This article was originally published on May 1st, 2020.
Here is this week's dose of “5-Point Friday”. A weekly round-up of the sports news and stories that I find most interesting and enjoyable.
Soccer story I'm enjoying -
Italian Serie B team Pescara Calcio 1936, will adopt a shirt design created by a six-year-old fan. Luigi D'Agostino beat other children in a competition, run by the club for young fans, aimed at easing the boredom of being stuck indoors during the country's coronavirus lockdown.
Women's soccer news I am following -
The NWSL announced it is planning for the final weekend in June as a target start date for the 2020 season.
Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler said that the league "hopes to get 16 to 20 games in this season and that the NWSL hopes to become the first professional sports league to return to play." Adding "There are some silver linings. We're smaller. We're more nimble. We only have nine teams that we have to plan around. So our goal is to be the first ones playing again. It's easy for us to pull off because we aren't used to 40,000-plus crowds."
Virtual event I attended -
Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr (@SteveKerr) and President Rick Welts (@RickWelts): "Warriors Take on an Unprecedented Opponent." The event hosted by the University of San Francisco highlighted the Warriors are doing during the COVID-19 pandemic and what the team is looking at introducing to games when the NBA is able to restart.
Soccer team I am proud of -
Scottish Premiership side Hibernian announced that their home jerseys for the 2020/21 season will bear the message "Thank You NHS."
The jersey is set to go on sale in July and is part of the club's drive to raise a six-figure sum for NHS charities and recognize the "heroic" efforts of health staff during the coronavirus crisis. Fans will be asked to pay £5 to have the logo applied, with profits going to Edinburgh & Lothians Health Foundation.
Hibernian also announced that their first home Scottish Premiership game will be "Thank You NHS Day" with hundreds of health workers as guests.
Hibernian chairman Ronald Gordon said: "In sport we celebrate our heroes and our stars. The NHS have shown they are our true heroes and our stars - they have valiantly cared for and nurtured us through the most difficult and challenging health crisis of our lives.
"Their efforts on behalf of all of us, which still continue today, have been magnificent and Hibernian wants to say thank you and celebrate them in the most meaningful way that we can."
What I've been watching -
Lou Holtz's (@CoachLouHoltz88), legendary NCAA football coach and ESPN analyst, 2015 commencement address at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Using his humor Holtz gives a speech about his philosophy and the simple life rules he uses to live a happy life.
Have a wonderful weekend, all!
Jonathan