Column: Another socially distanced Newby Awards for 2021

FILE - Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron is seen, March 1967. Aaron made history with one swing of his bat. A year later and on the other side of Georgia, Lee Elder made history with one swing of his driver. Their deaths in 2021 were mourned beyond the sports world and were reminders of the hate, hardships and obstacles they endured with dignity on their way to breaking records and barriers. (AP Photo, File)

CORRECTS TO SEVENTH SUPER BOWL TITLE FOR BRADY, INSTEAD OF FIFTH - FILE - Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski, left, and quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrate after the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Tampa, Fla., Feb. 7, 2021. Brady's seventh Super Bowl title, at 43 no less, was one of the best moments of 2021, when a continuing pandemic could not dim the brightest of stars of the sports world. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano, File)

FILE - Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer watches from the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021, in Jacksonville, Fla. Just 13 games into his tenure, Meyer was mercifully fired by the Jacksonville Jaguars. With Meyer out of the running for coach of the year, and no idea where Bobby Petrino ended up, we'll give this Newby trophy to Ted Lasso. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers celebrates after an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won 24-22. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

New LSU football coach Brian Kelly gestures to fans after his arrival at Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, in Baton Rouge, La. Kelly, formerly of Notre Dame, is said to have agreed to a 10-year contract with LSU worth $95 million plus incentives. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)

FILE - Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Will Craig, right, tosses the ball to catcher Michael Perez, left, after Chicago Cubs' Javier Baez (9) hit a fielder's choice third to first and was caught in a rundown between home a first during the third inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, May 27, 2021. Cub's Willson Contreras, top center, scores on the play and Báez reached second on an errant throw by Pirates' catcher Perez. In a totally forgettable season for the Chicago Cubs, Baez wins the Newby award for best baserunning. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady reacts during the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

FILE - Souad Nefissa Cherouati, of Algeria, exits the water after finishing the women's marathon swimming event at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021, in Tokyo. The Algerian swimmer dropped far behind the field in the 10-kilometer marathon event, yet never thought of quitting. Cherouati gets the Newby award for perseverance. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

FILE - Atlanta Braves' organist Matthew Kaminski plays an organ overlooking Truist Field before Game 4 of baseball's World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves Oct. 30, 2021, in Atlanta. The jazz lover's eclectic taste in music, and his hilarious selections when opposing players come to the plate, set up a game within every game. For the first time ever, we'll be awarding a Newby Grammy to our top sports-related musician, Kaminski. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

FILE - Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron hits his 715th career home run in Atlanta Stadium, April 8, 1974, to break the all-time record set by the late Babe Ruth. The ball is a blur as it leaves the bat. Aaron made history with one swing of his bat. A year later and on the other side of Georgia, Lee Elder made history with one swing of his driver. Their deaths in 2021 were mourned beyond the sports world and were reminders of the hate, hardships and obstacles they endured with dignity on their way to breaking records and barriers. (AP Photo/Joe Holloway, Jr., File)

FILE - Masters champion Tiger Woods, right, gets a hug from Lee Elder after the final round of Masters play at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Sunday, April 13, 1997. Hank Aaron made history with one swing of his bat. A year later and on the other side of Georgia, Elder made history with one swing of his driver. Their deaths in 2021 were mourned beyond the sports world and were reminders of the hate, hardships and obstacles they endured with dignity on their way to breaking records and barriers. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File)