NFL adds to testing protocol after more Titans test positive, Kyrie Irving denies his comments were directed at LeBron James, more sports news

The NFL is scrambling for answers after two more Titanstested positive for COVID-19. That increases the total to seven Titans players and six personnel members who have the coronavirus.

For the last three days, the numbers have increased. NFL Network reported that the NFL and NFLPA officials are headed to Nashville to get a better gauge of what’s happening.

The league has also increased its testing, sending a message that it will take more steps to prevent another outbreak.

The Titans facilities remain closed until at least Monday, but it looks like that could be extended.

One thing the NFL doesn’t want to extend is Tennessee’s postponements. Next week’s game against the Bills will be in jeopardy if more players test positive.

The Titans vs. Steelers game was originally scheduled for Sunday, but the NFL announced today that it is being moved to Week 7. The Steelers were scheduled to play the Ravens in Week 7, but both teams had a bye in Week 8. So that game is being moved to then. The Ravens' bye will now be Week 7 instead of Week 8, and the Steelers and Titans are essentially having their bye week now.

Moving the Titans vs. Steelers game only involved adjusting the schedule of one other team, and it was a minor adjustment. It there is a next time, the NFL may not be so lucky, and that’s why safety measures are being taken up a notch.

Every since Kyrie Irving requested a trade from Cleveland, people have questioned his relationship with LeBron James. It’s fair to wonder. Irving wanted to leave a team that went to three consecutive NBA Finals and were geared for many more runs.

Irving’s latest comments look like a jab at James.

“I felt like I was the best option on every team I’ve played for down the stretch," Irving said on Kevin Durant’s new podcast. "This is the first time in my career where I can look down and be like, 'That [expletive] can make that shot, too.”

James averaged more points each season that he played with Irving. Both players were counted on down the stretch of certain games, but Irving’s career-defining shot just so happened to be in the biggest moment. His shot over Stephen Curry in the 2016 NBA Finals will live forever. But even teammate Richard Jefferson said that he got that shot because putting him on Curry was their best option. There were other nights where James had the better of the matchup.

Irving saw the statement gaining traction on social media and quickly denied it.

“Come on y’all ... don’t listen to the false narratives,” Irving said on his Instagram account.

From time to time, James will send out a comment or two that forces you to read between the lines. Around the same time Irving’s statement was gaining traction on social media, James was asked about why he and Anthony Davis are working together so well.

“We’re not jealous of one another," James told media members.

Now, he may not have been firing back at Irving. It may have just fit the narrative because of timing, but James is strategic and smart with what he says.

Irving is ready to squash the rumors, so he’s planning to go live on his Instagram this evening for an open conversation.

Stay tuned.

It must be October because bat flips and on-field celebrations are at their peak.

The early nod for celebration of the day came when the Atlanta Braves' Marcell Ozuna hit a two-run home run. As Ozuna trotted up the first base line, he stopped and took out his imaginary camera for a selfie.

A few hours later, it was young phenom Fernando Tatis Jr. stealing the show. The MVP candidate hit two home runs against the Cardinals, and his second one gave the Padres their first lead of the playoffs.

Not everyone likes to see these celebrations in baseball because it’s not traditional. Times are different now, and the game is evolving.

Former Toronto Blue Jay Jose Bautisa’s signature bat flip in Game 5 of the ALDS is still one of the most popular playoff celebrations, but it wasn’t received well at the time.

Even MLB has embraced the new wave of players by promoting the “let the kids play” brand. Expect more bat flips and camera selfies throughout the postseason. It adds a little more flare to the games.