Not long after came a seismic jolt, the helicopter crash of Kobe Bryant in the fog-shrouded California hills that reverberated across sports and across continents. Deep into the year, a bookend to Bryant, Diego Maradona died from a heart attack in Argentina weeks after brain surgery, the waves of grief rippling across soccer. The losses, of course, came against a backdrop of a pandemic, its number of fatalities rolled out daily on TV screens. Niekro won 318 games and pitched until he was 48, his knuckleball dancing and mystifying batters across the decades. Kurt Thomas in 1978 became the first U.S. male gymnast to win a world title but lost an Olympic shot in 1980 because of the boycott.

Norwich City's Todd Cantwell is dejected after West Ham scored their fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Norwich City and West Ham at the Carrow Road stadium in Norwich, England, Saturday, July 11, 2020. (Alex Pantling/Pool via AP)NORWICH Norwich became the first team to be relegated from the English Premier League on Saturday after Michail Antonio scored four goals for West Ham, which moved much closer to safety with Watford. West Ham is 16th and six points clear of 18th-place Bournemouth in the relegation zone. Watford is level on points with West Ham after coming from 1-0 down to beat Newcastle 2-1. Players wore black armbands as Premier League games this weekend started with a moment of silence as a tribute to World Cup winner Jack Charlton, who died on Friday aged 85.