Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. CFL’s Edmonton’s franchise to retire Eskimos name

The Canadian Football League’s Edmonton team said on Tuesday they will discontinue the club’s Eskimos name that has been criticised as derogatory towards indigenous people. The decision follows a similar move by the NFL’s Washington team, which last week said they would drop their Redskins name and logo that Native American rights groups consider racist. Hamilton disappointed with past champions’ comments on racism

Lewis Hamilton has hit back at past Formula One champions Mario Andretti and Jackie Stewart for their comments on his anti-racism stance and push for greater diversity in the sport. Andretti, who won his title in 1978 and is now 80, was quoted by the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio as saying he had a lot of respect for the six times world champion but asked why he had ‘become a militant’. Reports: NBA moves up draft lottery

The NBA moved up its draft lottery by five days next month, according to multiple reports Tuesday. The lottery will now be held Aug. 20 instead of Aug. 25, per reports. The draft date has not moved, as it still will be held Oct. 16. Astros take role of villain into MLB’s 2020 season

The Houston Astros will enter the 2020 MLB season as baseball’s newest villain after they were exposed as cheats for stealing pitch signs from opposing team’s catchers during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Fortunately for Houston, who open their campaign on Friday, they will not have to endure the wrath of baseball fans since the COVID-19 outbreak means spectators will not be allowed at ballparks for at least the start of the 60-game season. Leagues continue to embrace protests; Trump ready to tune out

As professional sports in North America slowly return amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the debate over athletes kneeling during the national anthem as part of the fight against racial injustice is growing louder. The protest movement sparked by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016 has picked up steam, extending beyond the NFL, in the aftermath of the June death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. Hollywood stars team up with ex-players to bring NWSL to Los Angeles

Israeli-American actress Natalie Portman and more than a dozen former U.S. women’s national team players have formed an ownership group to set up a professional women’s soccer team in Los Angeles from 2022. The new team, which has yet to be named, was announced by the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) on Tuesday. Major League Baseball ready for season unlike any other

When Major League Baseball opens its coronavirus-delayed 2020 season on Thursday, things will look a lot different than fans of America’s favorite pastime are used to seeing as COVID-19 has led to a number of significant changes. While players will be tested on a regular basis and must quarantine in their hotel rooms when on the road this season, there are many other changes in place that will be hard to miss when the first pitch is thrown. Tennis: Citi Open in Washington cancelled due to coronavirus disruption

The Citi Open in Washington, which was scheduled to restart the men’s ATP Tour after the COVID-19 shutdown, has been cancelled for 2020, organisers announced on Tuesday. The tournament was set to begin on Aug. 14 and serve as a build-up for the U.S. Open but the organisers said concerns about travel restrictions and recent trends in the coronavirus outbreak had led to the decision to scrap the event. Reports: Timberwolves for sale, Garnett interested

The Minnesota Timberwolves are for sale, and franchise icon Kevin Garnett is part of a group of investors that is “seriously interested” in buying the team, according to multiple reports Tuesday. Sportico reported owner Glen Taylor had retained the Raine Group to sell the franchise, adding that several parties have bid on the team. “Play ball”: MLB returns while fans stay safe at home

“Take me out to the ball game” in the midst of a pandemic will mean a trip to the living room and a spot on the sofa to watch Major League Baseball when the COVID-19 interrupted season finally gets underway on Thursday. Regarded as the U.S. national pastime, ball parks that would be filled with fans and buzzing with excitement on opening day will stand empty as the country struggles to contain the virus that has claimed more than 140,000 American lives.