It’s almost football season, and even though the NFL has been steadfast in their belief that they will absolutely, definitely, for sure go ahead with the season, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) is prepping the contingency plan...you know, just in case.

This week co-hosts Ellen and Steph give #thegist of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on college sports. With some conferences cancelling fall sports, including football, schools have had to cut some varsity sports teams and make changes to athletic scholarships indefinitely. Meanwhile, some football teams, led by well-paid white coaches, are urging the season to go ahead, putting their unpaid, majority Black, players at risk. Tune in, won’t you.

With all of these sports coming back, it’s hard to believe that we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, but it’s true. Here’s a quick round-up of what’s going on in a few other sports.

Sports are coming back. But, unfortunately, so are some athletes’ positive COVID-19 test results.

The Black Lives Matter movement has found an unlikely but long-overdue ally in the sports world: NASCAR.

While athletes’ voices are powerful on their own, backing from teams and strong action taken throughout organizations are imperative if we want to see real and necessary change driven by sports.

The NHL is the first pro league in North America to give us hope a real, detailed plan for returning to play. Meanwhile, the MLB is disrespecting its players, the NFL is wearing rose-colored glasses and the NBA is stringing us along. Does this situation remind you of a rom-com or what?

The GIST: New England Patriots fans, you might want to skip this one. Beloved former Pats tight end Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski has joined his quarterback (QB) bestie Tom Brady as the newest member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The GIST: After the WNBA showed us how it’s done, it’s time for the NFL to step up to the challenge. It’s Virtual Draft Day!