April 20: NFL Draft and More to Watch This Week

The 2020 NFL draft arrives this week and will help to bring a bit of the live event feel back to the sports world. The draft and the next episodes of The Last Dance give sports fans plenty to look forward to this week beginning on Thursday.

What's On

2020 NFL draft

ESPN, ABC, NFL Network, B/R App

Round 1 Thursday at 8 p.m. (all times Eastern)
Rounds 2 and 3 Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Rounds 4-7 Saturday at Noon

Three days of relative normality comes to the sports world this week for the NFL draft. The Cincinnati Bengals own the top pick, followed by Washington, the Detroit Lions, New York Giants, and Miami Dolphins to round out the top five. Reigning Heisman Trophy winner and national champion quarterback Joe Burrow of LSU is widely expected to be the Bengals' choice at No. 1, with Ohio State defensive end Chase Young seemingly set for the second pick, fellow Buckeye, cornerback Jeff Okudah at No. 3, and Clemson's Isaiah Simmons fourth.

The real fun looks like it will begin with the fifth pick, where the QB-needy Dolphins will have to decide whether Alabama's dynamic but injury-prone Tua Tagovailoa is worth the risk. Miami's pick will have a domino effect on the sixth-picking Los Angeles Chargers, also in need of a QB after the departure of Philip Rivers, as well as throughout the rest of the first round.

Watch live draft coverage and analysis during every round with the B/R Gridiron 2020 NFL Draft Show, hosted by Adam Lefkoe and featuring NFL draft expert Matt Miller and Connor Rodgers. The show will stream live in the B/R App and on Bleacher Report's YouTube channel.

ESPN's traditional-turned-remote broadcast will feature host Trey Wingo, expert Mel Kiper Jr. covering his 37th draft, Louis Riddick, Booger McFarland, and Suzy Kolber interviewing the draftees. Insiders Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen will contribute throughout the night.

NFL Network's remote coverage will be hosted by Rich Eisen and include analyst Daniel Jeremiah and former players Michael Irvin and Kurt Warner.

New this year will be ABC's broadcast of the draft featuring the College GameDay cast, providing a focus on the players and their families and the journies they've taken from home to college to the league. Plenty of the familiar faces will feature during the night, led by Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Maria Taylor, and Tom Rinaldi.

For more information on every broadcast and who will be there, as well as information on the NFL Draft-A-Thon to raise money for healthcare workers and first responders, go here.

The Last Dance, Parts 3 and 4
Sunday at 9 and 10 p.m. on ESPN

How about that premiere last night?! The best part is there are eight more episodes to go in the Michael Jordandocumentary, with the next two slated to air this Sunday night. Into the second month of no live games or events, sports fans were loving the chance to be back together watching the same thing at the same time again.

#NBATogether with Ernie Johnson
Monday and Wednesday at 8 p.m. on @NBA Twitter

Tune in to two more episodes this week of #NBATogether with Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson. Some of the biggest names in the NBA's past and present have joined the show so far, including last week's birthday special with Kareen Abdul-Jabbar.

2008 NBA Finals
Wednesday, Game 4 at 7 p.m. and Game 6 at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN

In 2008 the Boston Celtics brought the Big Three Era to the NBA, and their run culminated in a title over the rival Los Angeles Lakers. On Wednesday night watch as Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, along with a young Rajon Rondo and coach Doc Rivers, took care of business against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in Game 4 and then routed them in Game 6 to clinch the title, setting up one of the most iconic postgame moments in sports history.

MLB The Show League

Frontrunners have emerged in Major League Baseball's players' league on MLB The Show 20. After a week plus of games, the Rangers' Joey Gallo, Dodgers' Gavin Lux, Rays' Blake Snell, and Blue Jays' Bo Bichette have separated themselves from the pack of 30 total players. You can check out the full league standings as well as the game schedule for the next couple of days and how to watch them, here.

Classic Stanley Cup Final Games

Pittsburgh Penguins repeat: Watch the two clinching games from the Penguins' back-to-back titles, with the Stanley Cup secured in Game 6 on the road both times.

2016 Stanley Cup Final Game 6: Penguins at San Jose Sharks, Saturday at 3 p.m. on NBC

2017 Stanley Cup Final Game 6: Penguins at Nashville Predators, Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on NBC 

St. Louis Blues finally break through: After three previous trips to the Stanley Cup Final without a title, the Blues go from last place in the NHL in midseason to at last lifting the Cup after a dramatic seven-game series against Boston.

2019 Stanley Cup Final Game 7 Blues at Boston Bruins, Sunday at 4:30 p.m. on NBC

Monday Night Football Classic
Tonight at 8 p.m. on ESPN

2005 Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots: Peyton Manning has a field day in Foxborough to finally get his first win in eight tries in New England, taking down the defending Super Bowl champs.

Classic MLB
Tuesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN

1995 ALDS Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees: Ken Griffey Jr. scores the winning run in the 11th inning on an Edgar Martinez base hit, sending the Mariners to the ALCS. Seattle play-by-play announcer Dave Niehaus sealed the moment with his legendary "my oh my" call of the walk-off hit.

NFL Rewind

Two classic games each night
Monday-Wednesday at 8 and 10 p.m. on CBS Sports Network

Monday
2004 AFC Championship: Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots
Super Bowl 38: Carolina Panthers vs. New England Patriots

Tuesday
Super Bowl 41: Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears
Super Bowl 50: Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers

Wednesday
2019 AFC Championship Game: New England Patriots vs. Kansas City Chiefs
2020 AFC Championship Game: Tennessee Titans vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Return to Beijing
Monday and Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Network

Highlights from the 2008 Summer Olympics, with Monday's episode focusing on Michael Phelps's record-setting eight gold medals

Olympic Classics: Basketball
Thursday at 7 p.m. on NBCSN

Featuring the best moments from Team USA women's basketball in the Olympics

Best of B/R Live

Featured Event of the Day

Monday: Classic Champions League, 2016 Borussia Dortmund vs. Legia Warsaw

Tuesday: Classic Champions League, 2015 Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich

Wednesday: Classic Champions League, 2018 Liverpool vs. Manchester City

Thursday: Europa League Replay, 2019 Arsenal vs. Rennes

Friday: ONE Championship: Warrior Spirit – Demetrious Johnson

Saturday: Champions League Classic Matches Episode 2, featuring Inter 4-3 Tottenham in 2010 Group Stage, Juventus 0-3 Real Madrid in 2018 Quarterfinals, and Borussia Dortmund 8-4 Legia Warsaw in 2016 Group Stage

Sunday: AEW Dynamite Replays

B/R Live on IG Live

Our Instagram Live Fan Q&A interview series continues this week with NLL goalie Dillon Ward of the Colorado Mammoth. Join our chat on Instagram @BRLive on Tuesday afternoon where you can submit your questions to be asked live.

B/R Live, NLL

If you missed out first two Q&A sessions last week, catch up on our social and YouTube channels. We spent some time with Demetrious Johnson of ONE Championship and Cody Rhodes of All Elite Wrestling.

Coronavirus and Sports News

Karl-Anthony Towns' mother passes away from coronavirus

The NBA and sports community was hit hard again with the tragic news of the death of Karl-Anthony Towns' mom Jacqueline after suffering from the virus for many weeks. Towns had recently posted an emotional video announcing her diagnosis and condition, asking everyone to take the coronavirus seriously.

First active NFL players test positive

In what was certainly a "when" and not an "if" situation, the coronavirus has reached the National Football League. Two players this week announced they have tested positive: Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller and Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen. Neither player has reportedly had any major symptoms. Like Towns, Miller has urged fans and the public to be serious about the virus.

Fauci on Sports

In an interview last week Dr. Anthony Fauci answered a question about how and under what circumstances sports could return once the pandemic is under a relative amount of control. His reply focused on significant conditions, including no fans at all, keeping all players and team personnel at one big hotel where they can be constantly monitored, and consistent weekly testing of every player. 

MLS pushed back again

Major League Soccer officials are exploring new options on how to resume its season now that it has become clear to them that the original target return date in mid-May is not feasible. A new tentative resumption date is June 8, with the possibility of completing a full 34-game season trending downward. Commissioner Don Garber says the league is looking at the potential of a schedule with fewer games, neutral sites, and even new tournament formats.

European football latest

Multiple reports last week have sources in Europe saying that domestic season resumption over the summer is the newest possibility on the table. UEFA is scheduled to meet this Thursday to discuss how it can resume the Champions League and Europa League tournaments in conjunction with those domestic seasons and cup competitions. Currently, priority is being given to playing out domestic seasons. Read more here. Resuming both domestic and European competition could result in matches nearly every day of the week.

The BBC's Simon Stone reported a new target date of the Champions League Final is August 29, with the Europa League Final three days earlier. As previously noted, everything is very fluid, specifically when even in the initial downturn of the outbreak in countries like Spain and Italy, hundreds of people are still dying each day, while in the UK, cases and deaths are increasing as the outbreak gets worse.

For a complete list and timeline of cancellations and postponements in the sports world, go here.

Other Sports News

In a huge move that will shift the landscape of the transition from high school basketball to the NBA, top prospect Jalen Green, the potential top pick in the 2021 NBA draft, announced he's skipping college to play in the NBA's G League development program. With a reported one-year salary of $500,000 and a tuition guarantee to finance attending college after his playing career, as well as endorsement opportunities, Green's decision is worth about $1 million. Along with other top prospects like LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton playing in Australia, Green's move makes another major impact and puts more pressure on the amateur system of NCAA basketball.

NBA HORSE Champion

Mike Conley Jr. took advantage of his impressive home gym to claim the league's first HORSE championship. Conley Jr. defeated Zach Lavine in the final matchup to take the crown.

WNBA Draft Recap

Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu went No. 1 overall to the New York Liberty on Friday night as expected. Ducks teammates Satou Sabally (No. 2) and Ruthy Hebard (No. 8) also went off the board in the first round. The WNBA also paid tribute to Kobe and Gigi Bryant and her teammates Alyssa Altobelli and Peyton Chester by making them honorary draft picks. You can find the full draft results here.

Sports Internet, Quarantined

Usain Bolt social distancing

It takes the world's fastest man fewer than 10 seconds to create at least six feet of separation from the world's next-fastest runners.

Dominique and Michael

Ahead of the premiere of The Last Dance last week, Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins told an all-time Michael Jordan story:

Atlanta still feeling Super Bowl 51

Atlanta icon T.I. joined ESPN's Richard Jefferson on Instagram Live, where the rapper provided a great answer to whether he'd prefer a Hawks NBA title or Falcons Super Bowl win:

Ball is Life

And in this case, these nuns in Sevilla, Spain are giving us life. Quarantined in one of the hardest-hit countries in the world, they're able to find some joy on their own outdoor court:

Russ helps out Houston kids

After spending his whole career in OKC, it hasn't taken Russell Westbrook long to become a fixture in his new community of Houston in his first year with the Rockets:

Rooftop Tennis

A pair of young players in Italy is getting work in by any means: