Column: 2020 is perfect for socially distanced Newby Awards

In these scary times, it's hard to pull off an awards show.

Thankfully, the Newbys have always been a state of mind, so it shouldn't be a problem to carry on safely in the midst of a pandemic.

We never got around to ordering trophies, or reserving a space, or rolling out an actual red carpet. It's always been perfectly acceptable to just remain in your pajamas, camped out in front of a computer screen as the winners were announced.

It works out to be the perfect format for 2020.

So we now present our eighth annual Newby Awards — a look at the best, worst and mostly just bizarre of a masked-up, socially distanced, Zoom-dominated year in sports that seemed more like a decade:

FAN OF THE YEAR

We had to get creative with this one since very few actual fans were allowed through the gates this year.

The Philadelphia Phillies did their best to compensate for the cold, sterile atmosphere by putting out an array of cardboard cutouts — an eclectic mix that included Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman, the 1980 World Series championship team, Chewbacca and Bob Uecker (occupying a seat on the last row, of course).

But the award goes to a brave stuffed bear in Oakland, who was drilled in the noggin with a liner off the bat of Arizona's Ketel Marte but bounced right back up with a smile on its face.

The bear returned to its seat the next night sporting a bandage, but not to worry: The A's reported that it passed the concussion protocol.

IGNORANCE CUP

Kyle Larson managed to lose his job as a NASCAR driver while the series wasn't even racing, at least not in real cars.

In the midst of playing a live-streamed virtual race, Larson blurted out a racial slur for everyone to hear.

Larson was quickly dumped by Chip Ganassi Racing (though he's already lined up a new gig for 2021 at Hendrick...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Column-2020-is-perfect-for-socially-distanced-15828375.php