arizona or using three- or five-city hubs to hold games, there is momentum toward the league trying to play games in home stadiums, sources said.

The complications could be manifold, whether due to a coronavirus breakout in a city or the risk added by traveling, but the logistical concerns aren't nearly as acute as the building of hubs would be. Three player representatives, who have been sending updates to the union's rank-and-file, believe the union would be more receptive to such a plan because players could spend half their games at home and with families.

This does not mean the league's proposal to the players' association will be met with open arms. Owners have pushed the league to ask players to take a pay cut from their salaries because of cratering revenues exacerbated by no fans being allowed in stadiums upon any return. In an agreement between the league and union, players agreed to be paid a prorated portion of their salaries based on games played, which the MLBPA argues covers any lessening of salary players should take.

The potential snags go well beyond money. Returning to play in this environment poses a risk to players -- one they hope is allayed as much as possible in the league's proposal. Multiple players have reached out to the union asking what would happen if they opted not to play in 2020 out of fear for their health or a desire to remain with their families during the coronavirus pandemic, sources told ESPN. Further, a more direct question was asked by a player during a Zoom call with Cleveland Indians players that was first reported by The Athletic: What happens if we come back and a player tests positive?

The league's answer to that question, and others, is eagerly anticipated by players whose sense of optimism has grown in the past week. At the same time, multiple officials and players have expressed reservation about negotiating an agreement as the country reopens, fearful that by the time the beginning of June rolls around, the climate for the game to return may not be as welcoming.

The unknown, sources said, is part of the motivator to start the negotiation process within a week. Not only does MLB need approval from owners and players to start a season, officials from the White House and top health officials expect to be consulted and give the go-ahead, sources said. Already MLB has been in contact with federal and state officials seeking guidance as it maneuvers toward a new opening day.

The look of the game and season will be determined in any agreement between the league and union. Multiple executives have suggested that as many as 50 players will be available for teams to use, and that they'll have active rosters of up to 30 players each game. The length of the season, should it start in July, could be between 80 and 100 games.

Any agreement is likely to include contingency plans going forward, sources said. Some officials fear a so-called second wave of coronavirus cases that some health officials have forecast and believe that instead of planning to play into late November, with an expanded playoff system, MLB would be better suited playing a shorter season that gives the league a greater likelihood to avoid potential complications.

The fallout from COVID-19 already has not just erased a large portion of the 2020 season, it has left front offices fearful of the immediate and long-term future. Scouting directors are waiting on the official word but told ESPN they expect the MLB draft in June to be five rounds instead of the standard 40. Further, while most teams have guaranteed employees pay through the end of May, the delay of baseball beyond July could precipitate a wave of furloughs and layoffs, according to sources.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed defensemen Christian Djoos and Jani Hakanpaa to one-year contracts.

The Ducks announced the deals Wednesday. Djoos will make $1 million next season and Hakanpaa gets $750,000.

Djoos had one goal and two assists in nine games with the Ducks after they acquired him from the Washington Capitals on Feb. 24 in a trade for forward Daniel Sprong.

Djoos is a former seventh-round draft pick who played a steady role during the Capitals' run to the Stanley Cup title as a rookie in the 2017-18 season. He scored 14 points in 63 games as a rookie before appearing in 22 playoff games on the way to the Cup.

He didn't make the Caps' roster out of training camp this season and he appeared in just two games with Washington before being traded.

Hakanpaa, 28, had one goal in five games for Anaheim this season after making his NHL debut March 4. The defenseman was drafted by St. Louis in 2010 but didn't progress beyond the AHL before spending the past four seasons in his native Finland's top league.

Former Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta celebrated the 11th anniversary of his famous Champions League semifinal strike against Chelsea by calling two children conceived after his tie-clinching goal.

Barcelona were two minutes from being eliminated from the Champions League in a tense second leg at Stamford Bridge on May 6, 2009, when Iniesta collected a pass from Lionel Messi and stroked the ball into the top corner from outside the box.

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His goal secured a 1-1 draw, sending the Spanish side into the final in Rome on the away goals rule, and prompted an outpouring of celebration back home.

Nine months later, those celebrations had a rather unexpected result, with maternity hospitals in Barcelona telling local media they were struggling to cope with demand amid a spike in the city's birth rate.

On Wednesday, Iniesta, who now plays for Japanese club Vissel Kobe, posted a video of himself on Twitter speaking to two children who were born in January 2010.

Para celebrar el aniversario de un gol muy especial, he llamado a unos amigos para compartir un momento inolvidable y muy familiar... ? @FCBarcelona ?? #Iniestazo pic.twitter.com/ra3I1pdUTM

— Andrés Iniesta (@andresiniesta8) May 6, 2020

"Has your mother showed you the goal?" the 35-year-old Iniesta asks Ignacio, who was born on Jan. 18.

"Yes, what a goal," Ignacio replies.

Ignacio's mother Andrea Barri told Iniesta she found out she was pregnant just before travelling to the final, where Barcelona beat Manchester United 2-0.

"If I'd told my mum before travelling she wouldn't have wanted me to go to the game. So I told her on the plane," she added.

"You told her on the plane you were pregnant and we ended up winning the Champions League, everything was perfect then," Iniesta replies.

Josep Enric, who was born on Jan. 29, told Iniesta he is his "favourite player ever" along with Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.

"They showed me the video of the goal which you scored before I was born. We were all celebrating it," the 10-year-old added.

Enric's father, Josep Salvat, told Iniesta it was his brother who connected the dots between the goal and his son's birthday.

"My older brother is a big Barca fan, football is almost a religion to him," Salvat said. "He was the one that went and looked at the calendar and made the calculations.

"I remember how much we celebrated that goal, everything was lost but your goal gave us immense joy."

Inter Miami sporting director Paul McDonough said his team remains in the market for two more players, even as he sidestepped links to players such as Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal and Real Madrid attacker Gareth Bale.

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MLS has been shut down since March 12, and since then the league's primary transfer window -- which was set to close on May 5 -- had been "on hold" according to a report on the league's web site. The lost days will be added back once the window reopens, but that hasn't prevented McDonough from trying to improve his side, who noted that he's in regular contact with owners Jorge Mas and David Beckham.

"We're evaluating everything as we go. We're looking," he said during a video conference with reporters. "Whether we add players this summer, or even ready for next January, we're constantly evaluating and looking at players and trying to see how we can strengthen the team."

Vidal, 32, put up and then removed an Instagram post with an Inter Miami logo several days ago, increasing speculation that he was at least pondering a move to the team. But McDonough characterized the link as "a rumor."

"He's top player, he's a very well-established player," McDonough said about Vidal. "But we get linked with so many players, and it hasn't stopped through this situation. As opportunities and as players get presented to us, we just continue to address them. Some of them are just strictly rumors. Some of them are interest but they may not line up with our goals or financial valuation."

The Inter Miami executive had similar thoughts on Bale, adding that "He's an exceptional player." But he quickly expanded his thoughts to what the next transfer window will bring in terms of valuations.

"I think it's going to be very interesting, the economic impact on the transfer markets," he said. "I think all clubs have suffered some significant losses. In certain parts of the world the losses are more significant. So I think it's going to be very, very interesting. I think there will be a transfer market, but I think the transfer valuations on players will probably change going forward."

Bale had previously expressed interest in MLS, saying last week that "It's grown so much over the years." Bale's teammate James Rodriguez is another player that has been linked with Miami.

One player whose link to Inter Miami appeared more solid was Boca Juniors midfielder Agustin Almendra. A loan deal appeared set to be finalized as the season started, but McDonough said that while Miami had conversations with Boca about the player, the pandemic has led to the deal being "on pause" while adding he'll know more "when we come out with this [pandemic] and [see] what shape everybody's in and what the appetite is for us to do it, and the availability of other players in the market."

Wednesday marked the first time that Miami players had trained at the team's practice facility since the league announced a training moratorium back in March. While the players were limited to individual workouts, the sessions marked a small step forward towards getting back to playing. Still, there's a long way to go.

"Today's a day where we're happy that we're able to get the guys back on site in a carefully devised plan with MLS and local authorities to start individual training," McDonough said. "So we're looking forward to continuing to see the guys and get their fitness levels up and see where the next stage takes us."

NBA commissioner Adam Silver and National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts will host a call for all players on Friday, sources told ESPN.

That's the same day the league has permitted teams to reopen practice facilities for voluntary, social-distanced workouts in areas where that has been permitted by local public health officials, in accordance with the detailed safety protocols that the NBA shared with teams from guidance from public health officials, the CDC and infectious disease specialists.

Three teams -- the Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers -- have told ESPN they plan to reopen Friday, while several other teams said they hope to open next week. The Houston Rockets had planned to open their facility Friday but reconsidered in collaboration with players and staff as well as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's directive for gyms not to open until May 18.

The call with Silver and Roberts is intended to be an open forum for players to address any concerns or ask any questions they have, sources said.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.

Piers Copeland and Lilly Coward post the quickest mile times overall at the end of the three-day event

The early racing on the third and final day of British Milers’ Club Bannister Virtual Miles action was particularly impressive as Manx athlete Rachael Franklin breezed down the Douglas seafront to record 4:45.

That time was equalled by Keira Brady-Jones of Wirral AC, which remained the quickest by either an under-20 or under-17 female.

Brady-Jones led a sizeable Wirral contingent who had over 30 athletes complete a solo mile.

Lilly Coward’s 4:38 from day two remained as the fastest female solo mile effort.

The men’s time trial had even more fireworks as GB cross country international Adam Hickey returned a swift 4:09 to challenge the overnight lead of 4:07.

Welsh Commonwealth Games athlete and sub-3:39 1500m man Tom Marshall (pictured, below) moved into second with 4:06 in the early evening.

Marshall’s coach James Thie sped to 4:29 for the fastest M40 time. Their fellow Welshman Osian Perrin was out of the blocks early with 4:15, an under-20 lead.

However, in true ‘Bannister’ style the event was brought to a fitting finale when European under-23 silver medallist Piers Copeland (pictured, top), who ran 3:38 for 1500m indoors this winter, flew down the banks of the River Stour to return a stunning 4:02 which remained as the quickest mile at the end of the three days.

The event has so far raised more than £1400 for the Turn2Us coronavirus appeal, with the fundraising page still open at justgiving.com/fundraising/british-milers.

The BMC would like to express their gratitude to the running community for celebrating the 66th anniversary of Roger Bannister’s era-defining achievement in such tough times in a friendly yet competitive spirit in aid of charity.

Read more about the virtual event here.

Results can be found here.

Report by BMC race organisers Steve Green and Matt Long, with thanks to Mark Hookway, Chris Barnes, James Thie, James McCrae and Matt de Freitas for event support and OpenTrack.

INDIANAPOLIS – The One Drive To Get Back On Track auction was announced Wednesday by IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to support non-profit organizations on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19.

The special virtual auction featuring rare and exciting ultimate IndyCar fan experiences will take place from Friday, May 22 to Sunday, May 24 and will support the American Red Cross, All Clear Foundation and Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana.

Those dates were the originally-scheduled race weekend for the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, postponed until Aug. 23 due to the global health crisis.

Throughout the Month of May, IndyCar’s athletes will take over the NTT IndyCar Series social media accounts to give fans exclusive, behind-the-scenes content and access.

At the end of each takeover day, drivers will announce a special One Drive To Get Back On Track auction package sponsored by their team.

The first driver takeover is scheduled for Thursday, May 7 and will feature Meyer Shank Racing’s Jack Harvey. IndyCar’s event promoters and partners also will join in the fun, providing experience packages for the auction.

“There’s no question this is going to be a different Month of May than we’re all used to,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “However, I can’t think of a more appropriate way for our motorsports community to come together this month, and most especially over the originally scheduled Indy 500 Race Weekend, than to join forces in support of the heroes on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19.

“I’m excited to see the auction packages our drivers, teams, venues and partners contribute and look forward to an engaging month of content leading up to the virtual auction.”

Alongside today’s announcement, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced the first auction prize available to fans.

The Epic Racing Capital of the World Experience includes the opportunity to wave the green flag on an Indy 500 practice day, take a track lap in a Speedway event car with IMS President J. Douglas Boles and dinner for four with the Borg-Warner Trophy and a former Indy 500 winner.

Unlike additional auction items, which will be available through the bidding process beginning on May 22, this prize will be awarded through a fan sweepstakes.

Details on how fans can enter the sweepstakes will be announced in the near future by Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The One Drive To Get Back On Track auction will be housed on indycar.com/backontrack in association with Legends, the official fan retail partner of IndyCar and IMS.

BELLEVILLE, Ill. – Officials from Performance Open Wheel Racing, Inc., have updated the sanction’s schedules through May in an effort to adhere to ongoing public gathering restrictions and special limitations on a state-by-state basis.

Featuring the POWRi Lucas Oil National and West Midget Leagues, as well as the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League, the annual Mid-State Open Wheel Nationals will now be a two-day event at Valley Speedway on May 24-25. A practice day will be held on May 23.

Limited admission tickets for this event will be available online at valleyspeedway.com. Race fans unable to make it to the track can catch all the action live on POWRi TV.

With local, regional, and national drivers competing there will be no limitations on the number of driver entries. However, social distancing will be strictly enforced throughout the pits and race teams will be parked 10 feet apart.

Events removed from the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League include Central Missouri Speedway on May 23, Double-X Speedway on May 24, Lake Ozark Speedway on May 29, and I-70 Motorsports Park on May 30.

POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League scheduling changes include the cancellation of planned events at Belle-Clair Speedway on May 22-23.

With many tracks, series, and leagues beginning to open with various restrictions, POWRi officials are encouraging drivers and teams to ease the strain of pre-entry congestion by utilizing the online features for the POWRi membership forms available at powri.com.

POWRi is currently working on revising its June events, with updates forthcoming.