Sports News Roundup: Bettman defends NHL's expansion playoff format; U.S. Open will go ahead without fans amid COVID-19: reports and more

MLB Commissioner Manfred 'not confident' of a 2020 season Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said on Monday he is "not confident" a 2020 season will happen now that the players' union broke off talks about a return-to-play plan amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer: Qatar dedicates new stadium to COVID-19 frontline workers

Qatar showed off the latest stadium to be completed for the 2022 soccer World Cup in a virtual presentation on Monday and dedicated it to frontline workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic. The 40,000 capacity Education City Stadium, a 'Diamond in the Desert', is the third venue to be ready with five more under construction.

Goodell says he would 'support' signing Kaepernick, seeks input on social justice

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he would "encourage" teams to sign Colin Kaepernick, adding that the league would also welcome the quarterback's off-the-field guidance on social justice. Kaepernick, whose kneeling protests sparked debate and became a symbol of the fight against racial injustice, filed a grievance against the NFL in 2017, claiming collusion as no teams signed him after he parted ways with the San Francisco 49ers. He and the NFL settled in 2019.

NBA star Durant buys stake in MLS side Philadelphia Union

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has become the latest NBA player to buy into a sports team with the announcement on Monday that he purchased a 5% stake in Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union. As part of the deal, Durant and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, will work with the Union through their company Thirty-Five Ventures on marketing opportunities to grow the Union's footprint worldwide.

Report: NBPA discusses playing amid Black Lives Matter movement

Players set to return to the court next month as part of the NBA's restart are discussing the best way to push the "Black Lives Matter" movement to the forefront. Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving and Los Angeles Lakers teammates Avery Bradley and Dwight Howard are just three of the voices behind a coalition of players who have expressed concern that playing will take away from their push for social justice reforms in the wake of the death of George Floyd on May 25.

Horse racing: Trainers adapt to COVID-19 era ahead of Saturday's Belmont

With a shortened distance and owners barred from the stands amid the coronavirus outbreak, the 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday will bear little resemblance to previous years. With the traditional third leg of the Triple Crown being contested first, top trainer Todd Pletcher admitted that the season will have an air of unfamiliarity about it when the race is contested without any fans in attendance due to the new protocols in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NASCAR moves All-Star race to Bristol, plans for 30,000 fans

NASCAR moved its showcase July 15 All-Star race to Bristol from its traditional Charlotte Motor Speedway home on Monday and plans to allow up to 30,000 spectators to attend the event. The race was shifted to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in North Carolina.

Tokyo 2020 executive says another delay should be an option: Nikkan Sports

Tokyo 2020 board member Haruyuki Takahashi has said a further delay to the already-postponed Olympics should be considered instead of canceling the event if the COVID-19 pandemic does not improve, Japanese daily Nikkan Sports reported on Tuesday. The Japanese government and the International Olympic Committee made the unprecedented decision in March to postpone the Games, originally due to start next month, until 2021.

U.S. Open will go ahead without fans amid COVID-19: reports

The United States Tennis Association will hold the U.S. Open this year without fans amid the COVID-19 outbreak even though some top players have expressed concerns about attending the tournament due to the virus, according to multiple reports. The New York Times, which both cited unnamed sources, said the USTA announce this week that it will hold the Aug. 31-Sept. 13 event in New York with the support of the men's ATP Tour and the WTA, which runs the women's circuit.

MLB Commissioner Manfred 'not confident' of a 2020 season

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said on Monday he is "not confident" a 2020 season will happen now that the players' union broke off talks about a return-to-play plan amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Manfred's comments, made during an appearance on ESPN's 'The Return of Sports' special, are a dramatic shift in tone given just last week he pegged the likelihood of a 2020 season as "100%."

Bettman defends NHL's expansion playoff format

Commissioner Gary Bettman stands by the NHL's decision to admit 24 teams into the playoffs when action restarts this summer. With the regular season declared complete and 24 teams headed to the newly revised postseason, 77 percent of the league's teams will be in the playoffs.