Sports News Roundup: Crimson Tide, QBs headline 2021 NFL Draft; Braves to go full capacity at Truist Park on May 7 and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Crimson Tide, QBs headline 2021 NFL Draft

Perhaps only a transcendent quarterback class could shift the spotlight away from Alabama football when the 2021 NFL Draft opens Thursday night in Cleveland. The national champion Crimson Tide is set to challenge the record for first-round picks in a single draft. Quarterback Mac Jones, Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, explosive fellow wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and running back Najee Harris lead the wave of Nick Saban's former charges expected to be selected among the top 32 picks. Cornerback Patrick Surtain II, defensive lineman Christian Barmore, offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood, and linebacker Dylan Moses are also potential first-rounders.

Braves to go full capacity at Truist Park on May 7

The Atlanta Braves announced Wednesday they will forgo capacity restrictions at Truist Park and will sell tickets for all seats beginning with their May 7 home game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves already have played two homestands this season. They set capacity at 33 percent for their first homestand April 9-15 against the Phillies and Miami Marlins, and are at 50 percent for their current homestand that started Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks and will conclude against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.

Federer to auction off Grand Slam memorabilia

Millions of Roger Federer fans around the world might be salivating at the prospect of owning some mementos of the Swiss great's incredible career after he announced he is auctioning off a collection of personal items this summer. The 20-times Grand Slam champion, regarded by many as the greatest player ever to wield a tennis racket, is putting various items under the hammer in two sales in June and July at Christie's to raise money for his foundation.

Motor racing: Turkey replaces Canada on Formula One calendar

Turkey will replace Canada on this year's Formula One calendar after the June 13 race in Montreal was canceled on Wednesday for the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Formula One said it had extended Montreal's contract by two years to take into account the cancellations, securing the race until 2031.

Red Sox to host high school graduations at Fenway Park

The Boston Red Sox will host high school graduation ceremonies at their storied Fenway Park throughout June in order to provide an appropriate outdoor venue amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the team said on Wednesday. Fenway Park, which the Red Sox have called home since it opened in 1912, will be the venue for 15 of the 38 graduating classes in the Boston Public School system between June 7-21.

NBA-Rockets' Porter Jr. fined $50,000 for Miami club visit

Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. has been fined $50,000 for violating the National Basketball Association's (NBA) health and safety protocols, the league said on Wednesday.

Porter visited a Miami club along with teammate Sterling Brown on April 19, in violation of the NBA's rules against attending indoor social gatherings of 15 or more people and entering bars, lounges, and similar establishments.

As Japanese scepticism grows, organisers say they could hold Olympics without spectators

Organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics rolled out stricter coronavirus countermeasures on Wednesday, including a plan to test athletes daily, as they try to reassure a Japanese public made increasingly skeptical by the resurgent pandemic. With just three months to go until the postponed Games, Japan has been encumbered by a slow-moving vaccination drive that has raised concerns about the viability of the Games. Some public ire has focused on Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who has repeatedly pledged that event will go ahead.

Report: Giants RB Saquon Barkley on track to start season

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is on pace toward returning to the field in time for the start of the upcoming season, ESPN reported. Barkley sustained a torn right anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus and strained his medial collateral ligament against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 20, 2020. He underwent surgery on Oct. 30, with the delay allowing the MCL to heal.

Report: Broncos to acquire Teddy Bridgewater from Panthers

The Denver Broncos are acquiring quarterback Teddy Bridgewater from the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the NFL Network reported. Per the report, the Panthers will pay $7 million and the Broncos will pony up $3 million as part of the restructured contract to finalize the deal.

Jon Lester moving closer to making Nationals debut

The Washington Nationals are close to getting Jon Lester back for his season debut, but exactly when is still not determined. The 37-year-old left-hander hasn't pitched this season after opening the campaign on the COVID-19 list. He was signed by the Nationals as a free agent in the offseason.