Along with wondering how the New England Patriots are going to fare without Tom Brady during the first four games of the season, there's been discussion about how No. 12 will be able to stay in the loop during his suspension.
The quarterback won't be allowed to have any contact with Bill Belichick or any other member of the Patriots coaching staff. Per league rules, he'll essentially be invisible while he serves his four-game Deflategate sentence.
The question remains: Could there be any loopholes to help Brady make the best of his Roger Goodell-imposed downtime?
Can his good buddy wide receiver Julian Edelman help keep him sharp by heading over to Brady's house after practice to catch a few passes?
After consulting with Brian McCarthy, the NFL's Vice President of Communications, the answer is no. Edelman, Danny Amendola, Rob Gronkowski and any other Patriots pass catcher are not allowed go to Brady's backyard, or non-Gillette Stadium field of choice, and throw the ball around with the suspended quarterback.
Brady can't "engage in any team football-related activities or discussions with teammates, even if away from the club facility." Playing catch is among the prohibitions, according to a set of parameters provided by McCarthy.
Some honeymoon
With Chicago Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler activated from the disabled list before Friday's 5-2 victory over the Brewers, Albert Almora Jr. was optioned to Class AAA Iowa to make room. When Almora was playing for Iowa, he planned on marrying his longtime girlfriend Krystal in a civil ceremony in Des Moines, but on the date they had set, he was called up to the Cubs.
On Thursday, Almora finally tied the knot at a Chicago courthouse and teammates Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell and Justin Grimm were present. On Friday, Almora found out that he was headed back to Iowa. "It's bittersweet," Almora said. "Now I get to go and work every day and try to get better and come back and help the team whenever that is."
The young outfielder will be back, said Manager Joe Maddon.
"He's a big part of what we were doing the last month or so," Maddon said. "He shall return."
Almora also was confident that Krystal could handle the move. The two are expecting their first child Sept. 6.
But officer ...
Iowa Hawkeyes defensive lineman Faith Ekakitie was stopped and searched by Iowa City Police on Wednesday, with four officers holding him at gunpoint.
Ekakitie wrote about the situation on Facebook, and his account of the events began getting attention over the weekend.
Ekakitie said he fit a suspect profile for a recent armed robbery but was simply playing Pokemon Go, had his headphones on and didn't realize cops were approaching him.
To close his post, Ekakitie thanked the Iowa City Police for being professional and handling the situation well after the initially aggressive approach.
Banks shots
Stephen Curry and Justin Timberlake doing the "Carlton" with the actual Carlton Banks is almost as fun as watching the NBA MVP shoot from long distance.
The Golden State Warriors star teamed up with Timberlake for the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship Tournament in Nevada this weekend.
When the pair ran into Alfonso Ribeiro on the course, they naturally hit the dance the actor made famous as Carlton Banks, his character from the 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
QUIZ
When did the Chicago Cubs draft Albert Almora Jr.?
ANSWER
The Cubs selected Almora sixth overall in the 2012 draft.
Sports on 07/25/2016